Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

later than; following

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

(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 In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

plural of “american” — a native or inhabitant of the United States

From this reading The Americans lay in silence, awaiting the moment of the surprise.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

-ing form of “await” — look forward to the probable occurrence of

From this reading The Americans lay in silence, awaiting the moment of the surprise.

a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading That is what happened to Private Briggs, of the American forces.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

having the shape or form of a circle

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

several things grouped together or considered as a whole

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

plural of “curl” — a round shape formed by a series of concentric circles (as formed by leaves or flower petals)

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

recognizable; marked

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

a line leading to a place or point

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

a member of the genus Canis (probably descended from the common wolf) that has been domesticated by man since prehistoric times; occurs in many breeds

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

violent or severe weather (viewed as caused by the action of the four elements)

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

to a high degree or extent; favorably or with much respect

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

plural of “force” — a powerful effect or influence

From this reading That is what happened to Private Briggs, of the American forces.

plural of “german” — a person of German nationality

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

the act of departing

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

a person who keeps watch over something or someone

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading That is what happened to Private Briggs, of the American forces.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

an opening into or through something

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

put into a certain place or abstract location

From this reading The Americans lay in silence, awaiting the moment of the surprise.

has a good chance of being the case or of coming about

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

the force of workers available

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

a particular point in time

From this reading The Americans lay in silence, awaiting the moment of the surprise.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

United States playwright (1888-1953)

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

a geometric element that has position but no extension

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

a future prospect or potential

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

denoting an action or event preceding or in preparation for something more important

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy

From this reading That is what happened to Private Briggs, of the American forces.

a general conscious awareness

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading The Americans lay in silence, awaiting the moment of the surprise.

be standing; be upright

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

carry out

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

soldiers collectively

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

plural of “twist” — an unforeseen development

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading At the point decided upon for the American troops to take their stand was a collection of shell holes.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading That is what happened to Private Briggs, of the American forces.

at the time that

From this reading In order that the attack upon the Germans might have all the elements of surprise when it came, Captain O'Neill ordered his men into these holes to guard against any possibility of surprise.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Now, it is an undoubted fact that when a man curls himself up with two or three preliminary twists, after the fashion of a dog going to bed, in a perfectly circular shell hole on a night as black as this, he is extremely likely to lose his sense of direction.