used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
at or in the front
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
exhale hard
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
Bowheads
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Bowheads!" shouted the mate.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
brignounUS /brɪɡ/
two-masted sailing vessel square-rigged on both masts
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
rid of obstructions
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
coveringnounUS /ˈkʌvərɪŋ/
a natural object that covers or envelops
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
travel across or pass over
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
crow'snounUS /kroʊz/
possessive form of “crow” — black birds having a raucous call
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
exhalations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
fountainsnounUS /ˈfaʊntənz/
plural of “fountain” — a structure from which an artificially produced jet of water arises
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
any creature of exceptional size
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
only a very short time before
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
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 Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
leisurelyadverbUS /ˈliːzərli/
in an unhurried way or at one's convenience
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
lungsnounUS /lʌŋz/
plural of “lung” — either of two saclike respiratory organs in the chest of vertebrates; serves to remove carbon dioxide and provide oxygen to the blood
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
machinerynounUS /məˈʃiːnəri/
machines or machine systems collectively
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading "Bowheads!" shouted the mate.
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading There were more than thirty of them.
a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
plural of “piece” — a separate part of a whole
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
ponderousadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːndərəs/
slow and laborious because of weight
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
an educational institution
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
sepulchraladjective
of or relating to a sepulchre
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
transport commercially
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading "Bowheads!" shouted the mate.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading There were more than thirty of them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There were more than thirty of them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were more than thirty of them.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and three
From this reading There were more than thirty of them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
topsadjectiveUS /tɑːps/
of the highest quality
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
clean by virtue of having been washed in water
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were more than thirty of them.
whalesnounUS /weɪlz/
plural of “whale” — a very large person; impressive in size or qualities
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
WHALINGverbUS /ˈweɪlɪŋ/
-ing form of “whale” — hunt for whales
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
at the time that
From this reading CROSS COUNTRY WHALING We had hardly washed clear of the ice in the heavy seas when "Blow!" rang from the crow's nest.
whiskedverbUS /wɪskt/
past form of “whisk” — move somewhere quickly
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
whispersnounUS /ˈwɪspərz/
plural of “whisper” — speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Their great black heads rose above the surface like ponderous pieces of machinery; tall fountains shot into the air; the wind caught the tops of the fountains and whisked them off in smoke; hollow, sepulchral whispers of sound came to the brig as the breath left the giant lungs in mighty exhalations.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A school of whales close ahead, covering the sea with fountains, was coming leisurely toward the ship.
