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Friday, December 27, 2019

Battle of Sullivans Island in the American Revolution

The Battle of Sullivans Island took place June 28, 1776 near Charleston, SC, and was one of the early campaigns of the American Revolution (1775-1783). Following the beginning of hostilities at Lexington and Concord in April 1775, public sentiment in Charleston began to turn against the British. Though a new royal governor, Lord William Campbell, arrived in June, he was forced to flee that fall after Charlestons Council of Safety commenced raising troops for the American cause and seized Fort Johnson. Additionally, Loyalists in the city increasingly found themselves under attack and their homes raided.      The British Plan To the north, the British, who were engaged in the Siege of Boston in late 1775, began seeking other opportunities to strike a blow against the rebelling colonies. Believing the interior of the American South to be friendlier territory with a large number of Loyalists who would fight for the crown, plans moved forward for Major General Henry Clinton to embark forces and sail for Cape Fear, NC. Arriving, he was to meet a force of predominantly Scottish Loyalists raised in North Carolina as well as troops coming from Ireland under Commodore Peter Parker and Major General Lord Charles Cornwallis. Sailing south from Boston with two companies on January 20, 1776, Clinton called at New York City where he had difficulty obtaining provisions. In a failure of operational security, Clintons forces made no effort to hide their ultimate destination. To the east, Parker and Cornwallis endeavored to embark around 2,000 men on 30 transports. Departing Cork on February 13, the convoy encountered severe storms five days into the voyage. Scattered and damaged, Parkers ships continued their crossing individually and in small groups.   Reaching Cape Fear on March 12, Clinton found that Parkers squadron had been delayed and that the Loyalist forces had been defeated at Moores Creek Bridge on February 27. In the fighting, Brigadier General Donald MacDonalds Loyalists had been beaten by American forces led by Colonel James Moore. Loitering in the area, Clinton met the first of Parkers ships on April 18. The remainder straggled in later that month and in early May after enduring a rough crossing. Armies Commanders Americans Major General Charles LeeColonel William Moultrie435 men at Fort Sullivan, 6,000 around Charleston British Major General Henry ClintonCommodore Peter Parker2,200 infantry Next Steps Determining that Cape Fear would be a poor base of operations, Parker and Clinton commenced assessing their options and scouting the coast. After learning that the defenses at Charleston were incomplete and being lobbied by Campbell, the two officers elected to plan an attack with the goal of capturing the city and establishing a major base in South Carolina. Raising anchor, the combined squadron departed Cape Fear on May 30. Preparations at Charleston With the beginning of the conflict, the president of the South Carolina General Assembly, John Rutledge, called for the creation of five regiments of infantry and one of artillery. Numbering around 2,000 men, this force was augmented by the arrival of 1,900 Continental troops and 2,700 militia. Assessing the water approaches to Charleston, it was decided to construct a fort on Sullivans Island. A strategic location, ships entering the harbor were required to pass by the southern part of the island to avoid shoals and sandbars. Vessels that succeeded in breaching the defenses at Sullivans Island would then encounter Fort Johnson. The task of building Fort Sullivan was given to Colonel William Moultrie and the 2nd South Carolina Regiment. Commencing work in March 1776, they constructed 16-ft. thick, sand-filled walls which were faced with palmetto logs. Work moved slowly and by June only the seaward walls, mounting 31 guns, were complete with the remainder of the fort protected by a timber palisade. To aid in the defense, the Continental Congress dispatched Major General Charles Lee to take command. Arriving, Lee was dissatisfied with the state of the fort and recommended that it be abandoned. Interceding, Rutledge directed Moultrie to obey [Lee] in everything, except in leaving Fort Sullivan. The British Plan Parkers fleet reached Charleston on June 1 and over the next week began crossing the bar and anchoring around Five Fathom Hole. Scouting the area, Clinton decided to land on nearby Long Island. Located just north of Sullivans Island, he thought his men would be able wade across Breach Inlet to assault the fort. Assessing the incomplete Fort Sullivan, Parker believed