used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
actornounUS /ˈæktər/
a theatrical performer
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
anchornounUS /ˈæŋkər/
a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
a permanent organization of the military land forces of a nation or state
From this reading Jack was proud of his brother, and thankful that he had done his duty bravely and faithfully in the army.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
ashesnounUS /ˈæʃ.ɪz/
The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
in the space, time, or range separating two things
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
bravelyadverbUS /ˈbreɪvli/
in a courageous manner
From this reading Jack was proud of his brother, and thankful that he had done his duty bravely and faithfully in the army.
a male with the same parents as someone else
From this reading Jack was proud of his brother, and thankful that he had done his duty bravely and faithfully in the army.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
capesnounUS /keɪps/
plural of “cape” — a strip of land projecting into a body of water
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
CAPTAIN'SnounUS /ˈkæptənz/
possessive form of “captain” — an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading THE COCKSWAIN OF THE CAPTAIN’S GIG.
celebratedadjectiveUS /ˈseləbreɪtɪd/
widely known and esteemed
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
COCKSWAIN
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE COCKSWAIN OF THE CAPTAIN’S GIG.
consecratedadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnsəkreɪtɪd/
solemnly dedicated to or set apart for a high or sacred purpose
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
defencenounUS /dɪˈfens/
(psychiatry) an unconscious process that tries to reduce the anxiety associated with instinctive desires
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
having finished or arrived at completion
From this reading Jack was proud of his brother, and thankful that he had done his duty bravely and faithfully in the army.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading Jack was proud of his brother, and thankful that he had done his duty bravely and faithfully in the army.
plural of “event” — something that happens at a given place and time
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
faithfullyadverbUS /ˈfeɪθfəli/
in a faithful manner
From this reading Jack was proud of his brother, and thankful that he had done his duty bravely and faithfully in the army.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
emblem usually consisting of a rectangular piece of cloth of distinctive design
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
forenoonnoun
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
fortificationnounUS /ˌfɔːrtəfəˈkeɪʃən/
defensive structure consisting of walls or mounds built around a stronghold to strengthen it
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
FortressnounUS /ˈfɔːrtrəs/
a fortified defensive structure
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
GIGnounUS /ɡɪɡ/
long and light rowing boat; especially for racing
From this reading THE COCKSWAIN OF THE CAPTAIN’S GIG.
having or deserving or conferring glory
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
HarrisburgnounUS /ˈhærɪsbərɡ/
capital of Pennsylvania; located in southern part of state
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
heroicadjectiveUS /hɪˈroʊɪk/
very imposing or impressive; surpassing the ordinary (especially in size or scale)
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
a small worthless amount
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
loftyadjectiveUS /ˈlɔːfti/
of high moral or intellectual value; elevated in nature or style
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
martyrsnounUS /ˈmɑːrtərz/
plural of “martyr” — one who suffers for the sake of principle
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
mizzen-top
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
MonroenounUS /mənˈroʊ/
United States film actress noted for sex appeal (1926-1962)
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
past form of “obtain” — come into possession of
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
inflected form of “occur” — come to pass
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE COCKSWAIN OF THE CAPTAIN’S GIG.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
perchnounUS /pɜːrtʃ/
support consisting of a branch or rod that serves as a resting place (especially for a bird)
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading Jack was proud of his brother, and thankful that he had done his duty bravely and faithfully in the army.
interpret something that is written or printed
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
revertedverbUS /rɪˈvɜːrtɪd/
past form of “revert” — go back to a previous state
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
concerned with religion or religious purposes
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
the state of being covered with unclean things
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
soldier-brother
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
Somers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
stirringnounUS /ˈstɜːrɪŋ/
agitating a liquid with an implement
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading The Harrisburg stood in between the capes, and, in the course of the forenoon, dropped her anchor off Fortress Monroe.
thankfuladjectiveUS /ˈθæŋkfəl/
feeling or showing gratitude
From this reading Jack was proud of his brother, and thankful that he had done his duty bravely and faithfully in the army.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE COCKSWAIN OF THE CAPTAIN’S GIG.
in or at that place or location
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
plural of “thought” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
male cat
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
a way of regarding situations or topics etc.
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
VirginianounUS /vərˈdʒɪnjə/
a state in the eastern United States; one of the original 13 colonies; one of the Confederate States in the American Civil War
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Jack was proud of his brother, and thankful that he had done his duty bravely and faithfully in the army.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Jack, from his lofty perch in the mizzen-top, obtained a fine view of that celebrated fortification, of which he had heard and read so much.
which person or people
From this reading As he gazed upon the “sacred soil” of Virginia, now consecrated by the ashes of heroic martyrs who had fallen in defence of the glorious old flag, his thoughts reverted to his soldier-brother; for there had occurred the stirring events in which Tom Somers had been an actor.
