used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And now the trumpet gave the signal for battle.
arraynounUS /ərˈeɪ/
an orderly arrangement
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE BATTLE AT THE CAMP.
completely unclothed
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading THE BATTLE AT THE CAMP.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading THE BATTLE AT THE CAMP.
put or send forth
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading First the Volscians drew near to the wall.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading First the Volscians drew near to the wall.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And now the trumpet gave the signal for battle.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading And now the trumpet gave the signal for battle.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
joiningnounUS /ˈdʒɔɪnɪŋ/
the act of bringing two things into contact (especially for communication)
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
laddersnounUS /ˈlædərz/
plural of “ladder” — steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
the force of workers available
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
moatnounUS /moʊt/
ditch dug as a fortification and usually filled with water
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading First the Volscians drew near to the wall.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now the trumpet gave the signal for battle.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
polesnounUS /poʊlz/
plural of “pole” — a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
shellnounUS /ʃel/
ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
shieldsnounUS /ʃiːldz/
plural of “shield” — a protective covering or structure
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading And now the trumpet gave the signal for battle.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
spearsnounUS /spɪrz/
plural of “spear” — a long pointed rod used as a tool or weapon
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BATTLE AT THE CAMP.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
push forcefully
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading First the Volscians drew near to the wall.
tortoisenounUS /ˈtɔːrtəs/
usually herbivorous land turtles having clawed elephant-like limbs; worldwide in arid area except Australia and Antarctica
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
TroynounUS /trɔɪ/
a system of weights used for precious metals and gemstones; based on a 12-ounce pound and an ounce of 480 grains
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
trumpetverbUS /ˈtrʌmpət/
proclaim on, or as if on, a trumpet
From this reading And now the trumpet gave the signal for battle.
untoprepositionUS /ˈʌntuː/
an old word for “to”
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
Volscians
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading First the Volscians drew near to the wall.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading First the Volscians drew near to the wall.
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading These held their shields over their heads, joining them in close array so that they were like unto the shell of a tortoise, and they that bare them filled the moat and pulled down the wall.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
in the company of; together with
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading And some would have mounted the walls on ladders; while the men of Troy cast spears at them and thrust at them with poles, being indeed well used to the manner of such a fight from walls.
