used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading SAVED BY A TORPEDO.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
(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 The torpedo, he quickly discovered, was a Whitehead--a powerful and deadly engine in use by all the navies of the world.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading SAVED BY A TORPEDO.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading The torpedo, he quickly discovered, was a Whitehead--a powerful and deadly engine in use by all the navies of the world.
diameternounUS /daɪˈæmətər/
the length of a straight line passing through the center of a circle and connecting two points on the circumference
From this reading It was about seventeen feet long and a foot and a half in diameter.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading The torpedo, he quickly discovered, was a Whitehead--a powerful and deadly engine in use by all the navies of the world.
drenchedadjectiveUS /drentʃt/
abundantly covered or supplied with; often used in combination
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading The torpedo, he quickly discovered, was a Whitehead--a powerful and deadly engine in use by all the navies of the world.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading It was about seventeen feet long and a foot and a half in diameter.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading It was about seventeen feet long and a foot and a half in diameter.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading It was about seventeen feet long and a foot and a half in diameter.
handholdnounUS /ˈhændhoʊld/
an appendage to hold onto
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The torpedo, he quickly discovered, was a Whitehead--a powerful and deadly engine in use by all the navies of the world.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
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 It was about seventeen feet long and a foot and a half in diameter.
loopsnounUS /luːps/
plural of “loop” — fastener consisting of a metal ring for lining a small hole to permit the attachment of cords or lines
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
Matt'snounUS /mætz/
possessive form of “matt” — the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
naviesnounUS /ˈneɪviz/
plural of “navy” — an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare
From this reading The torpedo, he quickly discovered, was a Whitehead--a powerful and deadly engine in use by all the navies of the world.
noosenounUS /nuːs/
a trap for birds or small mammals; often has a slip noose
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
in other respects or ways
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
go across or through
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
by chance
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading The torpedo, he quickly discovered, was a Whitehead--a powerful and deadly engine in use by all the navies of the world.
with speed
From this reading The torpedo, he quickly discovered, was a Whitehead--a powerful and deadly engine in use by all the navies of the world.
past form of “render” — cause to become
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
a strong line
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading SAVED BY A TORPEDO.
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
seventeenadjectiveUS /ˈsevənˈtiːn/
being one more than sixteen
From this reading It was about seventeen feet long and a foot and a half in diameter.
shellnounUS /ʃel/
ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
slipperyadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpəri/
causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
carry out
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
The passage at the back of the mouth.
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
TORPEDOnounUS /tɔːrˈpiːdoʊ/
a professional killer who uses a gun
From this reading SAVED BY A TORPEDO.
tyingnounUS /ˈtaɪɪŋ/
the act of tying or binding things together
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
the act of using
From this reading The torpedo, he quickly discovered, was a Whitehead--a powerful and deadly engine in use by all the navies of the world.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Matt's first move was to take the noose from about his throat and pass the rope around and around the torpedo, tying it fast.
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 The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
WhiteheadnounUS /ˈwaɪthed/
English philosopher and mathematician who collaborated with Bertrand Russell (1861-1947)
From this reading The torpedo, he quickly discovered, was a Whitehead--a powerful and deadly engine in use by all the navies of the world.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The loops of the rope gave him a handhold which he could not possibly have secured otherwise on the hard, smooth shell, rendered slippery by the water with which it was drenched.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The torpedo, he quickly discovered, was a Whitehead--a powerful and deadly engine in use by all the navies of the world.
