used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
AbyssinianounUS /æbˈsɪniːə/
Ethiopia is a republic in northeastern Africa on the Red Sea; formerly called Abyssinia
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
AfricanounUS /ˈæfrəkɑː/
the second largest continent; located to the south of Europe and bordered to the west by the South Atlantic and to the east by the Indian Ocean
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
Assouannoun
an ancient city on the Nile in Egypt; two dams across the Nile have been built nearby
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading At its outset it had been terrible.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
the people of Great Britain
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
put or send forth
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
CentraladjectiveUS /ˈsentrəl/
serving as an essential component
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
channelsnounUS /ˈtʃænəlz/
official routes of communication
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
confinesnounUS /ˈkɑːnfaɪnz/
a bounded scope
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
DarfurnounUS /ˌdɑːˈfuːr/
an impoverished region of western Sudan
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
Dongola
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
EgyptnounUS /ˈiːdʒəpt/
a republic in northeastern Africa known as the United Arab Republic until 1971; site of an ancient civilization that flourished from 2600 to 30 BC
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
engulfedverbUS /ɪnˈɡʌlft/
past form of “engulf” — devote (oneself) fully to
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
ensuedverbUS /ɪnˈsuːd/
past form of “ensue” — issue or terminate (in a specified way, state, etc.); end
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
divisible by two
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
plural of “force” — a powerful effect or influence
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
set up or found
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/
a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
garrisons
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
Gordon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
Hicks's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
KhartoumnounUS /ˌkɑːrˈtuːm/
the capital of Sudan located at the confluence of the Blue Nile and White Nile
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
LakesnounUS /leɪks/
plural of “lake” — a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
immediately past
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
lullverbUS /lʌl/
calm by deception
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
Mahdismnoun
belief in the appearance of the Mahdi; devotion to a Mahdi
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
outsetnounUS /ˈaʊtset/
the time at which something is supposed to begin
From this reading At its outset it had been terrible.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
plural of “party” — an organization to gain political power
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
raidingadjectiveUS /ˈreɪdɪŋ/
characterized by plundering or pillaging or marauding
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
no longer active in your work or profession
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
plural of “sign” — a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
spraynounUS /spreɪ/
a pesticide in suspension or solution; intended for spraying
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
possessing sweep
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading At its outset it had been terrible.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
in or at that place or location
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading It had engulfed Hicks's army, swept over Gordon and Khartoum, rolled behind the British forces as they retired down the river, and finally cast up a spray of raiding parties as far north as Assouan.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading Then it found other channels to east and to west, to Central Africa and to Abyssinia, and retired a little on the side of Egypt.
at the time that
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It was in the days when the tide of Mahdism, which had swept in such a flood from the great Lakes and Darfur to the confines of Egypt, had at last come to its full, and even begun, as some hoped, to show signs of a turn.
a late time of life
From this reading For ten years there ensued a lull, during which the frontier garrisons looked out upon those distant blue hills of Dongola.
