used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
next to; at the side of
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
Bluchernoun
Prussian general who is remembered for his leadership in the wars against Napoleon (1742-1819)
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle
From this reading "Taking charge of the rearguard.
past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
companiesnounUS /ˈkʌmpəniːz/
plural of “company” — an institution created to conduct business
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading This job isn’t exciting enough for him.
excitingadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ/
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading This job isn’t exciting enough for him.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading This job isn’t exciting enough for him.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
come to pass
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This job isn’t exciting enough for him.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
isn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This job isn’t exciting enough for him.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
the principal activity in your life that you do to earn money
From this reading This job isn’t exciting enough for him.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
lamp-post
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
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 I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
Lest's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
MaximnounUS /ˈmæksəm/
a saying that is widely accepted on its own merits
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
the force of workers available
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "Taking charge of the rearguard.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
ParkinsonnounUS /ˈpɑːrkɪnsən/
English surgeon (1755-1824)
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
Rashleigh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
rearguardnoun
a detachment assigned to protect the rear of a (retreating) military body
From this reading "Taking charge of the rearguard.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
(military) withdrawal of troops to a more favorable position to escape the enemy's superior forces or after a defeat
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
precisely, exactly
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
(American football) an attempt to advance the ball by running into the line
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
cut with a saw
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
sectionnounUS /ˈsekʃən/
a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
slinking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
stridingverbUS /ˈstraɪdɪŋ/
-ing form of “stride” — walk with long steps
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
swaggeringadjectiveUS /ˈswæɡərɪŋ/
having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading "Taking charge of the rearguard.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Taking charge of the rearguard.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
They'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
Having little thickness or extent.
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This job isn’t exciting enough for him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
toddlingverbUS /ˈtɑːdlɪŋ/
-ing form of “toddle” — walk unsteadily
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
in the direction of
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading I had to go back to my men then, as I saw the rearguard already on its way, fat little Rashleigh toddling along in front of two companies from the left of the two little hills, and the Maxim section rushing their gun towards us.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
in the company of; together with
From this reading From the right the rest of the rearguard commenced their retreat, and I saw "Old Lest’s" great broad shoulders swaggering back, with Parkinson, as thin as a lamp-post, striding along beside him, and "Blucher" slinking between them.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
people who are wounded
From this reading They’ll have all their work cut out to get back to us, and I don’t know what will happen if we get many more wounded."
