used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A nation might be judged by the state of its roads.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Civilization and Progress moved along good roads, bad roads were the symbols of Barbarism.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Civilization and Progress moved along good roads, bad roads were the symbols of Barbarism.
apostlenounUS /əˈpɑːsəl/
an ardent early supporter of a cause or reform
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading Civilization and Progress moved along good roads, bad roads were the symbols of Barbarism.
BarbarismnounUS /ˈbɑːrbərɪzəm/
a brutal barbarous savage act
From this reading Civilization and Progress moved along good roads, bad roads were the symbols of Barbarism.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A nation might be judged by the state of its roads.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
brought into existence
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A nation might be judged by the state of its roads.
a period of 100 years
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
CivilizationnounUS /ˌsɪvəlɪˈzeɪʃən/
a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)
From this reading Civilization and Progress moved along good roads, bad roads were the symbols of Barbarism.
comparativelyadverbUS /kəmˈperətɪvli/
in a relative manner; by comparison to something else
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
dependedverbUS /dɪˈpendəd/
past form of “depend” — be contingent upon (something that is elided)
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
destiniesnounUS /ˈdestəniz/
plural of “destiny” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
EmpiresnounUS /ˈempaɪərz/
plural of “empire” — the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
at any time
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Civilization and Progress moved along good roads, bad roads were the symbols of Barbarism.
highest in quality
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
ImperialadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpɪriəl/
relating to or associated with an empire
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading A nation might be judged by the state of its roads.
judgedverbUS /dʒʌdʒd/
past form of “judge” — determine the result of (a competition)
From this reading A nation might be judged by the state of its roads.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
mainlyadverbUS /ˈmeɪnli/
for the most part
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading A nation might be judged by the state of its roads.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading Civilization and Progress moved along good roads, bad roads were the symbols of Barbarism.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading A nation might be judged by the state of its roads.
nationsnounUS /ˈneɪʃənz/
plural of “nation” — a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
on one occasion
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
gradual improvement or growth or development
From this reading Civilization and Progress moved along good roads, bad roads were the symbols of Barbarism.
railwaynounUS /ˈreɪlweɪ/
line that is the commercial organization responsible for operating a system of transportation for trains that pull passengers or freight
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
recentlyadverbUS /ˈriːsəntli/
in the recent past
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
RenaissancenounUS /ˌrenəˈsɑːns/
the period of European history at the close of the Middle Ages and the rise of the modern world; a cultural rebirth from the 14th through the middle of the 17th centuries
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
roadsnounUS /roʊdz/
a partly sheltered anchorage
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
capital and largest city of Italy; on the Tiber; seat of the Roman Catholic Church; formerly the capital of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading A nation might be judged by the state of its roads.
symbolsnounUS /ˈsɪmbəlz/
plural of “symbol” — an arbitrary sign (written or printed) that has acquired a conventional significance
From this reading Civilization and Progress moved along good roads, bad roads were the symbols of Barbarism.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
UntilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading I Until comparatively recently, the destinies of nations depended mainly upon roads.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Civilization and Progress moved along good roads, bad roads were the symbols of Barbarism.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading For the past century the railway has been to nations and Empires what the road once was.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Rome, the Imperial power of the ancient world, the greatest apostle of Civilization and Progress born before the Renaissance, built the best roads ever made.
