used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
abatedverbUS /əˈbeɪtɪd/
past form of “abate” — make less active or intense
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
commonly used or practiced; usual
From this reading This starry heaven was not the heaven they were accustomed to.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
agitatedadjectiveUS /ˈædʒəteɪtɪd/
troubled emotionally and usually deeply
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
(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 The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
the feeling that accompanies something extremely surprising
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
make calm or still
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
a young person of either sex
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
make overcast or cloudy
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
cloudlessadjectiveUS /ˈklaʊdləs/
free from clouds
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
collapsedverbUS /kəˈlæpst/
past form of “collapse” — break down, literally or metaphorically
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
constellationsnounUS /ˌkɑːnstəˈleɪʃənz/
plural of “constellation” — an arrangement of parts or elements
From this reading Those were other constellations.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
plural of “direction” — a line leading to a place or point
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
dispersedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspɜːrst/
distributed or spread over a considerable extent
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
DOVEnounUS /dʌv/
any of numerous small pigeons
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
opinion or judgment
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
past form of “flash” — gleam or glow intermittently
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
fro
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
green color or pigment; resembling the color of growing grass
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading This starry heaven was not the heaven they were accustomed to.
howlingnounUS /ˈhaʊlɪŋ/
a long loud emotional utterance
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
idolnounUS /ˈaɪdəl/
a material effigy that is worshipped
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
immediately past
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
for more time
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
lulledverbUS /lʌld/
past form of “lull” — calm by deception
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
massesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/
the common people generally
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
miraclenounUS /ˈmɪrəkəl/
any amazing or wonderful occurrence
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
not any; not one
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading This starry heaven was not the heaven they were accustomed to.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading Those were other constellations.
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
RAFTnounUS /ræft/
a flat float (usually made of logs or planks) that can be used for transport or as a platform for swimmers
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
located or moved above the surround or above the normal position
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
reignedverbUS /reɪnd/
past form of “reign” — have sovereign power
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
rockingverbUS /ˈrɑːkɪŋ/
-ing form of “rock” — move back and forth or sideways
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
transport commercially
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
smoothernounUS /ˈsmuːðər/
a power tool used for sanding wood; an endless loop of sandpaper is moved at high speed by an electric motor
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
starryadjectiveUS /ˈstɑːriː/
abounding with or resembling stars
From this reading This starry heaven was not the heaven they were accustomed to.
not in physical motion
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
tempestnounUS /ˈtempəst/
a violent commotion or disturbance
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This starry heaven was not the heaven they were accustomed to.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those were other constellations.
up to a particular time
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This starry heaven was not the heaven they were accustomed to.
watchesnounUS /ˈwɑːtʃəz/
plural of “watch” — a small portable timepiece
From this reading "A miracle! a miracle!" cried the astonished crew; but as in the still night watches they raised their eyes to the cloudless sky, a fresh astonishment fell upon them.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
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 The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading This starry heaven was not the heaven they were accustomed to.
whimperingverbUS /ˈwɪmpərɪŋ/
-ing form of “whimper” — cry weakly or softly
From this reading THE RAFT AND THE GREEN DOVE No sooner had the idol collapsed, than like a whimpering child lulled to sleep, the tempest suddenly abated.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The howling of the wind died away; the lightning flashed no longer; the black masses of cloud dispersed in all directions; the agitated waves, after rocking the ship to and fro for a time, grew smoother and smoother, till at last a perfect calm reigned upon the waters.
