used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Also, it stank with a peculiar, acrid odor.
accusednounUS /əˈkjuːzd/
a defendant in a criminal proceeding
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
acridadjectiveUS /ˈæk.rɪd/
Having an unpleasantly bitter or pungent taste or smell.
From this reading Also, it stank with a peculiar, acrid odor.
in addition
From this reading Also, it stank with a peculiar, acrid odor.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
installation from which a military force initiates operations
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
beardedadjectiveUS /ˈbɪrdəd/
having hair on the cheeks and chin
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
black-browed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
BurkenounUS /bɜːrk/
British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)
From this reading The place was called the Shrine of Oracles, Burke gathered.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading The place was called the Shrine of Oracles, Burke gathered.
captorsnounUS /ˈkæptərz/
plural of “captor” — a person who captures and holds people or animals
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
centraladjectiveUS /ˈsentrəl/
serving as an essential component
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
colorfuladjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərfəl/
having much or varied color
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
cypressnounUS /ˈsaɪprəs/
wood of any of various cypress trees especially of the genus Cupressus
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
disappointinglyadverbUS /dɪsəˈpɔɪntɪŋli/
in a disappointing manner
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
distinctivelyadverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋktɪvli/
in an identifiably distinctive manner
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
inflected form of “drag” — pull, as against a resistance
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
featuredadjectiveUS /ˈfiːtʃərd/
made a feature or highlight; given prominence
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
brought together in one place
From this reading The place was called the Shrine of Oracles, Burke gathered.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
only a very short time before
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
haughtyadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːti/
having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
MinoanadjectiveUS /məˈnoʊən/
of or relating to or characteristic of the Bronze Age culture of Crete
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
Minosnoun
son of Zeus and Europa; king of ancient Crete; ordered Daedalus to build the labyrinth; after death Minos became a judge in the underworld
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
odornounUS /ˈoʊdər/
any property detected by the olfactory system
From this reading Also, it stank with a peculiar, acrid odor.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The place was called the Shrine of Oracles, Burke gathered.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
OraclesnounUS /ˈɔːrəkəlz/
plural of “oracle” — an authoritative person who divines the future
From this reading The place was called the Shrine of Oracles, Burke gathered.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Also, it stank with a peculiar, acrid odor.
pillarsnounUS /ˈpɪlərz/
plural of “pillar” — a fundamental principle or practice
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The place was called the Shrine of Oracles, Burke gathered.
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
a magnitude or frequency relative to a time unit
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
an area within a building enclosed by walls and floor and ceiling
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
ShrinenounUS /ʃraɪn/
a place of worship hallowed by association with some sacred thing or person
From this reading The place was called the Shrine of Oracles, Burke gathered.
small or little relative to something else
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
stankverbUS /stæŋk/
inflected form of “stink” — be extremely bad in quality or in one's performance
From this reading Also, it stank with a peculiar, acrid odor.
taperedadjectiveUS /ˈteɪpərd/
becoming gradually narrower
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The place was called the Shrine of Oracles, Burke gathered.
in or at that place or location
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
the chair of state for a monarch, bishop, etc.
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
the upper part of anything
From this reading It featured distinctively Minoan pillars--of cypress, and so tapered as to be smaller at the base than at the top.
the act of testing something
From this reading But beyond that, to Burke, it seemed disappointingly ordinary ... hardly colorful enough to rate the trial of a man accused of playing god.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading That is, so it appeared until his captors dragged him into a central room ... and there, black-browed and haughty, sat bearded Minos on his throne.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The place was called the Shrine of Oracles, Burke gathered.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Also, it stank with a peculiar, acrid odor.
