used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
in addition
From this reading Also they certainly saw an old barque, close hauled, jamming away into the heart of the dirt.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Also they certainly saw an old barque, close hauled, jamming away into the heart of the dirt.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
eagerly desirous
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Also they certainly saw an old barque, close hauled, jamming away into the heart of the dirt.
barquenoun
a sailing ship with 3 (or more) masts
From this reading Also they certainly saw an old barque, close hauled, jamming away into the heart of the dirt.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
blowingnounUS /ˈbloʊɪŋ/
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading Also they certainly saw an old barque, close hauled, jamming away into the heart of the dirt.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
providing or experiencing physical well-being or relief (“comfy” is informal)
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
creaming
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
dirtnounUS /dɜːrt/
the part of the earth's surface consisting of humus and disintegrated rock
From this reading Also they certainly saw an old barque, close hauled, jamming away into the heart of the dirt.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
enginesnounUS /ˈendʒənz/
plural of “engine” — motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
foamnounUS /foʊm/
a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
forwardsadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərdz/
at or to or toward the front
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
the act of departing
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
hauledverbUS /hɔːld/
past form of “haul” — draw slowly or heavily
From this reading Also they certainly saw an old barque, close hauled, jamming away into the heart of the dirt.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Also they certainly saw an old barque, close hauled, jamming away into the heart of the dirt.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Also they certainly saw an old barque, close hauled, jamming away into the heart of the dirt.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
jammingnounUS /ˈdʒæmɪŋ/
deliberate radiation or reflection of electromagnetic energy for the purpose of disrupting enemy use of electronic devices or systems
From this reading Also they certainly saw an old barque, close hauled, jamming away into the heart of the dirt.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
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 They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Also they certainly saw an old barque, close hauled, jamming away into the heart of the dirt.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
on one occasion
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
ReasonablyadverbUS /ˈriːzənəbli/
to certain extent or degree
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
cut with a saw
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
shelteredadjectiveUS /ˈʃeltərd/
protected from danger or bad weather
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
(photography) the act of assuming a certain position (as for a photograph or portrait)
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
smotherverbUS /ˈsmʌðər/
envelop completely
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
strainedadjectiveUS /streɪnd/
lacking natural ease
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
past form of “talk” — exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
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 They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
thumpverbUS /θʌmp/
move rhythmically
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading Reasonably sheltered, comfortable after a fashion, but anxious and strained; going out and out, and always watching.
one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading After this they talked in low voices, sitting close together in the well.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading They heard the thump of engines on the wind coming from the thick distance, and thought they saw a long trail of black smoke blowing forwards, as a steamer went out west by north.
but in spite of that
From this reading At least once every few minutes one or other of them thought they saw something dark--on a wave--in a hollow--against a creaming smother of foam; yet always it was nothing.
