used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
apprisedverbUS /əˈpraɪzd/
past form of “apprise” — inform (somebody) of something
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
AtlanticnounUS /ətˈlæntɪk/
the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
Baffin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
rid of obstructions
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
COLOSSALadjectiveUS /kəˈlɑːsəl/
so great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
travel across or pass over
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
degreesnounUS /dɪˈɡriːz/
plural of “degree” — a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
dissolvingnounUS /dɪˈzɔːlvɪŋ/
the process of going into solution
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
driftingnounUS /ˈdrɪftɪŋ/
aimless wandering from place to place
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
endangeredadjectiveUS /enˈdeɪndʒərd/
(of flora or fauna) in imminent danger of extinction
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
equatornounUS /ɪˈkweɪtər/
an imaginary line around the Earth forming the great circle that is equidistant from the north and south poles
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
past form of “explain” — make plain and comprehensible
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
in a gradual manner
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
greyhounds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
icebergnounUS /ˈaɪsbərɡ/
a large mass of ice floating at sea; usually broken off of a polar glacier
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
icyadjectiveUS /ˈaɪsi/
devoid of warmth and cordiality; expressive of unfriendliness or disdain
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
a room or building equipped with one or more toilets
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
immediately past
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
the act of departing
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
longed-foradjective
greatly desired
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
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 No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
McAlpine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
plural of “mountain” — a land mass that projects well above its surroundings; higher than a hill
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
NautilusnounUS /ˈnɔːtələs/
a submarine that is propelled by nuclear power
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
nearedverbUS /nɪrd/
past form of “near” — move towards
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
not any; not one
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
northwardadverbUS /ˈnɔːrθwərd/
in a northern direction
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
many times at short intervals
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
on one occasion
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
a course of conduct
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
cut with a saw
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
scanningnounUS /ˈskænɪŋ/
the process of translating photographs into a digital form that can be recognized by a computer
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
SOMERSAULTnounUS /ˈsʌmərsɔːlt/
an acrobatic feat in which the feet roll over the head (either forward or backward) and return
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
southwardadverbUS /ˈsaʊθwərd/
toward the south
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
St
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
steamersnounUS /ˈstiːmərz/
plural of “steamer” — a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
steeredverbUS /stɪrd/
past form of “steer” — direct the course; determine the direction of travelling
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It was long after leaving St. John that our friends saw their first iceberg.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
uneventfuladjectiveUS /ˌʌniˈventfəl/
marked by no noteworthy or significant events
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
an act of traveling by water
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A COLOSSAL SOMERSAULT The voyage of the "Nautilus" was uneventful until she was far to the northward in Baffin Bay.
(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 They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading No doubt numbers of them were drifting southward, gradually dissolving as they neared the equator, but it so happened that the "Nautilus" steered clear of them until many degrees to the north.
which person or people
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The captain, who was scanning the icy ocean with his glass, apprised the boys that the longed-for curiosity was in sight at last.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading They should have seen them before, as Captain McAlpine explained, for, as you well know, those mountains of ice often cross the path of the Atlantic steamers, and more than once have endangered our great ocean greyhounds.
