used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Not a sign of yacht could be seen.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading To us strangers the whole thing was an act of faith.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
(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 We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading To us strangers the whole thing was an act of faith.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Not a sign of yacht could be seen.
biggeradjectiveUS /ˈbɪɡər/
large or big relative to something else
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
treated by heating to a high temperature but below the melting or fusing point
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Not a sign of yacht could be seen.
causing or capable of causing death
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
a group of animals (a herd or flock) moving together
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
divisible by two
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
at any time
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
a strong belief in a supernatural power or powers that control human destiny
From this reading To us strangers the whole thing was an act of faith.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
FirthnounUS /fɜːrθ/
English linguist who contributed to linguistic semantics and to prosodic phonology and who was noted for his insistence on studying both sound and meaning in context (1890-1960)
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
the act of acquiring something
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
hissingnounUS /ˈhɪsɪŋ/
a fricative sound (especially as an expression of disapproval)
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
immediately past
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
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 Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
past form of “manage” — be successful; achieve a goal
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Not a sign of yacht could be seen.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
Pearce
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
in the near future
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
past form of “push” — move with force
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
seemingadjectiveUS /ˈsiːmɪŋ/
appearing as such but not necessarily so
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Not a sign of yacht could be seen.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading Not a sign of yacht could be seen.
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading To us strangers the whole thing was an act of faith.
the kind and number and arrangement of teeth (collectively) in a person or animal
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
a special situation
From this reading To us strangers the whole thing was an act of faith.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
characterized by or indicative of distress or affliction or danger or need
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To us strangers the whole thing was an act of faith.
any materials unused and rejected as worthless or unwanted
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
at the time that
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading Presently Pearce gave an order and we burned a blue light, which was after a while answered from far off—a long, long distance off, we thought, as we looked across the waste of black troubled water, looking more deadly than ever in the blue light—though it looked even more deadly when the last of the light fell hissing into the wave.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading To us strangers the whole thing was an act of faith.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading We drove out into the teeth of the wind, the waves seeming much bigger now we were amongst them and out in the open Firth.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading We managed to get into the boat without any of us getting all wet, and pushed off.
yachtnounUS /jɑːt/
an expensive vessel propelled by sail or power and used for cruising or racing
From this reading Not a sign of yacht could be seen.
