used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
barriernounUS /ˈbæriər/
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading The British did not believe the confederacy of states would endure.
the people of Great Britain
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
CanadanounUS /ˈkænədə/
a nation in northern North America; the French were the first Europeans to settle in mainland Canada
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
cessationnounUS /ˌseˈseɪʃən/
a stopping
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
ColonizationnounUS /ˌkɑːlənɪˈzeɪʃən/
the act of colonizing; the establishment of colonies
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
confederacynounUS /kənˈfedərəsi/
the southern states that seceded from the United States in 1861
From this reading The British did not believe the confederacy of states would endure.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The British did not believe the confederacy of states would endure.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
put up with something or somebody unpleasant
From this reading The British did not believe the confederacy of states would endure.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Treaties were mere paper; possession was everything.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
frontiernounUS /frənˈtɪr/
a wilderness at the edge of a settled area of a country
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
hold firmly
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
intriguenounUS /ˌɪnˈtriːɡ/
a crafty and involved plot to achieve your (usually sinister) ends
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
laggedverbUS /læɡd/
inflected form of “lag” — hang (back) or fall (behind) in movement, progress, development, etc.
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading Treaties were mere paper; possession was everything.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
not any; not one
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The British did not believe the confederacy of states would endure.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading Treaties were mere paper; possession was everything.
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading Treaties were mere paper; possession was everything.
principalitiesnounUS /ˌprɪnsɪˈpælɪtiz/
plural of “principality” — territory ruled by a prince
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
resistlessadjective
impossible to resist; overpowering
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
RevolutionnounUS /ˌrevəˈluːʃən/
a drastic and far-reaching change in ways of thinking and behaving
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
uttered with a trill
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading The British did not believe the confederacy of states would endure.
give something useful or necessary to
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
territorynounUS /ˈterɪtɔːri/
a region marked off for administrative or other purposes
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE close of the Revolution had brought no cessation of British intrigue along the northern frontier.
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
TreatiesnounUS /ˈtriːtiz/
plural of “treaty” — a written agreement between two states or sovereigns
From this reading Treaties were mere paper; possession was everything.
uncertainadjectiveUS /ənˈsɜːrtən/
lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Treaties were mere paper; possession was everything.
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 In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
a Caucasian
From this reading Colonization in western Canada had always lagged and the British could supply no white barrier to hold back the resistless tide that was rolling up from the south.
whoever
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In any event the western frontier was uncertain; miles upon miles of territory--land enough for a dozen principalities--lay open to whoever should first grasp it.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The British did not believe the confederacy of states would endure.
