used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The _Manhattan_ from stem to stern presented a busy scene.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading “Eight bells, sir.”
blowingnounUS /ˈbloʊɪŋ/
processing that involves blowing a gas
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
of the color intermediate between green and violet; having a color similar to that of a clear unclouded sky
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
busilyadverbUS /ˈbɪzəli/
in a busy manner
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading The _Manhattan_ from stem to stern presented a busy scene.
CalifornianounUS /ˌkæləˈfɔːrnjə/
a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
clippersnounUS /ˈklɪpərz/
plural of “clipper” — (electronics) a nonlinear electronic circuit whose output is limited in amplitude; used to limit the instantaneous amplitude of a waveform (to clip off the peaks of a waveform)
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
being one more than seven
From this reading “Eight bells, sir.”
flag-ship
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
flagsnounUS /flæɡz/
plural of “flag” — emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
formulanounUS /ˈfɔːrmjələ/
a group of symbols that make a mathematical statement
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The _Manhattan_ from stem to stern presented a busy scene.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
having much knowledge or education
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
and nothing more
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
engage in
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
ManhattannounUS /mænˈhætən/
one of the five boroughs of New York City
From this reading The _Manhattan_ from stem to stern presented a busy scene.
navynounUS /ˈneɪvi/
an organization of military vessels belonging to a country and available for sea warfare
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
the middle of the day
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
northwestnounUS /ˌnɔːrˈθwest/
the northwestern region of the United States
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
pettyadjectiveUS /ˈpetiː/
inferior in rank or status
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The _Manhattan_ from stem to stern presented a busy scene.
past form of “respond” — show a response or a reaction to something
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
not move; be in a resting position
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading The _Manhattan_ from stem to stern presented a busy scene.
scuddingnoun
the act of moving along swiftly (as before a gale)
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
signalingnounUS /ˈsɪɡnəlɪŋ/
any nonverbal action or gesture that encodes a message
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
term of address for a man
From this reading “Eight bells, sir.”
the atmosphere and outer space as viewed from the earth
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
squadronnounUS /ˈskwɑːdrən/
a cavalry unit consisting of two or more troops and headquarters and supporting arms
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
stationsnounUS /ˈsteɪʃənz/
(Roman Catholic Church) a devotion consisting of fourteen prayers said before a series of fourteen pictures or carvings representing successive incidents during Jesus' passage from Pilate's house to his crucifixion at Calvary
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
stemnounUS /stem/
(linguistics) the form of a word after all affixes are removed
From this reading The _Manhattan_ from stem to stern presented a busy scene.
sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading The _Manhattan_ from stem to stern presented a busy scene.
not moving or operating freely
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
time-honoredadjective
acceptable for a long time
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
topsadjectiveUS /tɑːps/
of the highest quality
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
a Caucasian
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
which person or people
From this reading “Make it so,” responded the captain in the time-honored formula of the navy to the petty officer who had just informed him that it was high noon.
wig-wag
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From her tops and bridge stations the wig-wag flags were busily signaling the orders of the flag-ship to the rest of the squadron.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading A stiff northwest wind was blowing, and before it small white clouds were scudding like clippers across a bright blue California sky.
