used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
butcherverbUS /ˈbʊtʃər/
kill (animals) usually for food consumption
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
castawaysnounUS /ˈkæstəweɪz/
plural of “castaway” — a person who is rejected (from society or home)
From this reading THE castaways lost no time in rejoicing over their good fortune.
Chris
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
coalsnounUS /koʊlz/
plural of “coal” — fossil fuel consisting of carbonized vegetable matter deposited in the Carboniferous period
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
undergo or live through a difficult experience
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
expertadjectiveUS /ˈekspərt/
having or showing knowledge and skill and aptitude
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
flippersnounUS /ˈflɪpərz/
plural of “flipper” — a shoe for swimming; the paddle-like front is an aid in swimming (especially underwater)
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
FLOATINGadjectiveUS /ˈfloʊtɪŋ/
borne up by or suspended in a liquid
From this reading THE FLOATING HATCH.
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading THE castaways lost no time in rejoicing over their good fortune.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading THE castaways lost no time in rejoicing over their good fortune.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
in a hurried or hasty manner
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
HATCHverbUS /hætʃ/
emerge from the eggs
From this reading THE FLOATING HATCH.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
hindnounUS /haɪnd/
any of several mostly spotted fishes that resemble groupers
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
impaledverbUS /ˌɪmˈpeɪld/
past form of “impale” — pierce with a sharp stake or point
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE castaways lost no time in rejoicing over their good fortune.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
kindledadjectiveUS /ˈkɪndəld/
set afire
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
no longer in your possession or control; unable to be found or recovered
From this reading THE castaways lost no time in rejoicing over their good fortune.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
negronounUS /ˈniːɡroʊ/
a person with African ancestry, "Negro" and "Negroid" are archaic and pejorative today
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
not any; not one
From this reading THE castaways lost no time in rejoicing over their good fortune.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading THE castaways lost no time in rejoicing over their good fortune.
having a point
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
rejoicingnounUS /rɪˈdʒɔɪsɪŋ/
a feeling of great happiness
From this reading THE castaways lost no time in rejoicing over their good fortune.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
severedadjectiveUS /ˈsevərd/
detached by cutting
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
sheathnounUS /ʃiːθ/
a protective covering (as for a knife or sword)
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
shellsnounUS /ʃelz/
plural of “shell” — ammunition consisting of a cylindrical metal casing containing an explosive charge and a projectile; fired from a large gun
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
smallestadjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːləst/
superlative of “small” — limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
squattingnounUS /ˈskwɑːtɪŋ/
exercising by repeatedly assuming a crouching position with the knees bent; strengthens the leg muscles
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
steaknounUS /steɪk/
a slice of meat cut from the fleshy part of an animal or large fish
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
steaksnounUS /steɪks/
plural of “steak” — a slice of meat cut from the fleshy part of an animal or large fish
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FLOATING HATCH.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading THE castaways lost no time in rejoicing over their good fortune.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading THE castaways lost no time in rejoicing over their good fortune.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
toastedadjectiveUS /ˈtoʊstɪd/
browned over by exposure to heat
From this reading Then, squatting before the fire, each impaled a steak on the end of a pointed stick and toasted it over the coals.
turtlesnounUS /ˈtɜːrtəlz/
plural of “turtle” — a sweater or jersey with a high close-fitting collar
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Captain hastily kindled a fire while Chris, with his sheath knife, proceeded to butcher the smallest of the two turtles.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading Much experience had made the little negro expert at the work and in a few minutes he had severed the two shells and cut off several thick steaks from one of the hind flippers.
