used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
tending to become more severe or wider in scope
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
(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 All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
alongsideadverbUS /əˈlɔːŋˈsaɪd/
side by side
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading For a quarter of an hour everything was in a state of bustle.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At last the weary vigil was a thing of the past.
bendingnounUS /ˈbendɪŋ/
movement that causes the formation of a curve
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
boxesnounUS /ˈbɑːksəz/
plural of “box” — a (usually rectangular) container; may have a lid
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
bustlenounUS /ˈbʌsəl/
a rapid active commotion
From this reading For a quarter of an hour everything was in a state of bustle.
captureverbUS /ˈkæptʃər/
succeed in representing or expressing something intangible
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
concealmentnounUS /kənˈsiːlmənt/
the condition of being concealed or hidden
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
continuousadjectiveUS /kənˈtɪnjuːəs/
continuing in time or space without interruption
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
all things; all of a situation
From this reading For a quarter of an hour everything was in a state of bustle.
fatiguenounUS /fəˈtiːɡ/
temporary loss of strength and energy resulting from hard physical or mental work
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For a quarter of an hour everything was in a state of bustle.
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
FruitlessadjectiveUS /ˈfruːtləs/
unproductive of success
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
gangwaynoun
a temporary passageway of planks (as over mud on a building site)
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
a person of German nationality
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading For a quarter of an hour everything was in a state of bustle.
moving rapidly or performed quickly or in great haste
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
immediately past
From this reading At last the weary vigil was a thing of the past.
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
plural of “member” — one of the persons who compose a social group (especially individuals who have joined and participate in a group organization)
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading At last the weary vigil was a thing of the past.
plural of “place” — a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
portersnounUS /ˈpɔːrtərz/
plural of “porter” — a person employed to carry luggage and supplies
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
the possibility of future success
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
one of four equal parts
From this reading For a quarter of an hour everything was in a state of bustle.
QuestnounUS /kwest/
a search for an alternative that meets cognitive criteria
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
RossnounUS /rɑːs/
Scottish explorer who led Arctic expeditions that yielded geographic discoveries while searching for the Northwest Passage (1777-1856)
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
move fast by using one's feet, with one foot off the ground at any given time
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
slopingadjectiveUS /ˈsloʊpɪŋ/
having an oblique or slanted direction
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
spyverbUS /spaɪ/
catch sight of
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
the territory occupied by one of the constituent administrative districts of a nation
From this reading For a quarter of an hour everything was in a state of bustle.
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
steeplyadverbUS /ˈstiːpli/
in a steep manner
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
a natural body of running water flowing on or under the earth
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
a special situation
From this reading At last the weary vigil was a thing of the past.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
create by training and teaching
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
trunksnounUS /trʌŋks/
(used in the plural) trousers that end at or above the knee
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
Vernon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
vigilnounUS /ˈvɪdʒəl/
a period of sleeplessness
From this reading At last the weary vigil was a thing of the past.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At last the weary vigil was a thing of the past.
past form of “watch” — look attentively
From this reading A Fruitless Quest From their places of concealment Ross and Vernon watched the boat train run alongside the steamer.
exhaust or get tired through overuse or great strain or stress
From this reading At last the weary vigil was a thing of the past.
the vertical force exerted by a mass as a result of gravity
From this reading There was a continuous stream of passengers and porters, the latter bending under the weight of trunks and boxes as they hurried up the steeply sloping gangway.
witnessingverbUS /ˈwɪtnəsɪŋ/
-ing form of “witness” — be a witness to
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading All fatigue was forgotten at the prospect of witnessing the capture of one of the active members of the German spy system at work in this country.
