Chapter XII · Chapter 12

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

the quality of being near to the true value

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

aimlessly drifting

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

one or some or every or all without specification

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

surrounding, or on every side of, something

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

in or near a particular place or position

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

Roman statesman who established the Roman Empire and became emperor in 27 BC; defeated Mark Antony and Cleopatra in 31 BC at Actium (63 BC - AD 14)

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

the past participle of “be”

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

earlier than; in front of

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

seemingly boundless in amount, number, degree, or especially extent

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

an alert cognitive state in which you are aware of yourself and your situation

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

a variable color averaging a deep pink

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

past form of “cruise” — drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

plural of “doubt” — the state of being unsure of something

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

being or moving lower in position or less in some value

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

either extremity of something that has length

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

destroyed or killed

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

powerlessness revealed by an inability to act

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

doubt concerning two or more possible alternatives or courses of action

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

as a matter of instinct

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

arousing or holding the attention

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

plural of “islet” — a small island

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

the state of being alone in solitary isolation

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

a place where a craft can be made fast

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

a boat propelled by an internal-combustion engine

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

characterized by neglect and undue lack of concern

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

inflected form of “occur” — come to pass

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

touching and supported by a surface

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

having a slight and rapid trembling motion

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

subject to question

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

a shaky motion

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

plural of “reef” — a submerged ridge of rock or coral near the surface of the water

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

past form of “return” — go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

plural of “rock” — a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

free from danger or the risk of harm

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

past form of “sail” — traverse or travel on (a body of water)

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

plural of “say” — the chance to speak

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

an outward or token appearance or form that is deliberately misleading

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

a structure that provides privacy and protection from danger

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

superlative of “slight” — (quantifier used with mass nouns) small in quantity or degree; not much or almost none or (with “a”) at least some

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

past form of “slow” — lose velocity; move more slowly

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

inflected form of “supply” — give something useful or necessary to

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

the activity of providing for or maintaining by supplying with money or necessities

From this reading The cays and islets, the interesting rocks and the questionable coral reefs supplied him with not the slightest semblance of shelter, support, or safety.

having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

the outer boundary of an artifact or a material layer constituting or resembling such a boundary

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

showing lack of careful thought

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

inflected form of “take” — carry out

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

two times

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

precisely as stated

From this reading Negligent and thoughtless, he could now feel some things which had never occurred to him before: his loneliness, his doubts, his very helplessness and indecision.

plural of “vista” — the visual percept of a region

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

how something is done or how it happens

From this reading He had returned to find the island gone, himself adrift on a boundless ocean, and he did not know which way to turn.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

determined by chance or impulse or whim rather than by necessity or reason

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.

a married woman; a man's partner in marriage

From this reading His wife had been like an island around which he sailed and cruised, sure in his consciousness that he could return at any time to that safe mooring.

in the company of; together with

From this reading Augustus Carline instinctively slowed down his motorboat and took to looking at the wide river, its quivering, palpitating surface; its vistas at which he had to "look twice to see the end," as the river man says with whimsical accuracy.