used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading We were alert.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I was standing on the quarter-deck and scanning the Grand Canal with the utmost care.
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
CanalnounUS /kəˈnæl/
(astronomy) an indistinct surface feature of Mars once thought to be a system of channels; they are now believed to be an optical illusion
From this reading I was standing on the quarter-deck and scanning the Grand Canal with the utmost care.
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading I was standing on the quarter-deck and scanning the Grand Canal with the utmost care.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
well in the past; former
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
having your services engaged for; or having a job especially one that pays wages or a salary
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading THE SPAR FIGHT.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading I was standing on the quarter-deck and scanning the Grand Canal with the utmost care.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had the morning watch, usually uneventful.
hulknounUS /hʌlk/
a very large person; impressive in size or qualities
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I had the morning watch, usually uneventful.
insurgentsnounUS /ˌɪnˈsɜːrdʒənts/
plural of “insurgent” — a person who takes part in an armed rebellion against the constituted authority (especially in the hope of improving conditions)
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
massacredverbUS /ˈmæsəkərd/
past form of “massacre” — kill a large number of people indiscriminately
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
modenounUS /moʊd/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading I had the morning watch, usually uneventful.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
an event that occurs at a critical time
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I was standing on the quarter-deck and scanning the Grand Canal with the utmost care.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
quarter-deck
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was standing on the quarter-deck and scanning the Grand Canal with the utmost care.
ratsnounUS /ræts/
plural of “rat” — any of various long-tailed rodents similar to but larger than a mouse
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
revolutionistsnounUS /ˌrevəˈluːʃənɪsts/
plural of “revolutionist” — a radical supporter of political or social revolution
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
scanningnounUS /ˈskænɪŋ/
the process of translating photographs into a digital form that can be recognized by a computer
From this reading I was standing on the quarter-deck and scanning the Grand Canal with the utmost care.
scuttledverbUS /ˈskʌtəld/
past form of “scuttle” — to move about or proceed hurriedly
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
SPARverbUS /spɑːr/
furnish with spars
From this reading THE SPAR FIGHT.
having a supporting base
From this reading I was standing on the quarter-deck and scanning the Grand Canal with the utmost care.
swarmedverbUS /swɔːrmd/
past form of “swarm” — be teeming, be abuzz
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
swumverbUS /swʌm/
inflected form of “swim” — travel through water
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SPAR FIGHT.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
uneventfuladjectiveUS /ˌʌniˈventfəl/
marked by no noteworthy or significant events
From this reading I had the morning watch, usually uneventful.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
under normal conditions
From this reading I had the morning watch, usually uneventful.
of the greatest possible degree or extent or intensity
From this reading I was standing on the quarter-deck and scanning the Grand Canal with the utmost care.
a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was standing on the quarter-deck and scanning the Grand Canal with the utmost care.
look attentively
From this reading I had the morning watch, usually uneventful.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We had been told the mode of attack employed by the revolutionists--not that they had always used the spar, for on one occasion the fifty insurgents had swum to the side of a vessel, swarmed upon its deck like rats, massacred the officers and crew, scuttled the hulk and departed.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were alert.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I was standing on the quarter-deck and scanning the Grand Canal with the utmost care.
