used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
move forward, also in the metaphorical sense
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
anew
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
awaitedadjectiveUS /əˈweɪtɪd/
expected hopefully
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
eat an early morning meal
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
the people of Great Britain
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
chargedadjectiveUS /tʃɑːrdʒd/
of a particle or body or system; having a net amount of positive or negative electric charge
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
desperatelyadverbUS /ˈdespərətli/
with great urgency
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
inflected form of “eat” — take in solid food
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
an opposing military force
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
field-pieces
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/
having lost your job
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
forenoonnoun
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
a fortified military post where troops are stationed
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
GreenenounUS /ɡriːn/
English novelist and Catholic (1904-1991)
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
full of life and energy
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
a person who carries a message
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
Ninety-Sixadjective
being six more than ninety
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
having a systematic arrangement; especially having elements succeeding in order according to rule
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
patriotnounUS /ˈpeɪtriət/
one who loves and defends his or her country
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
persistencenounUS /pərˈsɪstəns/
the property of a continuous and connected period of time
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
with speed
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
reinforcementsnounUS /ˌriːɪnˈfɔːrsmənts/
plural of “reinforcement” — a military operation (often involving new supplies of men and materiel) to strengthen a military force or aid in the performance of its mission
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
resistverbUS /rɪˈzɪst/
elude, especially in a baffling way
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
ridgenounUS /rɪdʒ/
a long narrow natural elevation or striation
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
in the near future
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
stationedverbUS /ˈsteɪʃənd/
past form of “station” — assign to a station
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
carry out
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
the upper part of anything
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
precisely as stated
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
look attentively
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The patriot soldiers made their way to the top of a sort of ridge about half a mile east of Fort Ninety-Six, and here they stationed themselves behind trees and awaited the coming of the enemy.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They fired with the field-pieces as rapidly as possible, and about the middle of the forenoon they charged upon the fort and made another attempt to force an entrance, but the British fought desperately, and the patriot force was driven back.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading And soon afterward word was brought by a messenger that had been sent to keep watch for the coming British reinforcements, to the effect that the force in question was close at hand.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Lively Work The patriot force was up very early next morning, and had eaten breakfast before daylight, and as soon as they could see, they began the attack on Fort Ninety-Six.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would be useless to try to attack the fort again, and so General Greene ordered that they advance, take up as strong a position as possible, and resist with persistence the approaching force of British.
