used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
presently existing in fact and not merely potential or possible
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
attemptsnounUS /əˈtempts/
plural of “attempt” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
Ballantyne
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The Story of the Rock, by R.M. Ballantyne.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
brilliantlyadverbUS /ˈbrɪljəntli/
with brightness
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
make by combining materials and parts
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
a structure that has a roof and walls and stands more or less permanently in one place
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The Story of the Rock, by R.M. Ballantyne.
a period of 100 years
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
ChannelnounUS /ˈtʃænəl/
a path over which electrical signals can pass
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
involving or causing danger or risk; liable to hurt or harm
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
spoiled or ruined or demolished
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
DevonnounUS /ˈdevən/
a county in southwestern England
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
earlyadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrli/
at or near the beginning of a period of time or course of events or before the usual or expected time
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
Eddystone
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
eighteenthadjectiveUS /eɪˈtiːnθ/
coming next after the seventeenth in position
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
the 2nd smallest continent (actually a vast peninsula of Eurasia); the British use “Europe” to refer to all of the continent except the British Isles
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
a social unit living together
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
start firing a weapon
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
havingauxiliary verbUS /ˈhævɪŋ/
the -ing form of “have”
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
immediately past
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
plural of “lie” — a statement that deviates from or perverts the truth
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
lighthousenounUS /ˈlaɪthaʊs/
a tower with a light that gives warning of shoals to passing ships
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
the basic unit of length adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites (approximately 1.094 yards)
From this reading The Story of the Rock, by R.M. Ballantyne.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
the act that results in something coming to be
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The Story of the Rock, by R.M. Ballantyne.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
portsnounUS /pɔːrts/
plural of “port” — a place (seaport or airport) where people and merchandise can enter or leave a country
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
RnounUS /ɑːr/
a unit of radiation exposure; the dose of ionizing radiation that will produce 1 electrostatic unit of electricity in 1 cc of dry air
From this reading The Story of the Rock, by R.M. Ballantyne.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The Story of the Rock, by R.M. Ballantyne.
Rudyerd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
plural of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
inflected form of “show” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
the region of the United States lying to the south of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading The Story of the Rock, by R.M. Ballantyne.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
successiveadjectiveUS /səkˈsesɪv/
in regular succession without gaps
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The Story of the Rock, by R.M. Ballantyne.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
a special situation
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
one of three equal parts of a divisible whole
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
timbernounUS /ˈtɪmbər/
the wood of trees cut and prepared for use as building material
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
upperworks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
precisely as stated
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
including all components without exception; being one unit or constituting the full amount or extent or duration; complete
From this reading The second was made by Rudyerd, and was very well made and strong, but its upperworks were made of timber, and the whole thing was destroyed by fire, after having shown a light for over a third of a century.
in the company of; together with
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
wovenadjectiveUS /ˈwoʊvən/
made or constructed by interlacing threads or strips of material or other elements into a whole
From this reading ________________________________________________________________________ In this book Ballantyne has brilliantly woven the story of a family that worked on the building of the Eddystone lighthouse, with the story of the actual building.
wreckedadjectiveUS /rekt/
destroyed in an accident
From this reading Three successive attempts were made to build a lighthouse on this dangerous rock which lies several miles off the south coast of Devon, and on which so many fine ships making their way up the English Channel to the North Sea ports of Europe had been wrecked.
a late time of life
From this reading The first attempt was made in the early years of the eighteenth century, but that lighthouse did not last long.
