used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
in actual fact
From this reading The water actually boiled with sharks, feasting and fighting.
(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 It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The water actually boiled with sharks, feasting and fighting.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
bellynounUS /ˈbeli/
the region of the body of a vertebrate between the thorax and the pelvis
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
biggestadjectiveUS /ˈbɪɡəst/
superlative of “big” — above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
bitesnounUS /baɪts/
plural of “bite” — a wound resulting from biting by an animal or a person
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
boiledadjectiveUS /bɔɪld/
cooked in hot water
From this reading The water actually boiled with sharks, feasting and fighting.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
carcassnounUS /ˈkɑːrkəs/
the dead body of an animal especially one slaughtered and dressed for food
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
without deviation
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
feastingnounUS /ˈfiːstɪŋ/
eating an elaborate meal (often accompanied by entertainment)
From this reading The water actually boiled with sharks, feasting and fighting.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
plural of “fellow” — a boy or man
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
the act of fighting; any contest or struggle
From this reading The water actually boiled with sharks, feasting and fighting.
gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
footballnounUS /ˈfʊtbɔːl/
any of various games played with a ball (round or oval) in which two teams try to kick or carry or propel the ball into each other's goal
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
glideverbUS /ɡlaɪd/
move smoothly and effortlessly
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
an opening into or through something
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
holesnounUS /hoʊlz/
plural of “hole” — an opening into or through something
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
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 There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
engage in
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
mouthfulnounUS /ˈmaʊθfʊl/
the quantity that can be held in the mouth
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
multitudenounUS /ˈmʌltətuːd/
a large indefinite number
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
neatadjectiveUS /niːt/
clean or organized
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
projectingadjectiveUS /prəˈdʒektɪŋ/
extending out above or beyond a surface or boundary
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
repeatedlyadverbUS /rɪˈpiːtɪdli/
several time
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
precisely, exactly
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
scoopedverbUS /skuːpt/
past form of “scoop” — take out or up with or as if with a scoop
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
sharknounUS /ʃɑːrk/
any of numerous elongate mostly marine carnivorous fishes with heterocercal caudal fins and tough skin covered with small toothlike scales
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
sharksnounUS /ʃɑːrks/
plural of “shark” — any of numerous elongate mostly marine carnivorous fishes with heterocercal caudal fins and tough skin covered with small toothlike scales
From this reading The water actually boiled with sharks, feasting and fighting.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
the physical magnitude of something (how big it is)
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
snoutsnounUS /snaʊts/
plural of “snout” — a long projecting or anterior elongation of an animal's head; especially the nose
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
fastener consisting of a narrow strip of welded metal used to join steel members
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The water actually boiled with sharks, feasting and fighting.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
inflected form of “throw” — propel through the air
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
precisely as stated
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
the act of observing; taking a patient look
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
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 The water actually boiled with sharks, feasting and fighting.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading It was hard to see how they could do it, with their projecting snouts, and I did not make it out very well with all my watching.
whalenounUS /weɪl/
a very large person; impressive in size or qualities
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
whale'snounUS /weɪlz/
possessive form of “whale” — a very large person; impressive in size or qualities
From this reading There was a multitude of them, big fellows, from six to twelve feet long, and they took bites about the size of a football right out of the whale’s side.
in or at the place that
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Two of the biggest sharks repeatedly threw themselves up on the carcass, from which, of course, they slipped off immediately; but they always left smooth, round holes behind them.
whitishadjectiveUS /ˈwaɪtɪʃ/
resembling milk in color; not clear
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The water actually boiled with sharks, feasting and fighting.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading A shark would glide directly at the whale, about a foot or two under the surface, there would be the flash of whitish belly as he turned over, and he would glide on under, or turn without stopping; but there was always the neat, round hole where he had scooped out his mouthful.
