used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
aftadverbUS /æft/
at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading THE TWO CLOCKS It was already beginning to grow dark.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She sat, and she sat; she waited, and she waited; and at last she wept, but very quietly.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But she would have nothing; and as she sadly waited and gently wept, it began to grow truly dark.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She sat, and she sat; she waited, and she waited; and at last she wept, but very quietly.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading But she would have nothing; and as she sadly waited and gently wept, it began to grow truly dark.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading THE TWO CLOCKS It was already beginning to grow dark.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
a youthful male person
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She sat, and she sat; she waited, and she waited; and at last she wept, but very quietly.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
CharterverbUS /ˈtʃɑːrtər/
hold under a lease or rental agreement; of goods and services
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
CLOCKSnounUS /klɑːks/
European weed naturalized in southwestern United States and Mexico having reddish decumbent stems with small fernlike leaves and small deep reddish-lavender flowers followed by slender fruits that stick straight up; often grown for forage
From this reading THE TWO CLOCKS It was already beginning to grow dark.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading THE TWO CLOCKS It was already beginning to grow dark.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
elderlyadjectiveUS /ˈeldərli/
advanced in years; (“aged” is pronounced as two syllables)
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
divisible by two
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
a male parent (also used as a term of address to your father)
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
in a gradual manner
From this reading But she would have nothing; and as she sadly waited and gently wept, it began to grow truly dark.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
GreenwaynounUS /ˈɡriːnweɪ/
a belt of parks or rural land surrounding a town or city
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading THE TWO CLOCKS It was already beginning to grow dark.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But she would have nothing; and as she sadly waited and gently wept, it began to grow truly dark.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
a request (spoken or written) to participate or be present or take part in something
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE TWO CLOCKS It was already beginning to grow dark.
immediately past
From this reading She sat, and she sat; she waited, and she waited; and at last she wept, but very quietly.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
mild-faced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading But she would have nothing; and as she sadly waited and gently wept, it began to grow truly dark.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
offersnounUS /ˈɔːfərz/
plural of “offer” — the verbal act of offering
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
with low volume
From this reading She sat, and she sat; she waited, and she waited; and at last she wept, but very quietly.
refreshmentnounUS /rəˈfreʃmənt/
snacks and drinks served as a light meal
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
in an unfortunate way
From this reading But she would have nothing; and as she sadly waited and gently wept, it began to grow truly dark.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading She sat, and she sat; she waited, and she waited; and at last she wept, but very quietly.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She sat, and she sat; she waited, and she waited; and at last she wept, but very quietly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE TWO CLOCKS It was already beginning to grow dark.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Her father did not come; Ben Greenway was not there; and even that Charter boy had gone.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE TWO CLOCKS It was already beginning to grow dark.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading But she would have nothing; and as she sadly waited and gently wept, it began to grow truly dark.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading THE TWO CLOCKS It was already beginning to grow dark.
precisely as stated
From this reading She sat, and she sat; she waited, and she waited; and at last she wept, but very quietly.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading She sat, and she sat; she waited, and she waited; and at last she wept, but very quietly.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE TWO CLOCKS It was already beginning to grow dark.
inflected form of “weep” — shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain
From this reading She sat, and she sat; she waited, and she waited; and at last she wept, but very quietly.
in the company of; together with
From this reading A man came aft to her; a mild-faced, elderly man, with further offers of refreshment and an invitation to go below out of the night air.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But she would have nothing; and as she sadly waited and gently wept, it began to grow truly dark.
