used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A PERILOUS MOMENT.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
having companions or an escort
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
compartmentnounUS /kəmˈpɑːrtmənt/
a space into which an area is subdivided
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
conflictnounUS /ˈkɑːnflɪkt/
an open clash between two opposing groups (or individuals)
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
eddied
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
eloquentadjectiveUS /ˈeləkwənt/
expressing yourself readily, clearly, effectively
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
enactedverbUS /eˈnæktəd/
past form of “enact” — order by virtue of superior authority; decree
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
fleetnounUS /fliːt/
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
glisteningadjectiveUS /ˈɡlɪsənɪŋ/
reflecting light
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
grimenounUS /ɡraɪm/
the state of being covered with unclean things
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
groupsnounUS /ɡruːps/
plural of “group” — any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
plural of “gun” — a weapon that discharges a missile at high velocity (especially from a metal tube or barrel)
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
half-naked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
lungedverbUS /lʌndʒd/
past form of “lunge” — make a thrusting forward movement
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
Meissonier
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
the force of workers available
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
a particular point in time
From this reading A PERILOUS MOMENT.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
orchestranounUS /ˈɔːrkəstrə/
a musical organization consisting of a group of instrumentalists including string players
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
PERILOUSadjectiveUS /ˈperələs/
fraught with danger
From this reading A PERILOUS MOMENT.
perspiringverbUS /pərˈspaɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “perspire” — excrete perspiration through the pores in the skin
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
pungentadjectiveUS /ˈpʌndʒənt/
strong and sharp
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
transport commercially
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
smearedverbUS /smɪrd/
past form of “smear” — stain by smearing or daubing with a dirty substance
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
spectaclenounUS /ˈspektəkəl/
something or someone seen (especially a notable or unusual sight)
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
stainedadjectiveUS /steɪnd/
marked or dyed or discolored with foreign matter
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
surgedverbUS /sɜːrdʒd/
past form of “surge” — rise and move, as in waves or billows
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
swellverbUS /swel/
increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
vapornounUS /ˈveɪpər/
a visible suspension in the air of particles of some substance
From this reading Imagine scattered about in this pungent vapor many groups of men, men half-naked, perspiring; their glistening bodies smeared and stained with the grime of conflict.
warshipnounUS /ˈwɔːrʃɪp/
a government ship that is available for waging war
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was the deck of a warship in battle, and the spectacle enacted was accompanied, by an orchestra of the mighty guns of a fleet in action.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Imagine a compartment of steel, a compartment filled with smoke that surged and eddied as the ship lunged forward or rolled upon a heavy swell.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
YankeenounUS /ˈjæŋki/
an American who lives in the North (especially during the American Civil War)
From this reading The scene on the gun deck of the "Yankee" at that moment would have made an eloquent subject for the brush of a Meissonier.
