used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
(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 As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
astiradjective
out of bed
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
plural of “bird” — warm-blooded egg-laying vertebrates characterized by feathers and forelimbs modified as wings
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
emitting or reflecting light readily or in large amounts
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
rid of objects or obstructions such as e.g. trees and brush
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
past form of “commence” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
commotionnounUS /kəˈmoʊʃən/
a disorderly outburst or tumult
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
dawnedverbUS /dɔːnd/
past form of “dawn” — become clear or enter one's consciousness or emotions
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
to certain extent or degree
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
fasteningsnounUS /ˈfæsənɪŋz/
plural of “fastening” — restraint that attaches to something or holds something in place
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
an event (or a course of events) that will inevitably happen in the future
From this reading THE FATE OF THE FLAT-BOAT.
FLAT-BOAT
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE FATE OF THE FLAT-BOAT.
flittingverbUS /ˈflɪtɪŋ/
inflected form of “flit” — move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
freightnounUS /freɪt/
goods carried by a large vehicle
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
shoot down, of birds
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
made greater in size or amount or degree
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
limbnounUS /lɪm/
one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
loosenedadjectiveUS /ˈluːsənd/
straightened out
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
mooredverbUS /mʊrd/
past form of “moor” — secure in or as if in a berth or dock
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
the fourth book of the Old Testament; contains a record of the number of Israelites who followed Moses out of Egypt
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE FATE OF THE FLAT-BOAT.
predictedverbUS /prɪˈdɪktɪd/
past form of “predict” — make a prediction about; tell in advance
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
not tired; refreshed as by sleeping or relaxing
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
with safety; in a safe manner
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
the act of singing vocal music
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
in the near future
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
sparkledverbUS /ˈspɑːrkəld/
past form of “sparkle” — reflect brightly
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FATE OF THE FLAT-BOAT.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
towardprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrd/
in the direction of
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
twigsnounUS /twɪɡz/
plural of “twig” — a small branch or division of a branch (especially a terminal division); usually applied to branches of the current or preceding year
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
a community of people smaller than a town
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Down in the water, but safely moored to shore, rested a flat-boat, waiting for its living freight, before being loosened from its fastenings.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading AS was predicted, the storm soon cleared away, and the morning dawned bright and beautiful.
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 Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
wendingverbUS /ˈwendɪŋ/
-ing form of “wend” — direct one's course or way
From this reading As the commotion in the village increased, numbers commenced wending their way toward the river, and in a short time nearly all stood upon the shore.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading Birds were singing and flitting from limb to limb, the water sparkled upon the grass and twigs, and by the time it was fairly light, the whole village was astir.
