adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
AdamsnounUS /ˈædəmz/
American Revolutionary leader and patriot; an organizer of the Boston Tea Party and signer of the Declaration of Independence (1722-1803)
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
aloftadverbUS /əˈlɔːft/
at or on or to the masthead or upper rigging of a ship
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
aroundprepositionUS /ərˈaʊnd/
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
AtprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
attitudesnounUS /ˈætətuːdz/
plural of “attitude” — a complex mental state involving beliefs and feelings and values and dispositions to act in certain ways
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
bellsnounUS /belz/
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/
the two together, not just one
From this reading I heard the crash and joined Burns, and together we went over the deck and, both houses.
brainedverbUS /breɪnd/
past form of “brain” — hit on the head
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
breathingnounUS /ˈbriːðɪŋ/
the bodily process of inhalation and exhalation; the process of taking in oxygen from inhaled air and releasing carbon dioxide by exhalation
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
BurnsnounUS /bɜːrnz/
United States comedian and film actor (1896-1996)
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
calledverbUS /kɔːld/
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
carriedverbUS /ˈkærid/
inflected form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
chestsnounUS /tʃests/
plural of “chest” — the part of the human torso between the neck and the diaphragm or the corresponding part in other vertebrates
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
companionwaynounUS /kəmˈpænjənweɪ/
a stairway or ladder that leads from one deck to another on a ship
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
crashverbUS /kræʃ/
fall or come down violently
From this reading I heard the crash and joined Burns, and together we went over the deck and, both houses.
crawlingnounUS /ˈkrɔːlɪŋ/
a slow mode of locomotion on hands and knees or dragging the body
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
crewnounUS /kruː/
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
CROW'SnounUS /kroʊz/
possessive form of “crow” — black birds having a raucous call
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
crow's-nest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
darkestadjectiveUS /ˈdɑːrkəst/
superlative of “dark” — devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
dawnnounUS /dɔːn/
the first light of day
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
decknounUS /dek/
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
dittybags
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
downadjectiveUS /daʊn/
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
duringprepositionUS /ˈdʊrɪŋ/
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
escapedadjectiveUS /ɪˈskeɪpt/
having escaped, especially from confinement
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
EverythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
exceptprepositionUS /ɪkˈsept/
apart from; not including
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
exhaustedadjectiveUS /ɪɡˈzɔːstɪd/
drained of energy or effectiveness; extremely tired; completely exhausted
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
flingingverbUS /ˈflɪŋɪŋ/
-ing form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
forwardadverbUS /ˈfɔːrwərd/
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
foursnounUS /fɔːrz/
plural of “four” — the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
FROMprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
heardadjectiveUS /hɜːrd/
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading I heard the crash and joined Burns, and together we went over the deck and, both houses.
heavilyadverbUS /ˈhevəli/
to a considerable degree
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
hournounUS /ˈaʊər/
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
housesnounUS /ˈhaʊsəz/
plural of “house” — a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading I heard the crash and joined Burns, and together we went over the deck and, both houses.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I heard the crash and joined Burns, and together we went over the deck and, both houses.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
incidentnounUS /ˈɪnsədənt/
a single distinct event
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
jail-room
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
joinedadjectiveUS /dʒɔɪnd/
of or relating to two people who are married to each other
From this reading I heard the crash and joined Burns, and together we went over the deck and, both houses.
marlinespikenoun
a pointed iron hand tool that is used to separate strands of a rope or cable (as in splicing)
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
momentnounUS /ˈmoʊmənt/
a particular point in time
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
narrowlyadverbUS /ˈneroʊli/
in a narrow manner; not allowing for exceptions
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
NESTnounUS /nest/
a structure in which animals lay eggs or give birth to their young
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
nightnounUS /naɪt/
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
Oleson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading I heard the crash and joined Burns, and together we went over the deck and, both houses.
panicnounUS /ˈpænɪk/
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
precedesverbUS /prɪˈsiːdz/
third-person singular of “precede” — be earlier in time; go back further
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
ranverbUS /ræn/
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
revolvernounUS /rɪˈvɑːlvər/
a pistol with a revolving cylinder (usually having six chambers for bullets)
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
SingletonnounUS /ˈsɪŋɡəltən/
a single object (as distinguished from a pair)
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
sixnounUS /sɪks/
the cardinal number that is the sum of five and one
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
sleepnounUS /sliːp/
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
somethingpronounUS /ˈsʌmθɪŋ/
a thing, without saying which
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
summernounUS /ˈsʌmər/
the warmest season of the year; in the northern hemisphere it extends from the summer solstice to the autumnal equinox
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
thingnounUS /θɪŋ/
a special situation
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
togetheradverbUS /təˈɡeðər/
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading I heard the crash and joined Burns, and together we went over the deck and, both houses.
unableadjectiveUS /əˈneɪbəl/
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
variousadjectiveUS /ˈveriəs/
of many different kinds purposefully arranged but lacking any uniformity
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
verifyverbUS /ˈverəfaɪ/
confirm the truth of
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At six bells, during the darkest hour of the night that precedes the early dawn of summer, Adams, from the crow’s-nest, called down, in a panic, that there was something crawling on all fours on the deck below him.
watchverbUS /wɑːtʃ/
look attentively
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
wentverbUS /went/
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading I heard the crash and joined Burns, and together we went over the deck and, both houses.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
wheelverbUS /wiːl/
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading Everything was quiet: the crew in various attitudes of exhausted sleep, their chests and dittybags around them; Oleson at the wheel; and Singleton in his jail-room, breathing heavily.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Burns, on watch at the companionway, ran forward with his revolver, and narrowly escaped being brained—Adams at that moment flinging down a marlinespike that he had carried aloft with him.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading FROM THE CROW’S NEST The night passed without incident, except for one thing that we were unable to verify.
