used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
barelyadverbUS /ˈberli/
only a very short time before
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
past form of “believe” — accept as true; take to be true
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
bound or obligated, as under a pledge to a particular cause, action, or attitude
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
a flow of electricity through a conductor
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
increase twofold
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
having experience; having knowledge or skill from observation or participation
From this reading Waring and Pat experienced some peculiar sensations, as they toiled at the oar.
flat-boat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading GROUND.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
past form of “happen” — come to pass
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
12 o'clock at night; the middle of the night
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
a particular point in time
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
used to form the superlative
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
in accordance with nature; relating to or concerning nature
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
oarnounUS /ɔːr/
an implement used to propel or steer a boat
From this reading Waring and Pat experienced some peculiar sensations, as they toiled at the oar.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
causing physical or psychological pain
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
PatverbUS /pæt/
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading Waring and Pat experienced some peculiar sensations, as they toiled at the oar.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Waring and Pat experienced some peculiar sensations, as they toiled at the oar.
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
sensationsnounUS /senˈseɪʃənz/
plural of “sensation” — an unelaborated elementary awareness of stimulation
From this reading Waring and Pat experienced some peculiar sensations, as they toiled at the oar.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
the general state of things; the combination of circumstances at a given time
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Waring and Pat experienced some peculiar sensations, as they toiled at the oar.
suspensenounUS /səˈspens/
apprehension about what is going to happen
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
sweepingadjectiveUS /ˈswiːpɪŋ/
taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
toiledverbUS /tɔɪld/
past form of “toil” — work hard
From this reading Waring and Pat experienced some peculiar sensations, as they toiled at the oar.
usualadjectiveUS /ˈjuːʒəwəl/
occurring or encountered or experienced or observed frequently or in accordance with regular practice or procedure
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
WaringverbUS /ˈwerɪŋ/
-ing form of “ware” — spend extravagantly
From this reading Waring and Pat experienced some peculiar sensations, as they toiled at the oar.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
at the time that
From this reading Thus it happened that at the moment of sweeping out into the current, each believed it to be about three o'clock in the morning, and were looking for the appearance of the moon, when, in reality, it was barely midnight.
whitesnounUS /waɪts/
plural of “white” — a Caucasian
From this reading The whites on the flat-boat had committed a mistake natural to persons in their situation.
inflected form of “wear” — be dressed in
From this reading As they waited along shore, in the most painful suspense, the hours wore slowly away, and seemed double their usual length.
