used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
in the past
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading The romance of ancient Egypt is not nearly told.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
a period of 100 years
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
clutchesnounUS /ˈklʌtʃəz/
the act of grasping
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
columnsnounUS /ˈkɑːləmz/
plural of “column” — a line of units following one after another
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
concessionsnounUS /kənˈseʃənz/
plural of “concession” — a contract granting the right to operate a subsidiary business
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
diggersnounUS /ˈdɪɡərz/
plural of “digger” — a laborer who digs
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
diggingnounUS /ˈdɪɡɪŋ/
the act of digging
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
discoveriesnounUS /dɪˈskʌvəriz/
plural of “discovery” — the act of discovering something
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
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 The romance of ancient Egypt is not nearly told.
excavateverbUS /ˈekskəveɪt/
recover through digging
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
far-offadjective
very far away in space or time
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
favoured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
giganticadjectiveUS /dʒaɪˈɡæntɪk/
so exceedingly large or extensive as to suggest a giant or mammoth
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
the act of departing
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
for this reason
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
plural of “hundred” — ten 10s
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
of great significance or value
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
increasenounUS /ˌɪnˈkriːs/
a quantity that is added
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The romance of ancient Egypt is not nearly told.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
Karnak
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
Mariette
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
the force of workers available
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The romance of ancient Egypt is not nearly told.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The romance of ancient Egypt is not nearly told.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The romance of ancient Egypt is not nearly told.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
with considerable certainty; without much doubt
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
be shown or be found to be
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
quailed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
unusual or striking
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
rescuedadjectiveUS /ˈreskjuːd/
delivered from danger
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
a relationship between two lovers
From this reading The romance of ancient Egypt is not nearly told.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
cut with a saw
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
sitenounUS /saɪt/
the piece of land on which something is located (or is to be located)
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
spadenounUS /speɪd/
a playing card in the major suit that has one or more black figures on it
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
stickingadjectiveUS /ˈstɪkɪŋ/
extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
not in physical motion
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
templesnounUS /ˈtempəlz/
plural of “temple” — place of worship consisting of an edifice for the worship of a deity
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The romance of ancient Egypt is not nearly told.
ThebesnounUS /θiːbz/
an ancient Egyptian city on the Nile River that flourished from the 22nd century BC to the 18th century BC; today the archeological remains include many splendid temples and tombs
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The romance of ancient Egypt is not nearly told.
triflingnounUS /ˈtraɪflɪŋ/
the deliberate act of delaying and playing instead of working
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
volumesnounUS /ˈvɑːljuːmz/
plural of “volume” — the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
which person or people
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Day by day something is being turned up under the spade to increase our knowledge of those far-off times, and though we know more than the people of a century ago, our present knowledge will probably prove trifling compared with the knowledge of a century hence.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Most men would have quailed before the gigantic task, but Mariette set his diggers to work, and slowly but surely rescued from the clutches of the desert all that remained of one of the most remarkable temples in the world.
produce a literary work
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading Hundreds of volumes have been written about it; hundreds more are still to write.
a late time of life
From this reading For years the French, favoured by important digging concessions, made many fine discoveries, among them those of Mariette who, going up to Thebes, saw a few columns sticking out of the sand at Karnak and began to excavate the site.
