used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
adoptedadjectiveUS /əˈdɑːptɪd/
acquired as your own by free choice
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
arrestverbUS /ərˈest/
take into custody
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
artsnounUS /ɑːrts/
studies intended to provide general knowledge and intellectual skills (rather than occupational or professional skills)
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
availverbUS /əˈveɪl/
use to one's advantage
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
balanceverbUS /ˈbæləns/
bring into balance or equilibrium
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
assets available for use in the production of further assets
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
an officer in command of a military unit
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business
From this reading The intrigues of a court, with their underhand and mysterious details, were foreign to his nature.
Dacian
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
true confidential information
From this reading The intrigues of a court, with their underhand and mysterious details, were foreign to his nature.
Domitiannoun
Emperor of Rome; son of Vespasian who succeeded his brother Titus; instigated a reign of terror and was assassinated as a tyrant (51-96)
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
embarrassmentnounUS /ɪmˈberəsmənt/
the shame you feel when your inadequacy or guilt is made public
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
empirenounUS /ˈempaɪər/
the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
divisible by two
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
foenounUS /foʊ/
an armed adversary (especially a member of an opposing military force)
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)
From this reading The intrigues of a court, with their underhand and mysterious details, were foreign to his nature.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
gate-way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
greetingnounUS /ˈɡriːtɪŋ/
(usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
a person who keeps watch over something or someone
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
imperialadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɪriəl/
relating to or associated with an empire
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
intriguesnounUS /ˌɪnˈtriːɡz/
plural of “intrigue” — a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends
From this reading The intrigues of a court, with their underhand and mysterious details, were foreign to his nature.
knightsnounUS /naɪts/
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 Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
immediately past
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
modenounUS /moʊd/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
of an obscure nature
From this reading The intrigues of a court, with their underhand and mysterious details, were foreign to his nature.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading The intrigues of a court, with their underhand and mysterious details, were foreign to his nature.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
filled with bewilderment
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
Quintus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
revoltedverbUS /rɪˈvoʊltɪd/
past form of “revolt” — make revolution
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
rusesnounUS /ˈruːzɪz/
plural of “rus” — the medieval Russian state established by Scandinavian traders in the 9th century; the capital was first in Novgorod and then in Kiev
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
senatorsnounUS /ˈsenətərz/
plural of “senator” — a member of a senate
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
strategynounUS /ˈstrætədʒi/
an elaborate and systematic plan of action
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The intrigues of a court, with their underhand and mysterious details, were foreign to his nature.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The intrigues of a court, with their underhand and mysterious details, were foreign to his nature.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
underhandadjective
with hand brought forward and up from below shoulder level
From this reading The intrigues of a court, with their underhand and mysterious details, were foreign to his nature.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading Out in the field, with the Dacian foe in front of him, he could avail himself of the ruses of war and the arts of strategy; but in peace, in the capital of the empire, this mode of action revolted and puzzled him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The intrigues of a court, with their underhand and mysterious details, were foreign to his nature.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
wholesaleadverbUS /ˈhoʊlseɪl/
at a wholesale price
From this reading Such a measure as the wholesale arrest of senators and knights had never been adopted before, even under Domitian.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The commander of the imperial guard, with a few officers and soldiers, received Quintus as he slowly went out through the heavy stone gate-way into the street, but his silent greeting was not altogether free from embarrassment.
Having or showing the qualities or abilities that merit recognition in character or magic.
From this reading During the last few days events had occurred, which had thrown the worthy soldier off his balance.
