aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
at or in the front
From this reading Occasionally he turned and looked ahead, but saw nothing except the mist.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
asternadverb
stern foremost or backward
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
ballasted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
beltsnounUS /belts/
plural of “belt” — endless loop of flexible material between two rotating shafts or pulleys
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading There were no birds about, the water was smooth, and everything was very quiet.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
channelnounUS /ˈtʃænəl/
a path over which electrical signals can pass
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
inflected form of “creep” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
someone who is a detective
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
drainedadjectiveUS /dreɪnd/
emptied or exhausted of (as by drawing off e.g. water or other liquid)
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading There were no birds about, the water was smooth, and everything was very quiet.
apart from; not including
From this reading Occasionally he turned and looked ahead, but saw nothing except the mist.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
to a considerable degree
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Occasionally he turned and looked ahead, but saw nothing except the mist.
become covered with mist
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
not in physical motion
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
not any; not one
From this reading There were no birds about, the water was smooth, and everything was very quiet.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Occasionally he turned and looked ahead, but saw nothing except the mist.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
oarnounUS /ɔːr/
an implement used to propel or steer a boat
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
sporadically and infrequently
From this reading Occasionally he turned and looked ahead, but saw nothing except the mist.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
pantedverbUS /ˈpæntɪd/
past form of “pant” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading There were no birds about, the water was smooth, and everything was very quiet.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
sandsnounUS /sændz/
the region of the shore of a lake or sea or ocean
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
cut with a saw
From this reading Occasionally he turned and looked ahead, but saw nothing except the mist.
sculled
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading There were no birds about, the water was smooth, and everything was very quiet.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were no birds about, the water was smooth, and everything was very quiet.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
precisely as stated
From this reading There were no birds about, the water was smooth, and everything was very quiet.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He felt faint, and the heavily ballasted boat was hard to move, but he thought the tide was turning now and he knew that he must hold out.
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 There were no birds about, the water was smooth, and everything was very quiet.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were no birds about, the water was smooth, and everything was very quiet.
whammel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
at the time that
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The sail lay on deck, and Dick panted as he pulled an oar while his companion sculled astern.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading WHEN THE TIDE TURNED The wind fell as the tide drained out, and belts of mist hung motionless about the sands when the whammel boat crept slowly down to the mouth of the channel.
