used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "Day after day, night after night, we flew like a seagull.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading "Day after day, night after night, we flew like a seagull.
albatrossesnounUS /ˈælbətrɑːsɪz/
plural of “albatross” — (figurative) something that hinders or handicaps
From this reading "And the albatrosses, I hope you didn't catch one?"
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "And the albatrosses, I hope you didn't catch one?"
any thing at all
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
baitedverbUS /ˈbeɪtɪd/
past form of “bait” — harass with persistent criticism or carping
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
bitingadjectiveUS /ˈbaɪtɪŋ/
capable of wounding
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
the front of the trunk from the neck to the abdomen
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading "And the albatrosses, I hope you didn't catch one?"
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading "Day after day, night after night, we flew like a seagull.
didn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "And the albatrosses, I hope you didn't catch one?"
showing the wearing effects of overwork or care or suffering
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
at any time
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
descend in free fall under the influence of gravity
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
feathersnounUS /ˈfeðərz/
plural of “feather” — the light horny waterproof structure forming the external covering of birds
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
flappedverbUS /flæpt/
inflected form of “flap” — move in a wavy pattern or with a rising and falling motion
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading "Day after day, night after night, we flew like a seagull.
four-and-twenty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
lacking in or deprived of strength or power
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
hookverbUS /hʊk/
fasten with a hook
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading "And the albatrosses, I hope you didn't catch one?"
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
feeling hunger; feeling a need or desire to eat food
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "And the albatrosses, I hope you didn't catch one?"
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
knotsnounUS /nɑːts/
plural of “knot” — a tight cluster of people or things
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
immediately past
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading "Day after day, night after night, we flew like a seagull.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "Day after day, night after night, we flew like a seagull.
the property possessed by a sum or total or indefinite quantity of units or individuals
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
many times at short intervals
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading "And the albatrosses, I hope you didn't catch one?"
a separate part of a whole
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
porknounUS /pɔːrk/
meat from a domestic hog or pig
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
anything (such as a document or a phonograph record or a photograph) providing permanent evidence of or information about past events
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
sailingnounUS /ˈseɪlɪŋ/
the work of a sailor
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
seagullnounUS /ˈsiːɡʌl/
mostly white aquatic bird having long pointed wings and short legs
From this reading "Day after day, night after night, we flew like a seagull.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
past form of “seize” — take hold of; grab
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
skippernounUS /ˈskɪpər/
a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
slackenedverbUS /ˈslækənd/
past form of “slacken” — become slow or slower
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
past form of “suggest” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading As soon as he was drawn on board he flapped about more helpless than anything I have ever seen, falling into everything he could fall into, biting several of the crew.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading 'Record sailing,' my skipper often cried to me, telling me the number of knots we had made in the last four-and-twenty hours."
precisely as stated
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading "Day after day, night after night, we flew like a seagull.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
in the company of; together with
From this reading "One day the skipper suggested that we should, the breast feathers being very beautiful; and, the wind having slackened a little, a hook was baited with a piece of salt pork, which the hungry bird seized.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "And the albatrosses, I hope you didn't catch one?"
