used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE AIR SHIP SPRINGS A LEAK.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading THE AIR SHIP SPRINGS A LEAK.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
ascentnounUS /əˈsent/
an upward slope or grade (as in a road)
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The Hawk had been moored between two trees.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The Hawk had been moored between two trees.
cablesnounUS /ˈkeɪbəlz/
plural of “cable” — a telegram sent abroad
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
an occurrence of something
From this reading And such would have been the case, had nothing gone wrong.
confidentadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnfədənt/
having or marked by confidence or assurance
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
destroyed or killed
From this reading And such would have been the case, had nothing gone wrong.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Hawk had been moored between two trees.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading And such would have been the case, had nothing gone wrong.
HawknounUS /hɔːk/
diurnal bird of prey typically having short rounded wings and a long tail
From this reading The Hawk had been moored between two trees.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
an intermediate platform in a staircase
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
LEAKnounUS /liːk/
an accidental hole that allows something (fluid or light etc.) to enter or escape
From this reading THE AIR SHIP SPRINGS A LEAK.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
MattnounUS /mæt/
the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
mooredverbUS /mʊrd/
past form of “moor” — secure in or as if in a berth or dock
From this reading The Hawk had been moored between two trees.
motornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading And such would have been the case, had nothing gone wrong.
pilotverbUS /ˈpaɪlət/
operate an airplane
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
precedingadjectiveUS /priˈsiːdɪŋ/
existing or coming before
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
in the near future
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
propellernounUS /prəˈpelər/
a mechanical device that rotates to push against air or water
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
ruddernounUS /ˈrʌdər/
a hinged vertical airfoil mounted at the tail of an aircraft and used to make horizontal course changes
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
transport commercially
From this reading THE AIR SHIP SPRINGS A LEAK.
skywardadjectiveUS /ˈskaɪwərd/
directed toward heaven or the sky
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
SPRINGSnounUS /sprɪŋz/
plural of “spring” — the season of growth
From this reading THE AIR SHIP SPRINGS A LEAK.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading And such would have been the case, had nothing gone wrong.
switchedverbUS /swɪtʃt/
past form of “switch” — change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE AIR SHIP SPRINGS A LEAK.
tiltedadjectiveUS /ˈtɪltɪd/
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading The Hawk had been moored between two trees.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The Hawk had been moored between two trees.
untiedadjectiveUS /ənˈtaɪd/
not tied
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The landing had been easily made, the preceding afternoon, and Matt was confident that the ascent could be made as easily.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The cables were untied from the trees and taken aboard, the rudder tilted to pilot the Hawk skyward, the motor was started, and presently the power was switched into the propeller.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading And such would have been the case, had nothing gone wrong.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading And such would have been the case, had nothing gone wrong.
