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Chapter VI
But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me. He was not much older than myself. We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before. He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk. I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading “We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.”
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.”
thinking that somebody or something will arrive
From this reading “He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.”
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.”
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.”
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.”
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading “He was not much older than myself.”
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading “But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.”
above and across; more than
From this reading “I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.”
a thing, without saying which
From this reading “But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.”
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.”
Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.
the past participle of “be”
From this reading We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.
thinking that somebody or something will arrive
From this reading He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was not much older than myself.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was not much older than myself.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading He was not much older than myself.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was not much older than myself.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was not much older than myself.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.
above and across; more than
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading He must have been handling himself carelessly, not expecting to get such a jerk.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading He was not much older than myself.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But one of the boys the mate had sent aloft on the mizzen to do something, came down on the poop-deck—thump—right in front of me.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I heard his startled cry—Oh!—in a high treble as he felt himself going, and looked up in time to see him go limp all over as he fell.
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was not much older than myself.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We had been grinning at each other only a few minutes before.
