the quality of having a superior or more favorable position
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
any thing at all
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading Now, however, there was nothing for it but to take the place before relief could arrive.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Now, however, there was nothing for it but to take the place before relief could arrive.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
besiegedadjectiveUS /bɪˈsiːdʒd/
surrounded by hostile forces
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
BoersnounUS /bɔːrz/
plural of “boer” — a white native of Cape Province who is a descendant of Dutch settlers and who speaks Afrikaans
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
accepted or habitual practice
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
dastardlyadjectiveUS /ˈdæstərdli/
despicably cowardly
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
EnglishmennounUS /ˌeŋˈlɪʃmən/
plural of “englishman” — a man who is a native or inhabitant of England
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
divisible by two
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
exposingverbUS /ɪkˈspoʊzɪŋ/
-ing form of “expose” — expose or make accessible to some action or influence
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
farmhousenounUS /ˈfɑːrmhaʊs/
house for a farmer and family
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
enclose with a fence
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
forgettingverbUS /fərˈɡetɪŋ/
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
gumsnounUS /ɡʌmz/
plural of “gum” — a preparation (usually made of sweetened chicle) for chewing
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
Harold
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading Now, however, there was nothing for it but to take the place before relief could arrive.
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
a person who rules or guides or inspires others
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Now, however, there was nothing for it but to take the place before relief could arrive.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now, however, there was nothing for it but to take the place before relief could arrive.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Now, however, there was nothing for it but to take the place before relief could arrive.
protectedadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪd/
kept safe or defended from danger or injury or loss
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
the feeling that comes when something burdensome is removed or reduced
From this reading Now, however, there was nothing for it but to take the place before relief could arrive.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
shelteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃeltərd/
protected from danger or bad weather
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
hit with a missile from a weapon
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
surrenderedverbUS /sərˈendərd/
past form of “surrender” — give up or agree to forgo to the power or possession of another
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
carry out
From this reading Now, however, there was nothing for it but to take the place before relief could arrive.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Now, however, there was nothing for it but to take the place before relief could arrive.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
trunksnounUS /trʌŋks/
(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
precisely as stated
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
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 Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
an old and formal word for “while”
From this reading The fence round the house was made of stone, and the Boers took advantage of this as cover, whilst some of them sheltered behind the trunks of the red gums.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Even then the besieged had the advantage, for they were protected by the walls of the farmhouse, and could shoot without exposing themselves.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
yieldverbUS /jiːld/
be the cause or source of
From this reading Had their leader been killed, he imagined that the soldiers would have surrendered, quite forgetting that it was not the custom of Englishmen to yield to anything but death.
Zwieten
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To Van Zwieten, the disappointment of not having succeeded in shooting Harold in the first dastardly attack was very great.
