used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
abominableadjectiveUS /əˈbɑːmənəbəl/
unequivocally detestable
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
(of mail) marked with a destination
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
(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 But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
authorisedadjective
endowed with authority
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
believerbUS /bɪˈlaɪ/
be in contradiction with
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
in a close relation or position in time or space
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
clutchesnounUS /ˈklʌtʃəz/
the act of grasping
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
commissionnounUS /kəˈmɪʃən/
a special group delegated to consider some matter
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
a state at a particular time
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
escapingverbUS /ɪˈskeɪpɪŋ/
-ing form of “escape” — run away from confinement
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
well known or easily recognized
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
a boy or man
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
plural of “fellow” — a boy or man
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
fishermennounUS /ˈfɪʃərmɪn/
plural of “fisherman” — someone whose occupation is catching fish
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
set up or found
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
impressverbUS /ˌɪmˈpres/
have an emotional or cognitive impact upon
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
and nothing more
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
justicesnounUS /ˈdʒʌstəsəz/
plural of “justice” — the quality of being just or fair
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
KING'SnounUS /kɪŋz/
possessive form of “king” — a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
lantern-jawedadjective
having a protruding jaw giving the face a gaunt appearance
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
licensenounUS /ˈlaɪsəns/
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
a commissioned military officer
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
has a good chance of being the case or of coming about
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
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 _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
marinernounUS /ˈmerənər/
a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
middle-agedadjectiveUS /ˈmɪdəleɪɡd/
being roughly between 45 and 65 years old
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
in addition to what has just been said
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
used to form the superlative
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
netnounUS /net/
a computer network consisting of a worldwide network of computer networks that use the TCP/IP network protocols to facilitate data transmission and exchange
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
and nothing more
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
compacted by ironing
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
pressgangs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
provingverbUS /ˈpruːvɪŋ/
-ing form of “prove” — be shown or be found to be
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
to give an account or representation of in words
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
risenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪzən/
(of e.g. celestial bodies) above the horizon
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
seamanshipnoun
skill in sailing
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
seamennounUS /ˈsiːmən/
plural of “seaman” — a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
transport commercially
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
sicknessnounUS /ˈsɪknəs/
impairment of normal physiological function affecting part or all of an organism
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
term of address for a man
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
squintverbUS /skwɪnt/
cross one's eyes as if in strabismus
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
great in vertical dimension; high in stature
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
(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 _ON BOARD THE KING'S SHIP_ The license of these pressgangs was so well known, and had been made familiar to me by so many tales, that I had little hope from the first of escaping their clutches.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading It is true they were only authorised to impress seamen and fishermen, and that after proving their commission before justices of the peace.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But if report did not belie them, they looked not too closely into a man's seamanship; but, if they found a likely fellow, regarded all as fish which came into their net.
belonging to which person
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
in the company of; together with
From this reading There was a lieutenant set above the fellows into whose hands I had fallen, a tall, lantern-jawed, middle-aged man, with a most abominable squint, and to him I addressed myself:
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Sir, I am not in a condition to be pressed by you, I am not a mariner by calling; and, moreover, I am but just risen from a bed of sickness."
