used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
something done (usually as opposed to something said)
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
anthracitenounUS /ˈænθrəsaɪt/
a hard natural coal that burns slowly and gives intense heat
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
past form of “approach” — move towards
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
the event of one object coming closer to another
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading By this time the smokestack of the Bronx was vomiting forth dense clouds of black smoke.
blockadenounUS /ˌblɑːˈkeɪd/
a war measure that isolates some area of importance to the enemy
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
BronxnounUS /brɑːŋks/
a borough of New York City
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
burnsnounUS /bɜːrnz/
United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
Christy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading By this time the smokestack of the Bronx was vomiting forth dense clouds of black smoke.
coalnounUS /koʊl/
fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
comparativelyadverbUS /kəmˈperətɪvli/
in a relative manner; by comparison to something else
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading By this time the smokestack of the Bronx was vomiting forth dense clouds of black smoke.
departmentnounUS /dɪˈpɑːrtmənt/
a specialized division of a large organization
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
having the place or position changed
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
exclusivelyadverbUS /ɪkˈskluːsɪvli/
without any others being included or involved
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
fleetnounUS /fliːt/
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
FOGnounUS /fɑːɡ/
droplets of water vapor suspended in the air near the ground
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading By this time the smokestack of the Bronx was vomiting forth dense clouds of black smoke.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
only a very short time before
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
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 Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
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 THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
not in physical motion
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
of or relating to or belonging to a nation or country
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
navaladjectiveUS /ˈneɪvəl/
connected with or belonging to or used in a navy
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
navynounUS /ˈneɪvi/
an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
past form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
procureverbUS /proʊˈkjʊr/
get by special effort
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
propellernounUS /prəˈpelər/
a mechanical device that rotates to push against air or water
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
-ing form of “rest” — not move; be in a resting position
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
runnersnounUS /ˈrʌnərz/
plural of “runner” — someone who imports or exports without paying duties
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
salenounUS /seɪl/
a particular instance of selling
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading By this time the smokestack of the Bronx was vomiting forth dense clouds of black smoke.
smokelessadjectiveUS /ˈsmoʊkləs/
emitting or containing little or no smoke
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
smokestacknounUS /ˈsmoʊkstæk/
a large tall chimney through which combustion gases and smoke can be evacuated
From this reading By this time the smokestack of the Bronx was vomiting forth dense clouds of black smoke.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
plural of “state” — the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
stealverbUS /stiːl/
take without the owner's consent
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
STEAMERnounUS /ˈstiːmər/
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
steamersnounUS /ˈstiːmərz/
plural of “steamer” — a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
a flight of stairs or a flight of steps
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
the capital raised by a corporation through the issue of shares entitling holders to an ownership interest
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
swellsnounUS /swelz/
plural of “swell” — the undulating movement of the surface of the open sea
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
telltaleadjectiveUS /ˈtelteɪl/
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading By this time the smokestack of the Bronx was vomiting forth dense clouds of black smoke.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading By this time the smokestack of the Bronx was vomiting forth dense clouds of black smoke.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
UnitedadjectiveUS /juːˈnaɪtɪd/
characterized by unity; being or joined into a single entity
From this reading The attention of the naval department of the United States had already been given to this subject, and the first steps had been taken to prevent the sale of this comparatively smokeless coal where it could be obtained by the blockade runners.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
vesselsnounUS /ˈvesəlz/
plural of “vessel” — a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
vomitingnounUS /ˈvɑːmətɪŋ/
the reflex act of ejecting the contents of the stomach through the mouth
From this reading By this time the smokestack of the Bronx was vomiting forth dense clouds of black smoke.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
any or all of a kind, it does not matter which
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
in or at the place that
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE STEAMER IN THE FOG The Bronx was slowly approaching the steamer in the fog, which appeared to have stopped her propeller, and to be resting motionless on the long swells, hardly disturbed by a breath of air.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Christy had been on the blockade; and he had been in action with a steamer from the other side of the ocean; and he knew that this black smoke of the soft coal, exclusively used by English steamers, was a telltale in regard to such vessels.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading The steamers of the navy used anthracite coal, which burns without any great volume of smoke, and blockade runners had already begun to lay in whatever stock of it they were able to procure to be used as they approached the coast where they were to steal through the national fleet.
