used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
(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 All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
alliesnounUS /ˈælaɪz/
the alliance of nations that fought the Axis in World War II and which (with subsequent additions) signed the charter of the United Nations in 1945
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But, as the days wore on, and no one came, the vigilance of the townspeople had slacked.
ascendingadjectiveUS /əˈsendɪŋ/
moving or going or growing upward
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
of surpassing excellence
From this reading There was no moon, but the stars were uncommonly brilliant, and there was no difficulty in traveling.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was no moon, but the stars were uncommonly brilliant, and there was no difficulty in traveling.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But, as the days wore on, and no one came, the vigilance of the townspeople had slacked.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
neither warm nor very cold; giving relief from heat
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading There was no moon, but the stars were uncommonly brilliant, and there was no difficulty in traveling.
exercisingnounUS /ˈeksərsaɪzɪŋ/
the activity of exerting your muscles in various ways to keep fit
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
the head of a state government
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
of or relating to or characteristic of India or the East Indies or their peoples or languages or cultures
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
Kaskaskia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
militianounUS /məˈlɪʃə/
civilians trained as soldiers but not part of the regular army
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
MississippinounUS /ˌmɪsɪˈsɪpi/
a major North American river and the chief river of the United States; rises in northern Minnesota and flows southward into the Gulf of Mexico
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading There was no moon, but the stars were uncommonly brilliant, and there was no difficulty in traveling.
neighboringadjectiveUS /ˈneɪbərɪŋ/
having a common boundary or edge; abutting; touching
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
not any; not one
From this reading There was no moon, but the stars were uncommonly brilliant, and there was no difficulty in traveling.
an announcement containing information about an event
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But, as the days wore on, and no one came, the vigilance of the townspeople had slacked.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But, as the days wore on, and no one came, the vigilance of the townspeople had slacked.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
affording pleasure; being in harmony with your taste or likings
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
raidverbUS /reɪd/
search without warning, make a sudden surprise attack on
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
rebelnounUS /ˈrebəl/
“Johnny” was applied as a nickname for Confederate soldiers by the Federal soldiers in the American Civil War; “greyback” derived from their grey Confederate uniforms
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
rumorsnounUS /ˈruːmərz/
plural of “rumor” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
scoutsnounUS /skaʊts/
plural of “scout” — a person employed to keep watch for some anticipated event
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
slackedverbUS /slækt/
past form of “slack” — avoid responsibilities and work, be idle
From this reading But, as the days wore on, and no one came, the vigilance of the townspeople had slacked.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
spiesnounUS /spaɪz/
plural of “spy” — (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading There was no moon, but the stars were uncommonly brilliant, and there was no difficulty in traveling.
stationedverbUS /ˈsteɪʃənd/
past form of “station” — assign to a station
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
sultryadjectiveUS /ˈsʌltri/
sexually exciting or gratifying
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
moving very fast
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The night closed in over Kaskaskia, cool and pleasant after the sultry day.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was no moon, but the stars were uncommonly brilliant, and there was no difficulty in traveling.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading All along the banks of the Mississippi scouts and spies were stationed with swift horses, to give notice of any force ascending the river.
townspeoplenounUS /ˈtaʊnzpiːpəl/
the people living in a municipality smaller than a city
From this reading But, as the days wore on, and no one came, the vigilance of the townspeople had slacked.
travelingnounUS /ˈtrævəlɪŋ/
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading There was no moon, but the stars were uncommonly brilliant, and there was no difficulty in traveling.
uncommonlyadverbUS /ˌʌnˈkɑːmənli/
exceptionally
From this reading There was no moon, but the stars were uncommonly brilliant, and there was no difficulty in traveling.
not clearly expressed or understood
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
vigilancenounUS /ˈvɪdʒələns/
the process of paying close and continuous attention
From this reading But, as the days wore on, and no one came, the vigilance of the townspeople had slacked.
VirginiansnounUS /vərˈdʒɪnjənz/
plural of “virginian” — a native or resident of Virginia
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was no moon, but the stars were uncommonly brilliant, and there was no difficulty in traveling.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There was no moon, but the stars were uncommonly brilliant, and there was no difficulty in traveling.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Governor of Kaskaskia, a few days before, had been exercising the militia of the neighboring country, with considerable force of Indian allies; for some vague rumors had reached him of a possible raid by the rebel Virginians.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading But, as the days wore on, and no one came, the vigilance of the townspeople had slacked.
