used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
afloatadjectiveUS /əˈfloʊt/
aimlessly drifting
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
afternoonsnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːnz/
plural of “afternoon” — the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
in the past
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
averageadjectiveUS /ˈævərɪdʒ/
approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
From this reading It is not very like the average South Sea Island on the whole--but it is a faithful portrait of Raratonga, the jewel of the Southern Seas.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
BeachcombernounUS /ˈbiːtʃkoʊmər/
a vagrant living on a beach
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
the act of breaking something
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It is not very like the average South Sea Island on the whole--but it is a faithful portrait of Raratonga, the jewel of the Southern Seas.
a geological formation consisting of an underground enclosure with access from the surface of the ground or from the sea
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
claimsnounUS /kleɪmz/
plural of “claim” — an assertion of a right (as to money or property)
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
CockroachesnounUS /ˈkɑːkroʊtʃɪz/
plural of “cockroach” — any of numerous chiefly nocturnal insects; some are domestic pests
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
having or capable of producing colors
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
creepernoun
any plant (as ivy or periwinkle) that grows by creeping
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
the Crown (or the reigning monarch) as the symbol of the power and authority of a monarchy
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
Crusoe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
Crusoe-Steamer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
Dagger-shaped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
dartverbUS /dɑːrt/
move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
disputedadjectiveUS /dɪsˈpjuːtəd/
subject to disagreement and debate
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
droppingadjectiveUS /ˈdrɑːpɪŋ/
coming down freely under the influence of gravity
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
EmigratingverbUS /ˈeməɡreɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “emigrate” — leave one's country of residence for a new one
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
at any time
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
EVERYdeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
eyelidsnounUS /ˈaɪlɪdz/
plural of “eyelid” — either of two folds of skin that can be moved to cover or open the eye
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
opinion or judgment
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
steadfast in affection or allegiance
From this reading It is not very like the average South Sea Island on the whole--but it is a faithful portrait of Raratonga, the jewel of the Southern Seas.
something many people believe that is false
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
flamingadjectiveUS /ˈfleɪmɪŋ/
informal intensifiers
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
floweryadjectiveUS /ˈflaʊəri/
of or relating to or suggestive of flowers
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
foamnounUS /foʊm/
a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
garlanding
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
gleamsnounUS /ɡliːmz/
plural of “gleam” — an appearance of reflected light
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
glooms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
gorgeousadjectiveUS /ˈɡɔːrdʒəs/
dazzlingly beautiful
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
gorgesnounUS /ˈɡɔːrdʒəz/
plural of “gorge” — a deep ravine (usually with a river running through it)
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
gossameradjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːsəmər/
characterized by unusual lightness and delicacy
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
groupsnounUS /ɡruːps/
plural of “group” — any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
heightsnounUS /haɪts/
a high place
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
holidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
hotlyadverbUS /ˈhɑːtli/
in a heated manner
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
plural of “island” — a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
jewelnounUS /ˈdʒuːəl/
a precious or semiprecious stone incorporated into a piece of jewelry
From this reading It is not very like the average South Sea Island on the whole--but it is a faithful portrait of Raratonga, the jewel of the Southern Seas.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It is not very like the average South Sea Island on the whole--but it is a faithful portrait of Raratonga, the jewel of the Southern Seas.
LocaladjectiveUS /ˈloʊkəl/
relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
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 Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
Loveliest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
lovelinessnoun
the quality of being good looking and attractive
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
subject to death
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
numberlessadjective
too numerous to be counted
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
PacificnounUS /pəˈsɪfɪk/
the largest ocean in the world
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
peaksnounUS /piːks/
plural of “peak” — the most extreme possible amount or value
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
a visual representation (of an object or scene or person or abstraction) produced on a surface
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
a full supply
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
a word picture of a person's appearance and character
From this reading It is not very like the average South Sea Island on the whole--but it is a faithful portrait of Raratonga, the jewel of the Southern Seas.
