used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
aboardadverbUS /əˈbɔːrd/
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
agoneadjective
gone by; or in the past
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
apparitionsnounUS /ˌæpərˈɪʃənz/
plural of “apparition” — a ghostly appearing figure
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
Athabasca
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
continue a certain state, condition, or activity
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
despisedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspaɪzd/
treated with dislike or contempt
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
duckverbUS /dʌk/
to move (the head or body) quickly downwards or away
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
ducklingsnounUS /ˈdʌklɪŋz/
plural of “duckling” — flesh of a young domestic duck
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
regard something as probable or likely
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
a small being, human in form, playful and having magical powers
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
usually; as a rule
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
undertake a journey or trip
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
joyousadjectiveUS /ˈdʒɔɪəs/
full of or characterized by joy
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
and nothing more
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
immediately past
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
NORTHERNadjectiveUS /ˈnɔːrðərn/
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading O Pioneers!--WHITMAN.
occasionaladjectiveUS /əˈkeɪʒənəl/
occurring from time to time
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
and nothing more
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
PIONEERSnounUS /ˌpaɪəˈnɪrz/
plural of “pioneer” — someone who helps to open up a new line of research or technology or art
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
participate in games or sport
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
the act of pressing; the exertion of pressure
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
raftsnounUS /ræfts/
a large number or amount
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
risesnounUS /ˈraɪzəz/
plural of “rise” — a growth in strength or number or importance
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
self-complacentadjective
contented to a fault with oneself or one's actions
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
plural of “shadow” — shade within clear boundaries
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
in an aggressive manner
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
transport commercially
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
shoresnounUS /ʃɔːrz/
plural of “shore” — the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
in the near future
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
that is looked for
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
sunupnounUS /ˈsʌnəp/
the first light of day
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
very small
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
a source of difficulty
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
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 An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading In the morning, soon after sunup, we continue our joyous journey on the Athabasca, but the birds are out and about before us.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
whirnoun
sound of something in rapid motion
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
WHITMANnounUS /ˈwɪtmən/
United States poet who celebrated the greatness of America (1819-1892)
From this reading O Pioneers!--WHITMAN.
which person or people
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
a means of flight or ascent
From this reading An occasional duck rises off the water sharply with a whir of wet wings, but generally they are self-complacent and play at last across the road with the ship, just as if they sought trouble and despised it.
in the company of; together with
From this reading SOME NORTHERN PIONEERS Through these shores amid the shadows, with the apparitions pressing, Pioneers!
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The young ducklings, who have only taken to water these few days agone, form themselves into tiny rafts and one might almost expect to see a fairy step aboard them.
