used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "What shall I talk to you about?"
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
any thing at all
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
AtlanticnounUS /ətˈlæntɪk/
the 2nd largest ocean; separates North and South America on the west from Europe and Africa on the east
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
boat-house
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
placed crosswise
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
cushionsnounUS /ˈkʊʃənz/
plural of “cushion” — a mechanical damper; absorbs energy of sudden impulses
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
divisible by two
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
a young female
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "You terrify me, lady," he murmured.
helpingnounUS /ˈhelpɪŋ/
an individual quantity of food or drink taken as part of a meal
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
InnumerableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnuːmərəbəl/
too numerous to be counted
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
inspectionnounUS /ˌɪnˈspekʃən/
a formal or official examination
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
Joan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
a polite name for any woman
From this reading "You terrify me, lady," he murmured.
a body of (usually fresh) water surrounded by land
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
engage in
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
past form of “murmur” — speak softly or indistinctly
From this reading "You terrify me, lady," he murmured.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
an organization to gain political power
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
preventedverbUS /prɪˈventɪd/
past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
promiscuouslyadverb
in an indiscriminate manner
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
pushverbUS /pʊʃ/
move with force
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
remotelyadverbUS /riˈmoʊtli/
in a remote manner
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
express in words
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
occurring or distributed over widely spaced and irregular intervals in time or space
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
in a serious manner
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
past form of “serve” — serve a purpose, role, or function
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading "What shall I talk to you about?"
terrifyverbUS /ˈterəfaɪ/
fill with terror; frighten greatly
From this reading "You terrify me, lady," he murmured.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
threatnounUS /θret/
something that is a source of danger
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
upsetverbUS /əpˈset/
disturb the balance or stability of
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
VanenounUS /veɪn/
mechanical device attached to an elevated structure; rotates freely to show the direction of the wind
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Innumerable cushions scattered promiscuously served to make it comfortable, and as the girl spoke Vane from his seat in the stern was helping to push the boat from the boat-house.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What shall I talk to you about?"
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
in the company of; together with
From this reading An inspection of the general lines of the boat prevented Vane from taking the threat too seriously; with anything approaching luck a party of four could have crossed the Atlantic in it.
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "If you say one word to me this afternoon which might even be remotely twisted into being serious," said Joan, "I shall upset you in the middle of the lake."
