used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
alligatornounUS /ˈæləɡeɪtər/
leather made from alligator's hide
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
eagerly desirous
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The alligator, however, was floundering around in the stretch of water between Carl and the _Grampus_.
(military) an offensive against an enemy (using weapons)
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The alligator, however, was floundering around in the stretch of water between Carl and the _Grampus_.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
uncastrated adult male of domestic cattle
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
CARL
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading CARL IN TROUBLE.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
dugoutnounUS /ˈdʌɡaʊt/
either of two low shelters on either side of a baseball diamond where the players and coaches sit during the game
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
opinion or judgment
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
flounderingverbUS /ˈflaʊndərɪŋ/
-ing form of “flounder” — walk with great difficulty
From this reading The alligator, however, was floundering around in the stretch of water between Carl and the _Grampus_.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
Grampusnoun
predatory black-and-white toothed whale with large dorsal fin; common in cold seas
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading The alligator, however, was floundering around in the stretch of water between Carl and the _Grampus_.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading CARL IN TROUBLE.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
Matt'snounUS /mætz/
possessive form of “matt” — the property of having little or no contrast; lacking highlights or gloss
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
MotornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
pitpan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
PretzelnounUS /ˈpretzəl/
glazed and salted cracker typically in the shape of a loose knot
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
prominentadjectiveUS /ˈprɑːmənənt/
having a quality that thrusts itself into attention
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
referredverbUS /rəˈfɜːrd/
inflected form of “refer” — make reference to
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
excited by sudden surprise or alarm and making a quick involuntary movement
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
stretchverbUS /stretʃ/
occupy a large, elongated area
From this reading The alligator, however, was floundering around in the stretch of water between Carl and the _Grampus_.
sensational in appearance or thrilling in effect
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
submarinenounUS /ˈsʌbməriːn/
a submersible warship usually armed with torpedoes
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
the posterior part of the body of a vertebrate especially when elongated and extending beyond the trunk or main part of the body
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
thrashingnounUS /ˈθræʃɪŋ/
a sound defeat
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
a source of difficulty
From this reading CARL IN TROUBLE.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The most prominent object that met Motor Matt's startled eyes was a big bull alligator.
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 creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
wildlyadverbUS /ˈwaɪldli/
to an extreme or greatly exaggerated degree
From this reading Carl Pretzel was in the canoe, and he was wildly anxious to get back to the submarine.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The creature was thrashing about in the water, now striking the sides of the _Grampus_ with its powerful tail, and now making an attack on the pitpan, or dugout canoe, which has already been referred to.