that his force, consisting of the two 50-gun ships HMS Bristol and HMS Experiment, six frigates, and the bomb vessel HMS Thunderer, would easily be able to reduce its walls. The Battle of Sullivans Island Responding to the British maneuvers, Lee began reinforcing positions around Charleston and directed troops to entrench along the northern shore of Sullivans Island. On June 17, part of Clintons force attempted to wade across Breach Inlet and found it too deep to proceed. Thwarted, he began planning to make the crossing using longboats in concert with Parkers naval attack. After several days of poor weather, Parker moved forward on the morning on June 28. In position by 10:00 AM, he ordered the bomb vessel Thunderer to fire from extreme range while he closed on the fort with Bristol (50 guns), Experiment (50), Active (28), and Solebay (28). Coming under British fire, forts soft palmetto log walls absorbed the incoming cannon balls rather than splintering. Short on gunpowder, Moultrie directed his men in a deliberate, well-aimed fire against the British ships. As the battle progressed, Thunderer was forced to break off as its mortars had become dismounted. With the bombardment underway, Clinton began moving across Breach Inlet. Nearing the shore, his men came under heavy fire from American troops led by Colonel William Thomson. Unable to safely land, Clinton ordered a retreat to Long Island. Around noon, Parker directed the frigates Syren (28), Sphinx (20), and Actaeon (28) to circle to the south and assume a position from which they could flank Fort Sullivans batteries. Shortly after beginning this movement, all three grounded on an uncharted sandbar with the latter twos rigging becoming entangled. While Syren and Sphinx were able to be refloated, Actaeon remained stuck. Rejoining Parkers force, the two frigates added their weight to the attack. In the course of the bombardment, the forts flagstaff was severed causing the flag to fall. Jumping over the forts ramparts, Sergeant William Jasper retrieved the flag and jury-rigged a new flagpole from a sponge staff. In the fort, Moultrie instructed his gunners to focus their fire on Bristol and Experiment. Pummeling the British ships, they caused great damage to their rigging and lightly wounded Parker. As the afternoon passed, the forts fire slackened as ammunition ran low. This crisis was averted when Lee dispatched more from the mainland. Firing continued until 9:00 PM with Parkers ships unable to reduce the fort. With darkness falling, the British withdrew. Aftermath In the Battle of Sullivans Island, British forces sustained 220 killed and wounded. Unable to free Actaeon, British forces returned the next day and burned the stricken frigate. Moultries losses in the fighting were 12 killed and 25 wounded. Regrouping, Clinton and Parker remained in the area until late July before sailing north to aid in General Sir William Howes campaign against New York City. The victory at Sullivans Island saved Charleston and, along with the Declaration of Independence a few days later, provided a much needed boost to American morale. For the next few years, the war remained focused in the north until British forces returned to Charleston in 1780. In the resulting Siege of Charleston, British forces captured the city and held it until the end of the war.

Thursday, December 19, 2019

How Can Love Saves One From Death - 877 Words

Throughout Plato’s Symposium love exists as a drug that never fully satisfies neither the lover nor the beloved. The pursuit of love requires tricking the mind and soul into believing that happiness will be permanent once it has been achieved when in fact it never truly can be. It creates a frustration that in turn drives the lover to love and the beloved to learn from the lover. Thus, the truest, perhaps most immortal love can be achieved only through the love of wisdom and virtue instead of happiness. The idea that loving only one person almost never results complete spiritual satisfaction can be understood by considering the dire implications that would result in the case of a love that has been satisfied as well as considering how love saves one from death. Aristophanes speech, although seemingly frivolous and simple, directly questions the purpose of such a love. When the two halves of a human being are combined and completely content, they are â€Å"strong and powerful, † but â€Å"†¦[also] terrible† (Plato 26). The intoxication of these beings caused by the power of their love and feelings of invincibility fuels their decision to take down the very gods that created them. Since their happiness is served to them on a silver platter, they do not strive to live or to be better because no matter what â€Å"they [will] be one and not two [even] in Hades† (28). As such, if humans were born with everything they would normally strive to achieve wrapped up in a bundle tied to their back andShow MoreRelated Describe how Alfred Noyes in The Highwayman creates a stereotypical1470 Words   |  6 PagesDescribe how Alfred Noyes in The Highwayman creates a stereotypical melodramatic atmosphere of romance, treachery, heroism and death (Literature: Response to pre 1900 poetry. 