used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
aftadverbUS /æft/
at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The flush of sunset was dying when I came on deck.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading I saw the captain slowly pacing the weather side of the poop with Miss Le Grand.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading The flush of sunset was dying when I came on deck.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
duskyadjective
lighted by or as if by twilight
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
dyingadjectiveUS /ˈdaɪɪŋ/
in or associated with the process of passing from life or ceasing to be
From this reading The flush of sunset was dying when I came on deck.
characterized by a firm and humorless belief in the validity of your opinions
From this reading He seemed earnest in his talk and gestures.
firmamentnoun
the apparent surface of the imaginary sphere on which celestial bodies appear to be projected
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
flushnounUS /flʌʃ/
the period of greatest prosperity or productivity
From this reading The flush of sunset was dying when I came on deck.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
forenounUS /fɔːr/
front part of a vessel or aircraft
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
gapingadjectiveUS /ˈɡeɪpɪŋ/
with the mouth wide open as in wonder or awe
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
gesturesnounUS /ˈdʒestʃərz/
plural of “gesture” — motion of hands or body to emphasize or help to express a thought or feeling
From this reading He seemed earnest in his talk and gestures.
of behavior that is impressive and ambitious in scale or scope
From this reading I saw the captain slowly pacing the weather side of the poop with Miss Le Grand.
hatchesnounUS /ˈhætʃɪz/
plural of “hatch” — the production of young from an egg
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He seemed earnest in his talk and gestures.
not accessible to view
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He seemed earnest in his talk and gestures.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The flush of sunset was dying when I came on deck.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
a chronic inflammatory collagen disease affecting connective tissue (skin or joints)
From this reading I saw the captain slowly pacing the weather side of the poop with Miss Le Grand.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
fail to perceive or to catch with the senses or the mind
From this reading I saw the captain slowly pacing the weather side of the poop with Miss Le Grand.
the natural satellite of the Earth
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
obscuritynounUS /əbsˈkjʊrəti/
the quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The flush of sunset was dying when I came on deck.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
pacingnounUS /ˈpeɪsɪŋ/
(music) the speed at which a composition is to be played
From this reading I saw the captain slowly pacing the weather side of the poop with Miss Le Grand.
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
poopnounUS /puːp/
obscene terms for feces
From this reading I saw the captain slowly pacing the weather side of the poop with Miss Le Grand.
cut with a saw
From this reading I saw the captain slowly pacing the weather side of the poop with Miss Le Grand.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He seemed earnest in his talk and gestures.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading I saw the captain slowly pacing the weather side of the poop with Miss Le Grand.
an elevated geological formation
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading I saw the captain slowly pacing the weather side of the poop with Miss Le Grand.
snakesnounUS /sneɪks/
plural of “snake” — limbless scaly elongate reptile; some are venomous
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
to a small degree or extent
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
plural of “star” — (astronomy) a celestial body of hot gases that radiates energy derived from thermonuclear reactions in the interior
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
the time in the evening at which the sun begins to fall below the horizon
From this reading The flush of sunset was dying when I came on deck.
exchange thoughts; talk with
From this reading He seemed earnest in his talk and gestures.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
not thin; of a specific thickness or of relatively great extent from one surface to the opposite usually in the smallest of the three solid dimensions
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
topsadjectiveUS /tɑːps/
of the highest quality
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
trucksnounUS /trʌks/
plural of “truck” — an automotive vehicle suitable for hauling
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading This night the moon was dark, the weather somewhat thick, the stars pale over the trucks, and hidden in the obscurity a little way down the dusky slope of firmament.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
at the time that
From this reading The flush of sunset was dying when I came on deck.
a Caucasian
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
Windsails
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
in the company of; together with
From this reading I saw the captain slowly pacing the weather side of the poop with Miss Le Grand.
wrigglingadjective
moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
writhingadjectiveUS /ˈraɪðɪŋ/
moving in a twisting or snake-like or wormlike fashion
From this reading Windsails were wriggling fore and aft like huge white snakes, gaping for the tops and writhing out of the hatches.
