used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
react verbally
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
next to; at the side of
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
exhale hard
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
boilersnounUS /ˈbɔɪlərz/
plural of “boiler” — sealed vessel where water is converted to steam
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But they ought to have safety valves.”
can't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
someone who is a detective
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
Dick'snounUS /dɪks/
possessive form of “dick” — someone who is a detective
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
doesn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
FortunatelyadverbUS /ˈfɔːrtʃənətli/
by good fortune
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
past form of “gasp” — breathe noisily, as when one is exhausted
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “But they ought to have safety valves.”
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
large or big relative to something else
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
launchverbUS /lɔːntʃ/
set up or found
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
by chance
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
a midwestern state in north central United States in the Great Lakes region
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading “But they ought to have safety valves.”
by chance
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
railnounUS /reɪl/
a barrier consisting of a horizontal bar and supports
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
rangedverbUS /reɪndʒd/
past form of “range” — change or be different within limits
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
rowboatnounUS /ˈroʊboʊt/
a small boat of shallow draft with cross thwarts for seats and rowlocks for oars with which it is propelled
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
the state of being certain that adverse effects will not be caused by some agent under defined conditions
From this reading “But they ought to have safety valves.”
a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
shallowadjectiveUS /ˈʃæloʊ/
lacking physical depth; having little spatial extension downward or inward from an outer surface or backward or outward from a center
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
steamverbUS /stiːm/
travel by means of steam power
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
an exchange of ideas via conversation
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
ThistlenounUS /ˈθɪsəl/
any of numerous plants of the family Compositae and especially of the genera Carduus and Cirsium and Onopordum having prickly-edged leaves
From this reading Fortunately the Thistle was not a high boat, but broad and shallow, so the rail of the vessel was but a few feet above that of the launch and the rowboat.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
male cat
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
valvesnounUS /vælvz/
plural of “valve” — a structure in a hollow organ (like the heart) with a flap to insure one-way flow of fluid through it
From this reading “But they ought to have safety valves.”
a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “Perhaps—if they can’t get at the boilers to let off steam,” was Dick’s answer.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading “Maybe the man is so excited he doesn’t know what he is talking about,” put in Tom.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “Oh, Dick! do you think the steamer will really blow up?” gasped Sam, as the two small boats ranged up beside the larger vessel.
