used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "We are perfectly safe, as there are no other human beings anywhere about."
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading All were too utterly worn out.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
Ann
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
at or in or to any place
From this reading "We are perfectly safe, as there are no other human beings anywhere about."
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading "We are perfectly safe, as there are no other human beings anywhere about."
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "We are perfectly safe, as there are no other human beings anywhere about."
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
beingsnounUS /ˈbiːɪŋz/
plural of “being” — the state or fact of existing
From this reading "We are perfectly safe, as there are no other human beings anywhere about."
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
set up or found
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
houseboatnounUS /ˈhaʊsboʊt/
a barge that is designed and equipped for use as a dwelling
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading "We are perfectly safe, as there are no other human beings anywhere about."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
JennynounUS /ˈdʒeni/
United States architect who designed the first skyscraper in which a metal skeleton was used (1832-1907)
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
landingnounUS /ˈlændɪŋ/
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
not any; not one
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading "We are perfectly safe, as there are no other human beings anywhere about."
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading All were too utterly worn out.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
penetrateverbUS /ˈpenətreɪt/
pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading "We are perfectly safe, as there are no other human beings anywhere about."
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading "We are perfectly safe, as there are no other human beings anywhere about."
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
to-night
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading All were too utterly worn out.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "There is nothing for us, children, but to sleep here on the beach to-night, or go back to our houseboat," declared Miss Jenny Ann.
completely and without qualification; used informally as intensifiers
From this reading All were too utterly worn out.
precisely as stated
From this reading A DESERTED ISLAND The houseboat party did not penetrate very far up the shore.
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "We are perfectly safe, as there are no other human beings anywhere about."
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading All were too utterly worn out.
at the time that
From this reading They walked for a mile or more, and, when they found no sign of life, came back to their landing place.
Damaged or thinned by continuous use.
From this reading All were too utterly worn out.
