used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
alliancesnounUS /əˈlaɪənsəz/
plural of “alliance” — the state of being allied or confederated
From this reading Some were strengthening old alliances, and some were negotiating new ones.
allynounUS /ˈælaɪ/
a friendly nation
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Some were strengthening old alliances, and some were negotiating new ones.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
in a state of sleep
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
banquetnounUS /ˈbæŋkwət/
a ceremonial dinner party for many people
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
bodyguardsnounUS /ˈbɑːdiɡɑːrdz/
plural of “bodyguard” — someone who escorts and protects a prominent person
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
captainsnounUS /ˈkæptənz/
plural of “captain” — an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
something that interests you because it is important or affects you
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
contrada
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
contradas
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
crawledverbUS /krɔːld/
past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
exactadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzækt/
Strictly particular and correct.
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
an item of information that is typical of a class or group
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
Giorgio
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
jokingadjectiveUS /ˈdʒoʊkɪŋ/
characterized by jokes and good humor
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
a formally arranged gathering
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
meetingsnounUS /ˈmiːtɪŋz/
plural of “meeting” — a formally arranged gathering
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
negotiatingverbUS /nɪˈɡoʊʃieɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “negotiate” — discuss the terms of an arrangement
From this reading Some were strengthening old alliances, and some were negotiating new ones.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading Some were strengthening old alliances, and some were negotiating new ones.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
not any; not one
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Some were strengthening old alliances, and some were negotiating new ones.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
plural of “one” — the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Some were strengthening old alliances, and some were negotiating new ones.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
promisesnounUS /ˈprɑːməsəz/
plural of “promise” — a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
resultsnounUS /rɪˈzʌlts/
plural of “result” — a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown or unseen by others.
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
the state of being asleep
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some were strengthening old alliances, and some were negotiating new ones.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
strategynounUS /ˈstrætədʒi/
an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
strengtheningnounUS /ˈstreŋθənɪŋ/
becoming stronger
From this reading Some were strengthening old alliances, and some were negotiating new ones.
utter obscenities or profanities
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The results of these meetings were of little concern to Giorgio, for no one, he had been told, would exact any promises from him.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And so, exhausted from his speech, he had crawled into bed, and before his bodyguards had stopped joking and smoking he was asleep.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The Hours Before Late on the night of the banquet, while Giorgio lay sleeping, the captains of the contradas were meeting in secret.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading If one contrada, for example, had drawn a poor horse, it would swear to help its ally by every strategy of war.
