used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading And the next day it was there, and they watched it, and they watched it the day after the next, too; but the morning after that it wasn't there.
albatrossnounUS /ˈælbətrɑːs/
(figurative) something that hinders or handicaps
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
(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 So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading And the little boys watched it almost all of that day.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And the little boys watched it almost all of that day.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
barometernounUS /bərˈɑːmɪtər/
an instrument that measures atmospheric pressure
From this reading And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading And the little boys watched it almost all of that day.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
small room on a ship or boat where people sleep
From this reading And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change.
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading And the little boys watched it almost all of that day.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change.
showing or causing joy and pleasure; especially made happy
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
destroyed or killed
From this reading Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather.
any physical damage to the body caused by violence or accident or fracture etc.
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
JacobnounUS /ˈdʒeɪkəb/
French biochemist who (with Jacques Monod) studied regulatory processes in cells (born in 1920)
From this reading Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading And the little boys watched it almost all of that day.
log-book
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change.
the force of workers available
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading And the next day it was there, and they watched it, and they watched it the day after the next, too; but the morning after that it wasn't there.
immediately following in time or order
From this reading And the next day it was there, and they watched it, and they watched it the day after the next, too; but the morning after that it wasn't there.
no person; not anyone
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading And the little boys watched it almost all of that day.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather.
sailorsnounUS /ˈseɪlərz/
plural of “sailor” — any member of a ship's crew
From this reading Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
sorryadjectiveUS /ˈsɑːri/
feeling or expressing regret or sorrow or a sense of loss over something done or undone
From this reading Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
in or at that place or location
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And the next day it was there, and they watched it, and they watched it the day after the next, too; but the morning after that it wasn't there.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading And the next day it was there, and they watched it, and they watched it the day after the next, too; but the morning after that it wasn't there.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
wasn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And the next day it was there, and they watched it, and they watched it the day after the next, too; but the morning after that it wasn't there.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading And the little boys watched it almost all of that day.
the atmospheric conditions that comprise the state of the atmosphere in terms of temperature and wind and clouds and precipitation
From this reading Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading So nobody tried to do any harm to the albatross, but the men were all glad that it was there.
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Little Jacob was sorry that it had gone, and the sailors were sorry, and they said that there would be a change of weather.
produce a literary work
From this reading And little Jacob went down into the cabin to write all about the albatross in the log-book and to see the barometer, to see whether it said that the weather would change.
