used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “Victory!” shouted Bevis, in an ecstasy of delight.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Step by step they went backwards, but disputing every inch, straight back for the hollow where Mark and his party were crouching.
backwardsadverbUS /ˈbækwərdz/
at or to or toward the back or rear
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading In half a minute Ted would certainly be taken.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
Bevis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Victory!” shouted Bevis, in an ecstasy of delight.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
bowl-like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
Cecil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading In half a minute Ted would certainly be taken.
circuitnounUS /ˈsɜːrkət/
an electrical device that provides a path for electrical current to flow
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
Crassus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
crouchingverbUS /ˈkraʊtʃɪŋ/
-ing form of “crouch” — bend one's back forward from the waist on down
From this reading Step by step they went backwards, but disputing every inch, straight back for the hollow where Mark and his party were crouching.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
give pleasure to or be pleasing to
From this reading “Victory!” shouted Bevis, in an ecstasy of delight.
disputingverbUS /dɪsˈpjuːtɪŋ/
-ing form of “dispute” — take exception to
From this reading Step by step they went backwards, but disputing every inch, straight back for the hollow where Mark and his party were crouching.
ecstasynounUS /ˈekstəsi/
a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
From this reading “Victory!” shouted Bevis, in an ecstasy of delight.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Step by step they went backwards, but disputing every inch, straight back for the hollow where Mark and his party were crouching.
the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Step by step they went backwards, but disputing every inch, straight back for the hollow where Mark and his party were crouching.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
Fred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading In half a minute Ted would certainly be taken.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In half a minute Ted would certainly be taken.
a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
From this reading Step by step they went backwards, but disputing every inch, straight back for the hollow where Mark and his party were crouching.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
most important element
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
the force of workers available
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading In half a minute Ted would certainly be taken.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Victory!” shouted Bevis, in an ecstasy of delight.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading Step by step they went backwards, but disputing every inch, straight back for the hollow where Mark and his party were crouching.
PompeynounUS /ˈpɑːmpi/
Roman general and statesman who quarrelled with Caesar and fled to Egypt where he was murdered (106-48 BC)
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
ScipionounUS /ˈsɪpioʊ/
Roman general who commanded the invasion of Carthage in the second Punic War and defeated Hannibal at Zama (circa 237-183 BC)
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading “Victory!” shouted Bevis, in an ecstasy of delight.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading Step by step they went backwards, but disputing every inch, straight back for the hollow where Mark and his party were crouching.
not in physical motion
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
successive (without a break)
From this reading Step by step they went backwards, but disputing every inch, straight back for the hollow where Mark and his party were crouching.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading In half a minute Ted would certainly be taken.
TednounUS /ted/
a tough youth of 1950's and 1960's wearing Edwardian style clothes
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Off ran Mark, Fred, Bill, and the rest, and making a little circuit, got into the bowl-like hollow.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
thrustingnounUS /ˈθrʌstɪŋ/
a sharp hand gesture (resembling a blow)
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
Val
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
a successful ending of a struggle or contest
From this reading “Victory!” shouted Bevis, in an ecstasy of delight.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Step by step they went backwards, but disputing every inch, straight back for the hollow where Mark and his party were crouching.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
in or at the place that
From this reading Step by step they went backwards, but disputing every inch, straight back for the hollow where Mark and his party were crouching.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading The crowd with Scipio Cecil was still thrusting Pompey and his men before them, but Ted had worked himself free by main force, and he and Val Crassus, side by side, were fighting as they were forced backwards.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading In half a minute Ted would certainly be taken.
