used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
aftadverbUS /æft/
at or near or toward the stern of a ship or tail of an airplane
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading For this reason, perhaps, they began by being unusually silent.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading For this reason, perhaps, they began by being unusually silent.
the two together, not just one
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading For this reason, perhaps, they began by being unusually silent.
crisisnounUS /ˈkraɪsəs/
an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
cruisernounUS /ˈkruːzər/
a car in which policemen cruise the streets; equipped with radiotelephonic communications to headquarters
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
wanted intensely
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
a line leading to a place or point
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
divisible by two
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
at any time
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For this reason, perhaps, they began by being unusually silent.
throw a glance at; take a brief look at
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
enjoying or showing or marked by joy or pleasure
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
immediately past
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
departing or being caused to depart from the true vertical or horizontal
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
meritsnounUS /ˈmerəts/
plural of “merit” — any admirable quality or attribute
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
and nothing more
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
by chance
From this reading For this reason, perhaps, they began by being unusually silent.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
one of four equal parts
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
railnounUS /reɪl/
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading For this reason, perhaps, they began by being unusually silent.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading For this reason, perhaps, they began by being unusually silent.
specknounUS /spek/
a very small spot
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
taffrailnoun
the railing around the stern of a ship
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
in or at that place or location
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading For this reason, perhaps, they began by being unusually silent.
tided
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
very small
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
in contact with each other or in proximity
From this reading Both felt that it was a crisis in their lives, that had to be tided over, and knew that, if ever they desired to be happy together, they must fight the next ten minutes on their merits.
unusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading For this reason, perhaps, they began by being unusually silent.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
having passed out of existence
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
precisely as stated
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading They made their way aft to the taffrail, and stood there leaning on the rail, looking at her.
at the time that
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
an old word meaning “from where”
From this reading Their first business when they reached the deck was to glance in the direction whence they had last seen the cruiser.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Then she had been a living and very present reality to them; now she was only a tiny speck upon the horizon, and in a quarter of an hour, or even less, she would have vanished altogether.
