used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading To his dismay he could discover no trace of his friend even here, and he now began to be seriously alarmed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
with anxiety or apprehension
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading To his dismay he could discover no trace of his friend even here, and he now began to be seriously alarmed.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading To his dismay he could discover no trace of his friend even here, and he now began to be seriously alarmed.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading To his dismay he could discover no trace of his friend even here, and he now began to be seriously alarmed.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading To his dismay he could discover no trace of his friend even here, and he now began to be seriously alarmed.
dismaynounUS /dɪˈsmeɪ/
the feeling of despair in the face of obstacles
From this reading To his dismay he could discover no trace of his friend even here, and he now began to be seriously alarmed.
dorynounUS /ˈdɔːri/
a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
drowningverbUS /ˈdraʊnɪŋ/
-ing form of “drown” — cover completely or make imperceptible
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
divisible by two
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
footingnounUS /ˈfʊtɪŋ/
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading To his dismay he could discover no trace of his friend even here, and he now began to be seriously alarmed.
furiouslyadverbUS /ˈfjʊriəsli/
(of the elements) in a wild and stormy manner
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
glitteringadjectiveUS /ˈɡlɪtərɪŋ/
having brief brilliant points or flashes of light
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading To his dismay he could discover no trace of his friend even here, and he now began to be seriously alarmed.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
past form of “hope” — expect and wish
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
water frozen in the solid state
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
icebergnounUS /ˈaɪsbərɡ/
a large mass of ice floating at sea; usually broken off of a polar glacier
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
and nothing more
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
not any; not one
From this reading To his dismay he could discover no trace of his friend even here, and he now began to be seriously alarmed.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
oarsnounUS /ɔːrz/
plural of “oar” — an implement used to propel or steer a boat
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
by chance
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
the act of pulling; applying force to move something toward or with you
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
reappearverbUS /ˌriːəˈpɪr/
appear again
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
regainverbUS /rɪˈɡeɪn/
get or find back; recover the use of
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
in a serious manner
From this reading To his dismay he could discover no trace of his friend even here, and he now began to be seriously alarmed.
the context and environment in which something is set
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
slidverbUS /slɪd/
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
in the near future
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
sparklingadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/
shining with brilliant points of light like stars
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
a just detectable amount
From this reading To his dismay he could discover no trace of his friend even here, and he now began to be seriously alarmed.
treacherousadjectiveUS /ˈtretʃərəs/
dangerously unstable and unpredictable
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
precisely as stated
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Then it occurred to him that his companion might have slid into the water, and that possibly he was even now drowning, or struggling in vain to regain a footing upon the treacherous surface.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Thus thinking, he sprang to his oars, and pulling furiously, soon carried the dory to the other side of the iceberg, which was not a very large one.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading He could see the whole side of the ice island as it rose, glittering and sparkling above him, in the light of the setting sun.
WolfenounUS /wʊlf/
United States writer who has written extensively on American culture (born in 1931)
From this reading At first Wolfe hoped that Breeze had merely slipped and fallen, and for a minute waited anxiously for him to reappear.
