used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
inflected form of “admit” — declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Half an hour later, things drew near a crisis.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
beamnounUS /biːm/
a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
plural of “blow” — a powerful stroke with the fist or a weapon
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
bow-gun
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
inflected form of “bring” — take something or somebody with oneself somewhere
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
careeringverbUS /kərˈɪrɪŋ/
-ing form of “career” — move headlong at high speed
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
rid of obstructions
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
commandernounUS /kəˈmændər/
an officer in command of a military unit
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
crisisnounUS /ˈkraɪsəs/
an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty
From this reading Half an hour later, things drew near a crisis.
the first light of day
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
without deviation
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
separated in space or coming from or going to a distance
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading Half an hour later, things drew near a crisis.
divisible by two
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
free from favoritism or self-interest or bias or deception; conforming with established standards or rules
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
plural of “feel” — an intuitive awareness
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
firedadjectiveUS /ˈfaɪərd/
having lost your job
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
fore-foot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
gunpowdernounUS /ˈɡʌnpaʊdər/
a mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur in a 75:15:10 ratio which is used in gunnery, time fuses, and fireworks
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Half an hour later, things drew near a crisis.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Half an hour later, things drew near a crisis.
ten 10s
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
induceverbUS /ˌɪnˈduːs/
cause to arise
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
keelsnounUS /kiːlz/
plural of “keel” — a projection or ridge that suggests a keel
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
immediately past
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
happening at a time subsequent to a reference time
From this reading Half an hour later, things drew near a crisis.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
LeandernounUS /liˈændər/
(Greek mythology) a youth beloved of Hero who drowned in a storm in the Hellespont on one of his nightly visits to see her
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
leapnounUS /liːp/
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
leapsnounUS /liːps/
plural of “leap” — a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
luffnounUS /lʌf/
(nautical) the forward edge of a fore-and-aft sail that is next to the mast
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
Montauk
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Half an hour later, things drew near a crisis.
under a moral obligation to do something
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
and nothing more
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
preciselyadverbUS /prɪˈsaɪsli/
indicating exactness or preciseness
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
pressurenounUS /ˈpreʃər/
the force applied to a unit area of surface; measured in pascals (SI unit) or in dynes (cgs unit)
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
reefnounUS /riːf/
a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
richochèd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
advancing or becoming higher or greater in degree or value or status
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
seasnounUS /siːz/
plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
stemnounUS /stem/
(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
swiftestadjectiveUS /ˈswɪftəst/
superlative of “swift” — moving very fast
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Half an hour later, things drew near a crisis.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
make an effort or attempt
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
twelve-pounder
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
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 Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading This brought the fifty so near us, directly on our weather beam, as to induce her commander to try the virtue of gunpowder.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
WillisnounUS /ˈwɪlɪs/
English physician who was a pioneer in the study of the brain (1621-1675)
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading "The wind blows fair, the vessel feels The pressure of the rising breeze, And, swiftest of a thousand keels She leaps to the careering seas--" Willis.
in the company of; together with
From this reading We had been obliged to luff a little, in order to clear a reef that even Marble admitted lay off Montauk, while the Leander had kept quite as much away, with a view to close.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading Her bow-gun was fired, and its shot, only a twelve-pounder, richochèd until it fairly passed our fore-foot, distant a hundred yards, making its last leap from the water precisely in a line with the stem of the Dawn.
