used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The crew was a mixed one.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading There seemed to be representatives of at least half a dozen nations.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There seemed to be representatives of at least half a dozen nations.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
a state at a particular time
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
criticaladjectiveUS /ˈkrɪtɪkəl/
marked by a tendency to find and call attention to errors and flaws
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
dirtyadjectiveUS /ˈdɜːrti/
soiled or likely to soil with dirt or grime
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading There seemed to be representatives of at least half a dozen nations.
the organ of sight
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
GaffnounUS /ɡæf/
a sharp metal spike or spur that is fastened to the leg of a gamecock
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
applying to all or most members of a category or group
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading There seemed to be representatives of at least half a dozen nations.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading There seemed to be representatives of at least half a dozen nations.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
managementnounUS /ˈmænədʒmənt/
the act of managing something
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
consisting of a haphazard assortment of different kinds
From this reading The crew was a mixed one.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
nationsnounUS /ˈneɪʃənz/
plural of “nation” — a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading There seemed to be representatives of at least half a dozen nations.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
not any; not one
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
offensiveadjectiveUS /əˈfensɪv/
violating or tending to violate or offend against
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The crew was a mixed one.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
representativesnounUS /ˌreprəˈzentətɪvz/
plural of “representative” — a person who represents others
From this reading There seemed to be representatives of at least half a dozen nations.
riggingnounUS /ˈrɪɡɪŋ/
gear consisting of ropes etc. supporting a ship's masts and sails
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading There seemed to be representatives of at least half a dozen nations.
semi-mutinous
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
slovenlinessnounUS /ˈslʌvənlinəs/
a lack of order and tidiness; not cared for
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
surlinessnoun
a disposition to exhibit uncontrolled anger
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
tyrannynounUS /ˈtɪrəni/
a form of government in which the ruler is an absolute dictator (not restricted by a constitution or laws or opposition etc.)
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
precisely as stated
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The captain himself was of mixed blood, and no one could have told from his look or speech to what nation he belonged.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading There was something about this vessel which was very offensive to the critical eye of Gaff.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading The nature of her work might account for her being so dirty; but that was no reason for the slovenliness of her rigging and general management, the surliness and tyranny of her captain, and the semi-mutinous condition of her crew.
