used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Ben gave a whoop.
anew
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
(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 He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
a mountain or tall hill
From this reading Ben gave a whoop.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
breathlessadjectiveUS /ˈbreθləs/
not breathing or able to breathe except with difficulty
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
exercising caution or showing care or attention
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
clutchnounUS /klʌtʃ/
the act of grasping
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
complimentedverbUS /ˈkɑːmpləmentɪd/
past form of “compliment” — say something to someone that expresses praise
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
eelnounUS /iːl/
the fatty flesh of eel; an elongate fish found in fresh water in Europe and America; large eels are usually smoked or pickled
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
flapsnounUS /flæps/
a movable airfoil that is part of an aircraft wing; used to increase lift or drag
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
flying-fish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading Ben gave a whoop.
a covering for the body (or parts of it) consisting of a dense growth of threadlike structures (as on the human head); helps to prevent heat loss
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
and nothing more
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
LitheadjectiveUS /laɪð/
gracefully thin and bending and moving with ease
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “Look out there!”
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
lustyadjectiveUS /ˈlʌsti/
vigorously passionate
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading “Look out there!”
porpoisenounUS /ˈpɔːrpəs/
any of several small gregarious cetacean mammals having a blunt snout and many teeth
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
reappearedverbUS /ˌriːəˈpɪrd/
past form of “reappear” — appear again
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
in accordance with fixed order or procedure or principle
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
having or caused by an irregular surface
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
rubbernounUS /ˈrʌbər/
an elastic material obtained from the latex sap of trees (especially trees of the genera Hevea and Ficus) that can be vulcanized and finished into a variety of products
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
scrapeverbUS /skreɪp/
scratch repeatedly
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
seeminglyadverbUS /ˈsiːmɪŋli/
from appearances alone
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
shinyadjectiveUS /ˈʃaɪni/
reflecting light
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
the act of firing a projectile
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
slipperyadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpəri/
causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
smoothlyadverbUS /ˈsmuːðli/
with no problems or difficulties
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
somersaultnounUS /ˈsʌmərsɔːlt/
an acrobatic feat in which the feet roll over the head (either forward or backward) and return
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
in or at that place or location
From this reading “Look out there!”
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
the upper part of anything
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
Tuckerman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
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 Lithe as an eel, and seemingly made of rubber, he sprang from the rock, turned a somersault, and shot smoothly into the water.
whoopverbUS /wuːp/
shout, as if with joy or enthusiasm
From this reading Ben gave a whoop.
in the company of; together with
From this reading He reappeared, looking like a porpoise, his black hair all shiny, and with a few lusty flaps reached the rock again just as Tuckerman, breathless, put out his hands to clutch at the slippery side.
You're
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “You’re a regular flying-fish,” Ben complimented Tuckerman, as the latter, careful not to scrape too close against the rough edge of rock, drew himself slowly up to the level top.
