used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
adriftadjectiveUS /əˈdrɪft/
aimlessly drifting
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The two-inch rope, almost new, had parted like pack-thread.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
from appearances alone
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
a relatively permanent inclination to react in a particular way
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
terminate
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading She was now a good fifty yards to leeward, drifting slowly, but evidently uninjured.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
dinghynounUS /ˈdɪŋi/
a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
driftingnounUS /ˈdrɪftɪŋ/
aimless wandering from place to place
From this reading She was now a good fifty yards to leeward, drifting slowly, but evidently uninjured.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading She was now a good fifty yards to leeward, drifting slowly, but evidently uninjured.
the feeling of lively and cheerful joy
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
quickly or rapidly (often used as a combining form)
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading She was now a good fifty yards to leeward, drifting slowly, but evidently uninjured.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading She was now a good fifty yards to leeward, drifting slowly, but evidently uninjured.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
HayesnounUS /heɪz/
acclaimed actress of stage and screen (1900-1993)
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
hitchverbUS /hɪtʃ/
to hook or entangle
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
leewardnounUS /ˈliːwərd/
the direction in which the wind is blowing
From this reading She was now a good fifty yards to leeward, drifting slowly, but evidently uninjured.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The two-inch rope, almost new, had parted like pack-thread.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The two-inch rope, almost new, had parted like pack-thread.
not any; not one
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading She was now a good fifty yards to leeward, drifting slowly, but evidently uninjured.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
pack-thread
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two-inch rope, almost new, had parted like pack-thread.
painternounUS /ˈpeɪntər/
an artist who paints
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
having a margin incised almost to the base so as to create distinct divisions or lobes
From this reading The two-inch rope, almost new, had parted like pack-thread.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
ReboundverbUS /riˈbaʊnd/
spring back; spring away from an impact
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
a strong line
From this reading The two-inch rope, almost new, had parted like pack-thread.
the contentment one feels when one has fulfilled a desire, need, or expectation
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
shroudverbUS /ʃraʊd/
cover as if with a shroud
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
shroudsnounUS /ʃraʊdz/
plural of “shroud” — a line that suspends the harness from the canopy of a parachute
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
slipperyadjectiveUS /ˈslɪpəri/
causing or tending to cause things to slip or slide
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading She was now a good fifty yards to leeward, drifting slowly, but evidently uninjured.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
not in physical motion
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
in or at that place or location
From this reading A portion of the painter still remained bent to the shroud, so there was some slight satisfaction in the knowledge that Hayes had not made a slippery hitch.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Rebound of the Joke In the excitement no one had given a thought to the dinghy.
two-inch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The two-inch rope, almost new, had parted like pack-thread.
uninjuredadjectiveUS /əˈnɪndʒərd/
not injured physically or mentally
From this reading She was now a good fifty yards to leeward, drifting slowly, but evidently uninjured.
acting with or marked by or resulting from great force or energy or emotional intensity
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She was now a good fifty yards to leeward, drifting slowly, but evidently uninjured.
washverbUS /wɑːʃ/
clean with some chemical process
From this reading She had been made fast to the shrouds, and apparently the violent wash had caused her to break adrift.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading She was now a good fifty yards to leeward, drifting slowly, but evidently uninjured.
