Chapter X · Chapter 10

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

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

prior to a specified or implied time

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

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

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

sloping land (especially the slope beside a body of water)

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

having or covered with or accompanied by blood

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

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

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

troops trained to fight on horseback

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

having a low or inadequate temperature or feeling a sensation of coldness or having been made cold by e.g. ice or refrigeration

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

suffering shame

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

past form of “disobey” — refuse to go along with; refuse to follow; be disobedient

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

having a specified kind of border or edge

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

an opposing military force

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

opinion or judgment

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

-ing form of “fear” — be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

a sudden short attack

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

the outside boundary or surface of something

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

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

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

troubled persistently especially with petty annoyances

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

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

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

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

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

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

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

the land on which real estate is located

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

a person who rules or guides or inspires others

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

a formation of people or things one beside another

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

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 In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

held dear

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading And now the troopers waited--and for what?

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

and nothing more

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

plural of “rider” — a traveler who actively rides an animal (as a horse or camel)

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

stupefied or excited by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

a crowd especially of ordinary or undistinguished persons or things

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

past form of “shirk” — avoid (one's assigned duties)

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

lift onto one's shoulders

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

marked by absence of sound

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

plural of “strap” — an elongated leather strip (or a strip of similar material) for binding things together or holding something in position

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

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

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

Having little thickness or extent.

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading This man had been taken from them, himself a servant who had disobeyed these laws, his sword dishonored, his shoulder straps ripped off before their eyes.

from one end or side of something to the other

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

a group of soldiers

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

plural of “trooper” — a soldier in a motorized army unit

From this reading And now the troopers waited--and for what?

(of persons) worthy of trust or confidence

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

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

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

plural of “valley” — a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)

From this reading Knee to knee, the silent, blue-coated riders sat, waiting, waiting--not for a charge upon the enemy, or orders for a foray through an already harried land.

the waging of armed conflict against an enemy

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

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

From this reading In the shade of a fringe of trees that edged the river bank a troop of cavalry was drawn up in one long, thin line.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading And now the troopers waited--and for what?

at the time that

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

which person or people

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.

the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading They waited for a leader--a man who had led them through the heat and cold, through peaceful valleys and the bloody ruck of battle; a man whom they loved and trusted, fearing him only when they shirked a duty or disobeyed the iron laws of war.