used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
adjacentadjectiveUS /əˈdʒeɪsənt/
nearest in space or position; immediately adjoining without intervening space
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
tried unsuccessfully
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
CanarynounUS /kəˈneri/
someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
ColumbusnounUS /kəˈlʌmbəs/
the state capital of Ohio; located in the center of the state; site of Ohio State University
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
countriesnounUS /ˈkʌntriz/
plural of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading And if round, must not God have created countries upon the other side of it, upon which men and other creatures live?
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
createdverbUS /kriˈeɪtəd/
past form of “create” — make or cause to be or to become
From this reading And if round, must not God have created countries upon the other side of it, upon which men and other creatures live?
plural of “creature” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading And if round, must not God have created countries upon the other side of it, upon which men and other creatures live?
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
DisappointmentsnounUS /dɪsəˈpɔɪntmənts/
plural of “disappointment” — a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading Is not the earth round?
one or the other of two
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
EnduresverbUS /enˈdjʊrz/
third-person singular of “endure” — put up with something or somebody unpleasant
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
FerdinandnounUS /ˈfɜːrdɪnænd/
the king of Castile and Aragon who ruled jointly with his wife Isabella
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
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 And if round, must not God have created countries upon the other side of it, upon which men and other creatures live?
plural of “go” — a time period for working (after which you will be relieved by someone else)
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
Hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And if round, must not God have created countries upon the other side of it, upon which men and other creatures live?
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
a republic in the Asian subcontinent in southern Asia; second most populous country in the world; achieved independence from the United Kingdom in 1947
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
IndiesnounUS /ˈɪndiz/
plural of “indie” — a pop group not affiliated with a major record company
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
conduct an interview in television, newspaper, and radio reporting
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
IsabellanounUS /ˌɪzəˈbelə/
the queen of Castile whose marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469 marked the beginning of the modern state of Spain; they instituted the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 and sponsored the voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492 (1451-1504)
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
plural of “island” — a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
immediately past
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
LisbonnounUS /ˈlɪzbən/
capital and largest city and economic and cultural center of Portugal; a major port in western Portugal on Tagus River where it broadens and empties into the Atlantic
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading And if round, must not God have created countries upon the other side of it, upon which men and other creatures live?
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
MadridnounUS /məˈdrɪd/
the capital and largest city situated centrally in Spain; home of an outstanding art museum
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
the force of workers available
From this reading And if round, must not God have created countries upon the other side of it, upon which men and other creatures live?
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Is not the earth round?
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And if round, must not God have created countries upon the other side of it, upon which men and other creatures live?
many times at short intervals
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading And if round, must not God have created countries upon the other side of it, upon which men and other creatures live?
PortuguesenounUS /ˈpɔːrtʃəɡiːz/
the Romance language spoken in Portugal and Brazil
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
regionnounUS /ˈriːdʒən/
the extended spatial location of something
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
RejectedadjectiveUS /rɪˈdʒektɪd/
rebuffed (by a lover) without warning
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Is not the earth round?
routenounUS /ruːt/
an established line of travel or access
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
sailsnounUS /seɪlz/
plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading And if round, must not God have created countries upon the other side of it, upon which men and other creatures live?
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
not in physical motion
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He often said to himself: “There must be a nearer route by sea to the Indies than that attempted by the Portuguese.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
voyagesnounUS /ˈvɔɪədʒəz/
plural of “voyage” — an act of traveling by water
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
westerlyadverbUS /ˈwestərli/
toward the west
From this reading If one sails from here across the ocean in a westerly direction he must at last reach a country which is either India or some region adjacent to it.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Columbus’ Scheme Rejected in Lisbon—He Goes to Madrid and Has an Interview with Ferdinand and Isabella, after which he Endures Bitter Disappointments During the short voyages which Columbus made from the Canary Islands he was still busy with the great scheme upon which he was engaged in Lisbon.
