Chapter IX · Chapter 9

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

an unofficial association of people or groups

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

Byzantine general under Justinian I; he recovered former Roman territories in northern Africa and fought against the Persians

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

possessing or displaying courage; able to face and deal with danger or fear without flinching

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

an ancient city on the Bosporus founded by the Greeks; site of modern Istanbul; in 330 Constantine I rebuilt the city and called it Constantinople and made it his capital

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

a period of 100 years

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

in a relative manner; by comparison to something else

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

plural of “connection” — a relation between things or events (as in the case of one causing the other or sharing features with it)

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

argue or speak in defense of

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

resist or confront with resistance

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

posing no difficulty; requiring little effort

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

putting a condemned person to death

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

having a debilitating effect

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

having or given a form or shape

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

plural of “general” — a general officer of the highest rank

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

plural of “greek” — the Hellenic branch of the Indo-European family of languages

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

engage or hire for work

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

not to be dispensed with; essential

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

used when the thing doing the action is also its object

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

the inner and usually edible part of a seed or grain or nut or fruit stone

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

plural of “limit” — the greatest possible degree of something

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

held dear

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

plural of “mercenary” — a person hired to fight for another country than their own

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

absolutely essential

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

necessary for relief or supply

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

under a moral obligation to do something

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

plural of “official” — a worker who holds or is invested with an office

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

many times at short intervals

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

and nothing more

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

have the will and intention to carry out some action

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

(of games) engaged in

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

a particular course of action intended to achieve a result

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

plural of “project” — any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

careful and sensible; marked by sound judgment

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

plural of “purpose” — an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

an abundance of material possessions and resources

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

coming next after the fifteenth in position

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

plural of “statesman” — a man who is a respected leader in national or international affairs

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

an event that accomplishes its intended purpose

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

the natives or inhabitants of Switzerland

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

a more or less definite period of time now or previously present

From this reading At first he thought of mercenaries, of a body-guard such as had been often kept by high officials, statesmen and generals in those times, such as Belisarius and Narses possessed in Byzantium.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

plural of “travel” — the act of going from one place to another

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

soldiers collectively

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

precisely as stated

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Cethegus was obliged to be more prudent in the execution of a second plan, not less necessary for the success of his projects.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

which person or people

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.

inside; before a period of time has passed

From this reading In order to be able to defy the Goths, and, if needful, the Greeks, from within _his_ Rome, as he loved to call it, he was in want--not only of walls, but of soldiers to defend them.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading On the one side he could not, without exhausting the means that were indispensable for other purposes, keep more than a comparatively small band, the kernel of an army, not an army itself.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading It would have been very easy for him, by means of his riches and the connections he had formed during his travels in Asia, to hire brave troops of the savage Isaurian mountain people, who then played the part of the Swiss of the sixteenth century; but this procedure had two very straitened limits.