used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A GALE OF WIND.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A man out of the port watch came to the wheel, and stood yawning, scarcely awake.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At midnight Holdsworth came on deck to relieve the second mate.
a particular environment or surrounding influence
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
awakeadjectiveUS /əˈweɪk/
not in a state of sleep; completely conscious
From this reading A man out of the port watch came to the wheel, and stood yawning, scarcely awake.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading At midnight Holdsworth came on deck to relieve the second mate.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading At midnight Holdsworth came on deck to relieve the second mate.
decksnounUS /deks/
plural of “deck” — any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
ebonynounUS /ˈebəni/
a very dark black
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
eddiesnounUS /ˈediz/
plural of “eddy” — founder of Christian Science in 1866 (1821-1910)
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
flappedverbUS /flæpt/
inflected form of “flap” — move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
GALEnounUS /ɡeɪl/
a strong wind moving 45-90 knots; force 7 to 10 on Beaufort scale
From this reading A GALE OF WIND.
gleamedverbUS /ɡliːmd/
past form of “gleam” — be shiny, as if wet
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
hazyadjectiveUS /ˈheɪzi/
filled or abounding with fog or mist
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
Holdsworth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At midnight Holdsworth came on deck to relieve the second mate.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A man out of the port watch came to the wheel, and stood yawning, scarcely awake.
mastsnounUS /mæsts/
plural of “mast” — a vertical spar for supporting sails
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading At midnight Holdsworth came on deck to relieve the second mate.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading At midnight Holdsworth came on deck to relieve the second mate.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A GALE OF WIND.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At midnight Holdsworth came on deck to relieve the second mate.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading A man out of the port watch came to the wheel, and stood yawning, scarcely awake.
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading A man out of the port watch came to the wheel, and stood yawning, scarcely awake.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
relieveverbUS /rɪˈliːv/
provide physical relief, as from pain
From this reading At midnight Holdsworth came on deck to relieve the second mate.
move upward
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
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 The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
only a very short time before
From this reading A man out of the port watch came to the wheel, and stood yawning, scarcely awake.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading At midnight Holdsworth came on deck to relieve the second mate.
transport commercially
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
sparely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading A man out of the port watch came to the wheel, and stood yawning, scarcely awake.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At midnight Holdsworth came on deck to relieve the second mate.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The rise and fall of the ship flapped the sails against the masts and drove eddies of air about the decks, but in reality there was not a breath of wind.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At midnight Holdsworth came on deck to relieve the second mate.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
look attentively
From this reading A man out of the port watch came to the wheel, and stood yawning, scarcely awake.
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading A man out of the port watch came to the wheel, and stood yawning, scarcely awake.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The night was dark--a hazy atmosphere through which the stars gleamed sparely, and the sea like ebony.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading A GALE OF WIND.
yawningadjectiveUS /ˈjɔːnɪŋ/
gaping open as if threatening to engulf someone or something
From this reading A man out of the port watch came to the wheel, and stood yawning, scarcely awake.
