used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
(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 A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
used to indicate that a statement explains or supports a previous statement
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
for the reason that
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
betwixtprepositionUS /biˈtwɪkst/
an old word for “between”
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
an orange of low brightness and saturation
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading My ship be called the _Peabody_.
a boy or man
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
cocoanutsnounUS /ˈkoʊkoʊnʌts/
plural of “cocoanut” — large hard-shelled oval nut with a fibrous husk containing thick white meat surrounding a central cavity filled (when fresh) with fluid or milk
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
contrivancesnounUS /kənˈtraɪvənsɪz/
plural of “contrivance” — a device or control that is very useful for a particular job
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
DAN'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
dearly loved
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
of concern to or concerning the affairs of other nations (other than your own)
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
I've
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
IndiesnounUS /ˈɪndiz/
plural of “indie” — a pop group not affiliated with a major record company
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
(often followed by “of”) a large number or amount or extent
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
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 DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
inflected form of “meet” — come together
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
having or showing great strength or force or intensity
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
a nonmetallic bivalent element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless nonflammable diatomic gas; constitutes 21 percent of the atmosphere by volume; the most abundant element in the earth's crust
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
PeabodynounUS /ˈpiːbɑːdi/
educator who founded the first kindergarten in the United States (1804-1894)
From this reading My ship be called the _Peabody_.
PlymouthnounUS /ˈplɪməθ/
a town in Massachusetts founded by Pilgrims in 1620
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
PRETTY-EYED
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
precisely, exactly
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
sailor-man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
a compound formed by replacing hydrogen in an acid by a metal (or a radical that acts like a metal)
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
express in words
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
seednounUS /siːd/
a small hard fruit
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
She's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
transport commercially
From this reading My ship be called the _Peabody_.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
sugarnounUS /ˈʃʊɡər/
a white crystalline carbohydrate used as a sweetener and preservative
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
causing fear or dread or terror
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
the periodic rise and fall of the sea level under the gravitational pull of the moon
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
TobagonounUS /təˈbeɪɡoʊ/
island in West Indies
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
precisely as stated
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading A mighty lot of terrible strange things I’ve seed; but first I must say as I got to Plymouth all right and met a chap as wanted a sailor-man.
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 DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading He took me, because he couldn’t get a better, and we sailed out of Plymouth on the very next tide.
the countries of (originally) Europe and (now including) North America and South America
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
in or at the place that
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
hope for; have a wish
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
in the company of; together with
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
the act of creating written works
From this reading She’s a steamer--not much to look at and a poor one to go; but here we are anyway, and I be writing to you from Tobago--an island in the West Indies, where us get brown sugar and cocoanuts and such like foreign contrivances.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading DAN’S LETTER “MY OWN, DEAR PRETTY-EYED WIFE,--Here I be so safe as you could wish, with many a mile o’ salt water betwixt me and them as would harm me.
