used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
giving or marked by complete attention to
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
alarmingadjectiveUS /əˈlɑːrmɪŋ/
frightening because of an awareness of danger
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
ashoreadverbUS /əˈʃɔːr/
towards the shore from the water
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
boat'snounUS /boʊts/
possessive form of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
chirpverbUS /tʃɜːrp/
make high-pitched sounds
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
without doubt or question
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
a position or opinion or judgment reached after consideration
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
definedadjectiveUS /dɪˈfaɪnd/
clearly characterized or delimited
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
dipverbUS /dɪp/
immerse briefly into a liquid so as to wet, coat, or saturate
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
the organ of sight
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
death of a person
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
groundedverbUS /ˈɡraʊndɪd/
past form of “ground” — fix firmly and stably
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
(biology) the process of an individual organism growing organically; a purely biological unfolding of events involved in an organism changing gradually from a simple to a more complex level
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
large or big relative to something else
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
the act of departing
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
hear with intention
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
a particular point in time
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
oarsnounUS /ɔːrz/
plural of “oar” — an implement used to propel or steer a boat
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
on one occasion
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
and nothing more
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
pausingverbUS /ˈpɔːzɪŋ/
-ing form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
clearly revealed to the mind or the senses or judgment
From this reading The island was every moment growing larger, the beach more plain to the eye, and the hill more clearly defined.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading For nearly half an hour we pulled on, pausing at intervals to listen, but nothing of an alarming nature met our ears.
rowlocks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
make steady
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
not in physical motion
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
in the direction of
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Not a light showed itself, and everything was as still as the grave; the only noise to be heard was the steady dip, dip of the oars in the smooth water and now and then the chirp of the rowlocks.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading As soon as the boat grounded we sprang out and, leaving one hand to look after her, made our way ashore.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
yachtnounUS /jɑːt/
an expensive vessel propelled by sail or power and used for cruising or racing
From this reading CONCLUSION Once we had left her side and turned our boat's nose towards the land, the yacht lay behind us, a black mass, nearly absorbed in the general shadow.
