used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
ascendverbUS /əˈsend/
travel up
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
conenounUS /koʊn/
any cone-shaped artifact
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
denseadjectiveUS /dens/
permitting little if any light to pass through because of denseness of matter
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
the state of being unsure of something
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
earthquakenounUS /ˈɜːrθkweɪk/
shaking and vibration at the surface of the earth resulting from underground movement along a fault plane or from volcanic activity
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
eruptionnounUS /ˌiːˈrʌpʃən/
the sudden occurrence of a violent discharge of steam and volcanic material
From this reading Every instant the eruption from the volcano was increasing.
EverydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Every instant the eruption from the volcano was increasing.
flamesnounUS /fleɪmz/
plural of “flame” — the process of combustion of inflammable materials producing heat and light and (often) smoke
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
fro
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
glassesnounUS /ˈɡlæsəz/
(plural) optical instrument consisting of a frame that holds a pair of lenses for correcting defective vision
From this reading We turned out glasses towards it.
happeningnounUS /ˈhæpənɪŋ/
an event that happens
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
heaveverbUS /hiːv/
utter a sound, as with obvious effort
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
hurricanenounUS /ˈhɜːrəkeɪn/
a severe tropical cyclone usually with heavy rains and winds moving at 63-136 knots (12 on the Beaufort scale)
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
increasingadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkriːsɪŋ/
becoming greater or larger
From this reading Every instant the eruption from the volcano was increasing.
a very short time (as the time it takes the eye to blink or the heart to beat)
From this reading Every instant the eruption from the volcano was increasing.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading We turned out glasses towards it.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
massesnounUS /ˈmæsəz/
the common people generally
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
a particular point in time
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading We turned out glasses towards it.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
having a point
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
in the near future
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
especially of petals or leaves in bud; having margins rolled inward
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
ruddyadjectiveUS /ˈrʌdi/
inclined to a healthy reddish color often associated with outdoor life
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
rumblingnounUS /ˈrʌmbəlɪŋ/
a loud low dull continuous noise
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
cut with a saw
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
shakenadjectiveUS /ˈʃeɪkən/
disturbed psychologically as if by a physical jolt or shock
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
a cloud of fine particles suspended in a gas
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
support consisting of a radial member of a wheel joining the hub to the rim
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
summitnounUS /ˈsʌmət/
the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
summitsnounUS /ˈsʌmɪts/
plural of “summit” — the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
the act of someone who picks up or takes something
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
in or at that place or location
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
in the direction of
From this reading We turned out glasses towards it.
plural of “tree” — a tall perennial woody plant having a main trunk and branches forming a distinct elevated crown; includes both gymnosperms and angiosperms
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading We turned out glasses towards it.
valleysnounUS /ˈvæliz/
plural of “valley” — a long depression in the surface of the land that usually contains a river
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
volcanonounUS /vɑːlˈkeɪnoʊ/
a fissure in the earth's crust (or in the surface of some other planet) through which molten lava and gases erupt
From this reading Every instant the eruption from the volcano was increasing.
the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
wavingnounUS /ˈweɪvɪŋ/
the act of signaling by a movement of the hand
From this reading All was quiet, but presently we saw the trees waving to and fro, as if shaken by a hurricane, while vast masses of rock rolled down from the summits of the hills into the valleys below.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We turned out glasses towards it.
what's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Little doubt about that," observed the captain, "an earthquake is taking place, see what's happening there," and he pointed to the island.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading As he spoke a dense volume of smoke, followed by ruddy flames, was seen to ascend from the summit of the cone, while the whole island--from which a dull rumbling sound came off--seemed for a moment to heave.
