Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading THE Hermit lived in a cave in the hollow of a hill.

higher than, or over, something

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

from one side of something to the other

From this reading Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.

touching and pressing; in opposition to

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

(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 Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

one more of the same kind, or a different one

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

damaged by blows or hard usage

From this reading Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

at or to a lower level than something

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

especially a leaf of grass or the broad portion of a leaf as distinct from the petiole

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

-ing form of “bristle” — be in a state of movement or action

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea

From this reading THE Hermit lived in a cave in the hollow of a hill.

past form of “clash” — crash together with violent impact

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

a dense growth of bushes

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.

possessive form of “day” — time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

inflected form of “drip” — fall in drops

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

well known or easily recognized

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

more distant in especially space or time

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

start firing a weapon

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

the soft tissue of the body of a vertebrate: mainly muscle tissue and fat

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

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 Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

a narrow secluded valley (in the mountains)

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

the Hellenic branch of the Indo-European family of languages

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

one retired from society for religious reasons

From this reading THE Hermit lived in a cave in the hollow of a hill.

a local and well-defined elevation of the land

From this reading THE Hermit lived in a cave in the hollow of a hill.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

not solid; having a space or gap or cavity

From this reading THE Hermit lived in a cave in the hollow of a hill.

crowded or massed together

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading THE Hermit lived in a cave in the hollow of a hill.

undertake a journey or trip

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

a boy or man

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.

limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading THE Hermit lived in a cave in the hollow of a hill.

terms referring to the Judeo-Christian God

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.

notched like a saw with teeth pointing toward the apex

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

plural of “oak” — the hard durable wood of any oak; used especially for furniture and flooring

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading THE Hermit lived in a cave in the hollow of a hill.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.

plural of “passage” — the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

plural of “pike” — a broad highway designed for high-speed traffic

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

past form of “rain” — precipitate as rain

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

located or moved above the surround or above the normal position

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

plural of “rampart” — an embankment built around a space for defensive purposes

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions

From this reading Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.

plural of “shield” — a protective covering or structure

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

plural of “stairway” — a way of access (upward and downward) consisting of a set of steps

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

conforming to or constituting a standard of measurement or value; or of the usual or regularized or accepted kind

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.

having a sharp inclination

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

be in a huff; be silent or sullen

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

not in physical motion

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

plural of “stone” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

plural of “street” — a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings

From this reading Stones and Greek fire rained from the ramparts, shields clashed in the streets, blade sprang at blade in passages and stairways, pikes and lances dripped above huddled flesh, and all the still familiar place was a stew of dying bodies.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading THE Hermit lived in a cave in the hollow of a hill.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.

an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.

a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

past form of “wall” — surround with a wall in order to fortify

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

at the time that

From this reading When the Hermit was a lad, and lived in the town, the crenellations of the walls had been square-topped, and a Guelf lord had flown his standard from the keep.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Below him was a glen, with a stream in a coppice of oaks and alders, and on the farther side of the valley, half a day's journey distant, another hill, steep and bristling, which raised aloft a little walled town with Ghibelline swallow-tails notched against the sky.

an injury to living tissue (especially an injury involving a cut or break in the skin)

From this reading Then one day a steel-coloured line of men-at-arms rode across the valley, wound up the hill and battered in the gates.