used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
how long something has existed
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
(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 She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
beamnounUS /biːm/
a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading We will begin with the _Maggie_.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
boilernounUS /ˈbɔɪlər/
sealed vessel where water is converted to steam
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
BoilersnounUS /ˈbɔɪlərz/
plural of “boiler” — sealed vessel where water is converted to steam
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
of short duration or distance
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
compoundnounUS /ˈkɑːmpaʊnd/
a whole formed by a union of two or more elements or parts
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
a state in which you want to learn more about something
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
directsverbUS /dərˈekts/
third-person singular of “direct” — command with authority
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
divergeverbUS /dɪˈvɜːrdʒ/
move or draw apart
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
draftnounUS /dræft/
a document ordering the payment of money; drawn by one person or bank on another
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
compelled forcibly by an outside agency
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
owed and payable immediately or on demand
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
eightiesnounUS /ˈeɪtiz/
the decade from 1880 to 1889
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
enginenounUS /ˈendʒən/
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
Francisco
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
gaugeverbUS /ɡeɪdʒ/
judge tentatively or form an estimate of (quantities or time)
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
heednounUS /hiːd/
paying particular notice (as to children or helpless people)
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
the aggregate of past events
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
ten 10s
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
imposedadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈpoʊzd/
set forth authoritatively as obligatory
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
InspectornounUS /ˌɪnˈspektər/
a high ranking police officer
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
knotsnounUS /nɑːts/
plural of “knot” — a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
limitationsnounUS /ˌlɪmɪˈteɪʃənz/
plural of “limitation” — a principle that limits the extent of something
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
limitedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪmətəd/
small in range or scope
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
Maggie
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
engage in
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
McGuffeynounUS /məˈɡʌfi/
United States educator who compiled the McGuffey Eclectic Readers (1800-1873)
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
a form of address for a man
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
narrativenounUS /ˈnærətɪv/
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 Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
marked by the reception of pay
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
an amount of time
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
a feeling of self-respect and personal worth
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
proceedingnounUS /prəˈsiːdɪŋ/
(law) the institution of a sequence of steps by which legal judgments are invoked
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
Puget
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
reader'snounUS /ˈriːdərz/
possessive form of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
San
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
scalenounUS /skeɪl/
an ordered reference standard
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
superlative of “slight” — (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with “a”) at least some
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
steamverbUS /stiːm/
travel by means of steam power
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
steamernounUS /ˈstiːmər/
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
steeplenounUS /ˈstiːpəl/
a tall tower that forms the superstructure of a building (usually a church or temple) and that tapers to a point at the top
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
SupervisingnounUS /ˈsuːpərvaɪzɪŋ/
management by overseeing the performance or operation of a person or group
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
twenty-sixadjective
being six more than twenty
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She had been built on Puget Sound back in the eighties, and was one hundred and six feet over all, twenty-six feet beam and seven feet draft.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading We will begin with the _Maggie_.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Before proceeding further with this narrative, due respect for the reader's curiosity directs that we diverge for a period sufficient to present a brief history of the steamer _Maggie_ and her peculiar crew.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading However, what with old age and boiler scale, the best she could do now was six, and had Mr. McGuffey paid the slightest heed to the limitations imposed upon his steam gauge by the Supervising Inspector of Boilers at San Francisco, she would have been limited to five.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading Driven by a little steeple compound engine, in the pride of her youth she could make ten knots.
