Chapter XVII · Chapter 17

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading "An' him helpless--aye, an' a better man nor ye be yerself, Denny Nolan.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "An' him helpless--aye, an' a better man nor ye be yerself, Denny Nolan.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading "Would ye be murderin' him?" she cried.

(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another

From this reading "An' him helpless--aye, an' a better man nor ye be yerself, Denny Nolan.

a statute in draft before it becomes law

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.

From this reading Then ye be no blood an' kin to me, ye great murderer!

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

the act of delivering or distributing something (as goods or mail)

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry

From this reading "Would ye be murderin' him?" she cried.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "An' him helpless--aye, an' a better man nor ye be yerself, Denny Nolan.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

be identical or equivalent to

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

divisible by two

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

plural of “finger” — any of the terminal members of the hand (sometimes excepting the thumb)

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

a slight suggestion or vague understanding

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading Then ye be no blood an' kin to me, ye great murderer!

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

lacking in or deprived of strength or power

From this reading "An' him helpless--aye, an' a better man nor ye be yerself, Denny Nolan.

belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

the act of retaining something

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

a person having kinship with another or others

From this reading Then ye be no blood an' kin to me, ye great murderer!

steadfast in allegiance or duty

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

roused to anger

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading "An' him helpless--aye, an' a better man nor ye be yerself, Denny Nolan.

the mother of Jesus; Christians refer to her as the Virgin Mary; she is especially honored by Roman Catholics

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Then ye be no blood an' kin to me, ye great murderer!

a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

a criminal who commits homicide (who performs the unlawful premeditated killing of another human being)

From this reading Then ye be no blood an' kin to me, ye great murderer!

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "Would ye be murderin' him?" she cried.

not any; not one

From this reading Then ye be no blood an' kin to me, ye great murderer!

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

and not; used after a negative to add a second negative

From this reading "An' him helpless--aye, an' a better man nor ye be yerself, Denny Nolan.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

deserving or inciting pity

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

a rational motive for a belief or action

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

any member of a ship's crew

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading "Would ye be murderin' him?" she cried.

a student who fails to attend classes

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

refrain from harming

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

past form of “spare” — refrain from harming

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)

From this reading Then ye be no blood an' kin to me, ye great murderer!

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

in contact with each other or in proximity

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

a mobile mass of muscular tissue covered with mucous membrane and located in the oral cavity

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

not conscious; lacking awareness and the capacity for sensory perception as if asleep or dead

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

plural of “use” — the act of using

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

the hair growing on the lower part of a man's face

From this reading Mother Nolan's tongue did not spare him, even as her fingers had not spared poor, loyal Bill Brennen's whiskers.

in the company of; together with

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

the basic human power of intelligent thought and perception

From this reading MARY KAVANAGH USES HER WITS For half a minute the skipper was mad enough to kill the unconscious sailor with his hands and feet; but Mother Nolan and Mary Kavanagh together were equal to the task of holding him and bringing him to a glimmering of reason.

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading "Would ye be murderin' him?" she cried.

an old word for “you”, speaking to more than one person

From this reading "Would ye be murderin' him?" she cried.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading "An' him helpless--aye, an' a better man nor ye be yerself, Denny Nolan.