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Throughout her series there were series of different type of love going one. Some may include Sacrificial Love, Unconditional Love, Love Hate, Love turning evil good. Since Harry really never had love showed towards him in life because he lived with his Uncles

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

In The Mouth of The Whale free essay sample

I sat on an uneven tooth that bit into the flesh of my legs; the roof of the cavernous mouth loomed above, threatening to chomp down at a moment’s notice. This was the mouth of the whale, my private place for personal reflection. A place where everything was symbolic, where nothing happened by chance. Protected by massive rocks and surrounded by deep waters no one could disturb my tranquility. I turned to the rocks to my right. In a small cavity on the tooth was a pool of water where a spider lay dying. He flailed his small, hairy legs once or twice weakly then his grew still. I assumed the worst. During my lifetime of arachnophobia I had slain hundreds of his cousins, I was a feared figure in the order of araneae. I turned and watched the sea as it flowed over my feet. A few minutes later my curiosity drew me back to the pool. We will write a custom essay sample on In The Mouth of The Whale or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The spider now stood proudly by the waterside, defiantly he flung drops of dew from his legs. I may have judged this spider too early; I set my anti-spiderist tendencies aside for a moment so I could focus on what it had to teach. I watched the spider intently as it cleaned itself. His legs worked furiously to rid itself of water. Every minute or so it would move a few inches; regaining his bearings as he continued his cleaning. He turned and faced me for a second before he flipped around and began his long journey out of the mouth of the whale. He scuttled in and out of depressions, over rocky outcroppings thousands of times larger than himself, sidestepping pebbles half his size until he reached the whale’s stony lips. Then he turned around one more time. His many eyes took one last look at me, my body reflected and compounded a hundred times in its vision, before he disappeared forever. I sat and meditated; my only thought the sound of the ocean, the biting of the rocks was forgotten and the sand had long since warmed. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Inhale†¦ then I understood. The spider was me. I had been drowning in a deep polluted pool for half a year. As I sunk deeper and deeper into its fathomless depths I began gasping for air. All I had found, for months and months, was the polluted drink that had been my prison. It burned as it passed through my throat but it burned so good. As I gulped the drink down it had corrupted me from the inside out, it had destroyed me. Then one day I washed up on the shore of the pool. I coughed and coughed, blind and soaked. But slowly I cleaned myself off, regained my focus, detoxified my body. It was not an easy task. Before I stumbled into the mouth of the whale I was a shell of who I had once been. I could not enjoy my day-to-day life. Once I had the ability to look adversity in the eye and laugh in its face, I was able to make light of the worst situations and cheer up others even in my worst depressions. I’d often cheer myself up in the process. But then I began to drown in that toxic pool and every little misfortune became a cataclysmic life-shattering torment. My friends couldn’t stand me anymore (I don’t blame them, I wasn’t being myself). They were used to a man who took abuse with a smile, not a sad sack of sorrow draining all positive vibes from a room. They wondered why the man who was once able to achieve whatever he set himself to, who could leap over every hurdle thrown before him, was now a doormat unable to assert his wants and needs. I was a wet wanderer without direction. But I found my way into the mouth of the whale. I explored its rough edges and learned its many lessons. I was reborn on its rough, wet, sandy tongue. But there was one more lesson I had to learn. I was the spider. It was time to leave the mouth of the whale, reborn.

Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The crotesque machinery of Dubliners Essay Example For Students

The crotesque machinery of Dubliners Essay The Grotesque Machinery of the DublinersJoyce describes the spiritual poverty of the people of Dublin in the industrial age, with powerfulimages of mechanized humans and animated machines. In After the Race and Counterparts he delineates characters with appropriate portraits of human automation. Machines seize human attributes and vitality in opposition to the vacuous citizens of Irelands capitalist city. Joyces use of metaphorical language brings to life the despair of his country. In Winesburg, Ohio, Sherwood Anderson writes an allegorical account of the failure of mankind (1919). Although Anderson depicts rural life in the New World, his understanding of human nature and descriptive terminology provide a valuable framework for examining Joyces rendition of urban misery in the Old World. The Book of the Grotesque, the opening piece of Andersons short story collection, animates the thoughts of a dying old man:It was his notion that the moment one of the people took one of the truths to himself,called it his truth, and tried to live his life by it, he became a grotesque and the truthhe embraced became a falsehood. (24, Penguin Edition). This notion, that belief in a single truth or paradigm distorts people such that they become warped and can no longer function as human, is central to Joyces characterizations of the Dubliners. Twentieth Century Homo sapiens can be distinguished from machines by their potential to think openly and consider myriad ideas without be ing paralyzed by a singular absolute. When people clutch an idea and transform it into an ideal, the separation between man and machine becomes blurred. Human automatons mechanically follow the programming of their truth. In After the Race, the Irish are consumed with the Continent as a superior place of affluence and culture. They seek an escape from the dreariness of Dublin, but mistakenly idealize mainland Europe as a vessel for their dreams of transcending the ordinary. With this idea of a utopia across the ocean, people loose interest in every day life and become stagnant. Belief in this myth transforms humans, reducing them to a state of mechanized paralysis without identity. Joyce animates the racing machines in the opening of the story, describing how they came scudding in towards Dublin, and each blue car received a double round of welcome (52). The spectators are dull masses in contrast to the vehicles: Sightseers had gathered in clumps to watch the cars careening homeward and through this channel of poverty and inaction the Continent sped its wealth and industry. (52). People here are inanimate clumpsmere obsolete hardware juxtaposed with the new line of refined technology from the Continent.The central character of After the Race is riding in one of these french cars and he is electrified by its performance. Jimmya Dublinerhas taken the truth of the Continents promise as his own, and has thus been disfigured himself into a machine. He pursues a business venture with several Continentals, driven by the falsehood of escape and prosperity that he and his father embrace. As a passive traveller in the car, Jimmy is aroused because rapid motion through space elates one (54). He mechanically responds to the stimulus from an embodiment of his truth: The journey laid a magical finger in the genuine pulse of life and gallantly the machinery of human nerves strove to answer the bounding courses of the swift blue animal. (55). Jimmy is reduced to a network of wires and circuits by Joyces innovative use of language, and the car is animated as a vigorous biological entity. The chiastic inversion (Professor Brian Stonehill, 1/22/96) of organic and synthetic continues: A little knot of people collected on the footpath to pay homage to the snorting motor (55). The abiotic tangle of people are worshiping a living and breathing car, which steers out through them (55). Jimmy follows the commands of his truth and assumes his place as a cog in the social contrivance of his associates after the race. Jimmy took his part and participated mechanically in the festivities of the evening, making a token speech of little value and loosing handsomely at cards (57). Joyces character is metamorphosed into a grotesque by his platonic belief in the Continent. We will write a custom essay on The crotesque machinery of Dubliners specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now In After the Race Jimmy, an intellectual nouveau-riche who has studied law at an English university, deceives himself trying to climb the ladder of success and reach emancipation on international standards. Because he has trained himself