used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
(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 All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading It did not take me long to recover my breath.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
comparativelyadverbUS /kəmˈperətɪvli/
in a relative manner; by comparison to something else
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
crawledverbUS /krɔːld/
past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading I crawled up the ladder and peered over the rail.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading It did not take me long to recover my breath.
discernverbUS /dɪˈsɜːrn/
detect with the senses
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
distinguishverbUS /dɪˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/
mark as different
From this reading The gloom lay heavy upon the quarter-deck and waist, and objects were hard to distinguish.
eagernessnounUS /ˈiːɡərnəs/
a positive feeling of wanting to push ahead with something
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
fatiguenounUS /fəˈtiːɡ/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
forecastlenoun
living quarters consisting of a superstructure in the bow of a merchant ship where the crew is housed
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
a state of partial or total darkness
From this reading The gloom lay heavy upon the quarter-deck and waist, and objects were hard to distinguish.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading The gloom lay heavy upon the quarter-deck and waist, and objects were hard to distinguish.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The gloom lay heavy upon the quarter-deck and waist, and objects were hard to distinguish.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It did not take me long to recover my breath.
laddernounUS /ˈlædər/
steps consisting of two parallel members connected by rungs; for climbing up or down
From this reading I crawled up the ladder and peered over the rail.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The gloom lay heavy upon the quarter-deck and waist, and objects were hard to distinguish.
plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
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 did not take me long to recover my breath.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It did not take me long to recover my breath.
not in physical motion
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading It did not take me long to recover my breath.
nerved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
not any; not one
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It did not take me long to recover my breath.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
plural of “object” — a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading The gloom lay heavy upon the quarter-deck and waist, and objects were hard to distinguish.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading I crawled up the ladder and peered over the rail.
peeredverbUS /pɪrd/
past form of “peer” — look searchingly
From this reading I crawled up the ladder and peered over the rail.
poopnounUS /puːp/
obscene terms for feces
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
quarter-deck
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The gloom lay heavy upon the quarter-deck and waist, and objects were hard to distinguish.
railnounUS /reɪl/
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading I crawled up the ladder and peered over the rail.
recoververbUS /rɪˈkʌvər/
get or find back; recover the use of
From this reading It did not take me long to recover my breath.
past form of “render” — cause to become
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
riotousadjectiveUS /ˈraɪətəs/
produced or growing in extreme abundance
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
showing reason or sound judgment
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
an alcoholic beverage that is distilled rather than fermented
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon; widely used in construction; mechanical properties can be varied over a wide range
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
swimverbUS /swɪm/
travel through water
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
carry out
From this reading It did not take me long to recover my breath.
an acknowledgment of appreciation
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It did not take me long to recover my breath.
tumultnounUS /ˈtuːməlt/
a state of commotion and noise and confusion
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading I crawled up the ladder and peered over the rail.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The gloom lay heavy upon the quarter-deck and waist, and objects were hard to distinguish.
the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips
From this reading The gloom lay heavy upon the quarter-deck and waist, and objects were hard to distinguish.
close enough to be walked to
From this reading All was motionless, however, there and on the forecastle; but I could now discern two figures walking on the poop on the port side.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The gloom lay heavy upon the quarter-deck and waist, and objects were hard to distinguish.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The swim had, indeed, comparatively speaking, been a short one; there was no tide that I had been in any degree sensible of; and I had lost nothing but breath, thanks to my eagerness, to the riotous tumult of spirits that had nerved my limbs with steel and rendered me unconscious of fatigue.
