used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading “What time do you reckon we’ll strike the reef?” asked Ratcliffe.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
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 was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
blacknessnounUS /ˈblæknəs/
the quality or state of the achromatic color of least lightness (bearing the least resemblance to white)
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
bloomnounUS /bluːm/
the organic process of bearing flowers
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
boostingverbUS /ˈbuːstɪŋ/
-ing form of “boost” — increase
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
bowsnounUS /baʊz/
plural of “bow” — a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “What time do you reckon we’ll strike the reef?” asked Ratcliffe.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
ebonynounUS /ˈebəni/
a very dark black
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
foamnounUS /foʊm/
a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
gouts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
hammocknounUS /ˈhæmək/
a small natural hill
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
JudenounUS /dʒuːd/
(New Testament) supposed brother of St. James; one of the Apostles who is invoked in prayer when a situation seems hopeless
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
liftingverbUS /ˈlɪftɪŋ/
-ing form of “lift” — raise from a lower to a higher position
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
LONEadjectiveUS /loʊn/
lacking companions or companionship
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
millionnounUS /ˈmɪljən/
the number that is represented as a one followed by 6 zeros
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
opalnounUS /ˈoʊpəl/
a translucent mineral consisting of hydrated silica of variable color; some varieties are used as gemstones
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
phosphorusnounUS /ˈfɑːsfərəs/
a multivalent nonmetallic element of the nitrogen family that occurs commonly in inorganic phosphate rocks and as organic phosphates in all living cells; is highly reactive and occurs in several allotropic forms
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
planesnounUS /pleɪnz/
plural of “plane” — an aircraft that has a fixed wing and is powered by propellers or jets
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
railnounUS /reɪl/
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
Ratcliffe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading “What time do you reckon we’ll strike the reef?” asked Ratcliffe.
REEFnounUS /riːf/
a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
SarahnounUS /ˈserə/
(Old Testament) the wife of Abraham and mother of Isaac
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
SatannounUS /ˈseɪtən/
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
in or at or to some place
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
star-shot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
deliver a sharp blow, as with the hand, fist, or weapon
From this reading “What time do you reckon we’ll strike the reef?” asked Ratcliffe.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “What time do you reckon we’ll strike the reef?” asked Ratcliffe.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The moon had set, and the _Sarah_ was lifting against a gentle head sea, boosting the foam from her bows under the light of a million stars.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading LONE REEF It was the morning of the third day out, somewhere about four o’clock.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
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 He was leaning over watching the water,—gouts and lines of star-shot foam, planes of ebony blackness, and now and then, deep down, the bloom of phosphorus like the life in the heart of a black opal.
we'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “What time do you reckon we’ll strike the reef?” asked Ratcliffe.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “What time do you reckon we’ll strike the reef?” asked Ratcliffe.
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading Satan was at the wheel, Jude below in her hammock, and Ratcliffe at the weather rail, close to Satan.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “What time do you reckon we’ll strike the reef?” asked Ratcliffe.
