used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
alligatornounUS /ˈæləɡeɪtər/
leather made from alligator's hide
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
eagerly desirous
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The alligator, however, was floundering around in the stretch of water between Carl and the _Grampus_.
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The alligator, however, was floundering around in the stretch of water between Carl and the _Grampus_.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
CARL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CARL IN TROUBLE.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
dugoutnounUS /ˈdʌɡaʊt/
either of two low shelters on either side of a baseball diamond where the players and coaches sit during the game
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
flounderingverbUS /ˈflaʊndərɪŋ/
-ing form of “flounder” — walk with great difficulty
From this reading The alligator, however, was floundering around in the stretch of water between Carl and the _Grampus_.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
Grampusnoun
predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading The alligator, however, was floundering around in the stretch of water between Carl and the _Grampus_.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CARL IN TROUBLE.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
pitpan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
PretzelnounUS /ˈpretzəl/
glazed and salted cracker typically in the shape of a loose knot
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
prominentadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːmənənt/
having a quality that thrusts itself into attention
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
Steele's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading The alligator, however, was floundering around in the stretch of water between Carl and the _Grampus_.
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
submarinenounUS /ˈsʌbməriːn/
a submersible warship usually armed with torpedoes
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
thrashingnounUS /ˈθræʃɪŋ/
a sound defeat
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
a source of difficulty
From this reading CARL IN TROUBLE.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The most prominent object that met Bob Steele’s startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
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 The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe.
