used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
(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 They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
aquariumnounUS /əˈkweriəm/
a tank or pool or bowl filled with water for keeping live fish and underwater animals
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
barriernounUS /ˈbæriər/
a structure or object that impedes free movement
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
financial assistance in time of need
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
clungverbUS /klʌŋ/
inflected form of “cling” — come or be in close contact with; stick or hold together and resist separation
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
coloredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading “Such gloriously colored fish I never saw before!”
unvarying in nature
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
without stop or interruption
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
especialadjectiveUS /əˈspeʃəl/
surpassing what is common or usual or expected
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
opinion or judgment
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
fascinatedadjectiveUS /ˈfæsəneɪtəd/
having your attention fixated as though by a spell
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
a long fixed look
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
a brittle transparent solid with irregular atomic structure
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
gloriouslyadverbUS /ˈɡlɔːriəsli/
with glory or in a glorious manner
From this reading “Such gloriously colored fish I never saw before!”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “Such gloriously colored fish I never saw before!”
idlyadverbUS /ˈaɪdli/
in an idle manner
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
marvelousadjectiveUS /ˈmɑːrvələs/
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
in motion
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading “Such gloriously colored fish I never saw before!”
nosesnounUS /ˈnoʊzɪz/
plural of “nose” — the organ of smell and entrance to the respiratory tract; the prominent part of the face of man or other mammals
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
the act of making and recording a measurement
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
panoramanounUS /ˌpænərˈæmə/
the visual percept of a region
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
unmistakably (“plain” is often used informally for “plainly”)
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
portsnounUS /pɔːrts/
plural of “port” — a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
rubverbUS /rʌb/
move over something with pressure
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
cut with a saw
From this reading “Such gloriously colored fish I never saw before!”
the place where some action occurs
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
plural of “side” — a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
sightsnounUS /saɪts/
an optical instrument for aiding the eye in aiming, as on a firearm or surveying instrument
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
submarinenounUS /ˈsʌbməriːn/
a submersible warship usually armed with torpedoes
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading “Such gloriously colored fish I never saw before!”
swimverbUS /swɪm/
travel through water
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
tanksnounUS /tæŋks/
plural of “tank” — an enclosed armored military vehicle; has a cannon and moves on caterpillar treads
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading The three boys clung to their ports of observation, and continued to gaze at the marvelous sights as though fascinated.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
transparentadjectiveUS /trænˈsperənt/
transmitting light; able to be seen through with clarity
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
subjected to a physical (or chemical) treatment or action or agent
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
unrolledverbUS /ˌʌnˈroʊld/
past form of “unroll” — reverse the winding or twisting of
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
vainlyadverbUS /ˈveɪnli/
to no avail
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
unusually great in size or amount or degree or especially extent or scope
From this reading It was like a vast panorama being unrolled before their eyes, and for their especial benefit.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The submarine was moving slowly forward, so that they were being treated to a constant change of scene.
in or at the place that
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
in the company of; together with
From this reading They could see as plainly as though looking into one of those aquarium tanks with the glass sides, where all manner of curious fish swim idly back and forth, and rub their noses vainly against the transparent barrier.