to rely solely on his eyes, he has acquired such a distorted perspective that when he is involved in a crucial game of cards, ironically, he misreads them (he frequently mistook his cards (46)) and therefore loses a fortune. The epiphanic punch line at the end of the story: Daybreak, gentlemen! is uttered by Villona, a pianist (who stands for the auditory frame of reference). With this acoustic message, Jimmy becomes aware of his folly, an unwanted truth that he had tried to avoid confronting to the very end. Scud: I+adv/prep lit: (esp. of clouds and ships) to move along quickly pellet n 1 (of) a small ball of any soft substance made (as if) by rolling between the fingers: hens fed on pellets of food 2 a small ball of metal made to be fired from a gu n groove n 1 a long narrow usu. regular path or track made in a surface, esp. to guide the movement of something: The needle is stuck in the groove of the record, so it keeps repeating the same bit of music. | The door fits into this metal groove and slides shut. 2 a track made by repeated movement; RUT: (fig.) My parents dont like change; theyre happy to stay in the same old groove. clump 1 n 1 C (of) a group of trees, bushes, plants, etc., growing together: a little clump of reeds 2 C (of) a heavy solid lump or mass of something, such as soil or mud: sticky clumps of earth on his boots 3 S a heavy slow sound, such as that made by slow footsteps virtual / adj A no comp. almost what is stated; in fact though not officially: The president was so much under the influence of his wife that she was the virtual ruler of the country. | a virtual certainty hilarious adj full of or causing wild laughter: The party got quite hilarious after they brought more wine. | a hilarious joke -ly adv - ness n U establishment n 1 U (of) the act of establishing or state of being established: The government must encourage the establishment of new industry. | The club has grown rapidly since its establishment three years ago. 2 C a place run as a business or for a special purpose: The hotel is a well-run establishment. | a research establishment allude to sbdy./sthg. phr v T fml to speak about (someone or something), but in an indirect way: She didnt mention Mr Smith by name, but it was clear she was alluding to him. earnest 1 adj determined and serious, esp. too serious: We made an earnest endeavour to persuade her. | an earnest young man who never laughs -ly adv -ness n U: I say this in all earnestness. take to sbdy./sthg. phr v T 1 to feel a liking for, esp. at once: I took to Paul as soon as we met. | Im not sure if hell take to the idea. 2 to begin as a practice, habit, etc.: All this gloomy news is enough to make you take to drink. +v-ing Just lately hes taken to hiding his sock s under the carpet. 3 to go to for rest, hiding, escape, etc.: Fathers ill, so hes taken to his bed. | The criminals took to the hills to escape from the police. remonstrate /n-/ v I (against, with) fml to complain; express disapproval: I remonstrated against his behaviour. | She remonstrated with him (=complained to him) about his behaviour. covert 1 /adj secret or hidden; not openly shown or admitted: covert dislike | covert activity by the CIA to undermine their government -opposite overt -ly adv reputed: adj generally supposed or considered (to be), but with some doubt: the reputed father of her baby F+to-v She is reputed to be extremely wealthy. cargo C;U (one load of) the goods (FREIGHT) carried by a ship, plane, or vehicle: We sailed from Newcastle with a cargo of coal. | cargo vessel/plane bass 1 /be Is/ n 1 C (a man with) the lowest male singing voice, below BARITONE 2 U the lower half of the whole range of musical notes -compare TREBLE (2) 3 C a BASS GUITAR: Hes formed a n ew band with his brother on bass/playing bass. 4 C a DOUBLE BASS -bass adj, adv : a bass saxophone/drum | to sing bass deft: adj effortlessly skilful; ADROIT: deft fingers | a deft performance -ly adv -ness n U in the teeth of: against the strength of; in spite of opposition from: The government persisted in introducing the new measures in the teeth of public opinion. swarthy (adj) (of a person or their skin) rather dark-coloured profane 1 /pr Efe In/ adj 1 showing disrespect for God or for holy things: To smoke in a church or mosque would be a profane act. 2 (esp. of language) socially shocking, esp. because of improper use of religious words -compare OBSCENE 3 fml not religious or holy; concerned with human life in this world; SECULAR: profane art -opposite sacred -ly adv nudge v 1 T to push gently, usu. with ones elbow, esp. in order to call a persons attention: He nudged his friend to let him know it was time to leave. 