used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
abhorrencenounUS /əbˈhɔːrəns/
hate coupled with disgust
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
avengedadjectiveUS /əˈvendʒd/
for which vengeance has been taken
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
awedadjectiveUS /ɔːd/
inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
backwardadverbUS /ˈbækwərd/
at or to or toward the back or rear
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
blood-lust
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
a teacher and prophet born in Bethlehem and active in Nazareth; his life and sermons form the basis for Christianity (circa 4 BC - AD 29)
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
conjureverbUS /ˈkɑːndʒər/
summon into action or bring into existence, often as if by magic
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
crazedadjectiveUS /kreɪzd/
driven insane
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
crimesnounUS /kraɪmz/
plural of “crime” — (criminal law) an act punishable by law; usually considered an evil act
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
DrunkenadjectiveUS /ˈdrʌŋkən/
given to or marked by the consumption of alcohol
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
duskyadjective
lighted by or as if by twilight
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
divisible by two
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
flagnounUS /flæɡ/
emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
IllinoisnounUS /ˌɪləˈnɔɪ/
a midwestern state in north-central United States
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
influencedverbUS /ˈɪnfluːənst/
past form of “influence” — have and exert influence or effect
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
injurynounUS /ˈɪndʒəri/
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
insensiblyadverb
in a numb manner; without feeling
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it was not for long.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
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 But it was not for long.
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 Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
the force of workers available
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
a particular point in time
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
used to form the superlative
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
not in physical motion
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
of an obscure nature
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
owner'snounUS /ˈoʊnərz/
possessive form of “owner” — (law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
perplexitynounUS /pərˈpleksəti/
trouble or confusion resulting from complexity
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
prairiesnounUS /ˈpreɪriz/
plural of “prairie” — a treeless grassy plain
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
exert pressure or force to or upon
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
puritynounUS /ˈpjʊrəti/
being undiluted or unmixed with extraneous material
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
any competition
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
reflexnounUS /ˈriːfleks/
an automatic instinctive unlearned reaction to a stimulus
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
remorselessadjectiveUS /rɪˈmɔːrsləs/
without mercy or pity
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
RESCUEverbUS /ˈreskjuː/
free from harm or evil
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
ruledadjectiveUS /ruːld/
subject to a ruling authority
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
(of persons or their actions) able or disposed to inflict pain or suffering
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
a string of words satisfying the grammatical rules of a language
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
STAKEnounUS /steɪk/
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
having or denoting the characteristic taste of sugar
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
moving very fast
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
inflected form of “teach” — impart skills or knowledge to
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
terseadjectiveUS /tɜːrs/
brief and to the point; effectively cut short
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
throngnounUS /θrɔːŋ/
a large gathering of people
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
tortureverbUS /ˈtɔːrtʃər/
torment emotionally or mentally
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
upliftedadjectiveUS /ˈʌplɪftɪd/
exalted emotionally especially with pride
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
communicated in words
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
victimsnounUS /ˈvɪktəmz/
plural of “victim” — an unfortunate person who suffers from some adverse circumstance
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
a vivid mental image
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
warriornounUS /ˈwɔːriər/
someone engaged in or experienced in warfare
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading I watched the startled throng press closely backward, as if awed by her mysterious presence, influenced insensibly by her terse sentence of command, each dusky face a reflex of its owner's perplexity.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
womanlyadjective
befitting or characteristic of a woman especially a mature woman
From this reading Drunken as most of them were, crazed with savage blood-lust and hours of remorseless torture of their victims, for the moment that sweet vision of womanly purity held them motionless, as if indeed the figure of the Christ she uplifted before their faces had taught them abhorrence of their crimes.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading THE RESCUE AT THE STAKE The word uttered by the strange woman was one to conjure with even then in the Illinois country.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
but in spite of that
From this reading Many a year had passed since the French flag ruled those prairies, yet not a warrior there but knew how the men of that race avenged an injury,--how swift their stroke, how keen their steel.
