used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading We pulled to the side and came across some more, so felt sure.
aftadverbUS /æft/
at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
any thing at all
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
awfullyadverbUS /ˈɑːfli/
used as intensifiers
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
for the reason that
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
bowsnounUS /baʊz/
plural of “bow” — a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
an officer in command of a military unit
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
coxswainnoun
the helmsman of a ship's boat or a racing crew
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
don't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
one or the other of two
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
apart from; not including
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
fishingnounUS /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/
the act of someone who fishes as a diversion
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
hauledverbUS /hɔːld/
past form of “haul” — draw slowly or heavily
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
jumpyadjectiveUS /ˈdʒʌmpi/
being in a tense state
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
plural of “knee” — hinge joint in the human leg connecting the tibia and fibula with the femur and protected in front by the patella
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
past form of “knock” — deliver a sharp blow or push
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
leantverbUS /ˈliːənt/
inflected form of “lean” — to incline or bend from a vertical position
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
characterized by or producing sound of great volume or intensity
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
marinesnounUS /mərˈiːnz/
an amphibious division of the United States Navy
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
the force of workers available
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading We pulled to the side and came across some more, so felt sure.
sound of any kind (especially unintelligible or dissonant sound)
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
oarsnounUS /ɔːrz/
plural of “oar” — an implement used to propel or steer a boat
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading We pulled to the side and came across some more, so felt sure.
rattlingnounUS /ˈrætlɪŋ/
a rapid series of short loud sounds (as might be heard with a stethoscope in some types of respiratory disorders)
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
riflesnounUS /ˈraɪfəlz/
plural of “rifle” — a shoulder firearm with a long barrel and a rifled bore
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
scrapedverbUS /skreɪpt/
past form of “scrape” — scratch repeatedly
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
and nothing more
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading We pulled to the side and came across some more, so felt sure.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
stakesnounUS /steɪks/
the money risked on a gamble
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
startlingadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːrtlɪŋ/
so remarkably different or sudden as to cause momentary shock or alarm
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading We pulled to the side and came across some more, so felt sure.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then something scraped against our bows and knocked the low oars, and the noise seemed awfully loud and startling.
in or at that place or location
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
thwartsnounUS /θwɔːrts/
plural of “thwart” — a crosspiece spreading the gunnels of a boat; used as a seat in a rowboat
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading A lot of the men let out "Oh!" under their breath; they were so excited and jumpy.
spoken in soft hushed tones without vibrations of the vocal cords
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
which person or people
From this reading We hauled ourselves up, and the Commander came aft, leant over the side and felt it, and the coxswain, who had been there before with the Captain, felt it too, and he whispered to the Commander that it was one of the fishing stakes.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading I don’t wonder either, because the marines were simply sitting on the thwarts, with their rifles between their knees, and they had nothing to do except to prevent them rattling against anything.
