used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
plural of “adventure” — a wild and exciting undertaking (not necessarily lawful)
From this reading Of some of his adventures I shall tell you now.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
captivenounUS /ˈkæptɪv/
a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
countriesnounUS /ˈkʌntriz/
plural of “country” — a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
one or the other of two
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
any creature of exceptional size
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
plural of “god” — the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
greater in size or importance or degree
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
GreecenounUS /ɡriːs/
a republic in southeastern Europe on the southern part of the Balkan peninsula; known for grapes and olives and olive oil
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
the Hellenic branch of the Indo-European family of languages
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
hardshipsnounUS /ˈhɑːrdʃɪps/
plural of “hardship” — a state of misfortune or affliction
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Of some of his adventures I shall tell you now.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Of some of his adventures I shall tell you now.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
islesnounUS /aɪlz/
plural of “isle” — a small island
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
IthacanounUS /ˈɪθəkə/
a college town in central New York on Lake Cayuga
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
misfortunenounUS /mɪˈsfɔːrtʃən/
unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Of some of his adventures I shall tell you now.
OdysseusnounUS /oʊˈdɪsiəs/
(Greek mythology) a famous mythical Greek hero; his return to Ithaca after the siege of Troy was described in the Odyssey
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
overtookverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈtʊk/
inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
POLYPHEMUS
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
sackedadjectiveUS /sækt/
having been robbed and destroyed by force and violence
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
100 senti equal 1 kroon in Estonia
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading Of some of his adventures I shall tell you now.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
stormsnounUS /stɔːrmz/
plural of “storm” — a violent weather condition with winds 64-72 knots (11 on the Beaufort scale) and precipitation and thunder and lightning
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
stormyadjectiveUS /ˈstɔːrmi/
(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
past form of “suffer” — undergo or be subjected to
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
sunnyadjectiveUS /ˈsʌni/
bright and pleasant; promoting a feeling of cheer
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
express in words
From this reading Of some of his adventures I shall tell you now.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But storms overtook some, the gods sent misfortune to others, so that but few reached their own land in safety.
tossedverbUS /tɔːst/
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
TroynounUS /trɔɪ/
a system of weights used for precious metals and gemstones; based on a 12-ounce pound and an ounce of 480 grains
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
warriorsnounUS /ˈwɔːriərz/
plural of “warrior” — someone engaged in or experienced in warfare
From this reading POLYPHEMUS THE GIANT The Greek warriors burned and sacked the city of Troy, and then they set sail for the sunny isles of Greece.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts
From this reading Odysseus, King of Ithaca, an island on the western coast of Greece, suffered greater hardships than any other.
a late time of life
From this reading For ten years he was either tossed by the gods on stormy seas, or kept a captive in strange countries.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Of some of his adventures I shall tell you now.
