used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
AlexandernounUS /ˌæləɡˈzændər/
European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
Alexander'snounUS /ˌæləɡˈzændərz/
possessive form of “alexander” — European herb somewhat resembling celery widely naturalized in Britain coastal regions and often cultivated as a potherb
From this reading DARIUS Alexander’s most pressing care was now the capture of Darius himself.
(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 He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
Arbela
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
Bactria
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
assets available for use in the production of further assets
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
captureverbUS /ˈkæptʃər/
succeed in representing or expressing something intangible
From this reading DARIUS Alexander’s most pressing care was now the capture of Darius himself.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading DARIUS Alexander’s most pressing care was now the capture of Darius himself.
a low-lying region in central France
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
conqueredverbUS /ˈkɑːŋkərd/
past form of “conquer” — bring under control by force or authority
From this reading If he was once taken Persia was practically conquered.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
DARIUS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DARIUS Alexander’s most pressing care was now the capture of Darius himself.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
Ecbatana
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
being one more than seven
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
empirenounUS /ˈempaɪər/
the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
fugitivenounUS /ˈfjuːdʒətɪv/
someone who flees from an uncongenial situation
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading DARIUS Alexander’s most pressing care was now the capture of Darius himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If he was once taken Persia was practically conquered.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
inaccessibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnəkˈsesəbəl/
capable of being reached only with great difficulty or not at all
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
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 He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
The state of being free within society from oppressive restrictions on one's way of life.
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
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 As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
engage in
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
marchingnounUS /ˈmɑːrtʃɪŋ/
the act of marching; walking with regular steps (especially in a procession of some kind)
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
Medes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
used to form the superlative
From this reading DARIUS Alexander’s most pressing care was now the capture of Darius himself.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading DARIUS Alexander’s most pressing care was now the capture of Darius himself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading DARIUS Alexander’s most pressing care was now the capture of Darius himself.
on one occasion
From this reading If he was once taken Persia was practically conquered.
and nothing more
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
oppositionnounUS /ˌɑːpəˈzɪʃən/
the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with
From this reading As long as the Great King was at liberty he might become the centre of a dangerous opposition.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
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 If he was once taken Persia was practically conquered.
practicallyadverbUS /ˈpræktɪkli/
almost; nearly
From this reading If he was once taken Persia was practically conquered.
pressingnounUS /ˈpresɪŋ/
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading DARIUS Alexander’s most pressing care was now the capture of Darius himself.
provincesnounUS /ˈprɑːvənsəz/
plural of “province” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
refugenounUS /ˈrefjuːdʒ/
a safe place
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
ruggedadjectiveUS /ˈrʌɡəd/
sturdy and strong in constitution or construction; enduring
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading If he was once taken Persia was practically conquered.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading DARIUS Alexander’s most pressing care was now the capture of Darius himself.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading DARIUS Alexander’s most pressing care was now the capture of Darius himself.
at the time that
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
wildsnounUS /waɪldz/
plural of “wild” — a wild primitive state untouched by civilization
From this reading He had fled to Ecbatana, the ancient capital of the Medes, from the field of Arbela; and now he had left Ecbatana to find refuge in the wilds of Bactria, the most rugged and inaccessible of all the provinces of the empire.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But he was not far in advance; Alexander was only eight days behind him at Ecbatana, and eight days would not, he thought, be difficult to make up, when his own rate of marching was compared with that of the fugitive.
