Chapter V

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading There was one of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading There was one of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.

stuck in a place where a ship can no longer float

From this reading The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though the steamer was now aground.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

expletives used informally as intensifiers

From this reading The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though the steamer was now aground.

a small vessel for travel on water

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

the lower side of anything

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

plural of “cable” — a telegram sent abroad

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

a visual display of information

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

having finished or arrived at completion

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

to an extreme degree

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

considered likely or probable to happen or arrive

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

past form of “fail” — fail to do something; leave something undone

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

plural of “fathom” — a linear unit of measurement (equal to 6 feet) for water depth

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading There was one of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.

containing as much or as many as is possible or normal

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

a barrier that has parallel or crossed bars blocking a passage but admitting air

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

only a very short time before

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

(of winds) coming from the sea toward the land

From this reading There was one of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

a projection or ridge that suggests a keel

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

make reference to

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading There was one of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.

(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

water soaked soil; soft wet earth

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though the steamer was now aground.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though the steamer was now aground.

past form of “obey” — be obedient to

From this reading The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though the steamer was now aground.

past form of “obtain” — come into possession of

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading There was one of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.

plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed

From this reading The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though the steamer was now aground.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

operate an airplane

From this reading The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though the steamer was now aground.

one of four equal parts

From this reading There was one of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.

inflected form of “ring” — sound loudly and sonorously

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

past form of “remember” — recall knowledge from memory; have a recollection

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

award-winning United States film actor (1928-1999)

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

the land along the edge of a body of water

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

in the near future

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

a clam that is usually steamed in the shell

From this reading The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though the steamer was now aground.

come to a halt, stop moving

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

a detailed critical inspection

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

used to introduce the second part of a comparison

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading There was one of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading As soon as the grating of the keel was heard, and the boat came to a full stop, Scott rang the bell to stop her, and then to back her.

in or at that place or location

From this reading There was one of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading The pilot had obeyed his orders, and he was not to be blamed, though the steamer was now aground.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

plural of “tower” — a structure taller than its diameter; can stand alone or be attached to a larger building

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading There was one of them about a quarter of a mile inshore from the mouth of the river.

binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent

From this reading At two cables' length from the shore the water was ten fathoms deep; but at the mouth of the Palmones there is a bar, and the bottom in the vicinity was mud.

(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading AT THE MOUTH OF THE PALMONES RIVER Scott had certainly done exceedingly well in his study of the chart, which Louis had obtained for him, and he remembered much more than might have been expected of him; but he had failed to mention several towers on the shore, which could hardly be seen at night.