used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading A sinewy patriarch stumps to a window, flourishes his arm at an ancient two-master, and booms out:
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading A sinewy patriarch stumps to a window, flourishes his arm at an ancient two-master, and booms out:
armchairsnounUS /ˈɑːrmtʃerz/
plural of “armchair” — chair with a support on each side for arms
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "That vessel of mine is as sound as a nut, I tell ye.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
beggingnounUS /ˈbeɡɪŋ/
a solicitation for money or food (especially in the street by an apparently penniless person)
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
plural of “begin” — Israeli statesman (born in Russia) who (as prime minister of Israel) negotiated a peace treaty with Anwar Sadat (then the president of Egypt) (1913-1992)
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
boomsnounUS /buːmz/
plural of “boom” — a deep prolonged loud noise
From this reading A sinewy patriarch stumps to a window, flourishes his arm at an ancient two-master, and booms out:
briskeradjectiveUS /ˈbrɪskər/
comparative of “brisk” — quick and energetic
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
capaciousadjectiveUS /kəˈpeɪʃəs/
large in capacity
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
captainsnounUS /ˈkæptənz/
plural of “captain” — an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
chartersnounUS /ˈtʃɑːrtərz/
plural of “charter” — a document incorporating an institution and specifying its rights; includes the articles of incorporation and the certificate of incorporation
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
a team of professional baseball players who play and travel together
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
coastwiseadjective
along or following a coast
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
environmentnounUS /ɪnˈvaɪrənmənt/
the totality of surrounding conditions
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
flourishesnounUS /ˈflɜːrɪʃəz/
plural of “flourish” — a showy gesture
From this reading A sinewy patriarch stumps to a window, flourishes his arm at an ancient two-master, and booms out:
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
foregatherverb
collect in one place
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
gaitnounUS /ɡeɪt/
the rate of moving (especially walking or running)
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
harmonizesverbUS /ˈhɑːrmənaɪzɪz/
third-person singular of “harmonize” — go together
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A sinewy patriarch stumps to a window, flourishes his arm at an ancient two-master, and booms out:
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "That vessel of mine is as sound as a nut, I tell ye.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
informaladjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈfɔːrməl/
not formal
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading "That vessel of mine is as sound as a nut, I tell ye.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
nutnounUS /nʌt/
usually large hard-shelled seed
From this reading "That vessel of mine is as sound as a nut, I tell ye.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
on one occasion
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading A sinewy patriarch stumps to a window, flourishes his arm at an ancient two-master, and booms out:
patriarchnounUS /ˈpeɪtriɑːrk/
title for the heads of the Eastern Orthodox Churches (in Istanbul and Alexandria and Moscow and Jerusalem)
From this reading A sinewy patriarch stumps to a window, flourishes his arm at an ancient two-master, and booms out:
sawdustnounUS /ˈsɔːdʌst/
fine particles of wood made by sawing wood
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
ship-chandler's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
shopsnounUS /ʃɑːps/
plural of “shop” — a mercantile establishment for the retail sale of goods or services
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
sinewyadjectiveUS /ˈsɪnjuːi/
(of meat) full of sinews; especially impossible to chew
From this reading A sinewy patriarch stumps to a window, flourishes his arm at an ancient two-master, and booms out:
skippersnounUS /ˈskɪpərz/
plural of “skipper” — a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading "That vessel of mine is as sound as a nut, I tell ye.
strewnverbUS /struːn/
inflected form of “strew” — spread by scattering ("straw" is archaic)
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
stumpsnounUS /stʌmps/
plural of “stump” — the base part of a tree that remains standing after the tree has been felled
From this reading A sinewy patriarch stumps to a window, flourishes his arm at an ancient two-master, and booms out:
plural of “tale” — a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
express in words
From this reading "That vessel of mine is as sound as a nut, I tell ye.
status with respect to the relations between people or groups
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It is an informal club of coastwise skippers and the old energy begins to show itself once more.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
two-master
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A sinewy patriarch stumps to a window, flourishes his arm at an ancient two-master, and booms out:
a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading "That vessel of mine is as sound as a nut, I tell ye.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
at the time that
From this reading They move with a brisker gait than when times were so hard and they went begging for charters at any terms.
in or at the place that
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
a framework of wood or metal that contains a glass windowpane and is built into a wall or roof to admit light or air
From this reading A sinewy patriarch stumps to a window, flourishes his arm at an ancient two-master, and booms out:
in the company of; together with
From this reading The captains of these craft foregather in the ship-chandler's shops, where the floor is strewn with sawdust, the armchairs are capacious, and the environment harmonizes with the tales that are told.
an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person
From this reading "That vessel of mine is as sound as a nut, I tell ye.
