used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/
any specific behavior
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
(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 wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
avoidingverbUS /əˈvɔɪdɪŋ/
-ing form of “avoid” — stay clear from; keep away from; keep out of the way of someone or something
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
brought into existence
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
come open suddenly and violently, as if from internal pressure
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
chaosnounUS /ˈkeɪɑːs/
a state of extreme confusion and disorder
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
increase twofold
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
expedientadjectiveUS /ɪkˈspiːdiənt/
serving to promote your interest
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
expertadjectiveUS /ˈekspərt/
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
From this reading Never was there a more expert seaman.
beyond what is ordinary or usual; highly unusual or exceptional or remarkable
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
decreasing in amount or degree
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
foamnounUS /foʊm/
a mass of small bubbles formed in or on a liquid
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
a form of whist in which players avoid winning tricks containing hearts or the queen of spades
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
helmnounUS /helm/
steering mechanism for a vessel; a mechanical device by which a vessel is steered
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
hurledverbUS /hɜːrld/
past form of “hurl” — throw forcefully
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
intervalsnounUS /ˈɪntərvəlz/
plural of “interval” — a definite length of time marked off by two instants
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
abrupt electric discharge from cloud to cloud or from cloud to earth accompanied by the emission of light
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
lulledverbUS /lʌld/
past form of “lull” — calm by deception
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Never was there a more expert seaman.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
oarsnounUS /ɔːrz/
plural of “oar” — an implement used to propel or steer a boat
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
recoursenounUS /ˈriːkɔːrs/
act of turning to for assistance
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
RomanadjectiveUS /ˈroʊmən/
relating to or characteristic of people of Rome
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
inflected form of “sink” — fall or descend to a lower place or level
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
cut with a saw
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
SeamannounUS /ˈsiːmən/
a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
shoalsnounUS /ʃoʊlz/
plural of “shoal” — a sandbank in a stretch of water that is visible at low tide
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
Sidenote
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
unusual or striking
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
an ability that has been acquired by training
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
an active diversion requiring physical exertion and competition
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
squadronnounUS /ˈskwɑːdrən/
a cavalry unit consisting of two or more troops and headquarters and supporting arms
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
stoutest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Never was there a more expert seaman.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
vigornounUS /ˈvɪɡər/
forceful exertion
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
an act of aggression (as one against a person who resists)
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
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 wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading _A Sea Fight_ [Sidenote: The Captain as Seaman] We stretched out far to sea, for the double purpose of falling by surprise upon the Roman squadron and of avoiding the shoals.
at the time that
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
whirlwindnounUS /ˈwɜːrlwɪnd/
a more or less vertical column of air whirling around itself as it moves over the surface of the Earth
From this reading For every change of sea or wind he had a new expedient; and when the hearts of the stoutest sank, he took the helm into his hands and carried us through the chaos of foam, whirlwind, and lightning with the vigor of one born to sport with the storm.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
someone who sees an event and reports what happened
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The wind lulled at intervals so much that we had recourse to our oars; it would then burst down with a violence that all but hurled us out of the water.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading I now saw more of the captain, and was witness to the extraordinary activity and skill of this singular young man.
