used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading “I know her by her white hull and the black stripe above her water-line.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “I know her by her white hull and the black stripe above her water-line.”
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/
feeling or showing anger
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
the event consisting of the start of something
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading “I know her by her white hull and the black stripe above her water-line.”
boy'snounUS /bɔɪz/
possessive form of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading “I know her by her white hull and the black stripe above her water-line.”
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Heaven help her,” said Uncle Dick, “for we can’t.”
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading The rest of the schooner’s company could say nothing.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The rest of the schooner’s company could say nothing.
cyclonenounUS /sɪˈkloʊn/
(meteorology) rapid inward circulation of air masses about a low pressure center; circling counterclockwise in the northern hemisphere and clockwise in the southern
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
someone who is a detective
From this reading “Heaven help her,” said Uncle Dick, “for we can’t.”
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “Heaven help her,” said Uncle Dick, “for we can’t.”
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
haplessadjectiveUS /ˈhæpləs/
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
any place of complete bliss and delight and peace
From this reading “Heaven help her,” said Uncle Dick, “for we can’t.”
give help or assistance; be of service
From this reading “Heaven help her,” said Uncle Dick, “for we can’t.”
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading “I know her by her white hull and the black stripe above her water-line.”
hullnounUS /hʌl/
dry outer covering of a fruit or seed or nut
From this reading “I know her by her white hull and the black stripe above her water-line.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I know her by her white hull and the black stripe above her water-line.”
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “I know her by her white hull and the black stripe above her water-line.”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The rest of the schooner’s company could say nothing.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
and nothing more
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
playthingnounUS /ˈpleɪθɪŋ/
an artifact designed to be played with
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading The rest of the schooner’s company could say nothing.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
Identical; not different.
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
cut with a saw
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
express in words
From this reading The rest of the schooner’s company could say nothing.
schooner's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The rest of the schooner’s company could say nothing.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
transport commercially
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
be standing; be upright
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
stripenounUS /straɪp/
an adornment consisting of a strip of a contrasting color or material
From this reading “I know her by her white hull and the black stripe above her water-line.”
That's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
tossedverbUS /tɔːst/
past form of “toss” — throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading “Heaven help her,” said Uncle Dick, “for we can’t.”
a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
look attentively
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
water-line
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I know her by her white hull and the black stripe above her water-line.”
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading “That’s the same ship we saw at the beginning of the cyclone,” said Frank.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They could only stand and watch the hapless vessel, which the angry waves tossed about as if she had been a boy’s plaything.
a Caucasian
From this reading “I know her by her white hull and the black stripe above her water-line.”
