used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
AlgerianounUS /ælˈdʒɪriə/
a republic in northwestern Africa on the Mediterranean Sea with a population that is predominantly Sunni Muslim; colonized by France in the 19th century but gained autonomy in the early 1960s
From this reading They are to the French in Algeria what the hill tribes of the Himalayas are to the British in Hindostan.
ammunitionnounUS /ˌæmjəˈnɪʃən/
projectiles to be fired from a gun
From this reading They are fairly well armed, indeed, they make their own weapons and ammunition.
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
(used of persons or the military) characterized by having or bearing arms
From this reading They are fairly well armed, indeed, they make their own weapons and ammunition.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
bordersnounUS /ˈbɔːrdərz/
plural of “border” — a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
the people of Great Britain
From this reading They are to the French in Algeria what the hill tribes of the Himalayas are to the British in Hindostan.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading They are by nature, proud, fierce, suspicious; by religion, contemptuous of Christian dogs; by habit, predatory.
relating to or characteristic of Christianity
From this reading They are by nature, proud, fierce, suspicious; by religion, contemptuous of Christian dogs; by habit, predatory.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
contemptuousadjectiveUS /kənˈtemptʃuːəs/
expressing extreme contempt
From this reading They are by nature, proud, fierce, suspicious; by religion, contemptuous of Christian dogs; by habit, predatory.
daresay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
disturbancenounUS /dɪˈstɜːrbəns/
activity that is a malfunction, intrusion, or interruption
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
plural of “dog” — a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds
From this reading They are by nature, proud, fierce, suspicious; by religion, contemptuous of Christian dogs; by habit, predatory.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading They are fairly well armed, indeed, they make their own weapons and ammunition.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading They are by nature, proud, fierce, suspicious; by religion, contemptuous of Christian dogs; by habit, predatory.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading They are to the French in Algeria what the hill tribes of the Himalayas are to the British in Hindostan.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
an established custom
From this reading They are by nature, proud, fierce, suspicious; by religion, contemptuous of Christian dogs; by habit, predatory.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading They are to the French in Algeria what the hill tribes of the Himalayas are to the British in Hindostan.
HimalayasnounUS /ˌhɪməˈlaɪəs/
a mountain range extending 1500 miles on the border between India and Tibet; this range contains the world's highest mountain
From this reading They are to the French in Algeria what the hill tribes of the Himalayas are to the British in Hindostan.
Hindostan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They are to the French in Algeria what the hill tribes of the Himalayas are to the British in Hindostan.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They are to the French in Algeria what the hill tribes of the Himalayas are to the British in Hindostan.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading They are fairly well armed, indeed, they make their own weapons and ammunition.
engage in
From this reading They are fairly well armed, indeed, they make their own weapons and ammunition.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading They are by nature, proud, fierce, suspicious; by religion, contemptuous of Christian dogs; by habit, predatory.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
oasesnounUS /oʊˈeɪsiz/
plural of “oasis” — a fertile tract in a desert (where the water table approaches the surface)
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading They are fairly well armed, indeed, they make their own weapons and ammunition.
predatoryadjectiveUS /ˈpredətɔːri/
characterized by plundering or pillaging or marauding
From this reading They are by nature, proud, fierce, suspicious; by religion, contemptuous of Christian dogs; by habit, predatory.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading They are by nature, proud, fierce, suspicious; by religion, contemptuous of Christian dogs; by habit, predatory.
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
From this reading They are by nature, proud, fierce, suspicious; by religion, contemptuous of Christian dogs; by habit, predatory.
semi-savage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
subjectionnoun
forced submission to control by others
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
suspiciousadjectiveUS /səˈspɪʃəs/
openly distrustful and unwilling to confide
From this reading They are by nature, proud, fierce, suspicious; by religion, contemptuous of Christian dogs; by habit, predatory.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They are fairly well armed, indeed, they make their own weapons and ammunition.
in or at that place or location
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They are to the French in Algeria what the hill tribes of the Himalayas are to the British in Hindostan.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They are to the French in Algeria what the hill tribes of the Himalayas are to the British in Hindostan.
tribesnounUS /traɪbz/
plural of “tribe” — a social division of (usually preliterate) people
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
weaponsnounUS /ˈwepənz/
plural of “weapon” — any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting
From this reading They are fairly well armed, indeed, they make their own weapons and ammunition.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading They are fairly well armed, indeed, they make their own weapons and ammunition.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading About this time there were signs of a disturbance amongst the semi-savage tribes that hold the oases on the borders of the great desert.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading They are to the French in Algeria what the hill tribes of the Himalayas are to the British in Hindostan.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading These are not, and I daresay never will be, brought completely under subjection.