2 I+adv/prep;T to move by gently pushing: He nudged me out o f the way. | a ship nudging (its way) through the ice | (fig.) During the meeting we tried to nudge them towards (=gently help them to find) a practical solution. 3 nudge, nudge, (wink, wink) infml humor a phrase, first used in the British television programme Monty Pythons Flying Circus, used when suggesting that there may be a sexual meaning to something that someone has just said -nudge n latent adj usu. fml present but not yet noticeable, active, or fully developed: a latent infection | latent aggression | These aggressive tendencies remained latent. tency n U freak 1 /fri 8k/ n 1 a living creature of unnatural form: One of the new lambs is a freak; it was born with two tails. | This dwarf tree is a freak of nature. 2 a strange, unexpected happening: By some strange freak, a little snow fell in the middle of the summer. 3 infml a person with rather strange habits, ideas, or appearance: He looks a real freak in his pink trousers and orange shirt. 4 infml a person who takes a very strong interest in the stated thing; FAN: a film freak -see also CONTROL FREAK stake 2 v T 1 (on) a to risk (money) on the result of a race or competition b to risk the loss of (something valuable, such as ones life or public position) on a result, esp. because one is confident of success: The prime minister is staking his reputation/credibility on a successful outcome to the arms talks. | Ive staked all my hopes on you. 2 (UP) to fasten or strengthen with STAKEs (1): to stake a young tree 3 (OFF, OUT) to mark or enclose (an area of ground) with STAKEs (1): The muddiest corner of the field has been staked off. 4 stake (out) a/ones claim (to) to make a claim; state that one has a right to have something: He staked a claim to the land where hed found the gold. | (fig.) With her latest novel she stakes her claim to greatness.stake sthg.out phr v T infml, esp. AmE (esp. of the police) to watch (a place) continuously in secret -stakeout /ste Ik-a Ut/ nstake sbdy. to sthg. phr v T AmE to provide (someone) with the money needed to pay for (something): My fathers promised to stake me to a new car when Im 18. shrewd adj 1 showing good practical judgment, esp. of what is to ones own advantage: a shrewd judge of other peoples ability | a shrewd lawyer/businesswoman 2 well-reasoned and likely to be right: a shrewd guess -ly adv -ness n U lordly / adj 1 often derog behaving like a lord, esp. in giving orders: a lordly manner 2 apprec, esp. lit suitable for a lord; grand: a lordly feast liness n U gong n 1 a round piece of metal hanging in a frame, which when hit with a stick gives a deep ringing sound 2 BrE sl for MEDAL alight 1 I (from, on) fml to get off or down from something, esp. at the end of a journey; come down from above: The bird alighted on a branch. | Passengers should not alight from the train until it has stopped.alight on/upon sthg. phr v T fml becoming rare to find or see unexpectedly; HAPPEN on haze 1 /he Iz/ n 1 S;U a light mist or smoke: I could hardly see her through the haze of cigarette smoke. | a heat haze in the distance 2 S a feeling of confusion or uncertainty in the mind -see also HAZY trepidation n U fml a state of anxiety about something bad that might happen; APPREHENSION: I waited for the results in a state of some trepidation. equation n 1 C a statement that two quantities are equal: In the equation 2x+1=7, what is x? | (fig.) Most people believe the factory would provide more jobs but the other side of the equation is the pollution it would cause. -compare FORMULA 2 S;U fml the state of being equal or equally balanced: There is an equation between unemployment and rising crime levels. sup 1 v I (UP);T ScotE N EngE to drink (esp. beer) in small mouthfuls -sup n snug 1 /adj 1 apprec giving or enjoying warmth, comfort, peace, protection, etc.; COSY: He showed us into a snug little sitting room with a fire burning. | The children were tucked up snug and warm in bed. 2 (of clothes) a fitting closely and comfortably: This jacket is a nice snug fit. b fitting too closely: The dress was a bit snug under the arms. 3 as snug as a bug in a rug infml very comfortable: Youll be as snug as a bug in a rug in your new sleeping bag. -ly adv -ness n U voluble adj fml, often derog 1 (of a person) talking a lot 2 (of speech) expressed (esp. rather fast) with many words: voluble excuses grace: adj 1 attractively and usu. effortlessly fine and smooth; full of grace: a graceful dancer | her graceful movements 2 showing a willingness to behave fairly and honourably: a graceful apology -see GRACIOUS (USAGE) -ly adv -ness n U spurious /adj fml 1 based on wrong or incorrect reasoning: spurious arguments/logic -compare SPECIOUS 2 false or pretended; not GENUINE: spurious sympathy 3 tech not really the product of the time, writer, etc., shown or claimed: There are some spurious lines in