used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
united by being of the same opinion
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
(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 Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
according with custom or propriety
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
beforehandadjectiveUS /bɪˈfɔːrhænd/
being ahead of time or need
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
conquerverbUS /ˈkɑːŋkər/
bring under control by force or authority
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
persuaded of; very sure
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
psychological suffering
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
EnglishmannounUS /ˈɪŋɡlɪʃmən/
a man who is a native or inhabitant of England
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
divisible by two
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
the experiencing of affective and emotional states
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
finaladjectiveUS /ˈfaɪnəl/
occurring at or forming an end or termination
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
foregoneadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrˈɡɔːn/
well in the past; former
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
inabilitynounUS /ˌɪnəˈbɪlɪti/
lack of ability (especially mental ability) to do something
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
INVASIONnounUS /ˌɪnˈveɪʒən/
the act of invading; the act of an army that invades for conquest or plunder
From this reading THE THREATENED INVASION.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
be located or situated somewhere; occupy a certain position
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
something that is lost
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
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 Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
a particular point in time
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
used to form the superlative
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
NapoleonnounUS /nəˈpoʊliən/
French general who became emperor of the French (1769-1821)
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
not any; not one
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
and nothing more
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
concerning or affecting a particular person or his or her private life and personality
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
a future prospect or potential
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
provincenounUS /ˈprɑːvəns/
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
shoresnounUS /ʃɔːrz/
plural of “shore” — the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
carry out
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE THREATENED INVASION.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
(of flora or fauna) likely in the near future to become endangered
From this reading THE THREATENED INVASION.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
true-hearted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Though no true-hearted Englishman believed for a moment in the possibility of his country becoming a French province, all knew that the threatened invasion might take place.
unsuccessfuladjectiveUS /ˌʌnsəkˈsesfəl/
not successful; having failed or having an unfavorable outcome
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading On one point all were agreed--that safety lay and could only lie in getting ready beforehand.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Many indeed regarded the attempt as almost certain, feeling sure that Napoleon would never be convinced of his own inability to conquer England, until he had tried and failed.
but in spite of that
From this reading And while the final result of such an attempt might be looked upon as a foregone conclusion, yet no doubt much personal loss and distress would be caused by even the most unsuccessful invasion of our shores.
