used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
asternadverb
stern foremost or backward
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
bananasnounUS /bəˈnænəz/
plural of “banana” — any of several tropical and subtropical treelike herbs of the genus Musa having a terminal crown of large entire leaves and usually bearing hanging clusters of elongated fruits
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
next to; at the side of
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
bunchnounUS /bʌntʃ/
a grouping of a number of similar things
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
the act of burning something
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading They had never thought of dishonouring him by taking him off his stick.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
contemplatingverbUS /ˈkɑːntəmpleɪtɪŋ/
-ing form of “contemplate” — look at thoughtfully; observe deep in thought
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
dishonouring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They had never thought of dishonouring him by taking him off his stick.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
about to be mentioned or specified
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
a plot of ground where plants are cultivated
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
an alert and refreshed state
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading They had never thought of dishonouring him by taking him off his stick.
decoration that is hung (as a tapestry) on a wall or over a window
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading They had never thought of dishonouring him by taking him off his stick.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
Katafa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
staying power
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
the light of the Moon
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
NannounUS /næn/
your grandmother
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading They had never thought of dishonouring him by taking him off his stick.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They had never thought of dishonouring him by taking him off his stick.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
(American football) a play that involves one player throwing the ball to a teammate
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
the state prevailing during the absence of war
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
a human being
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
hitting a golf ball that is on the green using a putter
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
reefnounUS /riːf/
a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
seasicknessnoun
motion sickness experienced while traveling on water
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
SEEDSnounUS /siːdz/
plural of “seed” — a small hard fruit
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
transport commercially
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
steeredverbUS /stɪrd/
past form of “steer” — direct the course; determine the direction of travelling
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
put, fix, force, or implant
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
swellverbUS /swel/
increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading They had never thought of dishonouring him by taking him off his stick.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
in or at that place or location
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They had never thought of dishonouring him by taking him off his stick.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
the process of using your mind to consider something carefully
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading They had never thought of dishonouring him by taking him off his stick.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
transomnounUS /ˈtrænsəm/
a window above a door that is usually hinged to a horizontal crosspiece over the door
From this reading Katafa steered, the great bunch of bananas up against her legs, Nan on his stick beside her, the head of Nan hanging over the transom like the head of a person contemplating seasickness.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
speaking softly without vibration of the vocal cords
From this reading The great dark swell coming up and passing in the moonlight, the following wind, the stars—nothing remained but these, these and the whisper of the reef far astern, and the far glow of the burning ship.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading FROM GARDEN TO GARDEN LIKE SEEDS ON THE WIND Here there was peace.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading He was something real to them, and, without thinking back and putting things together, they felt that he was an influence in their lives.
