matters of personal concern
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
be able to spare or give up
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading The brown, alert face showed no surprise.
prior to a specified or implied time
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
a fact or assertion offered as evidence that something is true
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
the process whereby a person concentrates on some features of the environment to the (relative) exclusion of others
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
balanceverbUS /ˈbæləns/
bring into balance or equilibrium
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
cause to be bored
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading The brown, alert face showed no surprise.
BureaunounUS /ˈbjʊroʊ/
an administrative unit of government
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
commandantnounUS /ˌkɑːmənˈdɑːnt/
an officer in command of a military unit
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading “But why?” he cried.
a piece of furniture with a writing surface and usually drawers or other compartments
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
EnsignnounUS /ˈensən/
a person who holds a commissioned rank in the United States Navy or the United States Coast Guard; below lieutenant junior grade
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading The brown, alert face showed no surprise.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “I’m sorry, Mr. Rankin,” he said simply.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
I'm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I’m sorry, Mr. Rankin,” he said simply.
plural of “lip” — either of two fleshy folds of tissue that surround the mouth and play a role in speaking
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
the force of workers available
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
a form of address for a man
From this reading “I’m sorry, Mr. Rankin,” he said simply.
NavaladjectiveUS /ˈneɪvəl/
connected with or belonging to or used in a navy
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
navy-yard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
not any; not one
From this reading The brown, alert face showed no surprise.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
writing that provides information (especially information of an official nature)
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
having or expressing strong emotions
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
PhiladelphianounUS /ˌfɪləˈdelfiə/
the largest city in Pennsylvania; located in the southeastern part of the state on the Delaware river; site of Independence Hall where the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were signed; site of the University of Pennsylvania
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
RankinnounUS /ˈræŋkɪn/
leader in the women's suffrage movement in Montana; the first woman to serve in the United States House of Representatives (1880-1973)
From this reading “I’m sorry, Mr. Rankin,” he said simply.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “I’m sorry, Mr. Rankin,” he said simply.
shakenadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪkən/
disturbed psychologically as if by a physical jolt or shock
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
sheafnounUS /ʃiːf/
a package of several things tied together for carrying or storing
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The brown, alert face showed no surprise.
and nothing more
From this reading “I’m sorry, Mr. Rankin,” he said simply.
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading “I’m sorry, Mr. Rankin,” he said simply.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
superscriptionnoun
an inscription written above something else
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading The brown, alert face showed no surprise.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Ensign Rankin belonged to those men who cannot afford to be easily shaken from their balance, but his passionate argument was already on his lips.
the capital of the United States in the District of Columbia and a tourist mecca; George Washington commissioned Charles L'Enfant to lay out the city in 1791
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
which person or people
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “But why?” he cried.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading The commandant of the Philadelphia navy-yard looked up from the sheaf of papers which bore the superscription of the Bureau of Naval Affairs, Washington, at the young man who stood at attention before his desk.
