used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
Belonging to the very distant past and no longer in existence or deeply revered.
From this reading They entered the small river on which stands the ancient town of Brittlesea at nightfall.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading They entered the small river on which stands the ancient town of Brittlesea at nightfall.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
Brittlesea
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
a commercial or industrial enterprise and the people who constitute it
From this reading Business for the day was over.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
concertinanounUS /kɑːnsərˈtiːnə/
coiled barbed wire used as an obstacle
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
contagiousadjectiveUS /kənˈteɪdʒəs/
easily diffused or spread as from one person to another
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
the men and women who man a vehicle (ship, aircraft, etc.)
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Business for the day was over.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
disaffectionnounUS /ˌdɪsəˈfekʃən/
the feeling of being alienated from other people
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
earshotnounUS /ˈɪrʃɑːt/
the range within which a voice can be heard
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
energeticadjectiveUS /ˌenərˈdʒetɪk/
possessing or exerting or displaying energy
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading They entered the small river on which stands the ancient town of Brittlesea at nightfall.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
fishermennounUS /ˈfɪʃərmɪn/
plural of “fisherman” — someone whose occupation is catching fish
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
foc'sle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Business for the day was over.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
soft and mild; not harsh or stern or severe
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
Gething
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
impoundedverbUS /ˌɪmˈpaʊndɪd/
past form of “impound” — take temporary possession of as a security, by legal authority
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
improperadjectiveUS /ˌɪmˈprɑːpər/
not suitable or right or appropriate
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
lounged
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
the officer below the master on a commercial ship
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
melancholianoun
extreme depression characterized by tearful sadness and irrational fears
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
a feeling of thoughtful sadness
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
an organization of missionaries in a foreign land sent to carry on religious work
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
mostlyadverbUS /ˈmoʊstli/
in large part; mainly or chiefly
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
the opening through which food is taken in and vocalizations emerge
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
of an obscure nature
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
verbal abuse; a crude substitute for argument
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
nightfallnounUS /ˈnaɪtfɔːl/
the time of day immediately following sunset
From this reading They entered the small river on which stands the ancient town of Brittlesea at nightfall.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading They entered the small river on which stands the ancient town of Brittlesea at nightfall.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Business for the day was over.
a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
preynounUS /preɪ/
a person who is the aim of an attack (especially a victim of ridicule or exploitation) by some hostile person or influence
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
quaynounUS /kiː/
wharf usually built parallel to the shoreline
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
rearedverbUS /rɪrd/
past form of “rear” — stand up on the hind legs, of quadrupeds
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
past form of “remind” — put in the mind of someone
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
revelrynounUS /ˈrevəlri/
unrestrained merrymaking
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
a large natural stream of water (larger than a creek)
From this reading They entered the small river on which stands the ancient town of Brittlesea at nightfall.
Sam'snounUS /sæmz/
possessive form of “sam” — a guided missile fired from land or shipboard against an airborne target
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
skippernounUS /ˈskɪpər/
a student who fails to attend classes
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They entered the small river on which stands the ancient town of Brittlesea at nightfall.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
plural of “sound” — the particular auditory effect produced by a given cause
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
plural of “stand” — a support or foundation
From this reading They entered the small river on which stands the ancient town of Brittlesea at nightfall.
tavernnounUS /ˈtævərn/
a building with a bar that is licensed to sell alcoholic drinks
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading They entered the small river on which stands the ancient town of Brittlesea at nightfall.
displeasing to the senses
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
at the time that
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
Whereupon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Whereupon melancholia became contagious, and Sam’s concertina having been impounded by the energetic mate, disaffection reared its ugly head in the foc’sle and called him improper names when he was out of earshot.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading They made Brittlesea in four days—days in which the skipper, a prey to gentle melancholy, left things mostly to the mate.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading A few fishermen, pipe in mouth, lounged upon the quay, while sounds of revelry, which in some mysterious way reminded the crew of their mission to find Captain Gething, proceeded from the open doors of a small tavern opposite.
