used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
AfghansnounUS /ˈæfɡænz/
plural of “afghan” — a blanket knitted or crocheted in strips or squares; sometimes used as a shawl
From this reading The lifeless body of the unhappy Denis was found by the Afghans before morning.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
AFTERprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading AFTER SEVEN YEARS.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
Assad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The lifeless body of the unhappy Denis was found by the Afghans before morning.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading The lifeless body of the unhappy Denis was found by the Afghans before morning.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The lifeless body of the unhappy Denis was found by the Afghans before morning.
captivenounUS /ˈkæptɪv/
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
a subdivision of a written work; usually numbered and titled
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
crushverbUS /krʌʃ/
come down on or keep down by unjust use of one's authority
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
Denis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lifeless body of the unhappy Denis was found by the Afghans before morning.
a feeling of dissatisfaction that results when your expectations are not realized
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
followersnounUS /ˈfɑːloʊərz/
a group of followers or enthusiasts
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
set up or found
From this reading The lifeless body of the unhappy Denis was found by the Afghans before morning.
-ing form of “glance” — throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
KhannounUS /kɑːn/
a title given to rulers or other important people in Asian countries
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
lifelessadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪfləs/
deprived of life; no longer living
From this reading The lifeless body of the unhappy Denis was found by the Afghans before morning.
without good reason
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
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 We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The lifeless body of the unhappy Denis was found by the Afghans before morning.
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The lifeless body of the unhappy Denis was found by the Afghans before morning.
and nothing more
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
go across or through
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
precedingadjectiveUS /priˈsiːdɪŋ/
existing or coming before
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
ransomnounUS /ˈrænsəm/
money demanded for the return of a captured person
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
recordedadjectiveUS /rəˈkɔːrdɪd/
set down or registered in a permanent form especially on film or tape for reproduction
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
action taken in return for an injury or offense
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading AFTER SEVEN YEARS.
sorelyadverbUS /ˈsɔːrli/
to a great degree
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
required or under orders
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Great was the disappointment of Assad Khan and his followers to find their prisoner dead.
experiencing or marked by or causing sadness or sorrow or discontent
From this reading The lifeless body of the unhappy Denis was found by the Afghans before morning.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The lifeless body of the unhappy Denis was found by the Afghans before morning.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading We will now pass over seven long years, only lightly glancing at events which immediately followed that recorded in the preceding chapter.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Not only were their hopes of a large ransom lost, but they were sorely afraid that the heavy hand of the English Government would come down upon them and crush them, in revenge for the supposed murder of their captive.
a late time of life
From this reading AFTER SEVEN YEARS.
