used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A callous-looking grey morning was breaking in the Mersey.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
agilitynounUS /əˈdʒɪləti/
the gracefulness of a person or animal that is quick and nimble
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
alongprepositionUS /əˈlɔːŋ/
following the length of something from one end toward the other
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Now and then, when a bell-buoy heaved, the bell tolled.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
asternadverb
stern foremost or backward
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading Now and then, when a bell-buoy heaved, the bell tolled.
bell-buoy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Now and then, when a bell-buoy heaved, the bell tolled.
berthed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
the act of breaking something
From this reading A callous-looking grey morning was breaking in the Mersey.
a structure that allows people or vehicles to cross an obstacle such as a river or canal or railway etc.
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
callous-looking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A callous-looking grey morning was breaking in the Mersey.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
cattleboat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
an illustration that is drawn by hand and published in a book, magazine, or newspaper
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
-ing form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading A callous-looking grey morning was breaking in the Mersey.
consisting of one of two equivalent parts in value or quantity
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
heavedverbUS /hiːvd/
past form of “heave” — utter a sound, as with obvious effort
From this reading Now and then, when a bell-buoy heaved, the bell tolled.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
where you live at a particular time
From this reading It was just like that--tolling, tolling them home.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading A callous-looking grey morning was breaking in the Mersey.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was just like that--tolling, tolling them home.
and nothing more
From this reading It was just like that--tolling, tolling them home.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It was just like that--tolling, tolling them home.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
Mersey
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A callous-looking grey morning was breaking in the Mersey.
become covered with mist
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading A callous-looking grey morning was breaking in the Mersey.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Now and then, when a bell-buoy heaved, the bell tolled.
with speed
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
scrutinynounUS /ˈskruːtəni/
the act of examining something closely (as for mistakes)
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
surgedverbUS /sɜːrdʒd/
past form of “surge” — rise and move, as in waves or billows
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
swathedverbUS /swɑːðd/
past form of “swathe” — wrap in swaddling clothes
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was just like that--tolling, tolling them home.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A callous-looking grey morning was breaking in the Mersey.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading It was just like that--tolling, tolling them home.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Now and then, when a bell-buoy heaved, the bell tolled.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Another steamer, swathed in mist, surged along, behind and a little to the side, but rapidly drawing level.
tolledverbUS /toʊld/
past form of “toll” — ring slowly
From this reading Now and then, when a bell-buoy heaved, the bell tolled.
tollingverbUS /ˈtoʊlɪŋ/
-ing form of “toll” — ring slowly
From this reading It was just like that--tolling, tolling them home.
moved around an axis or center
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
vapournoun
a visible suspension in the air of particles of some substance
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
desired or wished for or sought
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading A callous-looking grey morning was breaking in the Mersey.
at the time that
From this reading Now and then, when a bell-buoy heaved, the bell tolled.
Williamson
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Captain Williamson, coming to the bridge and gazing astern at that steamer that was but half vapour, turned away with some agility after his scrutiny, for she was another cattleboat, and he wanted to be berthed first.
