used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The weather was thick and squally, and the night very dark.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
bellsnounUS /belz/
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
marked by lack of attention or consideration or forethought or thoroughness; not careful
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
without variation or change, in every case
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The weather was thick and squally, and the night very dark.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
EarlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
eyesightnounUS /ˈaɪsaɪt/
normal use of the faculty of vision
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
the act of departing
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
helmnounUS /helm/
steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I was in the second mate's watch.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I was in the second mate's watch.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
and nothing more
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
evidencing the possession of inside information
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
leisurelyadverbUS /ˈliːzərli/
in an unhurried way or at one's convenience
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
look-out
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
mate's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was in the second mate's watch.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The weather was thick and squally, and the night very dark.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
express in words
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading I was in the second mate's watch.
deliver by singing
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
squallyadjective
characterized by short periods of noisy commotion
From this reading The weather was thick and squally, and the night very dark.
starboard-bow
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I was in the second mate's watch.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading The weather was thick and squally, and the night very dark.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading The look-out was careless, or had bad eyesight; and the mate, knowing this, was constantly going forward himself.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
a cunning or deceitful action or device
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Early one morning, about four bells in the middle watch--that is to say, about two o'clock--I had just been relieved from my trick at the helm.
precisely as stated
From this reading The weather was thick and squally, and the night very dark.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was in the second mate's watch.
look attentively
From this reading I was in the second mate's watch.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading The weather was thick and squally, and the night very dark.
at the time that
From this reading I was leisurely going along the deck, when I heard him sing out,--"A sail on the starboard-bow!
