used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Of my voyage home I do not purpose to tell at length.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading On it I met with none of the mishaps which I had encountered before, so the brandy was wholly needless.
on the far side of; further than
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
brandynounUS /ˈbrændi/
distilled from wine or fermented fruit juice
From this reading On it I met with none of the mishaps which I had encountered before, so the brandy was wholly needless.
briskadjectiveUS /brɪsk/
quick and energetic
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
cordagenounUS /ˈkɔːrdədʒ/
the amount of wood in an area as measured in cords
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
creakingnounUS /ˈkriːkɪŋ/
a squeaking sound
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Of my voyage home I do not purpose to tell at length.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
DutchadjectiveUS /dʌtʃ/
of or relating to the Netherlands or its people or culture
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
encounteredverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/
past form of “encounter” — come together
From this reading On it I met with none of the mishaps which I had encountered before, so the brandy was wholly needless.
estuarynounUS /ˈestʃuːeri/
the wide part of a river where it nears the sea; fresh and salt water mix
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
flappingnounUS /ˈflæpɪŋ/
the motion made by flapping up and down
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
gailyadverbUS /ˈɡeɪli/
in a gay manner
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
past form of “greet” — express greetings upon meeting someone
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading On it I met with none of the mishaps which I had encountered before, so the brandy was wholly needless.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
with gusto and without reservation
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading Of my voyage home I do not purpose to tell at length.
HOME-COMING
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading Of my voyage home I do not purpose to tell at length.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
mishapsnounUS /ˈmɪshæps/
plural of “mishap” — an unpredictable outcome that is unfortunate
From this reading On it I met with none of the mishaps which I had encountered before, so the brandy was wholly needless.
mornnounUS /mɔːrn/
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
needlessadjectiveUS /ˈniːdləs/
unnecessary and unwarranted
From this reading On it I met with none of the mishaps which I had encountered before, so the brandy was wholly needless.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
not one, and not any
From this reading On it I met with none of the mishaps which I had encountered before, so the brandy was wholly needless.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Of my voyage home I do not purpose to tell at length.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading Of my voyage home I do not purpose to tell at length.
water falling in drops from vapor condensed in the atmosphere
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
riggingnounUS /ˈrɪɡɪŋ/
gear consisting of ropes etc. supporting a ship's masts and sails
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
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 "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
sea-wards
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading On it I met with none of the mishaps which I had encountered before, so the brandy was wholly needless.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
in the near future
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
sounoun
a former French coin of low denomination; often used of any small amount of money
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
move hurridly
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
squallverbUS /skwɔːl/
make high-pitched, whiney noises
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
SteennounUS /stiːn/
Dutch genre painter (1626-1679)
From this reading AN ACCOUNT OF MY HOME-COMING Captain Steen met me on deck and greeted me heartily.
sunshiny
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
express in words
From this reading Of my voyage home I do not purpose to tell at length.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
There's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
up to a particular time
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
an act of traveling by water
From this reading Of my voyage home I do not purpose to tell at length.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
at the time that
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
whistledverbUS /ˈwɪsəld/
past form of “whistle” — make whistling sounds
From this reading There was something of a squall of rain which beat on us till we were fairly beyond the Dutch coast; but after that it drew down to the west, and when I awoke the next morn, the sky was blue and sunshiny, and the soft south wind whistled gaily in the rigging.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading On it I met with none of the mishaps which I had encountered before, so the brandy was wholly needless.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading "There’s a brisk wind from the sou’-east," said he, "which should speed us well;" and soon, amid creaking of cordage and flapping of sails, we dropped down the estuary and set our face sea-wards.
in the company of; together with
From this reading On it I met with none of the mishaps which I had encountered before, so the brandy was wholly needless.
