used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
Abe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
past form of “act” — perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
take a risk in the hope of a favorable outcome
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
(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 THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
arm'snounUS /ɑːrmz/
possessive form of “arm” — a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
ArnoldnounUS /ˈɑːrnəld/
English poet and literary critic (1822-1888)
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
awedadjectiveUS /ɔːd/
inspired by a feeling of fearful wonderment or reverence
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
next to; at the side of
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
the lower side of anything
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
brignounUS /brɪɡ/
two-masted sailing vessel square-rigged on both masts
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
placed in a grave
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
small and light boat; pointed at both ends; propelled with a paddle
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
canoeman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
counter-braced
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
overfilled or compacted or concentrated
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
CRUISERnounUS /ˈkruːzər/
a car in which policemen cruise the streets; equipped with radiotelephonic communications to headquarters
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
dugoutnounUS /ˈdʌɡaʊt/
either of two low shelters on either side of a baseball diamond where the players and coaches sit during the game
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
the front of the human head from the forehead to the chin and ear to ear
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
Fantee
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
set up or found
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
founderedverbUS /ˈfaʊndərd/
past form of “founder” — fail utterly; collapse
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
frailadjectiveUS /freɪl/
physically weak
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
made afraid
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
Gideon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
a young female
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
Gleazen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
gunwalenoun
wale at the top of the side of boat; topmost planking of a wooden vessel
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
to a considerable degree
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
kickverbUS /kɪk/
drive or propel with the foot
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
ladenadjectiveUS /ˈleɪdən/
filled with a great quantity
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
marvelousadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːrvələs/
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
Matterson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
the force of workers available
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
nearnessnoun
the spatial property resulting from a relatively small distance
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
paddleverbUS /ˈpædəl/
propel with a paddle
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
perishedverbUS /ˈperɪʃt/
past form of “perish” — pass from physical life and lose all bodily attributes and functions necessary to sustain life
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
planksnounUS /plæŋks/
plural of “plank” — a stout length of sawn timber; made in a wide variety of sizes and used for many purposes
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
past form of “plunge” — thrust or throw into
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
past form of “promise” — make a promise or commitment
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
with little or no delay
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
railnounUS /reɪl/
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
any of many shrubs of the genus Rosa that bear roses
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the Sabbath by Jews and some Christians
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
established or decided beyond dispute or doubt
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
the act of causing something to move up and down (or back and forth) with quick movements
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
in an aggressive manner
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
an ability that has been acquired by training
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
sobbedverbUS /sɑːbd/
inflected form of “sob” — weep convulsively
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
solidadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːləd/
characterized by good substantial quality
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
steadinessnounUS /ˈstedinɪs/
freedom from wavering or indecision; constancy of resolve or conduct
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
strangenessnounUS /ˈstreɪndʒnəs/
unusualness as a consequence of not being well known
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
surenessnoun
freedom from doubt; belief in yourself and your abilities
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
swimmingnounUS /ˈswɪmɪŋ/
the act of swimming
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
in or at that place or location
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
tradernounUS /ˈtreɪdər/
someone who purchases and maintains an inventory of goods to be sold
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
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 As the canoe settled and the water rose, I suddenly found myself swimming, and gave the bottom of the canoe a kick and plunged forward through the water to reach the girl and hold her up.
waterloggedadjectiveUS /ˈwɔːtərlɑːɡd/
(of soil) soft and watery
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
a Caucasian
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
which person or people
From this reading And now the girl sat with her face buried in her hands and her shoulders shaking as she sobbed; and the big black, awed and frightened by the nearness and strangeness of the good Adventure, was looking up at the men who had crowded to the rail above him.
wieldedverbUS /ˈwiːldɪd/
past form of “wield” — have and exercise
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
in the company of; together with
From this reading THE CRUISER Matterson, Gleazen and the trader, Arnold, Abe and I, and the white girl and her great black servant, all were crowded into a frail dugout, which must long since have foundered, but for the marvelous skill of the big Fantee canoeman and the sureness and steadiness with which the girl had wielded her paddle.
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading We should have perished there and then, within an arm's length of the solid planks that promised safety, had not Gideon North acted promptly.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading As the brig came into the wind and lay beside the canoe, her yards sharply counter-braced, the long seas rose to the gunwale of our heavily laden and waterlogged little craft, and she slowly filled and settled.
