Chapter VII

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

(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 The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

projectiles to be fired from a gun

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

past form of “anchor” — fix firmly and stably

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

at or in or to any place

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

towards the shore from the water

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

in the space, time, or range separating two things

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

-ing form of “burst” — come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

past form of “climb” — go upward with gradual or continuous progress

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

the act of drawing spatially closer to something

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

plural of “crew” — the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

plural of “cruiser” — a car in which policemen cruise the streets; equipped with radiotelephonic communications to headquarters

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

make void or empty of contents

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

the feeling of lively and cheerful joy

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

start firing a weapon

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

having lost your job

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

making gestures while speaking

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

the act of acquiring something

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

come to pass

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

a person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority (especially in the hope of improving conditions)

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

and nothing more

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

used to form the superlative

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

characteristic of or existing by virtue of geographic origin

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

near in time or place or relationship

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

To move from a closed position.

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

above and across; more than

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

the time that has elapsed

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

marked by courage and determination in the face of difficulties or danger; robust and uninhibited

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

-ing form of “point” — indicate a place, direction, person, or thing; either spatially or figuratively

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

a sharp explosive sound as from a gunshot or drawing a cork

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

not move; be in a resting position

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

a long narrow natural elevation or striation

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

plural of “round” — a charge of ammunition for a single shot

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

plural of “shell” — ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

plural of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

an elevated geological formation

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

in or at that place or location

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

the upper part of anything

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

plural of “transport” — something that serves as a means of transportation

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

soldiers collectively

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

the labor of taking a load of something off of or out of a vehicle or ship or container etc.

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

plural of “wagon” — any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor

From this reading The rest of them were more plucky, and carried on unloading the wagons, but by the time they were empty, and all the ammunition had been carried across to the guns, the fleet had anchored two miles below us and past the town.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

look attentively

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading The ships were passing the town now—we could just see them by popping our heads over the top of the ridge—and they fired off a few rounds.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.

any or all of a kind, it does not matter which

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

which person or people

From this reading We heard the shells bursting in the town, not anywhere near us, but the noise was enough for most of the native soldiers, who dropped whatever they were carrying and grovelled on the ground.

past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading Almost immediately the troops began coming ashore from the transports, and the insurgent officers worked themselves into a tremendous state of excitement, gesticulating and pointing down to the cruisers, and getting their two guns’ crews round the guns.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading We thought that they would open fire in a minute, so climbed up the slope between them, and lay there to watch what would happen.