used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
(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 Then it will all be over.”
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
(used of persons or the military) characterized by having or bearing arms
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
a Chadic language spoken in northern Nigeria
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
blunderbusses
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
cladadjectiveUS /klæd/
wearing or provided with clothing; sometimes used in combination
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
clumsyadjectiveUS /ˈklʌmzi/
lacking grace in movement or posture
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
convinceverbUS /kənˈvɪns/
make (someone) agree, understand, or realize the truth or validity of something
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
operate or control a vehicle
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
FIREBRANDnounUS /ˈfaɪərbrænd/
a piece of wood that has been burned or is burning
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
flintlocknounUS /ˈflɪntlɑːk/
a muzzle loader that had a flintlock type of gunlock
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
good-byenounUS /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/
a farewell remark
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
homemadeadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊmˈmeɪd/
made or produced in the home or by yourself
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
homespunadjectiveUS /ˈhoʊmspʌn/
of textiles; having a rough surface
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
ten 10s
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
the pursuit and killing or capture of wild animals regarded as a sport
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then it will all be over.”
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
lightheartedadjectiveUS /ˈlaɪthɑːrtɪd/
carefree and happy and lighthearted
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
LIGHTINGnounUS /ˈlaɪtɪŋ/
having abundant light or illumination
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
past form of “march” — march in a procession
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
the force of workers available
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
full of or showing high-spirited merriment
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
used to form the superlative
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
motleynounUS /ˈmɑːtli/
a collection containing a variety of sorts of things
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
muskets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Then it will all be over.”
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
pikesnounUS /paɪks/
plural of “pike” — a broad highway designed for high-speed traffic
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
pouringadjectiveUS /ˈpɔːrɪŋ/
flowing profusely
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
redcoatsnounUS /ˈredkoʊts/
plural of “redcoat” — British soldier; so-called because of his red coat (especially during the American Revolution)
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
roadsnounUS /roʊdz/
a partly sheltered anchorage
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
shirtsnounUS /ʃɜːrts/
plural of “shirt” — a garment worn on the upper half of the body
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
siegenounUS /siːdʒ/
the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
strangestadjectiveUS /ˈstreɪndʒɪst/
superlative of “strange” — being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
the tangible substance that goes into the makeup of a physical object
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then it will all be over.”
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
volunteersnounUS /ˌvɑːlənˈtɪrz/
plural of “volunteer” — (military) a person who freely enlists for service
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading LIGHTING THE FIREBRAND Forth to the war marched the men of New England, lighthearted every one of them and thinking, as did Miles, that the siege of Boston was to be a merry affair.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
weaponsnounUS /ˈwepənz/
plural of “weapon” — any instrument or instrumentality used in fighting or hunting
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “We will drive those redcoats into the sea and convince King George of what stuff we really are made.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
in the company of; together with
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
wivesnounUS /waɪvz/
plural of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading “We will be back in three months,” they said to their wives as they bade them good-bye.
a late time of life
From this reading So down the roads came pouring a motley stream of volunteers, clad in hunting shirts and homespun, armed, for the most part, with the strangest weapons, flintlock muskets a hundred years old, clumsy, ancient blunderbusses and homemade pikes.
