used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
equally
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
Appomattox
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
approachesnounUS /əˈproʊtʃəz/
plural of “approach” — ideas or actions intended to deal with a problem or situation
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
artillerynounUS /ɑːrˈtɪləri/
large but transportable armament
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
Beauregard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
beaversnounUS /ˈbiːvərz/
plural of “beaver” — the soft brown fur of the beaver
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
bomb-proofs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
bulletsnounUS /ˈbʊləts/
plural of “bullet” — a projectile that is fired from a gun
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
curvedadjectiveUS /kɜːrvd/
having or marked by a curve or smoothly rounded bend
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
duelsnounUS /ˈduːəlz/
plural of “duel” — a prearranged fight with deadly weapons by two people (accompanied by seconds) in order to settle a quarrel over a point of honor
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
engineersnounUS /ˈendʒəˈnɪrz/
plural of “engineer” — a person who uses scientific knowledge to solve practical problems
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
fortsnounUS /fɔːrts/
plural of “fort” — a fortified military post where troops are stationed
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
honeycombverbUS /ˈhʌnikoʊm/
carve a honeycomb pattern into
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
hoveringverbUS /ˈhʌvərɪŋ/
-ing form of “hover” — be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
intervalsnounUS /ˈɪntərvəlz/
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
the month following May and preceding July
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
labyrinthnounUS /ˈlæbərɪnθ/
complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
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 At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
magazinesnounUS /ˈmæɡəziːnz/
plural of “magazine” — a periodic publication containing pictures and stories and articles of interest to those who purchase it or subscribe to it
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
mannedadjectiveUS /mænd/
having a crew
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
musketrynoun
musketeers and their muskets collectively
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
OverprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
parapets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
pattering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
perpetualadjectiveUS /pərˈpetʃuːəl/
continuing forever or indefinitely
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
PetersburgnounUS /ˈpiːtərzbərɡ/
a town in southeastern Virginia (south of Richmond); scene of heavy fighting during the American Civil War
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
piecedverbUS /piːst/
past form of “piece” — to join or unite the pieces of
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
pitsnounUS /pɪts/
plural of “pit” — a sizeable hole (usually in the ground)
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
PotomacnounUS /pəˈtoʊmək/
a river in the east central United States; rises in West Virginia in the Appalachian Mountains and flows eastward, forming the boundary between Maryland and Virginia, to the Chesapeake Bay
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
the back of a military formation or procession
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
RichmondnounUS /ˈrɪtʃmənd/
capital of the state of Virginia located in the east central part of the state; was capital of the Confederacy during the American Civil War
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
(of something seen or heard) clearly defined
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
sharpshootersnounUS /ˈʃɑːrpʃuːtərz/
plural of “sharpshooter” — an athlete noted for accurate aim
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
sicklenounUS /ˈsɪkəl/
an edge tool for cutting grass or crops; has a curved blade and a short handle
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
sicklyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪkli/
unhealthy looking
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
strengthenedadjectiveUS /ˈstreŋθənd/
given added strength or support
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
having edges that are jagged from injury
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
traverses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
trenchesnounUS /ˈtrentʃɪz/
plural of “trench” — a ditch dug as a fortification having a parapet of the excavated earth
From this reading Over against it curved a great blue sickle of forts, with trenches and parapets between.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
undersong
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
VirginianounUS /vərˈdʒɪnjə/
a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The grey line drawn by Beauregard early in the month was strengthened and pieced out.
structure consisting of a sloping way down to the water from the place where ships are built or repaired
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
in the company of; together with
From this reading At Petersburg, on the Appomattox, twenty miles south of Richmond, June went by in thunder, day and night, of artillery duels, with, for undersong, a perpetual, pattering rain of sharpshooters’ bullets, torn across, at intervals, by a sharp and long sound of musketry.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading In the hot and sickly weather, under the hovering smoke, engineers of the Army of Northern Virginia, engineers of the Army of the Potomac worked like beavers.
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading Grey and blue alike had in the rear of their manned works a labyrinth and honeycomb of approaches, covered ways, pits, magazines, bomb-proofs, traverses.
