used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
plural of “animal” — a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
(sometimes followed by “of”) having or showing knowledge or understanding or realization or perception
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
bewilderedadjectiveUS /bɪˈwɪldərd/
perplexed by many conflicting situations or statements; filled with bewilderment
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
brought together in one place
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
a long fixed look
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
gearnounUS /ɡɪr/
a toothed wheel that engages another toothed mechanism in order to change the speed or direction of transmitted motion
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
any number of entities (members) considered as a unit
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
happeningnounUS /ˈhæpənɪŋ/
an event that happens
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
hurryingadjectiveUS /ˈhɜːriɪŋ/
moving with great haste
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
of or relating to two people who are married to each other
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
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 We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
the force of workers available
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
misunderstandingnounUS /ˌmɪsəndərˈstændɪŋ/
putting the wrong interpretation on
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
plural of “moment” — a particular point in time
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
not any; not one
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
a brief written record
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
plural of “note” — a brief written record
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
noveltynounUS /ˈnɑːvəlti/
originality by virtue of being refreshingly novel
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
be obedient to
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
rapiditynounUS /rəˈpɪdəti/
a rate that is rapid
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
rattleverbUS /ˈrætəl/
make short successive sounds
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
red color or pigment; the chromatic color resembling the hue of blood
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
schoonernounUS /ˈskuːnər/
a large beer glass
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
shrilladjectiveUS /ʃrɪl/
having or emitting a high-pitched and sharp tone or tones
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
dependable
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
undulations
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
not known
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
vessel'snounUS /ˈvesəlz/
possessive form of “vessel” — a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading No misunderstanding seemed possible, for each note appeared to mean an order, which sounded high above the rattle of the vessel's gear.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
whistleverbUS /ˈwɪsəl/
make whistling sounds
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
which person or people
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
belonging to which person
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading He was in command of the schooner, and he now stood before us, gazing at us as if we were wild animals of an unknown kind.
in the company of; together with
From this reading We were slightly bewildered at the rapidity and novelty of the events which were happening, and for some moments I stood and gazed at the hurrying men, who appeared to obey a man with a shrill whistle whose notes rose and fell with long undulations.
yachtsmannounUS /ˈjɑːtsmən/
a person who owns or sails a yacht
From this reading I was something of a yachtsman, and took great interest until aware of the presence of the stout man with the red nose.
used of the younger of two persons of the same name especially used to distinguish a son from his father
From this reading Two or three younger men in the group that gathered about us appeared to be officers, but I had never met any of them before, so they joined their captain in his curious gaze.
