used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
farther along in physical or mental development
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
alienadjectiveUS /ˈeɪliən/
not contained in or deriving from the essential nature of something
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It would be a boat to boat, man to man fight in the darkness.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Lights merged together and became stationary as hull locked with hull in a grinding embrace.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading It would be a boat to boat, man to man fight in the darkness.
plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
collidedverbUS /kəˈlaɪdɪd/
past form of “collide” — be incompatible; be or come into conflict
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
coveringnounUS /ˈkʌvərɪŋ/
a natural object that covers or envelops
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
crashverbUS /kræʃ/
fall or come down violently
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
crewsnounUS /kruːz/
plural of “crew” — the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading It would be a boat to boat, man to man fight in the darkness.
decksnounUS /deks/
plural of “deck” — any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
defendingadjectiveUS /dɪˈfendɪŋ/
attempting to or designed to prevent an opponent from winning or scoring
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
embraceverbUS /emˈbreɪs/
include in scope; include as part of something broader; have as one's sphere or territory
From this reading Lights merged together and became stationary as hull locked with hull in a grinding embrace.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading It would be a boat to boat, man to man fight in the darkness.
the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
fleetnounUS /fliːt/
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
fleetsnounUS /fliːts/
plural of “fleet” — group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
grindingnounUS /ˈɡraɪndɪŋ/
material resulting from the process of grinding
From this reading Lights merged together and became stationary as hull locked with hull in a grinding embrace.
Head-onadverb
in direct opposition; directly
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
hullnounUS /hʌl/
dry outer covering of a fruit or seed or nut
From this reading Lights merged together and became stationary as hull locked with hull in a grinding embrace.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It would be a boat to boat, man to man fight in the darkness.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It would be a boat to boat, man to man fight in the darkness.
keelsnounUS /kiːlz/
plural of “keel” — a projection or ridge that suggests a keel
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
past form of “leap” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
plural of “light” — (physics) electromagnetic radiation that can produce a visual sensation
From this reading Lights merged together and became stationary as hull locked with hull in a grinding embrace.
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading Lights merged together and became stationary as hull locked with hull in a grinding embrace.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading It would be a boat to boat, man to man fight in the darkness.
Mascola's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
come together
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
mergedadjectiveUS /mɜːrdʒd/
formed or united into a whole
From this reading Lights merged together and became stationary as hull locked with hull in a grinding embrace.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
opposingadjectiveUS /əˈpoʊzɪŋ/
characterized by active hostility
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
rackedverbUS /rækt/
past form of “rack” — go at a rack
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
railnounUS /reɪl/
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
sailorsnounUS /ˈseɪlərz/
plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
spreadingnounUS /ˈspredɪŋ/
process or result of distributing or extending over a wide expanse of space
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
stationaryadjectiveUS /ˈsteɪʃəneri/
standing still
From this reading Lights merged together and became stationary as hull locked with hull in a grinding embrace.
surgedverbUS /sɜːrdʒd/
past form of “surge” — rise and move, as in waves or billows
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
swarmedverbUS /swɔːrmd/
past form of “swarm” — be teeming, be abuzz
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
timbersnounUS /ˈtɪmbərz/
plural of “timber” — the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It would be a boat to boat, man to man fight in the darkness.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading Lights merged together and became stationary as hull locked with hull in a grinding embrace.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
warilyadverbUS /ˈwerəli/
in a wary manner
From this reading A FIGHTING CHANCE Mascola's boats advanced warily, spreading out and covering off the defending fleet as they came.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
which person or people
From this reading The alien crews swarmed to the decks and leaped across the rail upon the American sailors who surged forward to meet them.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Head-on, the opposing fleets collided with a crash which twisted their keels and racked their timbers.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would be a boat to boat, man to man fight in the darkness.
