used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
(sentence connectors) because of the reason given
From this reading Accordingly, when the canoes had been secured to the shore, Rob reversed the engine and started it up.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
arduousadjectiveUS /ˈɑːrdʒuːəs/
characterized by effort to the point of exhaustion; especially physical effort
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading For a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
blowingnounUS /ˈbloʊɪŋ/
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
canoesnounUS /kəˈnuːz/
plural of “canoe” — small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle
From this reading Accordingly, when the canoes had been secured to the shore, Rob reversed the engine and started it up.
chuggedverbUS /tʃʌɡd/
inflected form of “chug” — make a dull, explosive sound
From this reading For a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded.
clearingnounUS /ˈklɪrɪŋ/
a tract of land with few or no trees in the middle of a wooded area
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
separate with or as if with an instrument
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
recognizable; marked
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
relatively deep or strong; affecting one deeply
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading Accordingly, when the canoes had been secured to the shore, Rob reversed the engine and started it up.
entanglingverbUS /ɪnˈtæŋlɪŋ/
-ing form of “entangle” — entrap
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
groundedverbUS /ˈɡraʊndɪd/
past form of “ground” — fix firmly and stably
From this reading For a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
huntersnounUS /ˈhʌntərz/
plural of “hunter” — someone who hunts game
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
launchverbUS /lɔːntʃ/
set up or found
From this reading For a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
machinerynounUS /məˈʃiːnəri/
machines or machine systems collectively
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
Mainwaring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
the time between one event, process, or period and another
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
Merritt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
a particular point in time
From this reading For a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded.
a form of address for a man
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
muddyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌdi/
(of soil) soft and watery
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
absolutely essential
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading For a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
on the contrary
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
reversedadjectiveUS /rɪˈvɜːrst/
turned inside out and resewn
From this reading Accordingly, when the canoes had been secured to the shore, Rob reversed the engine and started it up.
take something away by force or without the consent of the owner
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
a strong line
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
past form of “secure” — get by special effort
From this reading Accordingly, when the canoes had been secured to the shore, Rob reversed the engine and started it up.
shaftnounUS /ʃæft/
a line that forms the length of an arrow pointer
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
shallows
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading Accordingly, when the canoes had been secured to the shore, Rob reversed the engine and started it up.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
past form of “start” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Accordingly, when the canoes had been secured to the shore, Rob reversed the engine and started it up.
sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
strainingnounUS /ˈstreɪnɪŋ/
an intense or violent exertion
From this reading For a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded.
past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
summonverbUS /ˈsʌmən/
call in an official matter, such as to attend court
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
testnounUS /test/
trying something to find out about it
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
twistedadjectiveUS /ˈtwɪstɪd/
having an intended meaning altered or misrepresented
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Accordingly, when the canoes had been secured to the shore, Rob reversed the engine and started it up.
the narrowing of the body between the ribs and hips
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The line had become twisted in and out of the shaft in such a way that it was necessary in places to cut it loose.
change directions as if revolving on a pivot
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
at the time that
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading For a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded.
whirledverbUS /wɜːrld/
past form of “whirl” — turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading For a moment it whirled and chugged away, straining to back the launch off the muddy shallows in which she had grounded.
whistleverbUS /ˈwɪsəl/
make whistling sounds
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
actively engaged in paid work
From this reading In the meantime Rob and Merritt, working waist deep in the muddy shallows, had succeeded, after some rather arduous work, in clearing the stern wheel of its entangling rope.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading When this had been done, Mr. Mainwaring decided that before blowing the whistle to summon back the young hunters they would give the machinery a test.
