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The Rival Heirs
The Rival Heirs

Chapter XX · An Interview with the Conqueror

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Context Illustration Reading 1/19 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.
Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.
For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.
Had William fallen in England the Norman name and glory would have perished at Hastings.
Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.
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AI-generated narration by OpenAI · Slow US English
LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

The Rival Heirs

Chapter XX · An Interview with the Conqueror

Reading 1/19 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.
Line 2
Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.
Line 3
For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.
Line 4
Had William fallen in England the Norman name and glory would have perished at Hastings.
Line 5
Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

Been auxiliary verb US /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading “Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.”

Born noun US /born/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.”

Ever noun US /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.”

Great noun US /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.”

Have auxiliary verb US /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading “For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.”

Having auxiliary verb US /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading “Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.”

Life noun US /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.”

Must modal verb US /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading “For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.”

Name noun US /name/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading “Had William fallen in England the Norman name and glory would have perished at Hastings.”

One pronoun US /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading “Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.”

Point noun US /pɔɪnt/

the main matter or purpose being discussed

From this reading “Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.”

Those determiner US /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading “For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.”

While conjunction US /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading “For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.”

Would modal verb US /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading “For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.”

All words in this reading · 101

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

advantage

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

age

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

all

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

andeterminerUS /æn/

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

asconjunctionUS /æz/

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

atprepositionUS /æt/

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

BornnounUS /born/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

butconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

career

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

central

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

commanded

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

Conqueror

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

Conquest

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

crown

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

culminating

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

die

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

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

dominions

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

Doubtless

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

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

England

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

English

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

event

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

evernounUS /ever/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

fallen

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

From this reading Had William fallen in England the Norman name and glory would have perished at Hastings.

felt

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

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

field

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

figure

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

flight

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

France

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

French

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

glory

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

From this reading Had William fallen in England the Norman name and glory would have perished at Hastings.

greatnounUS /great/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

greatest

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

Hastings

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

From this reading Had William fallen in England the Norman name and glory would have perished at Hastings.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/

the -ing form of “have”

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

hazard

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

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

hepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

hope

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

how

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

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

instant

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

itpronounUS /ɪt/

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

leaders

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

less

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

lifenounUS /life/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

lived

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

loss

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

mighty

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

military

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

namenounUS /name/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading Had William fallen in England the Norman name and glory would have perished at Hastings.

nodeterminerUS /noʊ/

not any; not one

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

Norman

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

Normandy

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

onprepositionUS /ɑːn/

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

own

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

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

perished

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

From this reading Had William fallen in England the Norman name and glory would have perished at Hastings.

placed

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

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

pointnounUS /pɔɪnt/

the main matter or purpose being discussed

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

re-annex

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

regain

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

Rollo

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

sea

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

Senlac

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

soldier

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

soldiers

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

spent

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

stake

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

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

staked

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

statesman

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

succeeded

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

suzerain

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

taken

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

tented

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

ThedeterminerUS /ðə/

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

there

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

toparticleUS /tuː/

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

used

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

From this reading Doubtless, he felt how great was the stake he had placed at the hazard of the die, and having won it, he used it as his own.

vanquished

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

warfare

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

From this reading Born to a life of warfare, the Conquest had been but the culminating point of a career spent in the tented field--but on that one event he staked his all.

warrior

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

watch

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

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

From this reading The mighty Conqueror of England was the central figure of the age in which he lived--the greatest soldier of an age of soldiers, and not less statesman than warrior.

whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/

during the time that

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

William

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

From this reading Had William fallen in England the Norman name and glory would have perished at Hastings.

won

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

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading For had he been vanquished at Senlac there was no hope of flight; the English commanded the sea, while his suzerain of France, ever on the watch to regain those Norman dominions which Rollo had won, would have taken instant advantage of the loss of its military leaders to re-annex Normandy to the French crown, and must have succeeded.