used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/
any specific behavior
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
antnounUS /ænt/
social insect living in organized colonies; characteristically the males and fertile queen have wings during breeding season; wingless sterile females are the workers
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
confined by bonds
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
the act of breaking something
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
canoesnounUS /kəˈnuːz/
plural of “canoe” — small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
clothingnounUS /ˈkloʊðɪŋ/
a covering designed to be worn on a person's body
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
plural of “cloud” — any collection of particles (e.g., smoke or dust) or gases that is visible
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
emblemnounUS /ˈembləm/
special design or visual object representing a quality, type, group, etc.
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
engageverbUS /enˈɡeɪdʒ/
carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
divisible by two
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
flagnounUS /flæɡ/
emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
inflected form of “flee” — run away quickly
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
inflected form of “fly” — travel through the air; be airborne
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
the ripened reproductive body of a seed plant
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
the act of departing
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
headedadjectiveUS /ˈhedəd/
having a heading or course in a certain direction
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
a collection of objects laid on top of each other
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
a form of energy that is transferred by a difference in temperature
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
homewardadverbUS /ˈhoʊmwərd/
toward home
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
idlers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
arousing or holding the attention
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
isletnounUS /ˈaɪlɪt/
a small island
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
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 From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
man-of-warnoun
a warship intended for combat
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
many-coloured
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
the world of commercial activity where goods and services are bought and sold
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
an area that is approximately central within some larger region
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
plural of “movement” — a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
nativesnounUS /ˈneɪtɪvz/
plural of “native” — an indigenous person who was born in a particular place
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
navaladjectiveUS /ˈneɪvəl/
connected with or belonging to or used in a navy
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
outcastsnounUS /ˈaʊtkæsts/
plural of “outcast” — a person who is rejected (from society or home)
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
palmsnounUS /pɑːmz/
plural of “palm” — the inner surface of the hand from the wrist to the base of the fingers
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
Papeetenoun
the capital of French Polynesia on the northwestern coast of Tahiti
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
pestilencenounUS /ˈpestələns/
a serious (sometimes fatal) infection of rodents caused by Yersinia pestis and accidentally transmitted to humans by the bite of a flea that has bitten an infected animal
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
pilesnounUS /paɪlz/
venous swelling external or internal to the anal sphincter
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
(theology) the origination of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
reefnounUS /riːf/
a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
sailorsnounUS /ˈseɪlərz/
plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
scarfnounUS /skɑːrf/
a garment worn around the head or neck or shoulders for warmth or decoration
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
schoonernounUS /ˈskuːnər/
a large beer glass
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
seasnounUS /siːz/
plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading A French man-of-war was going out, homeward bound; she lay in the middle distance of the port, an ant heap for activity.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
in the direction of
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
past form of “tremble” — move or jerk quickly and involuntarily up and down or sideways
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
tropicadjectiveUS /ˈtrɑːpɪk/
relating to or situated in or characteristic of the tropics (the region on either side of the equator)
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
the sensation caused by heat energy
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
accept gladly
From this reading But not even the beauty and the welcome warmth of the morning, not even these naval movements, so interesting to sailors and to idlers, could engage the attention of the outcasts.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The clouds were all fled, the beauty of the tropic day was spread upon Papeete; and the wall of breaking seas upon the reef, and the palms upon the islet, already trembled in the heat.
in the company of; together with
From this reading From up the coast, a long procession of canoes headed round the point and towards the market, bright as a scarf with the many-coloured clothing of the natives and the piles of fruit.
of the color intermediate between green and orange in the color spectrum; of something resembling the color of an egg yolk
From this reading In the night a schooner had come in, and now lay far out, hard by the passage; and the yellow flag, the emblem of pestilence, flew on her.
