used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
asternadverb
stern foremost or backward
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
bundlenounUS /ˈbʌndəl/
a collection of things wrapped or boxed together
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
BURKEnounUS /bɜːrk/
British statesman famous for his oratory; pleaded the cause of the American colonists in British Parliament and defended the parliamentary system (1729-1797)
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
CHISELnounUS /ˈtʃɪzəl/
an edge tool with a flat steel blade with a cutting edge
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
clothing in general
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
cold-chisel
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As soon as he was on land, he dressed, and then went for a lantern, a hammer, and a cold-chisel, which he had left at a convenient spot.
convenientadjectiveUS /kənˈviːnjənt/
suited to your comfort or purpose or needs
From this reading As soon as he was on land, he dressed, and then went for a lantern, a hammer, and a cold-chisel, which he had left at a convenient spot.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
forsaken by owner or inhabitants
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading As soon as he was on land, he dressed, and then went for a lantern, a hammer, and a cold-chisel, which he had left at a convenient spot.
firmly closed or secured
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
FirstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading First swimming, and then wading, he reached the shore.
fishingnounUS /ˈfɪʃɪŋ/
the act of someone who fishes as a diversion
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading As soon as he was on land, he dressed, and then went for a lantern, a hammer, and a cold-chisel, which he had left at a convenient spot.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
the act of departing
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
hammernounUS /ˈhæmər/
the part of a gunlock that strikes the percussion cap when the trigger is pulled
From this reading As soon as he was on land, he dressed, and then went for a lantern, a hammer, and a cold-chisel, which he had left at a convenient spot.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
the land on which real estate is located
From this reading As soon as he was on land, he dressed, and then went for a lantern, a hammer, and a cold-chisel, which he had left at a convenient spot.
lanternnounUS /ˈlæntərn/
light in a transparent protective case
From this reading As soon as he was on land, he dressed, and then went for a lantern, a hammer, and a cold-chisel, which he had left at a convenient spot.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading As soon as he was on land, he dressed, and then went for a lantern, a hammer, and a cold-chisel, which he had left at a convenient spot.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
otternounUS /ˈɑːtər/
the fur of an otter
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
with low volume
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
(of pain or sorrow) made easier to bear
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
transport commercially
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
a particular situation
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading First swimming, and then wading, he reached the shore.
inflected form of “slip” — move stealthily
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
in the near future
From this reading As soon as he was on land, he dressed, and then went for a lantern, a hammer, and a cold-chisel, which he had left at a convenient spot.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading As soon as he was on land, he dressed, and then went for a lantern, a hammer, and a cold-chisel, which he had left at a convenient spot.
swimmingnounUS /ˈswɪmɪŋ/
the act of swimming
From this reading First swimming, and then wading, he reached the shore.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading First swimming, and then wading, he reached the shore.
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
unseenadjectiveUS /ənˈsiːn/
not seen or perceived
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
precisely as stated
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
wadingnounUS /ˈweɪdɪŋ/
walking with your feet in shallow water
From this reading First swimming, and then wading, he reached the shore.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
look attentively
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
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 It was a very dark night, and he reached the water unseen, and as quietly as if he had been an otter going fishing.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading BURKE AND HIS CHISEL That night George Burke went off his watch at twelve o'clock, and a few minutes after he had been relieved, he did something he had never done before--he deserted his ship.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading As soon as he was on land, he dressed, and then went for a lantern, a hammer, and a cold-chisel, which he had left at a convenient spot.
in the company of; together with
From this reading With his shoes and a little bundle of clothes on his head, he very quietly slipped down a line he had fastened astern.
