used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
any thing at all
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The dawn comes up early so far north as the St. Lawrence.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They had been waiting for this.
plural of “come” — the thick white fluid containing spermatozoa that is ejaculated by the male genital tract
From this reading The dawn comes up early so far north as the St. Lawrence.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
the first light of day
From this reading The dawn comes up early so far north as the St. Lawrence.
the time after sunrise and before sunset while it is light outside
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
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 The dawn comes up early so far north as the St. Lawrence.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The dawn comes up early so far north as the St. Lawrence.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They had been waiting for this.
a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had been waiting for this.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
illumining
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
LawrencenounUS /ˈlɔːrəns/
Roman martyr; supposedly Lawrence was ordered by the police to give up the church's treasure and when he responded by presenting the poor people of Rome he was roasted to death on a gridiron (died in 258)
From this reading The dawn comes up early so far north as the St. Lawrence.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
motornounUS /ˈmoʊtər/
machine that converts other forms of energy into mechanical energy and so imparts motion
From this reading “We’ll switch to the motor, Persimmons.”
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading The dawn comes up early so far north as the St. Lawrence.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
occurverbUS /əˈkɜːr/
come to pass
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
Persimmons
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We’ll switch to the motor, Persimmons.”
rapidsnounUS /ˈræpədz/
plural of “rapid” — a part of a river where the current is very fast
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The dawn comes up early so far north as the St. Lawrence.
St
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The dawn comes up early so far north as the St. Lawrence.
switchverbUS /swɪtʃ/
change over, change around, as to a new order or sequence
From this reading “We’ll switch to the motor, Persimmons.”
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “We’ll switch to the motor, Persimmons.”
in or at that place or location
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had been waiting for this.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading They had been waiting for this.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “We’ll switch to the motor, Persimmons.”
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The dawn comes up early so far north as the St. Lawrence.
stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading They had been waiting for this.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
We'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “We’ll switch to the motor, Persimmons.”
whirlpoolsnounUS /ˈwɜːrlpuːlz/
plural of “whirlpool” — a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides)
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
in the company of; together with
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading In the darkness, and with the many whirlpools and rapids that occur in that part of the river, it would have been dangerous to do anything more than wait about for daylight.
but in spite of that
From this reading It was not yet three o’clock in the morning, yet there was a faint gray light illumining the river.
