Chapter VII

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

move forward, also in the metaphorical sense

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

later than; following

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

anew

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

(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 It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

for the reason that

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

a native or inhabitant of Great Britain

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

intentionally conceived

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

give a description of

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

all through a period, or at some point within it

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

an opposing military force

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

an item of information that is typical of a class or group

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

lose (s.th.) or lose the right to (s.th.) by some error, offense, or crime

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

-ing form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

past form of “grapple” — succeed in doing, achieving, or producing (something) with the limited or inadequate means available

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

the activity of keeping something secret

From this reading IN HIDING.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

an instinctive motive

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading IN HIDING.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

past form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

a written account of what transpired at a meeting

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

a particular point in time

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

a muzzle-loading shoulder gun with a long barrel; formerly used by infantrymen

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

(superlative of “near” or “close”) within the shortest distance

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

not any; not one

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

and nothing more

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

a sudden and severe onset of trouble

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

have ownership or possession of

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

give money, usually in exchange for goods or services

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

plural of “prisoner” — a person who is confined; especially a prisoner of war

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

with little or no delay

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

past form of “propose” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

plural of “spy” — (military) a secret agent hired by a state to obtain information about its enemies or by a business to obtain industrial secrets from competitors

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

understood in a certain way; made sense of

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

inflected form of “tell” — express in words

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

not expected or anticipated

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

past form of “venture” — proceed somewhere despite the risk of possible dangers

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

precisely as stated

From this reading It seemed as if almost at the very second that I seized the redcoat’s musket, they made an attack, each upon the man nearest him, and so unexpected was the onslaught that the Britishers gave no outcry.

a successful ending of a struggle or contest

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading Had my companions been told in advance of what I proposed to do, they could not have followed my example more promptly.

at the time that

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.

in the company of; together with

From this reading It is impossible for me to describe of my own knowledge all that took place during five minutes or more after I grappled with the Britisher.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading There had been no thought in my mind, when I leaped upon the enemy, of gaining a victory; I was conscious only of the fact that if we were taken prisoners again our lives would pay the forfeit, because it must be apparent to all that we were spies, else why had we ventured there the second time; and I acted upon the impulse of the moment.