used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
anticipatedadjectiveUS /ænˈtɪsəpeɪtɪd/
expected hopefully
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
physically and forcibly separated into pieces or cracked or split
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
ChambersnounUS /ˈtʃeɪmbərz/
English architect (1723-1796)
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
confidentadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnfədənt/
having or marked by confidence or assurance
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
confrontingverbUS /kənˈfrʌntɪŋ/
-ing form of “confront” — oppose, as in hostility or a competition
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
defencenounUS /dɪˈfens/
(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
an opposing military force
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
FederaladjectiveUS /ˈfedərəl/
national; especially in reference to the government of the United States as distinct from that of its member units
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
gapsnounUS /ɡæps/
plural of “gap” — a conspicuous disparity or difference as between two figures
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
the act of retaining something
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
of the present time and place
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
infantrynounUS /ˈɪnfəntri/
an army unit consisting of soldiers who fight on foot
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
inspectionnounUS /ˌɪnˈspekʃən/
a formal or official examination
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
intrenched
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
come together
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
the force of workers available
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
as might be expected
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
not any; not one
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
noticeableadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊtəsəbəl/
capable or worthy of being noticed
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
and nothing more
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
opponentnounUS /əˈpoʊnənt/
a contestant that you are matched against
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
preparationsnounUS /ˌprepərˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “preparation” — the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
pushingnounUS /ˈpʊʃɪŋ/
the act of applying force in order to move something away
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
with speed
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
REPULSEverbUS /riˈpʌls/
force or drive back
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
necessary for relief or supply
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
apartment consisting of a series of connected rooms used as a living unit (as in a hotel)
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
sergeantsnounUS /ˈsɑːrdʒənts/
plural of “sergeant” — any of several noncommissioned officer ranks in the Army or Air Force or Marines ranking above a corporal
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
shiftverbUS /ʃɪft/
make a shift in or exchange of
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
shiftingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/
continuously varying
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading Chambers had swung his infantry forward through gaps in the line of battle, and was now confronting the Federal advance, not only holding his ground, but it seemed to me, slightly pushing his opponent.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
in or at that place or location
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
soldiers collectively
From this reading To my surprise there was no evidence of any movement in our direction, although there had been a noticeable shifting of troops.
vigorousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪɡərəs/
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading WE REPULSE THE ENEMY I naturally anticipated an immediate attack, and began preparations.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
(trademark) an operating system with a graphical user interface
From this reading Glass was broken from the small windows through which the men were to fire, and the sergeants and myself made inspection of men and arms, and gave orders for vigorous defence.
but in spite of that
From this reading Yet we were already so well intrenched that this required but a few moments, and, confident I could shift my force quickly so as to meet any attack, I returned to the front rooms to observe the enemy.
