used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
amidstprepositionUS /əˈmɪdst/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
weapons considered collectively
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Presently the concavity in the ocean mounted to level, and its rotation slowly died away.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
blindedadjectiveUS /ˈblaɪndɪd/
deprived of sight
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
buoysnounUS /ˈbuːiz/
plural of “buoy” — bright-colored; a float attached by rope to the seabed to mark channels in a harbor or underwater hazards
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
canisternounUS /ˈkænəstər/
a metallic cylinder packed with shot and used as ammunition in a firearm
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
circlingverbUS /ˈsɜːrkəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “circle” — travel around something
From this reading The circling water was filmed with oil, the life-blood of the stricken submarine.
past form of “clasp” — hold firmly and tightly
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
concavitynounUS /kɑːnˈkɑːvətiː/
a shape that curves or bends inward
From this reading Presently the concavity in the ocean mounted to level, and its rotation slowly died away.
travel across or pass over
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading Presently the concavity in the ocean mounted to level, and its rotation slowly died away.
make void or empty of contents
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
filmedadjectiveUS /fɪlmd/
recorded on film; made into a movie
From this reading The circling water was filmed with oil, the life-blood of the stricken submarine.
flotsamnounUS /ˈflɑːtsəm/
the floating wreckage of a ship
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
set up or found
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Presently the concavity in the ocean mounted to level, and its rotation slowly died away.
kickingnounUS /ˈkɪkɪŋ/
a rhythmic thrusting movement of the legs as in swimming or calisthenics
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading Presently the concavity in the ocean mounted to level, and its rotation slowly died away.
life-blood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The circling water was filmed with oil, the life-blood of the stricken submarine.
MaddenverbUS /ˈmædən/
cause to go crazy; cause to lose one's mind
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
assembled for use; especially by being attached to a support
From this reading Presently the concavity in the ocean mounted to level, and its rotation slowly died away.
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading Presently the concavity in the ocean mounted to level, and its rotation slowly died away.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
oilnounUS /ɔɪl/
A viscous liquid derived from petroleum or plants, stored in large earthen jars.
From this reading The circling water was filmed with oil, the life-blood of the stricken submarine.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
planksnounUS /plæŋks/
plural of “plank” — a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
in the near future
From this reading Presently the concavity in the ocean mounted to level, and its rotation slowly died away.
established beyond doubt
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
rotationnounUS /roʊˈteɪʃən/
the act of rotating as if on an axis
From this reading Presently the concavity in the ocean mounted to level, and its rotation slowly died away.
screwnounUS /skruː/
someone who guards prisoners
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
ShockedadjectiveUS /ʃɑːkt/
struck with fear, dread, or consternation
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
spars
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
strickenadjectiveUS /ˈstrɪkən/
grievously affected especially by disease
From this reading The circling water was filmed with oil, the life-blood of the stricken submarine.
strugglingadjectiveUS /ˈstrʌɡəlɪŋ/
engaged in a struggle to overcome especially poverty or obscurity
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
submarinenounUS /ˈsʌbməriːn/
a submersible warship usually armed with torpedoes
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
sunkadjectiveUS /sʌŋk/
doomed to extinction
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
swimmernounUS /ˈswɪmər/
a trained athlete who participates in swimming meets
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
inflected form of “swing” — move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
tinnounUS /tɪn/
a silvery malleable metallic element that resists corrosion; used in many alloys and to coat other metals to prevent corrosion; obtained chiefly from cassiterite where it occurs as tin oxide
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
the upper part of anything
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
tugverbUS /tʌɡ/
pull hard
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
unwittinglyadverbUS /ənˈwɪtɪŋli/
without knowledge or intention
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
VICTORIAnounUS /vɪkˈtɔːriə/
queen of Great Britain and Ireland and empress of India from 1837 to 1901; the last Hanoverian ruler of England (1819-1901)
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The circling water was filmed with oil, the life-blood of the stricken submarine.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
in or at the place that
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The American found that his arms had unwittingly clasped something which proved to be an empty tin canister with a screw top.
whirlpoolnounUS /ˈwɜːrlpuːl/
a powerful circular current of water (usually the result of conflicting tides)
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading The whole mass of flotsam swung slowly around the whirlpool where tug and submarine had sunk.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
wreckagenounUS /ˈrekədʒ/
the remaining parts of something that has been wrecked
From this reading THE VICTORIA CROSS Shocked, stunned, half blinded, Madden found himself kicking in the water amidst a wreckage of spars, planks, buoys, with here and there a swimmer struggling to stay on the surface.
