used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
alacritynounUS /əˈlækrəti/
liveliness and eagerness
From this reading Hal undressed with alacrity and said nothing until after he had crawled into his bunk.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
anchoringverbUS /ˈæŋkərɪŋ/
-ing form of “anchor” — fix firmly and stably
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Those engines are the noisiest things in Christendom.”
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
blatantadjectiveUS /ˈbleɪtənt/
without any attempt at concealment; completely obvious
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
bunknounUS /bʌŋk/
a long trough for feeding cattle
From this reading Hal undressed with alacrity and said nothing until after he had crawled into his bunk.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
ceaseverbUS /siːs/
put an end to a state or an activity
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
channelsnounUS /ˈtʃænəlz/
official routes of communication
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
ChristendomnounUS /ˈkrɪsəndəm/
the collective body of Christians throughout the world and history (found predominantly in Europe and the Americas and Australia)
From this reading “Those engines are the noisiest things in Christendom.”
crawledverbUS /krɔːld/
past form of “crawl” — move slowly; in the case of people or animals with the body near the ground
From this reading Hal undressed with alacrity and said nothing until after he had crawled into his bunk.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
daybreaknounUS /ˈdeɪbreɪk/
the first light of day
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
Denis
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
enginesnounUS /ˈendʒənz/
plural of “engine” — motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
something that provides access (to get in or get out)
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Hal undressed with alacrity and said nothing until after he had crawled into his bunk.
Hal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Hal undressed with alacrity and said nothing until after he had crawled into his bunk.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Hal undressed with alacrity and said nothing until after he had crawled into his bunk.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
having much knowledge or education
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Hal undressed with alacrity and said nothing until after he had crawled into his bunk.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
thing or person that acts to produce a particular effect or achieve an end
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
NarrowsnounUS /ˈneroʊz/
plural of “narrow” — a narrow strait connecting two bodies of water
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
noisiestadjectiveUS /ˈnɔɪziəst/
superlative of “noisy” — full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds
From this reading “Those engines are the noisiest things in Christendom.”
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Hal undressed with alacrity and said nothing until after he had crawled into his bunk.
obligingadjectiveUS /əˈblaɪdʒɪŋ/
showing a cheerful willingness to do favors for others
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
go across or through
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
PortuguesenounUS /ˈpɔːrtʃəɡiːz/
the Romance language spoken in Portugal and Brazil
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
slowedverbUS /sloʊd/
past form of “slow” — lose velocity; move more slowly
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
stewardnounUS /ˈstuːərd/
someone who manages property or other affairs for someone else
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
stiflingnounUS /ˈstaɪflɪŋ/
forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
(of a nose) blocked
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading “Those engines are the noisiest things in Christendom.”
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “Those engines are the noisiest things in Christendom.”
throbverbUS /θrɑːb/
pulsate or pound with abnormal force
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
very small
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
undressedadjectiveUS /ənˈdrest/
of lumber or stone or hides; not finished or dressed
From this reading As they undressed for bed they heard the throb of the engines cease and, after the captain gave some orders in blatant Portuguese, the boat slowed down and stopped.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Hal undressed with alacrity and said nothing until after he had crawled into his bunk.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
we'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading An obliging steward informed Hal that they were anchoring at the entrance to the Narrows, waiting for daybreak before they dared pass through its tiny channels.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Hal undressed with alacrity and said nothing until after he had crawled into his bunk.
yawnverbUS /jɔːn/
utter a yawn, as from lack of oxygen or when one is tired
From this reading “Then that means we’ll have a nice, quiet night to sleep,” said Denis Keen, stifling a yawn.
