used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
(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 For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
aptadjectiveUS /æpt/
(usually followed by “to”) naturally disposed toward
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
Aran
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
availableadjectiveUS /əˈveɪləbəl/
obtainable or accessible and ready for use or service
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
belongingnounUS /bɪˈlɔːŋɪŋ/
happiness felt in a secure relationship
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
a person who is in charge
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
Claddagh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
curraghs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
divisible by two
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
expertadjectiveUS /ˈekspərt/
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
widely known and esteemed
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
fathersnounUS /ˈfɑːðərz/
plural of “father” — a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
fishermennounUS /ˈfɪʃərmɪn/
plural of “fisherman” — someone whose occupation is catching fish
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
fisherynounUS /ˈfɪʃəri/
a workplace where fish are caught and processed and sold
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
people in general (often used in the plural)
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
FouladjectiveUS /faʊl/
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
GalwaynounUS /ˈɡɑːlweɪ/
a port city in western Ireland on Galway Bay
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
GregorynounUS /ˈɡreɡəri/
(Roman Catholic Church) a church father known for his constant fight against perceived heresies; a saint and Doctor of the Church (329-391)
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
only a very short time before
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
hereditaryadjectiveUS /hərˈedəteri/
occurring among members of a family usually by heredity
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
herringnounUS /ˈherɪŋ/
valuable flesh of fatty fish from shallow waters of northern Atlantic or Pacific; usually salted or pickled
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
Inishmaan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
plural of “island” — a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
lion'snounUS /ˈlaɪənz/
possessive form of “lion” — large gregarious predatory feline of Africa and India having a tawny coat with a shaggy mane in the male
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
mackerelnounUS /ˈmækərəl/
flesh of very important usually small (to 18 in) fatty Atlantic fish
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
meagreadjective
deficient in amount or quality or extent
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
the force of workers available
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
mythnounUS /mɪθ/
a traditional story accepted as history; serves to explain the world view of a people
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
on one occasion
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
scarceradjectiveUS /ˈskersər/
comparative of “scarce” — deficient in quantity or number compared with the demand
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
get by special effort
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
have in common
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
an ability that has been acquired by training
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
spoilverbUS /spɔɪl/
make a mess of, destroy or ruin
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
sun-fishing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
tacklenounUS /ˈtækəl/
the person who plays that position on a football team
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
carry out
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Gregory Sound, Foul Sound, South Sound, every sound around the three islands was full of mackerel.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
at the time that
From this reading As for the once famous “sun-fishing,” it has become a myth: the fish are scarcer, but even when they do appear hardly an attempt is made to secure them.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading For several days all the available curraghs belonging to Inishmaan, and the two other islands as well, had been out after them the whole day long.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
a period of time containing 365 (or 366) days
From this reading The Aran folk are not particularly expert fishermen, and their share of the herring fishery, the chief take of the year, is apt to be a meagre one.
yearlynounUS /ˈjɪrli/
a reference book that is published regularly once every year
From this reading They have neither the tackle nor the hereditary skill of the Galway Claddagh men--though even these fish less and worse than their fathers did, and let the lion’s share of the yearly spoil fall into the hands of strangers.
