used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Columbus continued to conceal a considerable part of it and announced that they had sailed five hundred and fifty miles.
acceptingadjectiveUS /ækˈseptɪŋ/
tolerating without protest
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
AdmiralnounUS /ˈædmərəl/
the supreme commander of a fleet; ranks above a vice admiral and below a fleet admiral
From this reading Fortunately no one except the Admiral knew how to calculate the distance.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
anewadverbUS /əˈnuː/
again but in a new or different way
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
declared publicly; made widely known
From this reading Columbus continued to conceal a considerable part of it and announced that they had sailed five hundred and fifty miles.
arousedadjectiveUS /ərˈaʊzd/
aroused to action
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
assurancesnounUS /əˈʃʊrənsɪz/
plural of “assurance” — freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
marked by strong resentment or cynicism
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But even this distance from the fatherland seemed much too long to them.
calculateverbUS /ˈkælkjəleɪt/
make a mathematical calculation or computation
From this reading Fortunately no one except the Admiral knew how to calculate the distance.
ColumbusnounUS /kəˈlʌmbəs/
the state capital of Ohio; located in the center of the state; site of Ohio State University
From this reading Columbus continued to conceal a considerable part of it and announced that they had sailed five hundred and fifty miles.
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading Columbus continued to conceal a considerable part of it and announced that they had sailed five hundred and fifty miles.
large or relatively large in number or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Columbus continued to conceal a considerable part of it and announced that they had sailed five hundred and fifty miles.
without stop or interruption
From this reading Columbus continued to conceal a considerable part of it and announced that they had sailed five hundred and fifty miles.
credulitynounUS /krɪˈduːləti/
tendency to believe readily
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Fortunately no one except the Admiral knew how to calculate the distance.
divisible by two
From this reading But even this distance from the fatherland seemed much too long to them.
apart from; not including
From this reading Fortunately no one except the Admiral knew how to calculate the distance.
fatherlandnounUS /ˈfɑːðərlænd/
the country where you were born
From this reading But even this distance from the fatherland seemed much too long to them.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading Columbus continued to conceal a considerable part of it and announced that they had sailed five hundred and fifty miles.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Columbus continued to conceal a considerable part of it and announced that they had sailed five hundred and fifty miles.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
floatingadjectiveUS /ˈfloʊtɪŋ/
borne up by or suspended in a liquid
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
foolhardyadjectiveUS /ˈfuːlhɑːrdi/
marked by defiant disregard for danger or consequences
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
FortunatelyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənətli/
by good fortune
From this reading Fortunately no one except the Admiral knew how to calculate the distance.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But even this distance from the fatherland seemed much too long to them.
groannounUS /ɡroʊn/
an utterance expressing pain or disapproval
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fortunately no one except the Admiral knew how to calculate the distance.
ten 10s
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
not in action or at work
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
IsabellanounUS /ˌɪzəˈbelə/
the queen of Castile whose marriage to Ferdinand of Aragon in 1469 marked the beginning of the modern state of Spain; they instituted the Spanish Inquisition in 1478 and sponsored the voyages of Christopher Columbus in 1492 (1451-1504)
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Columbus continued to conceal a considerable part of it and announced that they had sailed five hundred and fifty miles.
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 Fortunately no one except the Admiral knew how to calculate the distance.
lamentedadjectiveUS /ləˈmentɪd/
mourned or grieved for
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
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 But even this distance from the fatherland seemed much too long to them.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading But even this distance from the fatherland seemed much too long to them.
murmurnounUS /ˈmɜːrmər/
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
not any; not one
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Fortunately no one except the Admiral knew how to calculate the distance.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading Columbus continued to conceal a considerable part of it and announced that they had sailed five hundred and fifty miles.
the only fertile female in a colony of social insects such as bees and ants and termites; its function is to lay eggs
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
reproaches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
sea-weed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
seamennounUS /ˈsiːmən/
plural of “seaman” — a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading But even this distance from the fatherland seemed much too long to them.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
seventyadjectiveUS /ˈsevənti/
being ten more than sixty
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
heave or utter a sigh; breathe deeply and heavily
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
in the near future
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Columbus continued to conceal a considerable part of it and announced that they had sailed five hundred and fifty miles.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading But even this distance from the fatherland seemed much too long to them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading But even this distance from the fatherland seemed much too long to them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading But even this distance from the fatherland seemed much too long to them.
communicated in words
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
having passed out of existence
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
any venturesome undertaking especially one with an uncertain outcome
From this reading They began anew to sigh and groan and murmur, lamented their credulity in accepting Columbus’ idle assurances, and uttered bitter reproaches against Queen Isabella for having allowed them to risk their lives in such a foolhardy venture.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
but in spite of that
From this reading The hope which the floating sea-weed and the flight of birds had aroused among the seamen soon vanished, for, although they had now sailed seven hundred and seventy miles to the west, no land had yet been seen.
