used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
AfricanounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading No army in the world can execute this movement as scientifically or as safely as the British Army.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
awaitverbUS /əˈweɪt/
look forward to the probable occurrence of
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
BatteriesnounUS /ˈbætəriz/
plural of “battery” — group of guns or missile launchers operated together at one place
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
the people of Great Britain
From this reading No army in the world can execute this movement as scientifically or as safely as the British Army.
lacking funds
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading No army in the world can execute this movement as scientifically or as safely as the British Army.
cautiouslyadverbUS /ˈkɔːʃəsli/
as if with kid gloves; with caution or prudence or tact
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
cavalrynounUS /ˈkævəlri/
troops trained to fight on horseback
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
cheerlessadjective
causing sad feelings of gloom and inadequacy
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
copses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
overlaid or spread or topped with or enclosed within something; sometimes used as a combining form
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
traveling across
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
the first light of day
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
deployedverbUS /dɪˈplɔɪd/
past form of “deploy” — place troops or weapons in battle formation
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
exceptionallyadverbUS /ɪkˈsepʃənəli/
to an exceptional degree
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
executeverbUS /ˈeksəkjuːt/
kill as a means of socially sanctioned punishment
From this reading No army in the world can execute this movement as scientifically or as safely as the British Army.
fightsnounUS /faɪts/
plural of “fight” — a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
finestadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəst/
superlative of “fine” — being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
at or to or toward the front
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/
a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
hour'snounUS /ˈaʊərz/
possessive form of “hour” — a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
infantrynounUS /ˈɪnfəntri/
an army unit consisting of soldiers who fight on foot
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
MARNE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
at the same time but in another place
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
MemoriesnounUS /ˈmɛm.ə.riz/
Recollections of past events.
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading No army in the world can execute this movement as scientifically or as safely as the British Army.
not any; not one
From this reading No army in the world can execute this movement as scientifically or as safely as the British Army.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading No army in the world can execute this movement as scientifically or as safely as the British Army.
situated in a particular spot or position
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
readinessnounUS /ˈredinəs/
the state of having been made ready or prepared for use or action (especially military action)
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
reconnaissancenounUS /riˈkɑːnəsəns/
the act of reconnoitring (especially to gain information about an enemy or potential enemy)
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
with safety; in a safe manner
From this reading No army in the world can execute this movement as scientifically or as safely as the British Army.
scientificallyadverbUS /ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪkəli/
with respect to science; in a scientific way
From this reading No army in the world can execute this movement as scientifically or as safely as the British Army.
scoutingnounUS /ˈskaʊtɪŋ/
exploring in order to gain information
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
an elevated geological formation
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
in the near future
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading No army in the world can execute this movement as scientifically or as safely as the British Army.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE CROSSING OF THE MARNE As soon as dawn broke--a dawn exceptionally cold and cheerless--the cavalry pushed forward to effect some sort of reconnaissance.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Meanwhile the infantry had nothing better to do than to conceal themselves behind the copses that covered the slope, and await their turn.
undoubtedlyadverbUS /ənˈdaʊtɪdli/
without doubt; certainly
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Memories of South Africa and Indian frontier fights have left us undoubtedly the finest scouting army in Europe.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In about an hour's time they were deployed and moved cautiously forward to the attack, the Batteries being already placed in readiness for the beginning of the "show."
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading No army in the world can execute this movement as scientifically or as safely as the British Army.
