adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
againstprepositionUS /əˈɡenst/
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
BalzacnounUS /bɑːlˈzæk/
French novelist; he portrays the complexity of 19th century French society (1799-1850)
From this reading To Henri de Balzac, his brother Honore.
battlenounUS /ˈbætəl/
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
bloodyadjectiveUS /ˈblʌdi/
having or covered with or accompanied by blood
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
BourbonnounUS /ˈbɜːrbən/
a reactionary politician in the United States (usually from the South)
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
braverynounUS /ˈbreɪvəri/
a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
brothernounUS /ˈbrʌðər/
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading To Henri de Balzac, his brother Honore.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
causenounUS /kɑːz/
events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
Chemins
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
Comtenoun
French philosopher remembered as the founder of positivism; he also established sociology as a systematic field of study
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
confiscationnounUS /ˌkɑːnfəˈskeɪʃən/
seizure by the government
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
dangersnounUS /ˈdeɪndʒərz/
plural of “danger” — the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
denounUS /diː/
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading To Henri de Balzac, his brother Honore.
deadadjectiveUS /ded/
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
EmperornounUS /ˈempərər/
the male ruler of an empire
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
escapedadjectiveUS /ɪˈskeɪpt/
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
familiesnounUS /ˈfæməliz/
plural of “family” — a social unit living together
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
Fontaine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
headnounUS /hed/
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
Henri
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To Henri de Balzac, his brother Honore.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading To Henri de Balzac, his brother Honore.
historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/
the aggregate of past events
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
Honore
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To Henri de Balzac, his brother Honore.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
intelligencenounUS /ˌɪnˈtelədʒəns/
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
jestnounUS /dʒest/
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
killedverbUS /kɪld/
past form of “kill” — cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
LanounUS /lɑː/
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
leadersnounUS /ˈliːdərz/
the body of people who lead a group
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
leftnounUS /left/
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
LesnounUS /les/
plural of “le” — a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
lucrativeadjectiveUS /ˈluːkrətɪv/
producing a sizeable profit
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
modernadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːdərn/
belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
NapoleonnounUS /nəˈpoʊliən/
French general who became emperor of the French (1769-1821)
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
offeredverbUS /ˈɔːfərd/
past form of “offer” — make available or accessible, provide or furnish
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
oldestadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldəst/
superlative of “old” — (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
periodnounUS /ˈpɪriəd/
an amount of time
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
pleasantrynounUS /ˈplezəntri/
an agreeable or amusing remark
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
Poitounoun
a low-lying region of west central France on the Bay of Biscay
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
postsnounUS /poʊsts/
plural of “post” — the position where someone (as a guard or sentry) stands or is assigned to stand
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
Quatre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
refusedverbUS /rəˈfjuːzd/
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
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 Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
royalistnounUS /ˈrɔɪəlɪst/
an advocate of the principles of monarchy
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
ruinedadjectiveUS /ˈruːənd/
destroyed physically or morally
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
sayverbUS /seɪ/
express in words
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
servedverbUS /sɜːrvd/
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
spokenadjectiveUS /ˈspoʊkən/
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
staunchadjectiveUS /stɔːntʃ/
firm and dependable especially in loyalty
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
steadilyadverbUS /ˈstedəli/
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
stepsnounUS /steps/
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
stormyadjectiveUS /ˈstɔːrmi/
(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
ThoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
threatenedadjectiveUS /ˈθretənd/
(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
thronenounUS /θroʊn/
the chair of state for a monarch, bishop, etc.
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
ToparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading To Henri de Balzac, his brother Honore.
truthnounUS /truːθ/
a fact that has been verified
From this reading And the pleasantry had some truth in it, as spoken by a man left for dead at the bloody battle of Les Quatre Chemins.
VendeenounUS /ˈvenˈdiː/
a person who buys
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
Vendeen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Though ruined by confiscation, the staunch Vendeen steadily refused the lucrative posts offered to him by the Emperor Napoleon.
warnounUS /wɔːr/
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Comte de Fontaine, head of one of the oldest families in Poitou, had served the Bourbon cause with intelligence and bravery during the war in La Vendee against the Republic.
wontnounUS /woʊnt/
an established custom
From this reading After having escaped all the dangers which threatened the royalist leaders during this stormy period of modern history, he was wont to say in jest, “I am one of the men who gave themselves to be killed on the steps of the throne.”
