used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And since he went a host of ills has beset me.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
Ah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ah, would that he were here to watch over my life!
(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 The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And since he went a host of ills has beset me.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading They devour the substance of this house and my son is being impoverished.'
besetverbUS /bɪˈset/
annoy continually or chronically
From this reading And since he went a host of ills has beset me.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
well in the past; former
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
devourverbUS /dɪˈvaʊər/
destroy completely
From this reading They devour the substance of this house and my son is being impoverished.'
Dulichium
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
excellencenounUS /ˈeksələns/
the quality of excelling; possessing good qualities in high degree
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
an interior passage or corridor onto which rooms open
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And since he went a host of ills has beset me.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And since he went a host of ills has beset me.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Ah, would that he were here to watch over my life!
a person who invites guests to a social event (such as a party in his or her own home) and who is responsible for them while they are there
From this reading And since he went a host of ills has beset me.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading They devour the substance of this house and my son is being impoverished.'
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
illsnounUS /ɪlz/
plural of “ill” — an often persistent bodily disorder or disease; a cause for complaining
From this reading And since he went a host of ills has beset me.
impoverishedadjectiveUS /ɪmˈpɒv.ər.ɪʃt/
Reduced to poverty; having very little money or resources.
From this reading They devour the substance of this house and my son is being impoverished.'
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They devour the substance of this house and my son is being impoverished.'
plural of “island” — a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
Ithaka
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Ah, would that he were here to watch over my life!
terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
plural of “lord” — terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
OdysseusnounUS /oʊˈdɪsiəs/
(Greek mythology) a famous mythical Greek hero; his return to Ithaca after the siege of Troy was described in the Odyssey
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Ah, would that he were here to watch over my life!
PenelopenounUS /pəˈneləpi/
(Greek mythology) the wife of Odysseus and a symbol of devotion and fidelity; for 10 years while Odysseus fought the Trojan War she resisted numerous suitors until Odysseus returned and killed them
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading And since he went a host of ills has beset me.
a male human offspring
From this reading They devour the substance of this house and my son is being impoverished.'
substancenounUS /ˈsʌbstəns/
the real physical matter of which a person or thing consists
From this reading They devour the substance of this house and my son is being impoverished.'
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Ah, would that he were here to watch over my life!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They devour the substance of this house and my son is being impoverished.'
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
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 Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
warsnounUS /wɔːrz/
plural of “war” — the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
look attentively
From this reading Ah, would that he were here to watch over my life!
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Ah, would that he were here to watch over my life!
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
at the time that
From this reading Then said Penelope, 'What excellence I had of face or form departed from me when my lord Odysseus went from this hall to the wars of Troy.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
wooingnounUS /ˈwuːɪŋ/
a man's courting of a woman; seeking the affections of a woman (usually with the hope of marriage)
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Ah, would that he were here to watch over my life!
Zacynthus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lords of all the islands around--Dulichium and Same and Zacynthus; and the lords of the land of Ithaka, have come here and are wooing me against my will.
