used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading “That sure was a sudden dive,” agreed Jerry.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
united by being of the same opinion
From this reading “That sure was a sudden dive,” agreed Jerry.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
automaticallyadverbUS /ˌɔːtəˈmætɪkli/
in a reflex manner
From this reading The hatch must have closed automatically when he went down it.”
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
move up and down repeatedly
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
not open or affording passage or access
From this reading The hatch must have closed automatically when he went down it.”
plural of “companion” — a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
power to direct or determine
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
inflected form of “cry” — utter a sudden loud cry
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
divenounUS /daɪv/
a cheap disreputable nightclub or dance hall
From this reading “That sure was a sudden dive,” agreed Jerry.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
a man of refinement
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
hatchverbUS /hætʃ/
emerge from the eggs
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The hatch must have closed automatically when he went down it.”
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
offensive term for a person of German descent
From this reading “That sure was a sudden dive,” agreed Jerry.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
machinerynounUS /məˈʃiːnəri/
machines or machine systems collectively
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
Ned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
one of four equal parts
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
with speed
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
behave violently, as if in state of a great anger
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
happening without warning or in a short space of time
From this reading “That sure was a sudden dive,” agreed Jerry.
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading “That sure was a sudden dive,” agreed Jerry.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
a special situation
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “That sure was a sudden dive,” agreed Jerry.
wasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The hatch must have closed automatically when he went down it.”
used to ask for information about something
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
at the time that
From this reading The hatch must have closed automatically when he went down it.”
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading “Why, that old gentleman wasn’t down inside that hatch more than a quarter of a minute before the whole thing was under water.
showing curiosity
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading “They must have their machinery under pretty good control, and be able to work it quickly,” came from Bob.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading THROUGH THE STORM “What do you know about that?” cried Ned, looking at his wondering companions.
