used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
aftadverbUS /æft/
at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
amidshipsadverbUS /əˈmɪdʃɪps/
at or near or toward the center of a ship
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
for the reason that
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
countingnounUS /ˈkaʊntɪŋ/
the act of counting; reciting numbers in ascending order
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
forecastlenoun
living quarters consisting of a superstructure in the bow of a merchant ship where the crew is housed
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
foremastnoun
the mast nearest the bow in vessels with two or more masts
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
forenoon's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
forkedadjectiveUS /fɔːrkt/
resembling a fork; divided or separated into two branches
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
Forty-nineadjective
being nine more than forty
From this reading "Forty-nine," said the voice.
the act of departing
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
gruntedverbUS /ˈɡrʌntɪd/
past form of “grunt” — issue a grunting, low, animal-like noise
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
hawsernoun
large heavy rope for nautical use
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
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 CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
jibverbUS /dʒɪb/
refuse to comply
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
monotonouslyadverb
in a monotonous manner
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/
above your head; in the sky
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
(law) someone who owns (is legal possessor of) a business
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
rattledadjectiveUS /ˈrætəld/
thrown into a state of agitated confusion; (“rattled” is an informal term)
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
ROSAN
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Forty-nine," said the voice.
only a very short time before
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
schoonernounUS /ˈskuːnər/
a large beer glass
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
ship'snounUS /ʃɪps/
possessive form of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
slappingverbUS /ˈslæpɪŋ/
inflected form of “slap” — hit with something flat, like a paddle or the open hand
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
slatted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
slimyadjectiveUS /ˈslaɪmi/
covered with or resembling slime
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
thicknessnounUS /ˈθɪknəs/
the dimension through an object as opposed to its length or width
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
thumpverbUS /θʌmp/
move rhythmically
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
tollingverbUS /ˈtoʊlɪŋ/
-ing form of “toll” — ring slowly
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
having no beneficial use or incapable of functioning usefully
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
covered or soaked with a liquid such as water
From this reading There was a thump, a slimy slapping of wet fish, and a voice counting monotonously as its owner forked his forenoon's catch into the pen amidships.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The youth could scarcely see aft of the foremast because of the thickness of the weather, but he could hear what was going on.
whined
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
windlassnounUS /ˈwɪndləs/
lifting device consisting of a horizontal cylinder turned by a crank on which a cable or rope winds
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The windlass grunted and whined as the schooner came up on her hawser with a thump, and overhead a useless jib slatted and rattled.
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading THE CATCH OF THE ROSAN At the forecastle head of the _Rosan_ stood a youth tolling the ship's bell.
