used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading These kept up a steady fire upon the city and the river defences.
abandonedadjectiveUS /əˈbændənd/
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading There was an abandoned line of works which was seized upon by a cloud of blue sharpshooters.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There was an abandoned line of works which was seized upon by a cloud of blue sharpshooters.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At intervals the gunboats engaged the lower batteries.
batteriesnounUS /ˈbætəriz/
plural of “battery” — group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place
From this reading At intervals the gunboats engaged the lower batteries.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Under the leafy Louisiana shore the blue placed seven mortars.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There was an abandoned line of works which was seized upon by a cloud of blue sharpshooters.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading These kept up a steady fire upon the city and the river defences.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading There was an abandoned line of works which was seized upon by a cloud of blue sharpshooters.
defences
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading These kept up a steady fire upon the city and the river defences.
doomedadjectiveUS /duːmd/
marked for certain death
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
being one more than seven
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading At intervals the gunboats engaged the lower batteries.
start firing a weapon
From this reading These kept up a steady fire upon the city and the river defences.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
gunboatsnounUS /ˈɡʌnboʊts/
plural of “gunboat” — a small shallow-draft boat carrying mounted guns; used by costal patrols
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
intervalsnounUS /ˈɪntərvəlz/
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading At intervals the gunboats engaged the lower batteries.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading These kept up a steady fire upon the city and the river defences.
leafyadjectiveUS /ˈliːfi/
having or covered with leaves
From this reading Under the leafy Louisiana shore the blue placed seven mortars.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading There was an abandoned line of works which was seized upon by a cloud of blue sharpshooters.
LouisiananounUS /luːˌiːziˈænə/
a state in southern United States on the Gulf of Mexico; one of the Confederate states during the American Civil War
From this reading Under the leafy Louisiana shore the blue placed seven mortars.
move something or somebody to a lower position
From this reading At intervals the gunboats engaged the lower batteries.
mortarsnounUS /ˈmɔːrtərz/
plural of “mortar” — a muzzle-loading high-angle gun with a short barrel that fires shells at high elevations for a short range
From this reading Under the leafy Louisiana shore the blue placed seven mortars.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading Under the leafy Louisiana shore the blue placed seven mortars.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading There was an abandoned line of works which was seized upon by a cloud of blue sharpshooters.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading Under the leafy Louisiana shore the blue placed seven mortars.
sharpshootersnounUS /ˈʃɑːrpʃuːtərz/
plural of “sharpshooter” — an athlete noted for accurate aim
From this reading There was an abandoned line of works which was seized upon by a cloud of blue sharpshooters.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading Under the leafy Louisiana shore the blue placed seven mortars.
make steady
From this reading These kept up a steady fire upon the city and the river defences.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was an abandoned line of works which was seized upon by a cloud of blue sharpshooters.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These kept up a steady fire upon the city and the river defences.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Eight gunboats held the river in front of, above, and below the doomed town.
UnderprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Under the leafy Louisiana shore the blue placed seven mortars.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading These kept up a steady fire upon the city and the river defences.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading These kept up a steady fire upon the city and the river defences.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was an abandoned line of works which was seized upon by a cloud of blue sharpshooters.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was an abandoned line of works which was seized upon by a cloud of blue sharpshooters.
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading There was an abandoned line of works which was seized upon by a cloud of blue sharpshooters.
