used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Bill came to the surface a few yards from the motor boat.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had a rather sallow, clean-shaven face, with unexpectedly large and very bright dark eyes.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Getting back his wind, Bill took stock of the man.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
a statute in draft before it becomes law
From this reading Bill came to the surface a few yards from the motor boat.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading Bill came to the surface a few yards from the motor boat.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading He had a rather sallow, clean-shaven face, with unexpectedly large and very bright dark eyes.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Bill came to the surface a few yards from the motor boat.
clamberedverbUS /ˈklæmbərd/
past form of “clamber” — climb awkwardly, as if by scrambling
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
clean-shavenadjective
closely shaved recently
From this reading He had a rather sallow, clean-shaven face, with unexpectedly large and very bright dark eyes.
(comparative of “near” or “close”) within a shorter distance
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading He had a rather sallow, clean-shaven face, with unexpectedly large and very bright dark eyes.
relatively long in duration; tediously protracted
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
opinion or judgment
From this reading He had a rather sallow, clean-shaven face, with unexpectedly large and very bright dark eyes.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Bill came to the surface a few yards from the motor boat.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Bill came to the surface a few yards from the motor boat.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading Getting back his wind, Bill took stock of the man.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Getting back his wind, Bill took stock of the man.
a vague idea in which some confidence is placed
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading He had a rather sallow, clean-shaven face, with unexpectedly large and very bright dark eyes.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Getting back his wind, Bill took stock of the man.
motornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading Bill came to the surface a few yards from the motor boat.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
on the contrary
From this reading He had a rather sallow, clean-shaven face, with unexpectedly large and very bright dark eyes.
sallowadjective
unhealthy looking
From this reading He had a rather sallow, clean-shaven face, with unexpectedly large and very bright dark eyes.
cut with a saw
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
scrutinynounUS /ˈskruːtəni/
the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest
From this reading Getting back his wind, Bill took stock of the man.
anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
strokesnounUS /stroʊks/
plural of “stroke” — (sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading Bill came to the surface a few yards from the motor boat.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Bill came to the surface a few yards from the motor boat.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Bill came to the surface a few yards from the motor boat.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading Getting back his wind, Bill took stock of the man.
unexpectedlyadverbUS /ˌʌnɪkˈspektɪdli/
in a way that was not expected
From this reading He had a rather sallow, clean-shaven face, with unexpectedly large and very bright dark eyes.
precisely as stated
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
well-knitadjective
strongly and firmly constructed
From this reading His first impression had been of his slight build, but on closer scrutiny Bill saw that he was well-knit, with very broad shoulders.
in or at the place that
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Getting back his wind, Bill took stock of the man.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Three or four quick strokes brought him to the side, where with the help of an extended hand, he clambered aboard to face the stranger.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading Bill came to the surface a few yards from the motor boat.
