used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
arousedadjectiveUS /ərˈaʊzd/
aroused to action
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
artillerynounUS /ɑːrˈtɪləri/
large but transportable armament
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
boomverbUS /buːm/
make a resonant sound, like artillery
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
cavalrynounUS /ˈkævəlri/
troops trained to fight on horseback
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
Constitutionalistnoun
an advocate of constitutional government
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
provide with a covering or cause to be covered
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
cause to be slowed down or delayed
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
dinnounUS /dɪn/
a loud harsh or strident noise
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
dreamyadjectiveUS /ˈdriːmi/
dreamy in mood or nature
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
excitingadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsaɪtɪŋ/
creating or arousing excitement
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
a piece of land cleared of trees and usually enclosed
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
start firing a weapon
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/
a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
indifferencenounUS /ˌɪnˈdɪfərəns/
unbiased impartial unconcern
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
plural of “inhabitant” — a person who inhabits a particular place
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
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 And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
lulledverbUS /lʌld/
past form of “lull” — calm by deception
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of human tasks
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
MexiconounUS /ˈmeksəkoʊ/
a republic in southern North America; became independent from Spain in 1810
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
numberingnounUS /ˈnʌmbərɪŋ/
a numbered list
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
rattleverbUS /ˈrætəl/
make short successive sounds
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
securitynounUS /sɪˈkjʊrəti/
the state of being free from danger or injury
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
siegenounUS /siːdʒ/
the action of an armed force that surrounds a fortified place and isolates it while continuing to attack
From this reading The siege was on.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
inflected form of “sleep” — be asleep
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
theaternounUS /ˈθiːətər/
a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
UNDERprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading UNDER FIRE At four o’clock on the following morning the little frontier town in Mexico began to be the theater of some exciting events.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The siege was on.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading A Constitutionalist cavalry force, numbering several thousand, under cover of darkness had formed a ring of steel to the west and south.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The rattle and boom of machine and field guns in the dreamy silence of the morning made a din which probably aroused every one in town.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading And while the inhabitants, lulled to a sense of security and indifference by the long delay, slept on in peace, the artillery got into action.
