used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
admitters
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
(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 At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
aquamarinenounUS /ˌɑːkwəmərˈiːn/
a transparent variety of beryl that is blue green in color
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
atollnounUS /ˈætɑːl/
an island consisting of a circular coral reef surrounding a lagoon
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
boilingnounUS /ˈbɔɪlɪŋ/
the application of heat to change something from a liquid to a gas
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
terminate
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
a young person of either sex
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
clipnounUS /klɪp/
a metal frame or container holding cartridges; can be inserted into an automatic gun
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
continentsnounUS /ˈkɑːntənənts/
plural of “continent” — one of the large landmasses of the earth
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
coralnounUS /ˈkɔːrəl/
a variable color averaging a deep pink
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
cross-sea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
a flow of electricity through a conductor
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
past form of “die” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
driftedverbUS /ˈdrɪftəd/
past form of “drift” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
dwellersnounUS /ˈdwelərz/
plural of “dweller” — a person who inhabits a particular place
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
the cardinal compass point that is at 90 degrees
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
ebbverbUS /eb/
flow back or recede
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
eight-knot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
emeraldnounUS /ˈemrəld/
a green transparent form of beryl; highly valued as a gemstone
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
to come or go into
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
a movable barrier in a fence or wall
From this reading This was the sea gate of Karolin, and the keepers of the gate were the sun and the moon.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
occupied or in the control of; often used in combination
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
Karolin
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
keepersnounUS /ˈkiːpərz/
plural of “keeper” — someone in charge of other people
From this reading This was the sea gate of Karolin, and the keepers of the gate were the sun and the moon.
a domain in which something is dominant
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
lagoonnounUS /ləˈɡuːn/
a body of water cut off from a larger body by a reef of sand or coral
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
plural of “land” — the land on which real estate is located
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
leafnounUS /liːf/
the main organ of photosynthesis and transpiration in higher plants
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
leapingnounUS /ˈliːpɪŋ/
a light, self-propelled movement upwards or forwards
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
letters-in
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
manifestlyadverbUS /ˈmænəfestli/
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading This was the sea gate of Karolin, and the keepers of the gate were the sun and the moon.
moonsnounUS /muːnz/
plural of “moon” — the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
neaps
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
not any; not one
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
northward-running
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
piersnounUS /pɪrz/
plural of “pier” — a platform built out from the shore into the water and supported by piles; provides access to ships and boats
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
reefnounUS /riːf/
a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
only a very short time before
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading This was the sea gate of Karolin, and the keepers of the gate were the sun and the moon.
transport commercially
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
significancenounUS /səɡˈnɪfɪkəns/
the quality of being significant
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
slackadjectiveUS /slæk/
not tense or taut
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
precipitation falling from clouds in the form of ice crystals
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
the season of growth
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading This was the sea gate of Karolin, and the keepers of the gate were the sun and the moon.
SweepingadjectiveUS /ˈswiːpɪŋ/
taking in or moving over (or as if over) a wide area; often used in combination
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
swumverbUS /swʌm/
inflected form of “swim” — travel through water
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
third-quarter
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
tidesnounUS /taɪdz/
plural of “tide” — the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
unguessed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading HIS KINGDOM Broad as the reef break was at Karolin, no ship under sail could enter at the full ebb.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading This was the sea gate of Karolin, and the keepers of the gate were the sun and the moon.
at the time that
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
whippedverbUS /wɪpt/
inflected form of “whip” — beat severely with a whip or rod
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Sweeping with an eight-knot clip and boiling round the coral piers, the waters of the great lagoon met the northward-running current in a leaping cross-sea of aquamarine and emerald whipped to snow when the wind was in the east.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The sun and the moon and the wind and the sea—these four held the great atoll between them and had here a significance unguessed by dwellers on the continents and lands of the world; for here the new and the full moons were manifestly the letters-in of the great spring tides, and the first- and third-quarter moons the admitters of the neaps.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading At slack all this died away; a child might have swum the passage and a leaf would have drifted with scarce a change of place.
