used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
abilitynounUS /əˈbɪlətiː/
the quality of being able to perform; a quality that permits or facilitates achievement or accomplishment
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
(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 The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
allowancenounUS /əˈlaʊəns/
an amount allowed or granted (as during a given period)
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
disposed or placed in a particular kind of order
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
the supreme effort one can make
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
lacking funds
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
buoyantlyadverb
in a cheerfully buoyant manner
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
calculatedadjectiveUS /ˈkælkjəleɪtɪd/
carefully thought out in advance
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
dartedverbUS /ˈdɑːrtɪd/
past form of “dart” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
no longer having or seeming to have or expecting to have life
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
floatingadjectiveUS /ˈfloʊtɪŋ/
borne up by or suspended in a liquid
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
any substance that can be metabolized by an animal to give energy and build tissue
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
Havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
headingnounUS /ˈhedɪŋ/
a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
heavingnounUS /ˈhiːvɪŋ/
an upward movement (especially a rhythmical rising and falling)
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
hoistedverbUS /ˈhɔɪstəd/
past form of “hoist” — raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
a small worthless amount
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
an opinion formed by judging something
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
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 The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
longitudenounUS /ˈlɑːndʒətuːd/
the angular distance between a point on any meridian and the prime meridian at Greenwich
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
lugsailnoun
a sail with four corners that is hoisted from a yard that is oblique to the mast
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
north-eastadverbUS /ˌnɔːrˈθiːst/
to, toward, or in the northeast
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
northing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
others
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
PacificnounUS /pəˈsɪfɪk/
the largest ocean in the world
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
a material made of cellulose pulp derived mainly from wood or rags or certain grasses
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
pencilnounUS /ˈpensəl/
a thin cylindrical pointed writing implement; a rod of marking substance encased in wood
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
personallyadverbUS /ˈpɜːrsənəli/
as yourself
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
past form of “pick” — select carefully from a group
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
Pitcairn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
reckoningnounUS /ˈrekənɪŋ/
problem solving that involves numbers or quantities
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
scalenounUS /skeɪl/
an ordered reference standard
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
south-westerly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
specknounUS /spek/
a very small spot
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
steeredverbUS /stɪrd/
past form of “steer” — direct the course; determine the direction of travelling
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
swellverbUS /swel/
increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
in a swift manner
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At daylight they hoisted the lugsail, and steered north-east before a fresh south-westerly breeze, heading for Pitcairn Island.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
trustingadjectiveUS /ˈtrʌstɪŋ/
inclined to believe or confide readily; full of trust
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
uncertainadjectiveUS /ənˈsɜːrtən/
lacking or indicating lack of confidence or assurance
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The whaleboat darted swiftly and buoyantly over the long swell, making good northing, and all hands were in cheerful spirits.
whaleboatnoun
a long narrow boat designed for quick turning and use in rough seas
From this reading "THE OPEN BOAT" Morning broke and showed the whaleboat floating a mere speck upon the heaving blue of the Pacific.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Having got his position to the best of his ability, he arranged a scale and regular allowance of food and water, which he personally served out, the others trusting themselves entirely to his judgment.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Jack, with pencil and paper, worked out his dead reckoning, and calculated the distance to the island; but his great hope was being picked up by a passing vessel, as he was so uncertain about his longitude.
