used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
in addition
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
anchoredverbUS /ˈæŋkərd/
past form of “anchor” — fix firmly and stably
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
BUNTINGnounUS /ˈbʌntɪŋ/
a loosely woven fabric used for flags, etc.
From this reading CAPTAIN JOPPA BUNTING.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading CAPTAIN JOPPA BUNTING.
put or send forth
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
to make a rush at or sudden attack upon, as in battle
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
ChinesenounUS /tʃaɪˈniːz/
any of the Sino-Tibetan languages spoken in China; regarded as dialects of a single language (even though they are mutually unintelligible) because they share an ideographic writing system
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
colouredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading There were four or five coloured seamen standing near, looking on.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
countenancesnounUS /ˈkaʊntənənsɪz/
plural of “countenance” — the appearance conveyed by a person's face
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
discolouring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
duskyadjective
lighted by or as if by twilight
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
EuropeannounUS /ˌjʊrəˈpiːən/
a native or inhabitant of Europe
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
opinion or judgment
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
plural of “face” — the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
plural of “feature” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
marked by extreme and violent energy
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading There were four or five coloured seamen standing near, looking on.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading There were four or five coloured seamen standing near, looking on.
past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
huddleverbUS /ˈhʌdəl/
crowd or draw together
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
JOPPAnoun
a port in western Israel on the Mediterranean; incorporated into Tel Aviv in 1950
From this reading CAPTAIN JOPPA BUNTING.
lemon-coloured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
lifeboatnounUS /ˈlaɪfboʊt/
a strong sea boat designed to rescue people from a sinking ship
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading There were four or five coloured seamen standing near, looking on.
MalaysnounUS /məˈleɪz/
plural of “malay” — a member of a people inhabiting the northern Malay Peninsula and Malaysia and parts of the western Malay Archipelago
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
being excited or provoked to the expression of an emotion
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading There were four or five coloured seamen standing near, looking on.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
an announcement containing information about an event
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading There were four or five coloured seamen standing near, looking on.
on one occasion
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There were four or five coloured seamen standing near, looking on.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
a customary way of operation or behavior
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
seamennounUS /ˈsiːmən/
plural of “seaman” — a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading There were four or five coloured seamen standing near, looking on.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
transport commercially
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
having a supporting base
From this reading There were four or five coloured seamen standing near, looking on.
stealthyadjectiveUS /ˈstelθi/
marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
carry out
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There were four or five coloured seamen standing near, looking on.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Though I could not have been sure, I guessed them to be Malays by the somewhat Chinese cast of their features.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading There were four or five coloured seamen standing near, looking on.
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
a Caucasian
From this reading I had seen such faces once before, discolouring a huddle of white countenances of European seamen looking over the side of a ship, anchored in our bay, at the lifeboat I was in charge of for an hour or two of practice.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I also caught the fierce lemon-coloured creature at the wheel following the Captain, as he moved about, with his stealthy dusky eyes; but more than this I had not time to take notice of.
