used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then it was that he heard a voice that was eagerly, tremulously calling his name.
at or in the front
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
AtlanticnounUS /ətˈlæntɪk/
the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He whirled and beheld Roberta back of him, her hands outstretched.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
inflected form of “behold” — see with attention
From this reading He whirled and beheld Roberta back of him, her hands outstretched.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading Then it was that he heard a voice that was eagerly, tremulously calling his name.
choppyadjectiveUS /ˈtʃɑːpi/
marked by abrupt transitions
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
someone who is a detective
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading There were tears in her eyes as she said: "Dick, why did you do it?
with eagerness; in an eager manner
From this reading Then it was that he heard a voice that was eagerly, tremulously calling his name.
opinion or judgment
From this reading There were tears in her eyes as she said: "Dick, why did you do it?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
a young female
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
the act of departing
From this reading Why did you plan going away without saying good-bye?
good-byenounUS /ɡɪdˈbaɪ/
a farewell remark
From this reading Why did you plan going away without saying good-bye?
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading He whirled and beheld Roberta back of him, her hands outstretched.
state of well-being characterized by emotions ranging from contentment to intense joy
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Then it was that he heard a voice that was eagerly, tremulously calling his name.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He whirled and beheld Roberta back of him, her hands outstretched.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There were tears in her eyes as she said: "Dick, why did you do it?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then it was that he heard a voice that was eagerly, tremulously calling his name.
LaneynounUS /ˈleɪni/
United States educator who founded the first private school for Black students in Augusta, Georgia (1854-1933)
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
linernounUS /ˈlaɪnər/
(baseball) a hit that flies straight out from the batter
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
lonelinessnounUS /ˈloʊnlinəs/
the state of being alone in solitary isolation
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
held dear
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Then it was that he heard a voice that was eagerly, tremulously calling his name.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
outstretchedadjectiveUS /aʊtˈstretʃt/
fully extended especially in length
From this reading He whirled and beheld Roberta back of him, her hands outstretched.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
have the will and intention to carry out some action
From this reading Why did you plan going away without saying good-bye?
railingnounUS /ˈreɪlɪŋ/
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
Roberta
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He whirled and beheld Roberta back of him, her hands outstretched.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading There were tears in her eyes as she said: "Dick, why did you do it?
a word or phrase that particular people use in particular situations
From this reading Why did you plan going away without saying good-bye?
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There were tears in her eyes as she said: "Dick, why did you do it?
carry out
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
the process of shedding tears (usually accompanied by sobs or other inarticulate sounds)
From this reading There were tears in her eyes as she said: "Dick, why did you do it?
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then it was that he heard a voice that was eagerly, tremulously calling his name.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were tears in her eyes as she said: "Dick, why did you do it?
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
tremulouslyadverbUS /ˈtremjələsli/
in a tremulous manner
From this reading Then it was that he heard a voice that was eagerly, tremulously calling his name.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading Then it was that he heard a voice that was eagerly, tremulously calling his name.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were tears in her eyes as she said: "Dick, why did you do it?
whirledverbUS /wɜːrld/
past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading He whirled and beheld Roberta back of him, her hands outstretched.
belonging to which person
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading There were tears in her eyes as she said: "Dick, why did you do it?
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Why did you plan going away without saying good-bye?
a late time of life
From this reading Dick De Laney was leaning over the railing of the big liner that was to take him away from the country that was home to him and from the girl he loved, whose happiness meant more to him than did his own, but, as he looked out over the choppy waters of the bay and toward the broad Atlantic he could see ahead of him nothing but years of loneliness.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading There were tears in her eyes as she said: "Dick, why did you do it?
