used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
plural of “age” — how long something has existed
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
batteredadjectiveUS /ˈbætərd/
damaged by blows or hard usage
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
breakersnounUS /ˈbreɪkərz/
waves breaking on the shore
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
bridge-screens
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
cliffsnounUS /klɪfs/
plural of “cliff” — a steep high face of rock
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The night was their task-master: in darkness they worked and in the Shadow of Death.
the first light of day
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading The night was their task-master: in darkness they worked and in the Shadow of Death.
DestroyersnounUS /dɪˈstrɔɪərz/
plural of “destroyer” — a small fast lightly armored but heavily armed warship
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
deficient in magnitude; barely perceptible; lacking clarity or brightness or loudness etc
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
flotillanounUS /floʊˈtɪlə/
a United States Navy fleet consisting of two or more squadrons of small warships
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
frowningadjectiveUS /ˈfraʊnɪŋ/
showing displeasure or anger
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
funnelsnounUS /ˈfʌnəlz/
plural of “funnel” — a conical shape with a wider and a narrower opening at the two ends
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
gullsnounUS /ɡʌlz/
plural of “gull” — a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The night was their task-master: in darkness they worked and in the Shadow of Death.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
labouringadjective
doing arduous or unpleasant work
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
landwardadverbUS /ˈlændwərd/
toward land
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
a formation of people or things one beside another
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
provided with artificial light
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
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 It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
mine-sweeping
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading The night was their task-master: in darkness they worked and in the Shadow of Death.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The Destroyers were not sorry to see the dawn.
ocean'snounUS /ˈoʊʃənz/
possessive form of “ocean” — a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
overtookverbUS /ˌoʊvərˈtʊk/
inflected form of “overtake” — catch up with and possibly overtake
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
patientlyadverbUS /ˈpeɪʃəntli/
with patience; in a patient manner
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
pulsenounUS /pʌls/
(electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
uttered with a trill
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
salt-crusted
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The Destroyers were not sorry to see the dawn.
A dark area or shape produced by a body coming between rays of light and a surface.
From this reading The night was their task-master: in darkness they worked and in the Shadow of Death.
Sloops
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading The Destroyers were not sorry to see the dawn.
stormyadjectiveUS /ˈstɔːrmi/
(especially of weather) affected or characterized by storms or commotion
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
streaknounUS /striːk/
an unbroken series of events
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
any piece of work that is undertaken or attempted
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
task-master
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The night was their task-master: in darkness they worked and in the Shadow of Death.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The night was their task-master: in darkness they worked and in the Shadow of Death.
in every part of a place, or for the whole of a period
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
THULEnoun
a town in northwestern Greenland; during World War II a United States naval base was built there
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
thunderedverbUS /ˈθʌndərd/
past form of “thunder” — move fast, noisily, and heavily
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
ULTIMAnounUS /ˈʌltɪmə/
the last syllable in a word
From this reading ULTIMA THULE Across the stormy North Sea came the first faint streak of dawn.
unendingadjectiveUS /əˈnendɪŋ/
continuing forever or indefinitely
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
wailedverbUS /weɪld/
past form of “wail” — emit long loud cries
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The night was their task-master: in darkness they worked and in the Shadow of Death.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The Destroyers were not sorry to see the dawn.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
wind-tossed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It lit the frowning cliffs, round which wind-tossed gulls wailed and breakers had thundered the beat of an ocean's pulse throughout the ages.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It overtook a long line of Destroyers rolling landward with battered bridge-screens and salt-crusted funnels; it met a flotilla of mine-sweeping Sloops, labouring patiently out to their unending task.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading The night was their task-master: in darkness they worked and in the Shadow of Death.