this ancient poem, which were added later. -ly adv -ness n U spite 1n U 1 an unpleasant desire to annoy or harm another person, esp. in s ome small way: Im sure he took my parking space just out of/from spite. -see also SPITEFUL 2 in spite of taking no notice of, or not prevented by; DESPITE: I went out in spite of the rain. | In spite of a slight improvement in sales, the company is still making a loss. congenial adj pleasant; in agreement with ones tastes and nature: congenial work/weather/companions | I find him very congenial. -ly adv gaily adv 1 in a cheerful manner: gaily-coloured decorations 2 in an insensitive, thoughtless way: They gaily went on talking after the film had started salute 1 v 1 I;T to make a SALUTE (1a) (to): Always salute when you pass an officer! 2 T fml to honour and praise, esp. in a formal or ceremonial way: On this very special evening we salute the splendid work of the local police. 3 T fml to greet, esp. with polite words or with a sign: He saluted his friend with a wave of the hand. cavalier adj thoughtless and disrespectful; OFFHAND: Im annoyed at your cavalier attitude towards this s erious matter. | a cavalier manner will 2 n 1 C;U the power of the mind to make decisions and act in accordance with them, sometimes in spite of difficulty or opposition: Do you believe in free will/freedom of the will? (=the power to decide freely what one will do) | You must have an iron will (=a very strong will) to have given up smoking after all those years. | Even small children can have very strong wills. 2 U what is wished or intended (by the stated person): Her death is Gods will/the will of God. | In a democracy, the government is supposed to reflect the will of the people. +to-v She seems to have lost the will to live. (=the desire to stay alive) | The prisoner was forced to sign a confession against his will. | She donated the money of her own free will. (=because she wanted to, and not because she was asked or forced to) 3 S a strong determination to act in a particular way; intention: Where theres a will, theres a way. (old saying=if you really want something you will find a way of getting it) | They set to work with a will. (=with eager interest) | He tries hard but, with the best will in the world (=however good his intentions may be), hell never make a good teacher. 4 U the stated feeling towards other people: She bears him no ill will for speaking out against her proposals. 5 C an official statement of the way someone wants their property to be shared out after they die: Have you made your will yet? 6 at will fml as one wishes 7 -willed /w Ild/having a will of the stated strength: strong-willed | weak-willed toast 1 n 1 U bread made brown by being placed close to heat, usu. eaten hot with butter: I like toast for breakfast. | a slice of toast 2 C (to) an act of drinking esp. wine in a ceremonial way in order to show respect or admiration for someone or something or to express good wishes to someone: Ladies and gentlemen, Id like to propose a toast to the bride and groom. | They drank a toast to the Queen. 3 the+S the person or thing in whose honour this is done 4 the+S+of someone or something extremely popular in the stated place or with the stated people: After the success of her show she was the toast of Broadway/of singers everywhere bundle 2 v 1 I+adv/prep;T+obj+adv/prep to (cause to) move or hurry in a rather quick and rough manner: They arrested a man on the street and bundled him into a police car. | They bundled the children off to school. | We all bundled into the taxi. 2 T+obj+adv/prep to put together or store hastily and untidily: She bundled her clothes into a bag. bundle (sbdy.) up phr v I;T to dress warmly: She bundled (herself) up in several warm sweaters before going out into the freezing cold. stupor // n C;U a state in which one cannot think or use ones senses: a drunken stupor shaft 1 n 1 C a long or thin pole to which the sharp end of a spear, ARROW, or similar weapon is fixed 2 C the long handle of a hammer, AXE, GOLF CLUB, or similar tool 3 C a bar which turns, or around which a belt or wheel turns , to pass on power or movement, esp. from an engine to something driven by the engine: a propeller shaft | the crankshaft in a car engine 4 C a long passage, usu. in an up-and-down or sloping direction: a mine shaft | a ventilator shaft | a lift shaft 5 C either of the pair of poles between which an animal is fastened to pull a vehicle 6 C (of ) a beam of light coming through an opening: A shaft of sunlight pierced the gloom. 7 C (of ) lit a sharply funny or hurtful remark: No one is safe from his shafts of wit. 8 the+S AmE sl severe and unfair treatment: Its always me that gets the shaft. | She gave her boyfriend the shaft (=stopped going out with him) Bibliography: