used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
(followed by “to”) in agreement with or accordant with
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
a person or thing that is a resource that helps make something easier or possible to do
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
Aldershot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
(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 He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
AlliesnounUS /ˈælaɪz/
the alliance of nations that fought the Axis in World War II and which (with subsequent additions) signed the charter of the United Nations in 1945
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading One great mistake had been made already, either by the comet or its discoverer--why not another?
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading One great mistake had been made already, either by the comet or its discoverer--why not another?
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
attackedverbUS /əˈtækt/
past form of “attack” — launch an attack or assault on; begin hostilities or start warfare with
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
BrandenburgnounUS /ˈbrændənbərɡ/
the territory of an Elector (of the Holy Roman Empire) that expanded to become the kingdom of Prussia in 1701
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
calculationsnounUS /ˌkælkjəˈleɪʃənz/
plural of “calculation” — the procedure of calculating; determining something by mathematical or logical methods
From this reading After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
cometnounUS /ˈkɑːmət/
(astronomy) a relatively small extraterrestrial body consisting of a frozen mass that travels around the sun in a highly elliptical orbit
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
profane or obscene expression usually of surprise or anger
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
discoverernounUS /dɪˈskʌvərər/
someone who is the first to think of or make something
From this reading One great mistake had been made already, either by the comet or its discoverer--why not another?
one or the other of two
From this reading One great mistake had been made already, either by the comet or its discoverer--why not another?
the male ruler of an empire
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
errornounUS /ˈerər/
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
fitsnounUS /fɪts/
plural of “fit” — a display of bad temper
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
a powerful effect or influence
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
fortress-camps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
freaknounUS /friːk/
a person or animal that is markedly unusual or deformed
From this reading After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
a person of German nationality
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading One great mistake had been made already, either by the comet or its discoverer--why not another?
highest in quality
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
headquartersnounUS /ˈhedkwɔːrtərz/
(usually plural) the office that serves as the administrative center of an enterprise
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
hereditaryadjectiveUS /hərˈedəteri/
occurring among members of a family usually by heredity
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
hysterianounUS /hɪˈsteriə/
state of violent mental agitation
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
the formation of a mental image of something that is not perceived as real and is not present to the senses
From this reading After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
invadedverbUS /ˌɪnˈveɪdəd/
past form of “invade” — march aggressively into another's territory by military force for the purposes of conquest and occupation
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading One great mistake had been made already, either by the comet or its discoverer--why not another?
immediately past
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
legendnounUS /ˈledʒənd/
a story about mythical or supernatural beings or events
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading One great mistake had been made already, either by the comet or its discoverer--why not another?
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
not any; not one
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading One great mistake had been made already, either by the comet or its discoverer--why not another?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading One great mistake had been made already, either by the comet or its discoverer--why not another?
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
cut with a saw
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
scientificadjectiveUS /ˌsaɪənˈtɪfɪk/
of or relating to the practice of science
From this reading After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
south-eastern
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
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 After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
telescopeverbUS /ˈteləskoʊp/
crush together or collapse
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
in or at that place or location
From this reading After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
undetectedadjectiveUS /ˌʌndɪˈtektɪd/
not perceived or discerned
From this reading After all, the story of the comet might be a freak of the scientific imagination; there might be some undetected error in the calculations.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
we've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading One great mistake had been made already, either by the comet or its discoverer--why not another?
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading THE LAST FIGHT It so happened that on the first night the German Emperor saw the comet without the aid of a telescope he was attacked by one of those fits of hysteria which, according to ancient legend, are the hereditary curse of the House of Brandenburg.
a late time of life
From this reading He had made possible that which had been impossible for over a thousand years--he had invaded England in force, and he had established himself and his Allies in all the greatest fortress-camps of south-eastern England.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "No," he said to himself, as he stood in front of the headquarters at Aldershot looking up at the comet, "we've heard about you before, my friend.
