Chapter X · Chapter 10

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

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

(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 TARPEIAN ROCK I Rain, rain! all the morning!

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

large but transportable armament

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

a town in Czech Republic; site of the battle of Austerlitz in 1805

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

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

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

for the reason that

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

the -ing form of “be”

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

a monarchy in northwestern Europe; headquarters for the European Union and for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

showing who or what does the action

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

a tract of land used for burials

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

one who is the object of choice; who is given preference

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

make overcast or cloudy

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

plural of “destiny” — an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future

From this reading God's little tool--innocent-looking little tool enough--for the remodelling of the destinies of this world.

free from liquid or moisture; lacking natural or normal moisture or depleted of water; or no longer wet

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading God's little tool--innocent-looking little tool enough--for the remodelling of the destinies of this world.

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

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading God's little tool--innocent-looking little tool enough--for the remodelling of the destinies of this world.

extremely impressive in strength or excellence

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

a person who wagers money on the outcome of games or sporting events

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

possessive form of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions

From this reading God's little tool--innocent-looking little tool enough--for the remodelling of the destinies of this world.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

the solid part of the earth's surface

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

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

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

a man distinguished by exceptional courage and nobility and strength

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

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

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

the state of being honored

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading THE TARPEIAN ROCK I Rain, rain! all the morning!

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

relating to or associated with an empire

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

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

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

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

From this reading God's little tool--innocent-looking little tool enough--for the remodelling of the destinies of this world.

of an obscure nature

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

a domain in which something is dominant

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading God's little tool--innocent-looking little tool enough--for the remodelling of the destinies of this world.

a battle in 1800 in which the French under Napoleon Bonaparte won a great victory over the Austrians

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

the time period between dawn and noon

From this reading THE TARPEIAN ROCK I Rain, rain! all the morning!

water soaked soil; soft wet earth

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading God's little tool--innocent-looking little tool enough--for the remodelling of the destinies of this world.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

and nothing more

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

a relatively flat highland

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere

From this reading THE TARPEIAN ROCK I Rain, rain! all the morning!

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

From this reading God's little tool--innocent-looking little tool enough--for the remodelling of the destinies of this world.

past form of “render” — cause to become

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading THE TARPEIAN ROCK I Rain, rain! all the morning!

inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

submerge in a liquid

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

very drunk

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

yielding readily to pressure or weight

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

the state of being covered with unclean things

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

easily squashed; resembling a sponge in having soft porous texture and compressibility

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

past form of “stake” — put at risk

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

possessing sweep

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

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

From this reading THE TARPEIAN ROCK I Rain, rain! all the morning!

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

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

From this reading THE TARPEIAN ROCK I Rain, rain! all the morning!

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

From this reading God's little tool--innocent-looking little tool enough--for the remodelling of the destinies of this world.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

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

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

an implement used in the practice of a vocation

From this reading God's little tool--innocent-looking little tool enough--for the remodelling of the destinies of this world.

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

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

plural of “vale” — a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

plural of “wagon” — any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

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

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!

plural of “wheel” — a simple machine consisting of a circular frame with spokes (or a solid disc) that can rotate on a shaft or axle (as in vehicles or other machines)

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading God chose to soak the earth on that day--and the formidable artillery that had swept the plateau of Austerlitz, the vales of Marengo, the cemetery of Eylau, was rendered useless for the time being because up in the inscrutable kingdom of the sky a cloud had chosen to burst--or had burst by the will of God--and water soaked the soft, spongy soil of Belgium and the wheels of artillery wagons sank axle-deep in the mud.

everything that exists anywhere

From this reading God's little tool--innocent-looking little tool enough--for the remodelling of the destinies of this world.

the person or people being spoken to

From this reading If only the ground had been dry! if only the great gambler--the genius, the hero, call him what you will, but the gambler for all that--if only he had staked his crown, his honour and that of Imperial France on some other stake than his artillery!