used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
in a state of sleep
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
bitsnounUS /bɪts/
plural of “bit” — a small piece or quantity of something
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
a young person of either sex
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
chuckingverbUS /ˈtʃʌkɪŋ/
-ing form of “chuck” — throw carelessly
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
chucklenounUS /ˈtʃʌkəl/
a soft partly suppressed laugh
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
an institution created to conduct business
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
coralnounUS /ˈkɔːrəl/
a variable color averaging a deep pink
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
DEMONnounUS /ˈdiːmən/
an evil supernatural being
From this reading THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE DEMON “He’s gone,” said Kearney.
someone who is a detective
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
dinghynounUS /ˈdɪŋi/
a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
the boundary of a surface
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
FIRSTadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE DEMON “He’s gone,” said Kearney.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
a quick look
From this reading THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE DEMON “He’s gone,” said Kearney.
destroyed or killed
From this reading THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE DEMON “He’s gone,” said Kearney.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
He's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE DEMON “He’s gone,” said Kearney.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
Kearney
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE DEMON “He’s gone,” said Kearney.
kickingnounUS /ˈkɪkɪŋ/
a rhythmic thrusting movement of the legs as in swimming or calisthenics
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
lagoonnounUS /ləˈɡuːn/
a body of water cut off from a larger body by a reef of sand or coral
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE DEMON “He’s gone,” said Kearney.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
and nothing more
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
outgrownverbUS /ˌaʊtˈɡroʊn/
inflected form of “outgrow” — grow too large or too mature for
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
playthingsnounUS /ˈpleɪθɪŋz/
plural of “plaything” — an artifact designed to be played with
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
responsenounUS /rɪˈspɑːns/
a result
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
ribsnounUS /rɪbz/
plural of “rib” — support resembling the rib of an animal
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
(of fluids) moving or issuing in a stream
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE DEMON “He’s gone,” said Kearney.
a reason for wanting something done
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
a space reserved for sitting (as in a theater or on a train or airplane)
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
swardnounUS /swɔːrd/
surface layer of ground containing a mat of grass and grass roots
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
takenadjectiveUS /ˈteɪkən/
understood in a certain way; made sense of
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FIRST GLIMPSE OF THE DEMON “He’s gone,” said Kearney.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Dick had left them kicking about on the sward; they had been his playthings, but he had outgrown them.
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
tied-up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
TiredadjectiveUS /ˈtaɪərd/
depleted of strength or energy
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
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 tide was running out of the lagoon under the sunset and a faint chuckle of water against the ribs of the tied-up dinghy was the only response.
water'snounUS /ˈwɔːtərz/
possessive form of “water” — 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 child was asleep in the house, and he had taken his seat alone by the water’s edge.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Tired out, he had taken his seat near the little boat as if for the sake of company and, with his pipe in his mouth, was chucking bits of coral at the water.