precipices
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
a purple color or pigment
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
Raratonga
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
RobinsonnounUS /ˈrɑːbənsən/
English chemist noted for his studies of molecular structures in plants (1886-1975)
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
sailsnounUS /seɪlz/
plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
sapphireadjectiveUS /ˈsæfaɪər/
of something having the color of a blue sapphire
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
schoolboy's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
seawardadjectiveUS /ˈsiːwərd/
(of winds) coming from the land
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
SelkirknounUS /ˈselkərk/
Scottish sailor who was put ashore on a deserted island off the coast of Chile for five years (providing the basis for Daniel Defoe's novel about Robinson Crusoe) (1676-1721)
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
shadowyadjectiveUS /ˈʃædoʊi/
filled with shade
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
sheeradjectiveUS /ʃɪr/
complete and without restriction or qualification; sometimes used informally as intensifiers
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
shorewardadjectiveUS /ˈʃɔːrwərd/
(of winds) coming from the sea toward the land
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
shredsnounUS /ʃredz/
plural of “shred” — a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
be seated
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States south of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading It is not very like the average South Sea Island on the whole--but it is a faithful portrait of Raratonga, the jewel of the Southern Seas.
sparklingadjectiveUS /ˈspɑːrklɪŋ/
shining with brilliant points of light like stars
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
having great beauty and splendor
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
stainlessnounUS /ˈsteɪnləs/
steel containing chromium that makes it resistant to corrosion
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
supremest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
sweepingadjectiveUS /ˈswiːpɪŋ/
taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Nothing is more hotly disputed than the claims of the many beautiful islands among the numberless groups of the Pacific to the crown of supremest loveliness.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
in spite of the fact that
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
travellersnounUS /ˈtrævələrz/
plural of “traveller” — a person who changes location
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
unseenadjectiveUS /ənˈsiːn/
not seen or perceived
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
untroddenadjective
lacking pathways
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
veiledadjectiveUS /veɪld/
having or as if having a veil or concealing cover
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
precisely as stated
From this reading It is not very like the average South Sea Island on the whole--but it is a faithful portrait of Raratonga, the jewel of the Southern Seas.
vinenounUS /vaɪn/
a plant with a weak stem that derives support from climbing, twining, or creeping along a surface
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
past form of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
wandersverbUS /ˈwɑːndərz/
third-person singular of “wander” — move about aimlessly or without any destination, often in search of food or employment
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
at the time that
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
a Caucasian
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading It is not very like the average South Sea Island on the whole--but it is a faithful portrait of Raratonga, the jewel of the Southern Seas.
in the company of; together with
From this reading _Is It the Loveliest?--How they deal with the Beachcomber----Cockroaches and Local Colour--The Robinson Crusoe-Steamer--Emigrating to the South Seas--The Lands of Plenty--How to get an Island._ EVERY ONE has seen Raratonga, though few travellers have looked on it with their own mortal eyes.
wreathsnounUS /riːθs/
plural of “wreath” — flower arrangement consisting of a circular band of foliage or flowers for ornamental purposes
From this reading Dagger-shaped peaks, of splendid purple and gorgeous green, set in a sky of flaming sapphire--sheer grey precipices, veiled with dropping wreaths of flowery vine and creeper--gossamer shreds of cloud, garlanding untrodden heights, high above an ocean of stainless blue--shadowy gorges, sweeping shoreward from the unseen heart of the hills--white foam breaking upon white sand on the beach, and sparkling sails afloat in the bay--is not this the picture that wanders ever among the gleams and glooms that dart across the schoolboy’s brain?
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading Close your eyelids, and picture to yourself a South Sea Island, of the kind that you used to imagine on holiday afternoons long ago, when you wandered off down to the shore alone, to sit in a cave and look seaward, and fancy yourself Crusoe or Selkirk, and think the “long, long thoughts” of youth.
