adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
againadverbUS /əˈɡen/
anew
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
appearedverbUS /əˈpɪrd/
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
attacknounUS /əˈtæk/
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading The company halted, fearing lest these might herald some attack and that the woman was a man disguised to deceive them.
beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
BefellverbUS /bɪˈfel/
inflected form of “befall” — become of; happen to
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
beganverbUS /bɪˈɡæn/
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
Bittir
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
commandnounUS /kəˈmænd/
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
companynounUS /ˈkʌmpəniː/
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading The company halted, fearing lest these might herald some attack and that the woman was a man disguised to deceive them.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
crestnounUS /krest/
the top line of a hill, mountain, or wave
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
curiouslyadverbUS /ˈkjʊriəsli/
in a manner differing from the usual or expected
From this reading Wulf looked at them curiously and said to Godwin:
deceiveverbUS /dɪˈsiːv/
be false to; be dishonest with
From this reading The company halted, fearing lest these might herald some attack and that the woman was a man disguised to deceive them.
disguisedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈɡaɪzd/
having its true character concealed with the intent of misleading
From this reading The company halted, fearing lest these might herald some attack and that the woman was a man disguised to deceive them.
dismounted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
embassynounUS /ˈembəsi/
a diplomatic building where ambassadors live or work
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
endnounUS /end/
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
eyenounUS /aɪ/
the organ of sight
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
fearingverbUS /ˈfɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading The company halted, fearing lest these might herald some attack and that the woman was a man disguised to deceive them.
forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/
at or to or toward the front
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
gallopverbUS /ˈɡæləp/
ride at a galloping pace
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
GatenounUS /ɡeɪt/
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
Godwin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
haltedverbUS /ˈhɔːltəd/
past form of “halt” — cause to stop
From this reading The company halted, fearing lest these might herald some attack and that the woman was a man disguised to deceive them.
headsnounUS /hedz/
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 While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
heatnounUS /hiːt/
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
heraldverbUS /ˈherəld/
foreshadow or presage
From this reading The company halted, fearing lest these might herald some attack and that the woman was a man disguised to deceive them.
hillnounUS /hɪl/
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
hopenounUS /hoʊp/
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
horsesnounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
irresoluteadjective
uncertain how to act or proceed
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
JerusalemnounUS /dʒərˈuːsələm/
capital and largest city of the modern state of Israel (although its status as capital is disputed)
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
lengthnounUS /leŋkθ/
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
lestconjunctionUS /lest/
in order that something should not happen
From this reading The company halted, fearing lest these might herald some attack and that the woman was a man disguised to deceive them.
lookedverbUS /lʊkt/
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Wulf looked at them curiously and said to Godwin:
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
mid-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The company halted, fearing lest these might herald some attack and that the woman was a man disguised to deceive them.
milesnounUS /maɪlz/
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
notwithstandingadverbUS /ˌnɑːtwɪθˈstændɪŋ/
despite anything to the contrary (usually preceding a concession)
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
pairnounUS /per/
a set of two similar things considered as a unit
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
pressedadjectiveUS /prest/
compacted by ironing
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
reachingnounUS /ˈriːtʃɪŋ/
the act of physically reaching or thrusting out
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
restverbUS /rest/
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Wulf looked at them curiously and said to Godwin:
seatedadjectiveUS /ˈsiːtɪd/
(of persons) having the torso erect and legs bent with the body supported on the buttocks
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
sevennounUS /ˈsevən/
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
shoulderverbUS /ˈʃoʊldər/
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
steepnessnounUS /ˈstiːpnəs/
the property possessed by a slope that is very steep
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
suddenlyadverbUS /ˈsʌdənli/
happening unexpectedly
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
swelledadjectiveUS /sweld/
feeling self-importance
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
swiftlyadverbUS /ˈswɪftli/
in a swift manner
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The company halted, fearing lest these might herald some attack and that the woman was a man disguised to deceive them.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
thusadverbUS /ðʌs/
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
turnedadjectiveUS /tɜːrnd/
moved around an axis or center
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
valleynounUS /ˈvæli/
a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
villagenounUS /ˈvɪlədʒ/
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
waitedverbUS /ˈweɪtɪd/
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
whenceadverbUS /wens/
an old word meaning “from where”
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
WhileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading While they waited thus irresolute, the pair upon the hill turned their horses’ heads, and notwithstanding its steepness, began to gallop towards them very swiftly.
womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading At the end of this valley swelled the shoulder of a hill whence the eye could command its length, and on the crest of that shoulder appeared suddenly a man and a woman, seated on beautiful horses.
Wulf
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Wulf looked at them curiously and said to Godwin:
ZionnounUS /ˈzaɪən/
originally a stronghold captured by David (the 2nd king of the Israelites); above it was built a temple and later the name extended to the whole hill; finally it became a synonym for the city of Jerusalem
From this reading What Befell Godwin At the village of Bittir, some seven miles from Jerusalem, the embassy dismounted to rest, then again they pressed forward down the valley in the hope of reaching the Zion Gate before the mid-day heat was upon them.
