used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Narses laughed; for he knew that not a Gothic sail was to be found on all the seas.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And so it happened, and this was the manner of it.
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading That was impossible, as Narses well knew.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Narses laughed; for he knew that not a Gothic sail was to be found on all the seas.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
Brundusium
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
combatnounUS /ˈkɑːmbæt/
an engagement fought between two military forces
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
confess to a punishable or reprehensible deed, usually under pressure
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
spoiled or ruined or demolished
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
Emperor'snounUS /ˈempərərz/
possessive form of “emperor” — the male ruler of an empire
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
fishermannounUS /ˈfɪʃərmæn/
someone whose occupation is catching fish
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
set up or found
From this reading Narses laughed; for he knew that not a Gothic sail was to be found on all the seas.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
GothicadjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːθɪk/
characteristic of the style of type commonly used for printing German
From this reading Narses laughed; for he knew that not a Gothic sail was to be found on all the seas.
Goths
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading And so it happened, and this was the manner of it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Narses laughed; for he knew that not a Gothic sail was to be found on all the seas.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading That was impossible, as Narses well knew.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And so it happened, and this was the manner of it.
and nothing more
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Narses laughed; for he knew that not a Gothic sail was to be found on all the seas.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading Narses laughed; for he knew that not a Gothic sail was to be found on all the seas.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading And so it happened, and this was the manner of it.
merchantsnounUS /ˈmɜːrtʃənts/
plural of “merchant” — a businessperson engaged in retail trade
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
narrowlyadverbUS /ˈneroʊli/
in a narrow manner; not allowing for exceptions
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
Narses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
navaladjectiveUS /ˈneɪvəl/
connected with or belonging to or used in a navy
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Narses laughed; for he knew that not a Gothic sail was to be found on all the seas.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And so it happened, and this was the manner of it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Narses laughed; for he knew that not a Gothic sail was to be found on all the seas.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
promontorynoun
a natural elevation (especially a rocky one that juts out into the sea)
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
past form of “question” — challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
being connected either logically or causally or by shared characteristics
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Narses laughed; for he knew that not a Gothic sail was to be found on all the seas.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And so it happened, and this was the manner of it.
Surrentum
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
moving very fast
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And so it happened, and this was the manner of it.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading And so it happened, and this was the manner of it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Narses laughed; for he knew that not a Gothic sail was to be found on all the seas.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And so it happened, and this was the manner of it.
(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 That was impossible, as Narses well knew.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading More narrowly questioned, the man was obliged to confess that he had not seen the fleet himself; but merchants had told him of it, and had related that a great naval combat had taken place, in which the Goths had destroyed the Emperor's fleet, at Brundusium.
which person or people
From this reading Immediately after Narses had left his tent, a fisherman was led before him, who had just sailed round the promontory of Surrentum in a small and swift vessel, and who announced that an immense fleet of the Goths was in full sail for the coast.
