used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
Aorai
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
atollnounUS /ˈætɑːl/
an island consisting of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
ellipse in which the two axes are of equal length; a plane curve generated by one point moving at a constant distance from a fixed point
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
circumferencenounUS /ˌsɜːrˈkʌmfrəns/
the size of something as given by the distance around it
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
clumsinessnounUS /ˈklʌmzinəs/
unskillfulness resulting from a lack of training
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
coralnounUS /ˈkɔːrəl/
a variable color averaging a deep pink
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
DespiteprepositionUS /dɪˈspaɪt/
although something is true; in spite of
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
handledadjectiveUS /ˈhændəld/
having a usually specified type of handle
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
of comparatively great physical weight or density
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
high-water
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
Hikueru
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
hoveverbUS /hoʊv/
inflected form of “heave” — utter a sound, as with obvious effort
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
ten 10s
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
InevitableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnevətəbəl/
incapable of being avoided or prevented
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
and nothing more
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
plural of “line” — a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
attach a tag or label to
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
McCoy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
relating to or being on or near the outer side or limit
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
poundedverbUS /ˈpaʊndɪd/
past form of “pound” — hit hard with the hand, fist, or some heavy instrument
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
SeednounUS /siːd/
a small hard fruit
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
Solomonsnoun
the northernmost islands are part of Papua New Guinea; the remainder form an independent state within the British Commonwealth
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
suckverbUS /sʌk/
draw into the mouth by creating a practical vacuum in the mouth
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
surfnounUS /sɜːrf/
waves breaking on the shore
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
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 atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
(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 The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
a Caucasian
From this reading The Terrible Solomons The Inevitable White Man The Seed of McCoy Despite the heavy clumsiness of her lines, the Aorai handled easily in the light breeze, and her captain ran her well in before he hove to just outside the suck of the surf.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
Yah
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Yah!
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 The atoll of Hikueru lay low on the water, a circle of pounded coral sand a hundred yards wide, twenty miles in circumference, and from three to five feet above high-water mark.
