used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
in the past
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
AsianounUS /ˈeɪʒə/
the largest continent with 60% of the earth's population; it is joined to Europe on the west to form Eurasia; it is the site of some of the world's earliest civilizations
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
one who is the object of choice; who is given preference
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
citadelnounUS /ˈsɪt.ə.del/
A fortress protecting a city, metaphorically representing the invincible inner sanctuary of the rational mind.
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
conquerornounUS /ˈkɑːŋkərər/
someone who is victorious by force of arms
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
United States computer entrepreneur whose software company made him the youngest multi-billionaire in the history of the United States (born in 1955)
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
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 Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
GORDIANadjectiveUS /ˈɡɔːrdiən/
extremely intricate; usually in phrase “Gordian knot”
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
Gordion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
Gordiusnoun
legendary king of ancient Phrygia who was said to be responsible for the Gordian knot
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
Granicusnoun
the battle in which Alexander won his first major victory against the Persians (334 BC)
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
KNOTnounUS /nɑːt/
a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
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 Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
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 THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
MinoradjectiveUS /ˈmaɪnər/
of lesser importance or stature or rank
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
past form of “name” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
on one occasion
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
oraclenounUS /ˈɔːrəkəl/
an authoritative person who divines the future
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
peasantnounUS /ˈpezənt/
a country person
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
PersiannounUS /ˈpɜːrʒən/
a native or inhabitant of Iran
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
Phrygianoun
an ancient country in western and central Asia Minor
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
with speed
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
past form of “refuse” — show unwillingness towards
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
riddenverbUS /ˈrɪdən/
inflected form of “ride” — sit and travel on the back of animal, usually while controlling its motions
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
roughlyadverbUS /ˈrʌfli/
(of quantities) imprecise but fairly close to correct
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
subduedadjectiveUS /səbˈduːd/
in a softened tone
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
submittedverbUS /səbˈmɪtɪd/
inflected form of “submit” — refer for judgment or consideration
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those along the coast of Asia Minor that refused to open their gates, the king quickly subdued.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading Long, long ago Gordius had ridden into the town in his wagon, and the oracle had declared that this peasant had been chosen by the gods to be king of Phrygia, in which country Gordion stood.
townsnounUS /taʊnz/
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading THE GORDIAN KNOT After the battle of Granicus, many Persian towns submitted to the conqueror.
any of various kinds of wheeled vehicles drawn by an animal or a tractor
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In the citadel of Gordion was an old, roughly built wagon, which had once belonged to a peasant named Gordius.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
the coldest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the winter solstice to the vernal equinox
From this reading During the winter he reached a city called Gordion, about which a strange story is told.
