used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Of her passengers, one lay forward, prone and quiet.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading The boat came down upon them swiftly.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading The boat came down upon them swiftly.
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The boat came down upon them swiftly.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
apart from; not including
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
at or to or toward the front
From this reading Of her passengers, one lay forward, prone and quiet.
garbnounUS /ɡɑːrb/
clothing of a distinctive style or for a particular occasion
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Soon the quarter-deck was looking into her.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
not capable of occurring or being accomplished or dealt with
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Soon the quarter-deck was looking into her.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Of her passengers, one lay forward, prone and quiet.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Soon the quarter-deck was looking into her.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
mastnounUS /mæst/
a vertical spar for supporting sails
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Of her passengers, one lay forward, prone and quiet.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
passengersnounUS /ˈpæsəndʒərz/
plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading Of her passengers, one lay forward, prone and quiet.
presumablyadverbUS /prəˈzuːməbli/
by reasonable assumption
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
proneadjectiveUS /proʊn/
having a tendency (to); often used in combination
From this reading Of her passengers, one lay forward, prone and quiet.
quarter-deck
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Soon the quarter-deck was looking into her.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading Of her passengers, one lay forward, prone and quiet.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
seasnounUS /siːz/
plural of “sea” — a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
shoresnounUS /ʃɔːrz/
plural of “shore” — the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
past form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
skimmingnounUS /ˈskɪmɪŋ/
the act of removing floating material from the surface of a liquid
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
in the near future
From this reading Soon the quarter-deck was looking into her.
distribute or disperse widely
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
any maneuver made as part of progress toward a goal
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
in a swift manner
From this reading The boat came down upon them swiftly.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The boat came down upon them swiftly.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The boat came down upon them swiftly.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A length of sail cloth spread over him made it impossible to see his garb.
a subdivision of a particular kind of thing
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The boat came down upon them swiftly.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading She was of a type common enough on the high seas, except that a step for a mast showed that she had presumably been used for skimming about open shores.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Soon the quarter-deck was looking into her.
