in actual fact
From this reading His worst suspicions were true; the ship was actually sinking.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading He heard distinctly the creaking of winches, and knew that the boats were being lowered.
plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading He heard distinctly the creaking of winches, and knew that the boats were being lowered.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
collectverbUS /kəˈlekt/
get or gather together
From this reading For the moment he was unable to collect his ideas.
creakingnounUS /ˈkriːkɪŋ/
a squeaking sound
From this reading He heard distinctly the creaking of winches, and knew that the boats were being lowered.
dimlyadverbUS /ˈdɪmli/
in a dim indistinct manner
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
clear to the mind; with distinct mental discernment
From this reading He heard distinctly the creaking of winches, and knew that the boats were being lowered.
a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
plural of “ear” — the sense organ for hearing and equilibrium
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the moment he was unable to collect his ideas.
graspingnounUS /ˈɡræspɪŋ/
understanding with difficulty
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
handleverbUS /ˈhændəl/
be in charge of, act on, or dispose of
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For the moment he was unable to collect his ideas.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Ken's head whirled.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He heard distinctly the creaking of winches, and knew that the boats were being lowered.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For the moment he was unable to collect his ideas.
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading For the moment he was unable to collect his ideas.
Ken'snounUS /kenz/
possessive form of “ken” — range of what one can know or understand
From this reading Ken's head whirled.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He heard distinctly the creaking of winches, and knew that the boats were being lowered.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
loweredadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərd/
below the surround or below the normal position
From this reading He heard distinctly the creaking of winches, and knew that the boats were being lowered.
a particular point in time
From this reading For the moment he was unable to collect his ideas.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/
above your head; in the sky
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
transport commercially
From this reading His worst suspicions were true; the ship was actually sinking.
in a vehement outcry
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
sinkingnounUS /ˈsɪŋkɪŋ/
a descent as through liquid (especially through water)
From this reading His worst suspicions were true; the ship was actually sinking.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
suspicionsnounUS /səˈspɪʃənz/
plural of “suspicion” — an impression that something might be the case
From this reading His worst suspicions were true; the ship was actually sinking.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He heard distinctly the creaking of winches, and knew that the boats were being lowered.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For the moment he was unable to collect his ideas.
move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading For the moment he was unable to collect his ideas.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading His worst suspicions were true; the ship was actually sinking.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading For the moment he was unable to collect his ideas.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For the moment he was unable to collect his ideas.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He heard distinctly the creaking of winches, and knew that the boats were being lowered.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He stood, grasping the door handle, listening to the thunder of feet overhead and the shouted orders which came dimly to his ears.
whirledverbUS /wɜːrld/
past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading Ken's head whirled.
winches
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He heard distinctly the creaking of winches, and knew that the boats were being lowered.
the least favorable outcome
From this reading His worst suspicions were true; the ship was actually sinking.
