used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
(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 They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
separated or at a distance in place or position or time
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
beaconnounUS /ˈbiːkən/
a fire (usually on a hill or tower) that can be seen from a distance
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
the act of overcoming or outdoing
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
castingnounUS /ˈkæstɪŋ/
object formed by a mold
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
Culmnoun
stem of plants of the Gramineae
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
driftwoodnounUS /ˈdrɪftwʊd/
wood that is floating or that has been washed ashore
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
divisible by two
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading The evening wore on.
opinion or judgment
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
start firing a weapon
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
fishermennounUS /ˈfɪʃərmɪn/
plural of “fisherman” — someone whose occupation is catching fish
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
glancesnounUS /ˈɡlænsɪz/
plural of “glance” — a quick look
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
gleamingnounUS /ˈɡliːmɪŋ/
a flash of light (especially reflected light)
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
huddledadjectiveUS /ˈhʌdəld/
crowded or massed together
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
possessing or displaying a distinctive feature to a heightened degree
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
kindledadjectiveUS /ˈkɪndəld/
set afire
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
the force of workers available
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
mutteringnounUS /ˈmʌtərɪŋ/
a low continuous indistinct sound; often accompanied by movement of the lips without the production of articulate speech
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The evening wore on.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
piledverbUS /paɪld/
past form of “pile” — arrange in stacks
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
soberadjectiveUS /ˈsoʊbər/
not affected by a chemical substance (especially alcohol)
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
uttered through the medium of speech or characterized by speech; sometimes used in combination
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
statuenounUS /ˈstætʃuː/
a sculpture representing a human or animal
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
streamedverbUS /striːmd/
past form of “stream” — to extend, wave or float outward, as if in the wind
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The evening wore on.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
Trafford
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading WEARY WATCHING.
exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress
From this reading WEARY WATCHING.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were all on the beach,--Trafford and the Culm fishermen,--and now a beacon fire streamed up into the darkness, and made the night seem even more black and intense.
whisperingnounUS /ˈwɪspərɪŋ/
a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
which person or people
From this reading They had piled their heap of driftwood somewhat in the shelter of a great rock, and around it the men were huddled, muttering and whispering to each other, and casting sober glances at Trafford, who stood apart from them in the shadow.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading Not a word had he spoken since the fire was kindled, but, grim and silent as a statue, had stood there, with his eyes looking upon the gleaming sea, and the rain beating in his face.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading The evening wore on.
