Chapter I · Chapter 1

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

anew

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And ah, for old Lieutenant Chock-a-Block— Fast, wife, chock-fast to death’s black dock!

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Where sails he now, that trim sailing-master, Slender, yes, as the ship’s sky-s’l pole?

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light

From this reading And ah, for old Lieutenant Chock-a-Block— Fast, wife, chock-fast to death’s black dock!

a tight-fitting headdress

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

as completely as possible

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And ah, for old Lieutenant Chock-a-Block— Fast, wife, chock-fast to death’s black dock!

used of a height or viewpoint

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

delicately beautiful

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

possessive form of “death” — the event of dying or departure from life

From this reading And ah, for old Lieutenant Chock-a-Block— Fast, wife, chock-fast to death’s black dock!

in a dim indistinct manner

From this reading Dimly I mind me of some sad disaster— Dainty Dave was dropped from the navy-roll!

a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune

From this reading Dimly I mind me of some sad disaster— Dainty Dave was dropped from the navy-roll!

an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial

From this reading And ah, for old Lieutenant Chock-a-Block— Fast, wife, chock-fast to death’s black dock!

inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground

From this reading Dimly I mind me of some sad disaster— Dainty Dave was dropped from the navy-roll!

the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

opinion or judgment

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)

From this reading And ah, for old Lieutenant Chock-a-Block— Fast, wife, chock-fast to death’s black dock!

plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading And ah, for old Lieutenant Chock-a-Block— Fast, wife, chock-fast to death’s black dock!

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading Dimly I mind me of some sad disaster— Dainty Dave was dropped from the navy-roll!

change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

a commissioned military officer

From this reading And ah, for old Lieutenant Chock-a-Block— Fast, wife, chock-fast to death’s black dock!

attach a tag or label to

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Dimly I mind me of some sad disaster— Dainty Dave was dropped from the navy-roll!

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading Dimly I mind me of some sad disaster— Dainty Dave was dropped from the navy-roll!

the natural satellite of the Earth

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

belonging to the person speaking

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Dimly I mind me of some sad disaster— Dainty Dave was dropped from the navy-roll!

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Where sails he now, that trim sailing-master, Slender, yes, as the ship’s sky-s’l pole?

a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

according to the clock

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Dimly I mind me of some sad disaster— Dainty Dave was dropped from the navy-roll!

(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

(music) the speed at which a composition is to be played

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

lacking clarity of meaning; causing confusion or perplexity

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

a long (usually round) rod of wood or metal or plastic

From this reading Where sails he now, that trim sailing-master, Slender, yes, as the ship’s sky-s’l pole?

feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

-ing form of “retrace” — to go back over again

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

experiencing or showing sorrow or unhappiness

From this reading Dimly I mind me of some sad disaster— Dainty Dave was dropped from the navy-roll!

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

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 Where sails he now, that trim sailing-master, Slender, yes, as the ship’s sky-s’l pole?

a unit of angular distance equal to 60 degrees

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

possessive form of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight

From this reading Where sails he now, that trim sailing-master, Slender, yes, as the ship’s sky-s’l pole?

give an exhibition of to an interested audience

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

term of address for a man

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Where sails he now, that trim sailing-master, Slender, yes, as the ship’s sky-s’l pole?

being of delicate or slender build

From this reading Where sails he now, that trim sailing-master, Slender, yes, as the ship’s sky-s’l pole?

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Dimly I mind me of some sad disaster— Dainty Dave was dropped from the navy-roll!

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

having eyes half closed in order to see better

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

plural of “stand” — a support or foundation

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

the railing around the stern of a ship

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

arousing affect

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

remove the edges from and cut down to the desired size

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

a short stout club used primarily by policemen

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course

From this reading Ay, and again on the lee-side pacing, My spy-glass carrying, a truncheon in show, Turning at the taffrail, my footsteps retracing, Proud in my duty, again methinks I go.

the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Dimly I mind me of some sad disaster— Dainty Dave was dropped from the navy-roll!

in or at the place that

From this reading And Dave, Dainty Dave, I mark where he stands, Our trim sailing-master, to time the high-noon, That thingumbob sextant perplexing eyes and hands, Squinting at the sun, or twigging o’ the moon; Then, touching his cap to Old Chock-a-Block Commanding the quarter-deck,—“Sir, twelve o’clock.”

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading And ah, for old Lieutenant Chock-a-Block— Fast, wife, chock-fast to death’s black dock!

an affirmative

From this reading Where sails he now, that trim sailing-master, Slender, yes, as the ship’s sky-s’l pole?