used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
aftadverbUS /æft/
at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After the three-sided hollow square had been formed, the captain appeared.
(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 The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading After the three-sided hollow square had been formed, the captain appeared.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading All hands are seldom called to muster, so we knew that something of importance was in the wind.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading After the three-sided hollow square had been formed, the captain appeared.
bosun's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading All hands are seldom called to muster, so we knew that something of importance was in the wind.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading After the three-sided hollow square had been formed, the captain appeared.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
enjoyingverbUS /ˌenˈdʒɔɪɪŋ/
-ing form of “enjoy” — derive or receive pleasure from; get enjoyment from; take pleasure in
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
to come or go into
From this reading WE ENTER THE "THEATRE OF WAR."
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
having or given a form or shape
From this reading After the three-sided hollow square had been formed, the captain appeared.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading After the three-sided hollow square had been formed, the captain appeared.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading After the three-sided hollow square had been formed, the captain appeared.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
the quality of being important and worthy of note
From this reading All hands are seldom called to muster, so we knew that something of importance was in the wind.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading All hands are seldom called to muster, so we knew that something of importance was in the wind.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
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 All hands are seldom called to muster, so we knew that something of importance was in the wind.
leisurenounUS /ˈleʒər/
time available for ease and relaxation
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
musterverbUS /ˈmʌstər/
gather or bring together
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
past form of “obey” — be obedient to
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WE ENTER THE "THEATRE OF WAR."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
reluctancenounUS /rɪˈlʌktəns/
(physics) opposition to magnetic flux (analogous to electric resistance)
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
not often
From this reading All hands are seldom called to muster, so we knew that something of importance was in the wind.
shrilladjectiveUS /ʃrɪl/
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading All hands are seldom called to muster, so we knew that something of importance was in the wind.
make square
From this reading After the three-sided hollow square had been formed, the captain appeared.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WE ENTER THE "THEATRE OF WAR."
a building where theatrical performances or motion-picture shows can be presented
From this reading WE ENTER THE "THEATRE OF WAR."
three-sidedadjective
having three sides
From this reading After the three-sided hollow square had been formed, the captain appeared.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading WE ENTER THE "THEATRE OF WAR."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading WE ENTER THE "THEATRE OF WAR."
well-earned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
whistleverbUS /ˈwɪsəl/
make whistling sounds
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading All hands are seldom called to muster, so we knew that something of importance was in the wind.
in the company of; together with
From this reading We were enjoying an hour of well-earned leisure, so it was with reluctance that we obeyed and went aft on the gun deck.
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading The shrill pipe of the bosun's whistle, followed by the order "All hands to muster," reached our ears a day or two out from New York.
