used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
CanarynounUS /kəˈneri/
someone acting as an informer or decoy for the police
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
ColumbusnounUS /kəˈlʌmbəs/
the state capital of Ohio; located in the center of the state; site of Ohio State University
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading On the twelfth of September, six days after their departure, they had sailed one hundred and fifty miles to the west of the Canary Island of Ferro.
recognizable; marked
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
the act of departing
From this reading On the twelfth of September, six days after their departure, they had sailed one hundred and fifty miles to the west of the Canary Island of Ferro.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
driftingnounUS /ˈdrɪftɪŋ/
aimless wandering from place to place
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
eighteenadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːn/
being one more than seventeen
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
be afraid or feel anxious or apprehensive about a possible or probable situation or event
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
Ferro
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On the twelfth of September, six days after their departure, they had sailed one hundred and fifty miles to the west of the Canary Island of Ferro.
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading He told them therefore that they had sailed only the first fifteen miles westward.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading On the twelfth of September, six days after their departure, they had sailed one hundred and fifty miles to the west of the Canary Island of Ferro.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading He told them therefore that they had sailed only the first fifteen miles westward.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
foresawverbUS /ˌfɔːrˈsɔː/
inflected form of “foresee” — realize beforehand
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He told them therefore that they had sailed only the first fifteen miles westward.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
ten 10s
From this reading On the twelfth of September, six days after their departure, they had sailed one hundred and fifty miles to the west of the Canary Island of Ferro.
uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
IncreasenounUS /ˌɪnˈkriːs/
a quantity that is added
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
free from evil or guilt
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
intimidateverbUS /ˌɪnˈtɪmɪdeɪt/
make timid or fearful
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading On the twelfth of September, six days after their departure, they had sailed one hundred and fifty miles to the west of the Canary Island of Ferro.
plural of “island” — a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
conformity or harmony
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
the act of departing
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
and nothing more
From this reading He told them therefore that they had sailed only the first fifteen miles westward.
owingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊɪŋ/
owed as a debt
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
PhenomenanounUS /fəˈnɑːmənə/
plural of “phenomenon” — any state or process known through the senses rather than by intuition or reasoning
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
participate in games or sport
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
reckoningnounUS /ˈrekənɪŋ/
problem solving that involves numbers or quantities
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading He told them therefore that they had sailed only the first fifteen miles westward.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
SeptembernounUS /sepˈtembər/
the month following August and preceding October
From this reading On the twelfth of September, six days after their departure, they had sailed one hundred and fifty miles to the west of the Canary Island of Ferro.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading On the twelfth of September, six days after their departure, they had sailed one hundred and fifty miles to the west of the Canary Island of Ferro.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading On the twelfth of September, six days after their departure, they had sailed one hundred and fifty miles to the west of the Canary Island of Ferro.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading He told them therefore that they had sailed only the first fifteen miles westward.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He told them therefore that they had sailed only the first fifteen miles westward.
a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
the main stem of a tree; usually covered with bark; the bole is usually the part that is commercially useful for lumber
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
twelfthadjectiveUS /twelfθ/
coming next after the eleventh and just before the thirteenth in position
From this reading On the twelfth of September, six days after their departure, they had sailed one hundred and fifty miles to the west of the Canary Island of Ferro.
not known
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
an act of traveling by water
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading On the twelfth of September, six days after their departure, they had sailed one hundred and fifty miles to the west of the Canary Island of Ferro.
westwardadverbUS /ˈwestwərd/
toward the west
From this reading He told them therefore that they had sailed only the first fifteen miles westward.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading On that day they observed the trunk of a great tree which evidently had been drifting about a long time.
plural of “wind” — air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Ocean Phenomena, Unknown to Columbus and His Crew, Increase the Fear of the Latter On the second day after leaving the Canary Islands they made but eighteen miles, owing to light winds.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading As Columbus foresaw that nothing would intimidate his ignorant crew so much as the length of the voyage, he decided to play an innocent trick upon them by keeping one reckoning of distance for himself and another for them.
