used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
aboardadverbUS /əˈbɔːrd/
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
anchoredverbUS /ˈæŋkərd/
past form of “anchor” — fix firmly and stably
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then he snatched up his paddle, and dipped it deeply into the flood.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
a human limb; technically the part of the superior limb between the shoulder and the elbow but commonly used to refer to the whole superior limb
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
backedadjectiveUS /bækt/
having a back or backing, usually of a specified type
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
a youthful male person
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
corklike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
to a great depth psychologically or emotionally
From this reading Then he snatched up his paddle, and dipped it deeply into the flood.
an urgent or peremptory request
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
dinghynounUS /ˈdɪŋi/
a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
dippedadjectiveUS /dɪpt/
having abnormal sagging of the spine (especially in horses)
From this reading Then he snatched up his paddle, and dipped it deeply into the flood.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
divisible by two
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
a boy or man
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
floodnounUS /flʌd/
the rising of a body of water and its overflowing onto normally dry land
From this reading Then he snatched up his paddle, and dipped it deeply into the flood.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
gropedverbUS /ɡroʊpt/
past form of “grope” — feel about uncertainly or blindly
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then he snatched up his paddle, and dipped it deeply into the flood.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Then he snatched up his paddle, and dipped it deeply into the flood.
JOE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
the force of workers available
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
paddleverbUS /ˈpædəl/
propel with a paddle
From this reading Then he snatched up his paddle, and dipped it deeply into the flood.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
racketnounUS /ˈrækɪt/
a loud and disturbing noise
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
secondsnounUS /ˈsekəndz/
plural of “second” — 1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
sharpienounUS /ˈʃɑːrpi/
an alert and energetic person
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
snatchedverbUS /snætʃt/
past form of “snatch” — to grasp hastily or eagerly
From this reading Then he snatched up his paddle, and dipped it deeply into the flood.
sweepverbUS /swiːp/
sweep across or over
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then he snatched up his paddle, and dipped it deeply into the flood.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The corklike boat answered instantly to the demand, and backed away from the side of the anchored sharpie.
tremendousadjectiveUS /trəˈmendəs/
extraordinarily large in size or extent or amount or power or degree
From this reading Even though but a few seconds had passed, the racket aboard the boat had become tremendous by now.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Then he snatched up his paddle, and dipped it deeply into the flood.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The men were shouting at each other as they groped around in the dark for the boy.
in the company of; together with
From this reading JOE With one sweep of his arm Frank drew the little fellow into the dinghy.
