used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
in addition
From this reading By this means Arthur was also cut off from the succession.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)
From this reading By this means Arthur was also cut off from the succession.
Arthur'snounUS /ˈɑːrθərz/
possessive form of “arthur” — elected vice president and became 21st President of the United States when Garfield was assassinated (1830-1886)
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
artificenounUS /ˈɑːrtəfɪs/
a deceptive maneuver (especially to avoid capture)
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
AugustusnounUS /ɑːˈɡʌstəs/
Roman statesman who established the Roman Empire and became emperor in 27 BC; defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC at Actium (63 BC - AD 14)
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
claimsnounUS /kleɪmz/
plural of “claim” — an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
rid of obstructions
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
contrivedadjectiveUS /kənˈtraɪvd/
showing effects of planning or manipulation
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading By this means Arthur was also cut off from the succession.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
cause to be slowed down or delayed
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
Eleanor
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading By this means Arthur was also cut off from the succession.
Geoffrey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
a unit of inductance in which an induced electromotive force of one volt is produced when the current is varied at the rate of one ampere per second
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
injusticenounUS /ˌɪnˈdʒʌstɪs/
an unjust act
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
John'snounUS /dʒɑːnz/
possessive form of “john” — a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
the quality of being just or fair
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
legitimateadjectiveUS /ləˈdʒɪtəmət/
of marriages and offspring; recognized as lawful
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
maintainverbUS /meɪnˈteɪn/
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading By this means Arthur was also cut off from the succession.
noblesnounUS /ˈnoʊbəlz/
plural of “noble” — a titled peer of the realm
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading By this means Arthur was also cut off from the succession.
oldestadjectiveUS /ˈoʊldəst/
superlative of “old” — (used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
used of mouth or eyes
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
openlyadverbUS /ˈoʊpənli/
in an open way
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
PreparationsnounUS /ˌprepərˈeɪʃənz/
plural of “preparation” — the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
past form of “produce” — bring forth or yield
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
promisesnounUS /ˈprɑːməsəz/
plural of “promise” — a verbal commitment by one person to another agreeing to do (or not to do) something in the future
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
provisionsnounUS /prəˈvɪʒənz/
a stock or supply of foods
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
regardlessadverbUS /rəˈɡɑːrdləs/
in spite of everything; without regard to drawbacks
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
Richard'snounUS /ˈrɪtʃərdz/
possessive form of “richards” — English literary critic who collaborated with C. K. Ogden and contributed to the development of Basic English (1893-1979)
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
plural of “right” — an abstract idea of that which is due to a person or governmental body by law or tradition or nature
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
Second'snounUS /ˈsekəndz/
possessive form of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
get by special effort
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
a male human offspring
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
sovereigntynounUS /ˈsɑːvrənti/
government free from external control
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
spuriousadjectiveUS /sˈpjʊriəs/
ostensibly valid, but not actually valid
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
successionnounUS /səkˈseʃən/
a following of one thing after another in time
From this reading By this means Arthur was also cut off from the succession.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading By this means Arthur was also cut off from the succession.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading War Preparations In the excitement which King Richard’s death produced in England, Eleanor contrived to secure an appearance of justice in John’s sovereignty.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading A spurious will of Henry the Second’s was opened by her, by the provisions of which John was given the crown, regardless of the legitimate claims of the son of Geoffrey, his oldest brother.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The injustice was clear enough; but John, with the aid of a strong following of the nobles, whom he had secured by artifice and promises, kept possession of power.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The time was now come for Philip Augustus openly and without delay to maintain Arthur’s rights.
