Chapter I · Chapter 1

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

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

surrounded by; in the middle of a group

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

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

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

braying characteristic of donkeys

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

a large and stately mansion

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

the shore of a sea or ocean

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

obvious to the eye or mind

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

outer bark of the cork oak; used for stoppers for bottles etc.

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

a female human offspring

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

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

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

capable of being defended

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

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

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Strongbow's followers did well for themselves.

separated into parts or pieces

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

capital and largest city and major port of the Irish Republic

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

decreasing in amount or degree

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

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

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

a group of followers or enthusiasts

From this reading Strongbow's followers did well for themselves.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Strongbow's followers did well for themselves.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

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

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

greater in size or importance or degree

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

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

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

plural of “invader” — someone who enters by force in order to conquer

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

people of Ireland or of Irish extraction

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

plural of “knight” — originally a person of noble birth trained to arms and chivalry; today in Great Britain a person honored by the sovereign for personal merit

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

the position of a prominent or well-known object in a particular landscape

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

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

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

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 Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

plural of “mariner” — a man who serves as a sailor

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

joined in matrimony

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

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

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

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

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

be against; express opposition to

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

above and across; more than

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

something determined in relation to something that includes it

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

a male member of a royal family other than the sovereign (especially the son of a sovereign)

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

past form of “reckon” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

the action of opposing something that you disapprove or disagree with

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

in an aggressive manner

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

from a time in the past until now

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

term of address for a man

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

being all around the edges; enclosing

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

in the near future

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

conforming to or constituting a standard of measurement or value; or of the usual or regularized or accepted kind

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

Maintained an upright posture.

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

the property of being physically or mentally strong

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

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

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

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

From this reading Strongbow's followers did well for themselves.

past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Strongbow had married the daughter of Dermid, Prince of Leinster, and at the death of that prince succeeded him, and the greater portion of Leinster was soon divided among the knights and men-at-arms who had followed his standard.

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

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

used when the people doing the action are also its object

From this reading Strongbow's followers did well for themselves.

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

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

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

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

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

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

a port city in southern Ireland; famous for glass industry

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading A few miles to the south of Bray Head, on the crest of a hill falling sharply down to the sea, stood Castle Davenant, a conspicuous landmark to mariners skirting the coast on their way from Cork or Waterford to Dublin Bay.

(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 Strongbow's followers did well for themselves.

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

From this reading They had reckoned on hard fighting, but the Irish were too much divided among themselves to oppose any serious resistance to the invaders.

at the time that

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

which person or people

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Castle Davenant it was called, although it had long since ceased to be defensible; but when it was built by Sir Godfrey Davenant, who came over with Strongbow, it was a place of strength.