used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The _Tillicum_ would not have compared favourably with an English steam-yacht.
anchornounUS /ˈæŋkər/
a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
anchor-light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
asternadverb
stern foremost or backward
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
athwartadverbUS /əˈθwɔːrt/
at right angles to the center line of a ship
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
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 little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
blinkingadjectiveUS /ˈblɪŋkɪŋ/
closing the eyes intermittently and rapidly
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
terminate
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
brightnessnounUS /ˈbraɪtnəs/
the location of a visual perception along a continuum from black to white
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading The _Tillicum_ would not have compared favourably with an English steam-yacht.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
the property created by the space between two objects or points
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading The _Tillicum_ would not have compared favourably with an English steam-yacht.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
favourablyadverb
showing approval
From this reading The _Tillicum_ would not have compared favourably with an English steam-yacht.
flappingnounUS /ˈflæpɪŋ/
the motion made by flapping up and down
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
foldsnounUS /foʊldz/
plural of “fold” — an angular or rounded shape made by folding
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
forest-shadowed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
half-moonnoun
the crescent-shaped area at the base of the human fingernail
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The _Tillicum_ would not have compared favourably with an English steam-yacht.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
lapverbUS /læp/
lie partly over or alongside of something or of one another
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
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 little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
not compact or dense in structure or arrangement
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
mainsailnoun
the lowermost sail on the mainmast
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
MARTIAL'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
MISADVENTUREnounUS /mɪsədˈventʃər/
an instance of misfortune
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
Nasmyth
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
A viscous liquid derived from petroleum or plants, stored in large earthen jars.
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
and nothing more
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
pinesnounUS /paɪnz/
plural of “pine” — a coniferous tree
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
saloonnounUS /səˈluːn/
a room or establishment where alcoholic drinks are served over a counter
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
schoonernounUS /ˈskuːnər/
a large beer glass
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
silveryadjectiveUS /ˈsɪlvəri/
resembling or reminiscent of silver
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
skylightsnounUS /ˈskaɪlaɪts/
plural of “skylight” — a window in a roof to admit daylight
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
slidingadjectiveUS /ˈslaɪdɪŋ/
being a smooth continuous motion
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
having a surface free from roughness or bumps or ridges or irregularities
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
yielding readily to pressure or weight
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
splashverbUS /splæʃ/
cause (a liquid) to spatter about, especially with force
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
steam-yacht
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The _Tillicum_ would not have compared favourably with an English steam-yacht.
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
steamer's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
stillnessnounUS /ˈstɪlnəs/
(poetic) tranquil silence
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
(of muscles) relieved of stiffness by stretching
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
swellverbUS /swel/
increase in size, magnitude, number, or intensity
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
in or at that place or location
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
Tillicum
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The _Tillicum_ would not have compared favourably with an English steam-yacht.
Tillicum's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
a line or route along which something travels or moves
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Some distance astern of her, a schooner lay waiting for a wind with the loose folds of her big mainsail flapping black athwart the silvery light, and her blinking anchor-light flung a faint track of brightness across the sliding tide.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
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 There was only the soft lap of the water along the steamer's side and the splash of the little swell upon the beach to break the stillness, for the sea was smooth as oil.
at the time that
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The little steamer lay with her anchor down under a long forest-shadowed point, behind which a half-moon hung close above the great black pines.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
in the company of; together with
From this reading MARTIAL'S MISADVENTURE There was not a breath of wind, and the night was soft and warm, when Nasmyth lay stretched upon the _Tillicum's_ deck, with his shoulder against the saloon skylights and a pipe in his hand.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading The _Tillicum_ would not have compared favourably with an English steam-yacht.
