(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
acheverbUS /eɪk/
feel physical pain
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
(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 And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
apprenticenounUS /əˈprentəs/
works for an expert to learn a trade
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “He’d better have gone before, and saved all that time,” observed Pat.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading “He’d better have gone before, and saved all that time,” observed Pat.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
captainsnounUS /ˈkæptənz/
plural of “captain” — an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
being one more than ten
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
opinion or judgment
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
inflected form of “forget” — dismiss from the mind; stop remembering
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
destroyed or killed
From this reading “He’d better have gone before, and saved all that time,” observed Pat.
only a very short time before
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “He’d better have gone before, and saved all that time,” observed Pat.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
He'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He’d better have gone before, and saved all that time,” observed Pat.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
ten 10s
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
without good reason
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
mastnounUS /mæst/
a vertical spar for supporting sails
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
necksnounUS /neks/
plural of “neck” — the part of an organism (human or animal) that connects the head to the rest of the body
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading “He’d better have gone before, and saved all that time,” observed Pat.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
PatverbUS /pæt/
pat or squeeze fondly or playfully, especially under the chin
From this reading “He’d better have gone before, and saved all that time,” observed Pat.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading “He wanted to go,” said Phyllisy, when the Princess paused.
Phyllisy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “He wanted to go,” said Phyllisy, when the Princess paused.
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
The daughter of a monarch; a female member of a royal family.
From this reading “He wanted to go,” said Phyllisy, when the Princess paused.
precisely, exactly
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
ropesnounUS /roʊps/
plural of “rope” — a strong line
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading “He’d better have gone before, and saved all that time,” observed Pat.
SeamannounUS /ˈsiːmən/
a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
inflected form of “shine” — be bright by reflecting or casting light
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
term of address for a man
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
inflected form of “spring” — move forward by leaps and bounds
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
TaffynounUS /ˈtæfi/
chewy candy of sugar or syrup boiled until thick and pulled until glossy
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “He’d better have gone before, and saved all that time,” observed Pat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading “He’d better have gone before, and saved all that time,” observed Pat.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
moved around an axis or center
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
past form of “walk” — use one's feet to advance; advance by steps
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading “He wanted to go,” said Phyllisy, when the Princess paused.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
weighedverbUS /weɪd/
past form of “weigh” — have a certain weight
From this reading “He weighed two hundred and eleven pounds, but he walked so lightly his feet seemed hardly to touch the deck; and when he sprang into the ropes and began to go up the mast, he made the Able Seaman look like an apprentice!
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
at the time that
From this reading “‘Certainly, sir,’ said Taffy, and his eyes shone when he said it, and he turned and walked to the foot of the mast.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading And the captains all stood and watched him, and they were so pleased and so sure it would be all right, their necks almost forgot to ache.”
