used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/
any specific behavior
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
(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 All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
past form of “arrive” — reach a destination; arrive by movement or progress
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
ArtillerynounUS /ɑːrˈtɪləri/
large but transportable armament
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
barrenadjectiveUS /ˈbærən/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
battle-front
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
temporary living quarters specially built by the army for soldiers
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
consumedverbUS /kənˈsuːmd/
past form of “consume” — eat up completely, as with great appetite
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
desultoryadjectiveUS /ˈdesəltɔːri/
marked by lack of definite plan or regularity or purpose; jumping from one thing to another
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
Dorn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
Dorn's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
endingnounUS /ˈendɪŋ/
the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme)
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
start firing a weapon
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
a republic in western Europe; the largest country wholly in Europe
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
the act of departing
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
hordenounUS /hɔːrd/
a vast multitude
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
Kurt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
lanesnounUS /leɪnz/
plural of “lane” — a narrow way or road
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
immediately past
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
leadenadjectiveUS /ˈledən/
darkened with overcast
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
march in a procession
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
marchedverbUS /mɑːrtʃt/
past form of “march” — march in a procession
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
monstrousadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːnstrəs/
abnormally large
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
make or become more narrow or restricted
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
nightmarenounUS /ˈnaɪt.mɛr/
A terrifying or distressing dream.
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
oppressionnounUS /əˈpreʃən/
the act of subjugating by cruelty
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
a future prospect or potential
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
reservesnounUS /rɪˈzɜːrvz/
civilians trained as soldiers but not part of the regular army
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
not moving quickly; taking a comparatively long time
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
plural of “soldier” — an enlisted man or woman who serves in an army
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
the unlimited expanse in which everything is located
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
squadnounUS /skwɑːd/
a smallest army unit
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The monstrous possibility that had consumed Kurt Dorn for many months at last became an event--he had arrived on the battle-front in France.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But an immense activity and a horde of soldiers back of the lines brought strange leaden oppression to Kurt Dorn's heart.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
soldiers collectively
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
UnitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/
characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity
From this reading All afternoon the company of United States troops had marched from far back of the line, resting, as darkness came on, at a camp of reserves, and then going on.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Artillery fire had been desultory during this march; the big guns that had rolled their thunder miles and miles were now silent.
windingadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪndɪŋ/
marked by repeated turns and bends
From this reading The last slow travel of his squad over dark, barren space and through deep, narrow, winding lanes in the ground had been a nightmare ending to the long journey.
