used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a strong town and the King besieged it.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading For eleven months it held out against him.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was a strong town and the King besieged it.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
assembledverbUS /əˈsembəld/
past form of “assemble” — create by putting components or members together
From this reading The bell in the market place was sounded and the people assembled.
completely unclothed
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading The bell in the market place was sounded and the people assembled.
besiegedadjectiveUS /bɪˈsiːdʒd/
surrounded by hostile forces
From this reading It was a strong town and the King besieged it.
burgesses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
CalaisnounUS /kəˈleɪ/
a town in northern France on the Strait of Dover that serves as a ferry port to England
From this reading THE WAR WITH FRANCE (_continued_) Calais was the great port of Northern France.
a large and stately mansion
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
citizensnounUS /ˈsɪtəzənz/
plural of “citizen” — a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
without stop or interruption
From this reading THE WAR WITH FRANCE (_continued_) Calais was the great port of Northern France.
past form of “demand” — request urgently and forcefully
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
wanted intensely
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
displeasedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspliːzd/
not pleased; experiencing or manifesting displeasure
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
being one more than ten
From this reading For eleven months it held out against him.
footedadjectiveUS /ˈfʊtɪd/
having feet
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For eleven months it held out against him.
a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading THE WAR WITH FRANCE (_continued_) Calais was the great port of Northern France.
United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading THE WAR WITH FRANCE (_continued_) Calais was the great port of Northern France.
haltersnounUS /ˈhɔːltərz/
plural of “halter” — rope or canvas headgear for a horse, with a rope for leading
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
headedadjectiveUS /ˈhedəd/
having a heading or course in a certain direction
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading For eleven months it held out against him.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For eleven months it held out against him.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
plural of “inhabitant” — a person who inhabits a particular place
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a strong town and the King besieged it.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
keysnounUS /kiːz/
plural of “key” — metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading It was a strong town and the King besieged it.
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 King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
engage in
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold
From this reading The bell in the market place was sounded and the people assembled.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading For eleven months it held out against him.
necksnounUS /neks/
plural of “neck” — the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading THE WAR WITH FRANCE (_continued_) Calais was the great port of Northern France.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE WAR WITH FRANCE (_continued_) Calais was the great port of Northern France.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading For eleven months it held out against him.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading The bell in the market place was sounded and the people assembled.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The bell in the market place was sounded and the people assembled.
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading THE WAR WITH FRANCE (_continued_) Calais was the great port of Northern France.
ransomnounUS /ˈrænsəm/
money demanded for the return of a captured person
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
shirtsnounUS /ʃɜːrts/
plural of “shirt” — a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
hurting
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading The bell in the market place was sounded and the people assembled.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading It was a strong town and the King besieged it.
tarryverbUS /ˈteri/
be about
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE WAR WITH FRANCE (_continued_) Calais was the great port of Northern France.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading It was a strong town and the King besieged it.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading THE WAR WITH FRANCE (_continued_) Calais was the great port of Northern France.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE WAR WITH FRANCE (_continued_) Calais was the great port of Northern France.
at the time that
From this reading The King was sore displeased that he should tarry so long before its gates, and when the citizens desired to make peace he demanded that six burgesses, bare headed, bare footed, in their shirts, with halters about their necks and with the keys of the castle and town in their hands, should give themselves as a ransom for the inhabitants.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE WAR WITH FRANCE (_continued_) Calais was the great port of Northern France.
