used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading WEATHERING A STORM IN THE OPEN SEA.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
inflected form of “choose” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
without stop or interruption
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
der
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "I don't like the look of the sky," he said at last.
an opposing military force
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
forbadeverbUS /fərˈbeɪd/
inflected form of “forbid” — command against
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
the side that is forward or prominent
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
death of a person
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
hermit's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I don't like the look of the sky," he said at last.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading WEATHERING A STORM IN THE OPEN SEA.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
isletnounUS /ˈaɪlɪt/
a small island
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
Kemp
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
immediately past
From this reading "I don't like the look of the sky," he said at last.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "I don't like the look of the sky," he said at last.
past form of “long” — desire strongly or persistently
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
the force of workers available
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
past form of “mention” — make reference to
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
Nigel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
not any; not one
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading WEATHERING A STORM IN THE OPEN SEA.
paddleverbUS /ˈpædəl/
propel with a paddle
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
exert pressure or force to or upon
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
questioningadjectiveUS /ˈkwestʃənɪŋ/
perplexed (as if being expected to know something that you do not know)
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
reticentadjectiveUS /ˈretɪsənt/
temperamentally disinclined to talk
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I don't like the look of the sky," he said at last.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading WEATHERING A STORM IN THE OPEN SEA.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
express in speech
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading WEATHERING A STORM IN THE OPEN SEA.
studyingnounUS /ˈstʌdiɪŋ/
reading carefully with intent to remember
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WEATHERING A STORM IN THE OPEN SEA.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
in or at that place or location
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
any creative group active in the innovation and application of new concepts and techniques in a given field (especially in the arts)
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In profound silence they continued to paddle until there was no chance of their being seen by the party on the islet.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading Then Van der Kemp rested his paddle in front of him and looked slowly round the horizon and up at the sky as if studying the weather.
WEATHERINGverbUS /ˈweðərɪŋ/
-ing form of “weather” — face and withstand with courage
From this reading WEATHERING A STORM IN THE OPEN SEA.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Nigel longed to ask him more about the men they had seen, and of this "enemy" whom he had mentioned, but there was that in the hermit's grave look which forbade questioning, and indeed Nigel now knew from experience that it would be useless to press him to speak on any subject in regard to which he chose to be reticent.
