Chapter XXII · Tempted from Duty

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

on the subject of; concerning

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

(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 It was all in vain.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

a small piece or quantity of something

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

float on the surface of water

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

plural of “circle” — ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

the shore of a sea or ocean

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

come or bring to a finish or an end

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

without variation or change, in every case

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

past form of “cruise” — drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

forsaken by owner or inhabitants

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

the act of leaving secretly or without explanation

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

separated in space or coming from or going to a distance

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

divisible by two

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

the act of someone who fishes as a diversion

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

past form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

plural of “head” — the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

detected or perceived by the sense of hearing

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

a message received and understood

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

plural of “inquiry” — a search for knowledge

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

moving to the inside of something

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

plural of “islander” — an inhabitant of an island

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It was all in vain.

the act of departing

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

produced by a manufacturing process

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

not able to be found

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

move or arrange oneself in a comfortable and cozy position

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

not one thing; not anything

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

and nothing more

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

above and across; more than

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

in a satisfactory manner

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

the process of translating photographs into a digital form that can be recognized by a computer

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

being all around the edges; enclosing

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

a thing, without saying which

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

toward the south

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

a point located with respect to surface features of some region

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

a clam that is usually steamed in the shell

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

happening without warning or in a short space of time

From this reading Nothing was seen, nothing had been heard, and the cause of the dory’s sudden and complete disappearance could not even be satisfactorily guessed at.

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

very small

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

a just detectable amount

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

not usual or common or ordinary

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance

From this reading It was all in vain.

a surrounding or nearby region

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

plural of “village” — a community of people smaller than a town

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Then leaving the spot, she ran into the coast, from which the buoy was about twenty miles distant, and made inquiries at several of the tiny fishing villages that nestle at the heads of the deep fiords.

including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

in the company of; together with

From this reading For a whole day the _Fish-hawk_ cruised back and forth and in great circles in the vicinity of the deserted buoy, with a man constantly at the mast-head scanning the surface of the sea for some trace of the missing dory.

past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something

From this reading The only bit of information gained from the islanders was, that on the day the dory was lost a steamer had been seen skirting the coast, on her way to the southward, which was such an unusual circumstance that it was something to be talked about and wondered over.