used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
how long something has existed
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
(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 From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
English botanist who accompanied Captain Cook on his first voyage to the Pacific Ocean (1743-1820)
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
beggarsnounUS /ˈbeɡərz/
plural of “beggar” — a pauper who lives by begging
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
the two together, not just one
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
put or send forth
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
past form of “cease” — put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
travel across or pass over
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
crowdsnounUS /kraʊdz/
plural of “crowd” — a large number of things or people considered together
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
deformedadjectiveUS /dɪˈfɔːrmd/
so badly formed or out of shape as to be ugly
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
denselyadverbUS /ˈdensli/
in a stupid manner
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
exposedadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspoʊzd/
with no protection or shield
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
flowedverbUS /floʊd/
past form of “flow” — move or progress freely as if in a stream
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
foreheadsnounUS /ˈfɔːrhedz/
plural of “forehead” — the part of the face above the eyes
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
fortressnounUS /ˈfɔːrtrəs/
a fortified defensive structure
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
a long fixed look
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
hymnnounUS /hɪm/
a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
hymnsnounUS /hɪmz/
plural of “hymn” — a song of praise (to God or to a saint or to a nation)
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
imploringadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈplɔːrɪŋ/
begging
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
litanynounUS /ˈlɪtəni/
any long and tedious address or recital
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
neighborhoodsnounUS /ˈneɪbərhʊdz/
plural of “neighborhood” — a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
noblesnounUS /ˈnoʊbəlz/
plural of “noble” — a titled peer of the realm
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
and nothing more
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
peasantsnounUS /ˈpezənts/
plural of “peasant” — a country person
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
prayerfuladjectiveUS /ˈprerfəl/
disposed to pray or appearing to pray
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
compacted by ironing
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
ranksnounUS /ræŋks/
plural of “rank” — a row or line of people (especially soldiers or police) standing abreast of one another
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
to say, state, or perform again
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
sexesnounUS /ˈseksəz/
plural of “sex” — activities associated with sexual intercourse
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
shrilladjectiveUS /ʃrɪl/
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
plural of “song” — a short musical composition with words
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
villagersnounUS /ˈvɪlɪdʒərz/
plural of “villager” — one who has lived in a village most of their life
From this reading From the gates of the fortress peasants and nobles, villagers from various neighborhoods, people of every age, of both sexes, of all ranks, pressed forward to the church on their knees, singing prayerful hymns.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
at any time that; every time that
From this reading That river flowed slowly, and its course was stopped whenever the bodies of people crowded against one another too densely.
which person or people
From this reading At these moments were heard only the imploring and shrill voices of beggars, who sitting at both banks of the human river exposed their deformed limbs to public gaze.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Between hymn and litany, between litany and hymn, the people were silent, struck the ground with their foreheads, or cast themselves down in the form of a cross.
the words that are spoken
From this reading At times the songs ceased and the crowds began to repeat a litany, and then the thunder of words was heard from one end of the place to the other.
