used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
(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 Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
ballastnounUS /ˈbæləst/
any heavy material used to stabilize a ship or airship
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
beamnounUS /biːm/
a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
bearingsnounUS /ˈberɪŋz/
plural of “bearing” — relevant relation or interconnection
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
chiefsnounUS /tʃiːfs/
plural of “chief” — a person who is in charge
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
cruiseverbUS /kruːz/
drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
cruisesnounUS /ˈkruːzɪz/
plural of “cruise” — an ocean trip taken for pleasure
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
decksnounUS /deks/
plural of “deck” — any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
easterlyadjectiveUS /ˈiːstərli/
lying in or toward the east
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
endingnounUS /ˈendɪŋ/
the end of a word (a suffix or inflectional ending or final morpheme)
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
extraadjectiveUS /ˈekstrə/
more than is needed, desired, or required
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
helmsmannounUS /ˈhelmzmæn/
the person who steers a ship
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
ten 10s
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
knotsnounUS /nɑːts/
plural of “knot” — a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
engage in
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
by chance
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
the force of workers available
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
musterverbUS /ˈmʌstər/
gather or bring together
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
ninety-sixadjective
being six more than ninety
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
oarnounUS /ɔːr/
an implement used to propel or steer a boat
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
oarsnounUS /ɔːrz/
plural of “oar” — an implement used to propel or steer a boat
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
by chance
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
reefsnounUS /riːfs/
plural of “reef” — a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
sailingnounUS /ˈseɪlɪŋ/
the work of a sailor
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
move or cause to move back and forth
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
shiftingadjectiveUS /ˈʃɪftɪŋ/
continuously varying
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
transport commercially
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
sixteenadjectiveUS /sɪkˈstiːn/
being one more than fifteen
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
express in speech
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
totalverbUS /ˈtoʊtəl/
add up in number or quantity
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading She pulled sixteen oars a side, and with a war crew on board would muster ninety-six men--three to an oar--with a few extra hands, as the helmsman and the chiefs, to make a total of a hundred.
warlikeadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːrlaɪk/
disposed to warfare or hard-line policies
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is not likely, therefore, that we could have done much better had we managed to shake out the reefs, seeing that the ship was light.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
windwardnounUS /ˈwɪndwərd/
the direction from which the wind is coming
From this reading Her decks would be crowded, of course, but she would be down to her bearings, being built for war cruises, and in a breeze all her men would be sitting up to windward as shifting ballast, so to speak.
in the company of; together with
From this reading We were sailing with the easterly wind on our beam, and making maybe six knots on it, with the two reefs down.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The full crew of such a ship as this for such a cruise without any warlike ending to it would be about twenty, or perhaps a few less.
