afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
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 German guns swept the French positions in all sections of the Verdun region.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Germans had hurled two and three shells to each one by the French.
approachverbUS /əˈproʊtʃ/
move towards
From this reading Fortresses protecting the approach to the city of Verdun had been shattered.
artillerynounUS /ɑːrˈtɪləri/
large but transportable armament
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
BATTLEnounUS /ˈbætəl/
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Fortresses protecting the approach to the city of Verdun had been shattered.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
breastworks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The Germans had hurled two and three shells to each one by the French.
citynounUS /ˈsɪti/
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading Fortresses protecting the approach to the city of Verdun had been shattered.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
duelsnounUS /ˈduːəlz/
plural of “duel” — a prearranged fight with deadly weapons by two people (accompanied by seconds) in order to settle a quarrel over a point of honor
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
dugnounUS /dʌɡ/
an udder or breast or teat
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The Germans had hurled two and three shells to each one by the French.
earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
entrenchedadjectiveUS /enˈtrentʃt/
dug in
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
FortressesnounUS /ˈfɔːrtrəsɪz/
plural of “fortress” — a fortified defensive structure
From this reading Fortresses protecting the approach to the city of Verdun had been shattered.
forty-eightadjective
being eight more than forty
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading German guns swept the French positions in all sections of the Verdun region.
GermannounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmən/
a person of German nationality
From this reading German guns swept the French positions in all sections of the Verdun region.
GermansnounUS /ˈdʒɜːrmənz/
plural of “german” — a person of German nationality
From this reading The Germans had hurled two and three shells to each one by the French.
greatestadjectiveUS /ˈɡreɪtəst/
highest in quality
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
gunsnounUS /ɡʌnz/
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading German guns swept the French positions in all sections of the Verdun region.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
hastilyadverbUS /ˈheɪstəli/
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
hoursnounUS /ˈaʊərz/
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
hurledverbUS /hɜːrld/
past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully
From this reading The Germans had hurled two and three shells to each one by the French.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading German guns swept the French positions in all sections of the Verdun region.
incessantlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈsesəntli/
with unflagging resolve
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
modernadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːdərn/
belonging to the modern era; since the Middle Ages
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The Germans had hurled two and three shells to each one by the French.
OPENSnounUS /ˈoʊpənz/
plural of “open” — a clear or unobstructed space or expanse of land or water
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
positionsnounUS /pəˈzɪʃənz/
plural of “position” — the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading German guns swept the French positions in all sections of the Verdun region.
protectingadjectiveUS /prəˈtektɪŋ/
shielding (or designed to shield) against harm or discomfort
From this reading Fortresses protecting the approach to the city of Verdun had been shattered.
ragedverbUS /reɪdʒd/
past form of “rage” — behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
regionnounUS /ˈriːdʒən/
the extended spatial location of something
From this reading German guns swept the French positions in all sections of the Verdun region.
remainedverbUS /rɪˈmeɪnd/
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
sectionsnounUS /ˈsekʃənz/
plural of “section” — a self-contained part of a larger composition (written or musical)
From this reading German guns swept the French positions in all sections of the Verdun region.
secureverbUS /sɪˈkjʊr/
get by special effort
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
shatteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃætərd/
ruined or disrupted
From this reading Fortresses protecting the approach to the city of Verdun had been shattered.
shellsnounUS /ʃelz/
plural of “shell” — ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun
From this reading The Germans had hurled two and three shells to each one by the French.
sweptadjectiveUS /swept/
possessing sweep
From this reading German guns swept the French positions in all sections of the Verdun region.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE BATTLE OPENS For forty-eight hours the greatest of modern artillery duels had raged incessantly.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
threenounUS /θriː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading The Germans had hurled two and three shells to each one by the French.
thrownadjectiveUS /θroʊn/
caused to fall to the ground
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Fortresses protecting the approach to the city of Verdun had been shattered.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The Germans had hurled two and three shells to each one by the French.
upadjectiveUS /ʌp/
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading But after the first day the French had entrenched themselves behind their earth breastworks, hastily dug and thrown up, and now remained secure.
VerdunnounUS /ˈvɜːrdən/
a battle in World War I (1916); in some of the bloodiest fighting in World War I the German offensive was stopped
From this reading German guns swept the French positions in all sections of the Verdun region.
