Chapter III

the quality of having a superior or more favorable position

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

a slide of large masses of snow and ice and mud down a mountain

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

in or to or toward a former location

From this reading He stepped back quickly, cocked his pistol; but ere he could fire Blackbeard had swung down upon him with his cutlass.

to a severe or serious degree

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

an English pirate who operated in the Caribbean and off the Atlantic coast of North America (died in 1718)

From this reading Maynard tackled Blackbeard himself.

past form of “board” — get on board of (trains, buses, ships, aircraft, etc.)

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

rid of objects or obstructions such as e.g. trees and brush

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

past form of “cock” — tilt or slant to one side

From this reading He stepped back quickly, cocked his pistol; but ere he could fire Blackbeard had swung down upon him with his cutlass.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

cause to herd, drive, or crowd together

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

a short heavy curved sword with one edge; formerly used by sailors

From this reading He stepped back quickly, cocked his pistol; but ere he could fire Blackbeard had swung down upon him with his cutlass.

any of various platforms built into a vessel

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading He stepped back quickly, cocked his pistol; but ere he could fire Blackbeard had swung down upon him with his cutlass.

attracting or delighting

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

an old word for “before”

From this reading He stepped back quickly, cocked his pistol; but ere he could fire Blackbeard had swung down upon him with his cutlass.

cause to fall by or as if by delivering a blow

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

the act of fighting; any contest or struggle

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

start firing a weapon

From this reading He stepped back quickly, cocked his pistol; but ere he could fire Blackbeard had swung down upon him with his cutlass.

having lost your job

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

inflected form of “fight” — be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

-ing form of “gain” — obtain

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

plural of “grenade” — a small explosive bomb thrown by hand or fired from a missile

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

past form of “happen” — come to pass

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading Maynard tackled Blackbeard himself.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

immediately past

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

the force of workers available

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

the location of something surrounded by other things

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

to a great degree or extent

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

not one and not the other of two

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

past form of “obscure” — make less visible or unclear

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

someone who uses another person's words or ideas as if they were his own

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

plural of “pirate” — someone who uses another person's words or ideas as if they were his own

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

a firearm that is held and fired with one hand

From this reading He stepped back quickly, cocked his pistol; but ere he could fire Blackbeard had swung down upon him with his cutlass.

participate in games or sport

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

keep from happening or arising; make impossible

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

with speed

From this reading He stepped back quickly, cocked his pistol; but ere he could fire Blackbeard had swung down upon him with his cutlass.

successfully completed or brought to an end

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

at the same instant

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

to a small degree or extent

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

inflected form of “snap” — utter in an angry, sharp, or abrupt tone

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

inflected form of “step” — shift or move by taking a step

From this reading He stepped back quickly, cocked his pistol; but ere he could fire Blackbeard had swung down upon him with his cutlass.

past form of “swarm” — be teeming, be abuzz

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

a cutting or thrusting weapon that has a long metal blade and a hilt with a hand guard

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting

From this reading He stepped back quickly, cocked his pistol; but ere he could fire Blackbeard had swung down upon him with his cutlass.

past form of “tackle” — accept as a challenge

From this reading Maynard tackled Blackbeard himself.

impart skills or knowledge to

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

up to a particular time

From this reading In the midst of that fighting crowd the two men fought hard and long, neither gaining much advantage, until at last Maynard’s sword snapped in two, and he seemed at the mercy of the pirate.

being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

a formal word for “on”

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

used to ask for information about something

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

which person or people

From this reading The smoke from the grenades obscured things so that Maynard could not see what had happened; but as it cleared away, and he realised that he had been boarded, he called upon his men, who swarmed up on deck and fell like an avalanche upon the pirates.

in the company of; together with

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.

people who are wounded

From this reading The two fired simultaneously, and Teach was wounded slightly, but not badly enough to prevent him from engaging in some sword play with Maynard.