used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
adoptedadjectiveUS /əˈdɑːptɪd/
acquired as your own by free choice
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
united by being of the same opinion
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
avoidingverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪŋ/
-ing form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
campfiresnounUS /ˈkæmpfaɪərz/
plural of “campfire” — a small outdoor fire for warmth or cooking (as at a camp)
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
CanadiansnounUS /kəˈneɪdiənz/
plural of “canadian” — a native or inhabitant of Canada
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
taking care or paying attention
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
crawledverbUS /krɔːld/
past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
declivitynoun
a downward slope or bend
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
embersnounUS /ˈembərz/
plural of “ember” — a hot fragment of wood or coal that is left from a fire and is glowing or smoldering
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading A hundred yards further, he repeated the signal.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
ten 10s
From this reading A hundred yards further, he repeated the signal.
plural of “indian” — a native or inhabitant of India
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
a Stuart king of Scotland who married a daughter of Henry VII; when England and France went to war in 1513 he invaded England and died in defeat at Flodden (1473-1513)
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
LawrencenounUS /ˈlɔːrəns/
Roman martyr; supposedly Lawrence was ordered by the police to give up the church's treasure and when he responded by presenting the poor people of Rome he was roasted to death on a gridiron (died in 258)
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
limitsnounUS /ˈlɪməts/
plural of “limit” — the greatest possible degree of something
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
midshipmannounUS /ˈmɪdˈʃɪpmən/
a temporary rank held by young naval officers in training
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
not any; not one
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
on one occasion
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
postedadjectiveUS /ˈpoʊstɪd/
publicly displayed
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
precautionsnounUS /priˈkɔːʃənz/
plural of “precaution” — a precautionary measure warding off impending danger or damage or injury etc.
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
one of four equal parts
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
recurring again and again
From this reading A hundred yards further, he repeated the signal.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
a person who has died and has been declared a saint by canonization
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
sentriesnounUS /ˈsentriz/
plural of “sentry” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading A hundred yards further, he repeated the signal.
the state of being asleep
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
slopesnounUS /sloʊps/
plural of “slope” — an elevated geological formation
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
sticksnounUS /stɪks/
plural of “stick” — an implement consisting of a length of wood
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
still-glowing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There were no sentries posted here, for the French were perfectly safe from attack from that quarter, and, once fairly beyond the camp, the midshipman rose to his feet, and made his way to the edge of the slopes above the Saint Lawrence.
twigsnounUS /twɪɡz/
plural of “twig” — a small branch or division of a branch (especially a terminal division); usually applied to branches of the current or preceding year
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
precisely as stated
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
past form of “warn” — notify of danger, potential harm, or risk
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
in or at the place that
From this reading The still-glowing embers of the campfires warned him where the Indians and Canadians were sleeping, and, carefully avoiding these, he made his way up beyond the limits of the camp.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading As the midshipman crawled away from the tent of the French general, he adopted the precautions which James had suggested, and felt the ground carefully for twigs or sticks each time he moved.
whistledverbUS /ˈwɪsəld/
past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds
From this reading He walked for about a mile, and then paused, on the very edge of the sharp declivity, and whistled as agreed upon.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading A hundred yards further, he repeated the signal.
