used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
AdmiraltynounUS /ˈædmərəlti/
the department in charge of the navy (as in Great Britain)
From this reading Only the stern discretion of the Admiralty prevented detailed knowledge.
(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 Those were the days when all thoughts turned to the fleet.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
authoritiesnounUS /əˈθɔːrətiz/
the organization that is the governing authority of a political unit
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
Britannia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Terrible and glorious things were happening in the element ruled by Britannia.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Terrible and glorious things were happening in the element ruled by Britannia.
cancelledadjectiveUS /ˈkænsəld/
(of events) no longer planned or scheduled
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading Those were the days when all thoughts turned to the fleet.
decisiveadjectiveUS /dɪˈsaɪsɪv/
determining or having the power to determine an outcome
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
detailedadjectiveUS /dɪˈteɪld/
developed or executed with care and in minute detail
From this reading Only the stern discretion of the Admiralty prevented detailed knowledge.
discretionnounUS /dɪˈskreʃən/
freedom to act or judge on one's own
From this reading Only the stern discretion of the Admiralty prevented detailed knowledge.
elementnounUS /ˈeləmənt/
an abstract part of something
From this reading Terrible and glorious things were happening in the element ruled by Britannia.
a hostile meeting of opposing military forces in the course of a war
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
considered likely or probable to happen or arrive
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
group of aircraft operating together under the same ownership
From this reading Those were the days when all thoughts turned to the fleet.
having or deserving or conferring glory
From this reading Terrible and glorious things were happening in the element ruled by Britannia.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
happeningnounUS /ˈhæpənɪŋ/
an event that happens
From this reading Terrible and glorious things were happening in the element ruled by Britannia.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Terrible and glorious things were happening in the element ruled by Britannia.
Jim
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading Only the stern discretion of the Admiralty prevented detailed knowledge.
go away from a place
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
MaintenancenounUS /ˈmeɪntənəns/
activity involved in maintaining something in good working order
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
McIntyre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
navaladjectiveUS /ˈneɪvəl/
connected with or belonging to or used in a navy
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
and nothing more
From this reading Only the stern discretion of the Admiralty prevented detailed knowledge.
ordinancenounUS /ˈɔːrdənəns/
an authoritative rule
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
preventedverbUS /prɪˈventɪd/
past form of “prevent” — keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading Only the stern discretion of the Admiralty prevented detailed knowledge.
inflected form of “run” — move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
ruledadjectiveUS /ruːld/
subject to a ruling authority
From this reading Terrible and glorious things were happening in the element ruled by Britannia.
rumorsnounUS /ˈruːmərz/
plural of “rumor” — gossip (usually a mixture of truth and untruth) passed around by word of mouth
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
any member of a ship's crew
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
self-denyingadjective
willing to deprive yourself
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
a male human offspring
From this reading The expected leave of Jim McIntyre, and of many a sailor son, had been cancelled.
sternadjectiveUS /stɜːrn/
of a stern or strict bearing or demeanor; forbidding in aspect
From this reading Only the stern discretion of the Admiralty prevented detailed knowledge.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading Terrible and glorious things were happening in the element ruled by Britannia.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Those were the days when all thoughts turned to the fleet.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Terrible and glorious things were happening in the element ruled by Britannia.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Those were the days when all thoughts turned to the fleet.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading Those were the days when all thoughts turned to the fleet.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Those were the days when all thoughts turned to the fleet.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Those were the days when all thoughts turned to the fleet.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Those were the days when all thoughts turned to the fleet.
at the time that
From this reading Those were the days when all thoughts turned to the fleet.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Maintenance of this self-denying ordinance on the part of the authorities could not prevent the rumors, which ran about, of a decisive naval engagement.
