used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
amusementsnounUS /əˈmjuːzmənts/
plural of “amusement” — a feeling of delight at being entertained
From this reading They hurried down to the beach and their first choice of amusements was the glass-bottomed boat.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
Avalon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
balanceverbUS /ˈbæləns/
bring into balance or equilibrium
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading They hurried down to the beach and their first choice of amusements was the glass-bottomed boat.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading They hurried down to the beach and their first choice of amusements was the glass-bottomed boat.
Catalina
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
chaseverbUS /tʃeɪs/
go after with the intent to catch
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
plural of “child” — a young person of either sex
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
the person or thing chosen or selected
From this reading They hurried down to the beach and their first choice of amusements was the glass-bottomed boat.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They hurried down to the beach and their first choice of amusements was the glass-bottomed boat.
let fall to the ground
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
plural of “enemy” — an opposing military force
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
finsnounUS /fɪnz/
plural of “fin” — the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading They hurried down to the beach and their first choice of amusements was the glass-bottomed boat.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
flying-fishes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
glass-bottomed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They hurried down to the beach and their first choice of amusements was the glass-bottomed boat.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading They hurried down to the beach and their first choice of amusements was the glass-bottomed boat.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
parachutenounUS /ˈperəʃuːt/
rescue equipment consisting of a device that fills with air and retards your fall
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
porpoisesnounUS /ˈpɔːrpəsəz/
plural of “porpoise” — any of several small gregarious cetacean mammals having a blunt snout and many teeth
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
cut with a saw
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
an educational institution
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
skimverbUS /skɪm/
travel on the surface of water
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
smalleradjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːlər/
small or little relative to something else
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
steamernounUS /ˈstiːmər/
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
a journey for some purpose (usually including the return)
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
twenty-mile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading They hurried down to the beach and their first choice of amusements was the glass-bottomed boat.
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 They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading How happy the children were to land at the little town of Avalon, and to know that they were to have a month at this beautiful place!
whalesnounUS /weɪlz/
plural of “whale” — a very large person; impressive in size or qualities
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
at any time that; every time that
From this reading They skim along ten or twelve feet above the waves, and then drop in the water to rest, taking another flight whenever their enemies, the porpoises, chase them.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading The children here took a smaller steamer for the twenty-mile trip across to Catalina Island, and on the way over they saw a whole "school" of whales and a flight of flying-fishes.
an affirmative
From this reading Yes, really and truly, these little fish fly or sail through the air, for their fins balance them like a parachute.
