used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "A BLESSED CHANCE."
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Lawrence did not turn his head, and at first he did not speak.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
highly favored or fortunate (as e.g. by divine grace)
From this reading "A BLESSED CHANCE."
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
a possibility due to a favorable combination of circumstances
From this reading "A BLESSED CHANCE."
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The sail and the darkness shielded him.
dartedverbUS /ˈdɑːrtɪd/
past form of “dart” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Lawrence did not turn his head, and at first he did not speak.
firmnessnounUS /ˈfɜːrmnəs/
the muscle tone of healthy tissue
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Lawrence did not turn his head, and at first he did not speak.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
brought together in one place
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
hold firmly
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Lawrence did not turn his head, and at first he did not speak.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Lawrence did not turn his head, and at first he did not speak.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
used when the woman or girl doing the action is also its object
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The sail and the darkness shielded him.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
hummingnounUS /ˈhʌmɪŋ/
a humming noise
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
LawrencenounUS /ˈlɔːrəns/
Roman martyr; supposedly Lawrence was ordered by the police to give up the church's treasure and when he responded by presenting the poor people of Rome he was roasted to death on a gridiron (died in 258)
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Lawrence did not turn his head, and at first he did not speak.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
a strong line
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
shieldedadjectiveUS /ˈʃiːldɪd/
(used especially of machinery) protected by a shield to prevent injury
From this reading The sail and the darkness shielded him.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
slackenedverbUS /ˈslækənd/
past form of “slacken” — become slow or slower
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
express in speech
From this reading Lawrence did not turn his head, and at first he did not speak.
splashingnounUS /ˈsplæʃɪŋ/
the act of splashing a (liquid) substance on a surface
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
strengthenedadjectiveUS /ˈstreŋθənd/
given added strength or support
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
tillernounUS /ˈtɪlər/
a shoot that sprouts from the base of a grass
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading Lawrence did not turn his head, and at first he did not speak.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
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 The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
waveredverbUS /ˈweɪvərd/
past form of “waver” — pause or hold back in uncertainty or unwillingness
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
at the time that
From this reading When Lawrence heard that voice his hand suddenly slackened on the rope and the sail almost swung loose.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The boat wavered, then with a quick firmness his grasp on the tiller and rope strengthened, and the craft gathered herself and darted forward, the water splashing away from her sides, the wind humming.
