used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
(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 Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
alliedadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪd/
related by common characteristics or ancestry
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
amazingadjectiveUS /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/
surprising greatly
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
anomalousadjectiveUS /əˈnɑːmələs/
deviating from the general or common order or type
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And, as everyone knows, the Swiss Republic during the four years of the war, successfully persisted in peace.
astonishments
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
bordernounUS /ˈbɔːrdər/
a line that indicates a boundary
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
citizensnounUS /ˈsɪtəzənz/
plural of “citizen” — a native or naturalized member of a state or other political community
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
complexnounUS /ˈkɑːmpleks/
a conceptual whole made up of complicated and related parts
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
a state at a particular time
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
ConfederationnounUS /kənˌfedərˈeɪʃən/
the state of being allied or confederated
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
placed crosswise
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
elsewhereadverbUS /ˈelswer/
in or to another place
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
encounteredverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/
past form of “encounter” — come together
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
every person
From this reading And, as everyone knows, the Swiss Republic during the four years of the war, successfully persisted in peace.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading And, as everyone knows, the Swiss Republic during the four years of the war, successfully persisted in peace.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
neighborsnounUS /ˈneɪbərz/
plural of “neighbor” — a person who lives (or is located) near another
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
parallelnounUS /ˈperəlel/
something having the property of being analogous to something else
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
passionsnounUS /ˈpæʃənz/
plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading And, as everyone knows, the Swiss Republic during the four years of the war, successfully persisted in peace.
peopledadjectiveUS /ˈpiːpəld/
furnished with people
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
by chance
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
persistedverbUS /pərˈsɪstɪd/
past form of “persist” — continue to exist
From this reading And, as everyone knows, the Swiss Republic during the four years of the war, successfully persisted in peace.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
plural of “power” — possession of controlling influence
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
prejudicesnounUS /ˈpredʒədɪsɪz/
plural of “prejudice” — a partiality that prevents objective consideration of an issue or situation
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
RepublicnounUS /riˈpʌblək/
a political system in which the supreme power lies in a body of citizens who can elect people to represent them
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
United States professional baseball player famous for hitting home runs (1895-1948)
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
spotsnounUS /spɑːts/
spots before the eyes caused by opaque cell fragments in the vitreous humor and lens
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
successfullyadverbUS /səkˈsesfəli/
with success; in a successful manner
From this reading And, as everyone knows, the Swiss Republic during the four years of the war, successfully persisted in peace.
past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
confined on all sides
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
SwissnounUS /swɪs/
the natives or inhabitants of Switzerland
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
SwitzerlandnounUS /ˈswɪtsərlənd/
a landlocked federal republic in central Europe
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
sympathiesnounUS /ˈsɪmpəθiz/
plural of “sympathy” — an inclination to support or be loyal to or to agree with an opinion
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
at the time that
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Completely surrounded by four great powers at war--and itself peopled by citizens each speaking the tongue of one or another of its neighbors and each allied by blood with one or with two or with three, or, perhaps, with all--the Swiss Confederation suffered a complex of passions, sympathies, and prejudices quite beyond possible parallel elsewhere.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading What a strange condition in which to live, Ruth wondered with herself as she encountered the astonishments on every hand when she had crossed the border.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The little Republic of Switzerland, always one of the most interesting spots in the world, became during this war a most amazing and anomalous country.
a late time of life
From this reading And, as everyone knows, the Swiss Republic during the four years of the war, successfully persisted in peace.
