used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Magi had sacrificed a stallion, and reported that the holy fire gave every favouring sign.
(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 Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE AVENGING OF LEONIDAS Morning at last, ruddy and windy.
archersnounUS /ˈɑːrtʃərz/
plural of “archer” — a person who is expert in the use of a bow and arrow
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
AssyriannounUS /əˈsɪriən/
an inhabitant of ancient Assyria
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE AVENGING OF LEONIDAS Morning at last, ruddy and windy.
AVENGINGverbUS /əˈvendʒɪŋ/
-ing form of “avenge” — take revenge for a perceived wrong
From this reading THE AVENGING OF LEONIDAS Morning at last, ruddy and windy.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The Persian host had been long prepared.
bowingnounUS /ˈboʊɪŋ/
bending the head or body or knee as a sign of reverence or submission or shame or greeting
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
bulls-hide
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
cavalrynounUS /ˈkævəlri/
troops trained to fight on horseback
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
chorussing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
cuirassiers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
dashverbUS /dæʃ/
run or move very quickly or hastily
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
eunuchs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The Magi had sacrificed a stallion, and reported that the holy fire gave every favouring sign.
favouring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Magi had sacrificed a stallion, and reported that the holy fire gave every favouring sign.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The Magi had sacrificed a stallion, and reported that the holy fire gave every favouring sign.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
foreheadsnounUS /ˈfɔːrhedz/
plural of “forehead” — the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The Magi had sacrificed a stallion, and reported that the holy fire gave every favouring sign.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Persian host had been long prepared.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
a sacred place of pilgrimage
From this reading The Magi had sacrificed a stallion, and reported that the holy fire gave every favouring sign.
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading The Persian host had been long prepared.
ill-starredadjective
marked by or promising bad fortune
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
lances
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
immediately past
From this reading THE AVENGING OF LEONIDAS Morning at last, ruddy and windy.
LEONIDASnounUS /liˈɔːnɪdəz/
king of Sparta and hero of the battle of Thermopylae where he was killed by the Persians (died in 480 BC)
From this reading THE AVENGING OF LEONIDAS Morning at last, ruddy and windy.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The Persian host had been long prepared.
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
MaginounUS /ˈmeɪdʒaɪ/
(New Testament) the sages who visited Jesus and Mary and Joseph shortly after Jesus was born
From this reading The Magi had sacrificed a stallion, and reported that the holy fire gave every favouring sign.
Mardonius
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
MedianadjectiveUS /ˈmiːdiən/
relating to or constituting the middle value of an ordered set of values (or the average of the middle two in a set with an even number of values)
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading THE AVENGING OF LEONIDAS Morning at last, ruddy and windy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE AVENGING OF LEONIDAS Morning at last, ruddy and windy.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
and nothing more
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
Pausanias
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
PersianounUS /ˈpɜːrʒə/
an empire in southern Asia created by Cyrus the Great in the 6th century BC and destroyed by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
PersiannounUS /ˈpɜːrʒən/
a native or inhabitant of Iran
From this reading The Persian host had been long prepared.
ponderousadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːndərəs/
slow and laborious because of weight
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
made ready or fit or suitable beforehand
From this reading The Persian host had been long prepared.
a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
reportedadjectiveUS /ˌriːˈpɔːrtɪd/
made known or told about; especially presented in a formal account
From this reading The Magi had sacrificed a stallion, and reported that the holy fire gave every favouring sign.
ruddyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌdi/
inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
From this reading THE AVENGING OF LEONIDAS Morning at last, ruddy and windy.
sacrificedverbUS /ˈsækrəfaɪst/
past form of “sacrifice” — endure the loss of
From this reading The Magi had sacrificed a stallion, and reported that the holy fire gave every favouring sign.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading The Magi had sacrificed a stallion, and reported that the holy fire gave every favouring sign.
sling-stones
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
stallionnounUS /ˈstæljən/
uncastrated adult male horse
From this reading The Magi had sacrificed a stallion, and reported that the holy fire gave every favouring sign.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
targetsnounUS /ˈtɑːrɡəts/
plural of “target” — a reference point to shoot at
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
TartarnounUS /ˈtɑːrtər/
a salt used especially in baking powder
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE AVENGING OF LEONIDAS Morning at last, ruddy and windy.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Mardonius went from his tent, all his eunuchs bowing their foreheads to the earth and chorussing, “Victory to our Lord, to Persia, and to the King.”
wicker-shields
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
windyadjectiveUS /ˈwɪndi/
abounding in or exposed to the wind or breezes
From this reading THE AVENGING OF LEONIDAS Morning at last, ruddy and windy.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading The Tartar cavalry with their bulls-hide targets and long lances, the heavy Persian cuirassiers, the Median and Assyrian archers with their ponderous wicker-shields, stood in rank waiting only the word that should dash them as sling-stones on Pausanias and his ill-starred following.
