used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading The sun was fiercely hot, and they were yet able to realize that they were in the tropics.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
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 Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
brignounUS /brɪɡ/
two-masted sailing vessel square-rigged on both masts
From this reading The Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
doldrumsnounUS /ˈdoʊldrəmz/
a state of inactivity (in business or art etc)
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
encounteredverbUS /ɪnˈkaʊntərd/
past form of “encounter” — come together
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
EquatornounUS /ɪˈkweɪtər/
an imaginary line around the Earth forming the great circle that is equidistant from the north and south poles
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
divisible by two
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading Unusually good weather had favored the party thus far.
favoredadjectiveUS /ˈfeɪvərd/
preferred above all others and treated with partiality
From this reading Unusually good weather had favored the party thus far.
fiercelyadverbUS /ˈfɪrsli/
in a physically fierce manner
From this reading The sun was fiercely hot, and they were yet able to realize that they were in the tropics.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Unusually good weather had favored the party thus far.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Unusually good weather had favored the party thus far.
head-winds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading The sun was fiercely hot, and they were yet able to realize that they were in the tropics.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The sun was fiercely hot, and they were yet able to realize that they were in the tropics.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
not any; not one
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
an organization to gain political power
From this reading Unusually good weather had favored the party thus far.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
PearlnounUS /pɜːrl/
a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
From this reading The Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
approval to do something
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
plowingnounUS /ˈplaʊɪŋ/
tilling the land with a plow
From this reading The Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
reader'snounUS /ˈriːdərz/
possessive form of “reader” — a person who enjoys reading
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
be fully aware or cognizant of
From this reading The sun was fiercely hot, and they were yet able to realize that they were in the tropics.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
staunchadjectiveUS /stɔːntʃ/
firm and dependable especially in loyalty
From this reading The Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun was fiercely hot, and they were yet able to realize that they were in the tropics.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The sun was fiercely hot, and they were yet able to realize that they were in the tropics.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There had been no difficulty encountered with the doldrums or head-winds even, and the Pearl had made a quick passage.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The sun was fiercely hot, and they were yet able to realize that they were in the tropics.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading The Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Unusually good weather had favored the party thus far.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
tropicsnounUS /ˈtrɑːpɪks/
the part of the Earth's surface between the Tropic of Cancer and the Tropic of Capricorn; characterized by a hot climate
From this reading The sun was fiercely hot, and they were yet able to realize that they were in the tropics.
UnusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading Unusually good weather had favored the party thus far.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading Unusually good weather had favored the party thus far.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The sun was fiercely hot, and they were yet able to realize that they were in the tropics.
white-capped
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Black Pearl, staunch brig, was plowing her way through a white-capped sea.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
in the company of; together with
From this reading And now, with the reader’s permission, we will change the scene of our story to the high seas south of the Equator.
but in spite of that
From this reading The sun was fiercely hot, and they were yet able to realize that they were in the tropics.
