used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading His life and the lives of his comrades hung upon a thread.
(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 Cortes' situation then was certainly desperate; for that matter, it was desperate at all times.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading His life and the lives of his comrades hung upon a thread.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Cortes' situation then was certainly desperate; for that matter, it was desperate at all times.
celebratedadjectiveUS /ˈseləbreɪtɪd/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading This was the celebrated massacre of Cholula.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Cortes' situation then was certainly desperate; for that matter, it was desperate at all times.
Cholula
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading This was the celebrated massacre of Cholula.
plural of “comrade” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading His life and the lives of his comrades hung upon a thread.
CortesnounUS /ˌkɔːrˈtez/
Spanish conquistador who defeated the Aztecs and conquered Mexico (1485-1547)
From this reading Cortes' situation then was certainly desperate; for that matter, it was desperate at all times.
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading Cortes' situation then was certainly desperate; for that matter, it was desperate at all times.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Whether it was justifiable or not, each reader must settle for himself.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Whether it was justifiable or not, each reader must settle for himself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He certainly had a right to protect himself.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He certainly had a right to protect himself.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Whether it was justifiable or not, each reader must settle for himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading His life and the lives of his comrades hung upon a thread.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading His life and the lives of his comrades hung upon a thread.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Whether it was justifiable or not, each reader must settle for himself.
justifiableadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌstəfaɪəbəl/
capable of being justified
From this reading Whether it was justifiable or not, each reader must settle for himself.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading His life and the lives of his comrades hung upon a thread.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading His life and the lives of his comrades hung upon a thread.
massacreverbUS /ˈmæsəkər/
kill a large number of people indiscriminately
From this reading This was the celebrated massacre of Cholula.
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Cortes' situation then was certainly desperate; for that matter, it was desperate at all times.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Whether it was justifiable or not, each reader must settle for himself.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Whether it was justifiable or not, each reader must settle for himself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This was the celebrated massacre of Cholula.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Whether it was justifiable or not, each reader must settle for himself.
shield from danger, injury, destruction, or damage
From this reading He certainly had a right to protect himself.
a person who enjoys reading
From this reading Whether it was justifiable or not, each reader must settle for himself.
precisely, exactly
From this reading He certainly had a right to protect himself.
settle into a position, usually on a surface or ground
From this reading Whether it was justifiable or not, each reader must settle for himself.
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading Cortes' situation then was certainly desperate; for that matter, it was desperate at all times.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Cortes' situation then was certainly desperate; for that matter, it was desperate at all times.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading This was the celebrated massacre of Cholula.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Cortes' situation then was certainly desperate; for that matter, it was desperate at all times.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This was the celebrated massacre of Cholula.
threadverbUS /θred/
to move or cause to move in a sinuous, spiral, or circular course
From this reading His life and the lives of his comrades hung upon a thread.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Cortes' situation then was certainly desperate; for that matter, it was desperate at all times.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He certainly had a right to protect himself.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading His life and the lives of his comrades hung upon a thread.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This was the celebrated massacre of Cholula.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Whether it was justifiable or not, each reader must settle for himself.
