used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A STUNNING DISCOVERY.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
(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 In an instant all was confusion!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading In an instant all was confusion!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
outward or visible aspect of a person or thing
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
to a severe or serious degree
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
a youthful male person
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
lacking funds
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
clutchnounUS /klʌtʃ/
the act of grasping
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
disorder resulting from a failure to behave predictably
From this reading In an instant all was confusion!
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
past form of “disappear” — get lost, as without warning or explanation
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
the act of discovering something
From this reading A STUNNING DISCOVERY.
the point or degree to which something extends
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
having an (over)abundance of flesh
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
a boy or man
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
made afraid
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
heroicallyadverbUS /ˌhɪˈroʊɪkli/
in a heroic manner
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In an instant all was confusion!
inletnounUS /ˈɪnlet/
an arm off of a larger body of water (often between rocky headlands)
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading In an instant all was confusion!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
conformity or harmony
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
NickverbUS /nɪk/
cut slightly, with a razor
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
shoutsnounUS /ʃaʊts/
plural of “shout” — a loud utterance; often in protest or opposition
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
in the near future
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
plural of “sort” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
speedilyadverbUS /ˈspiːdəli/
with speed
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
stalledverbUS /stɔːld/
past form of “stall” — postpone doing what one should be doing
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
STUNNINGadjectiveUS /ˈstʌnɪŋ/
commanding attention
From this reading A STUNNING DISCOVERY.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
swimverbUS /swɪm/
travel through water
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
terriblyadverbUS /ˈterəbli/
used as intensifiers
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
totteringadjectiveUS /ˈtɑːtərɪŋ/
unsteady in gait as from infirmity or old age
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
upsettingadjectiveUS /əpˈsetɪŋ/
causing an emotional disturbance
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
characteristic of false pride; having an exaggerated sense of self-importance
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading In an instant all was confusion!
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 Nick had disappeared as soon as he struck the water, but such a fat fellow could not long remain under the surface, so he speedily made his appearance, struggling terribly, and looking badly frightened.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
at the time that
From this reading There had been a time when Nick could not swim a stroke; but, by keeping heroically at it, he had managed to master the art to some extent.
which person or people
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
WirelessnounUS /ˈwaɪrlɪs/
medium for communication
From this reading All sorts of shouts broke from the boys; and George, leaning over the side of his stalled _Wireless_, in the vain hope of being able to clutch the boy who was in the dangerous waters of the inlet, came near upsetting his tottering boat completely.
