used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
admiralsnounUS /ˈædmərəlz/
plural of “admiral” — the supreme commander of a fleet; ranks above a vice admiral and below a fleet admiral
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
battleshipsnounUS /ˈbætəlʃɪps/
plural of “battleship” — large and heavily armoured warship
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
bondservants
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
confined by bonds
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
placed in a grave
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
ColombonounUS /kəˈlʌmboʊ/
the capital and largest city of Sri Lanka; has one of the largest harbors in the world; is located on the western coast of the island of Ceylon
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
Colonsay
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
contemptuouslyadverbUS /kənˈtemptʃwəsli/
without respect; in a disdainful manner
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading True, the wireless could reach her too, but it would not take the trouble.
curtesy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
recognizable; marked
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
plural of “dream” — a series of mental images and emotions occurring during sleep
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
let fall to the ground
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
lying toward or situated in the east
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
eternallyadverbUS /ɪˈtɜːrnəli/
for a limitless time
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
frownverbUS /fraʊn/
look angry or sullen, wrinkle one's forehead, as if to signal disapproval
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
holidaynounUS /ˈhɑːlədeɪ/
leisure time away from work devoted to rest or pleasure
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
conformity or harmony
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
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 EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
loweringadjectiveUS /ˈloʊərɪŋ/
darkened by clouds
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
come together
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
midshipmennounUS /ˈmɪdˈʃɪpmen/
plural of “midshipman” — a temporary rank held by young naval officers in training
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
an adulterous woman; a woman who has an ongoing extramarital sexual relationship with a man
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
mistsnounUS /mɪsts/
plural of “mist” — a thin fog with condensation near the ground
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
in or characteristic of a region of the United States north of (approximately) the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
and nothing more
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
people'snounUS /ˈpiːpəlz/
possessive form of “people” — (plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
ploughingnoun
tilling the land with a plow
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
portsnounUS /pɔːrts/
plural of “port” — a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
proudlyadverbUS /ˈpraʊdli/
with pride; in a proud manner
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading True, the wireless could reach her too, but it would not take the trouble.
past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
transport commercially
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
in the near future
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
a facility equipped with special equipment and personnel for a particular purpose
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
carry out
From this reading True, the wireless could reach her too, but it would not take the trouble.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading True, the wireless could reach her too, but it would not take the trouble.
tossverbUS /tɔːs/
throw or toss with a light motion
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
a source of difficulty
From this reading True, the wireless could reach her too, but it would not take the trouble.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading EASTERN SEAS It was not long after they sailed from England that the midshipmen decided that many of their dreams were coming true.
WhitehallnounUS /ˈwaɪthɔːl/
a wide street in London stretching from Trafalgar Square to the Houses of Parliament; site of many government offices
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading To Colombo and back she would be her own mistress, bound to drop a curtesy only now and then to other people’s admirals whom she might meet at ports of call.
wirelessnounUS /ˈwaɪrlɪs/
medium for communication
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The _Colonsay_, though she was a poor ship to look at, passed the great lowering battleships of the Home Fleet proudly, almost with a little toss of her head.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading They might frown contemptuously at her, but soon they would be buried in the Northern mists, ploughing up and down eternally, keeping station on the Flag, the bondservants of the wireless at Whitehall; and she would be away for a holiday.
