used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
(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 "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
anchornounUS /ˈæŋkər/
a mechanical device that prevents a vessel from moving
From this reading The lead-line betokened fifty fathoms where the frigate had cast anchor.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
past form of “answer” — react verbally
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
past form of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
betokened
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lead-line betokened fifty fathoms where the frigate had cast anchor.
biggestadjectiveUS /ˈbɪɡəst/
superlative of “big” — above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
brails
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sails hung in the brails.
put or send forth
From this reading The lead-line betokened fifty fathoms where the frigate had cast anchor.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
past form of “descend” — move downward and lower, but not necessarily all the way
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
dressed or clothed especially in fine attire; often used in combination
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
fathomsnounUS /ˈfæðəmz/
plural of “fathom” — a linear unit of measurement (equal to 6 feet) for water depth
From this reading The lead-line betokened fifty fathoms where the frigate had cast anchor.
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading The lead-line betokened fifty fathoms where the frigate had cast anchor.
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
fore-and-aftadjective
parallel with the keel of a boat or ship
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
referring to the first of two things or persons mentioned (or the earlier one or ones of several)
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
frigatenounUS /ˈfrɪɡət/
a medium size square-rigged warship of the 18th and 19th centuries
From this reading The lead-line betokened fifty fathoms where the frigate had cast anchor.
Gerald
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
grinningnounUS /ˈɡrɪnɪŋ/
a facial expression characterized by turning up the corners of the mouth; usually shows pleasure or amusement
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
inflected form of “hang” — be suspended or hanging
From this reading The sails hung in the brails.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
a small worthless amount
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
a humorous anecdote or remark intended to provoke laughter
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
lead-line
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The lead-line betokened fifty fathoms where the frigate had cast anchor.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
the force of workers available
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
monkeynounUS /ˈmʌŋki/
any of various long-tailed primates (excluding the prosimians)
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
nipverbUS /nɪp/
squeeze tightly between the fingers
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
not any; not one
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
perilousadjectiveUS /ˈperələs/
fraught with danger
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
on the contrary
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
elude, especially in a baffling way
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
sailsnounUS /seɪlz/
plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
From this reading The sails hung in the brails.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
intensely or extremely bad or unpleasant in degree or quality
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
transport commercially
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
term of address for a man
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
smalleradjectiveUS /ˈsmɔːlər/
small or little relative to something else
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
SpidernounUS /ˈspaɪdər/
predatory arachnid with eight legs, two poison fangs, two feelers, and usually two silk-spinning organs at the back end of the body; they spin silk to make cocoons for eggs or traps for prey
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
feeling a need to see others suffer
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
carry out
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
male cat
From this reading Tom and Gerald descended, looking rather foolish, and the former had to go to the doctor to have his finger dressed, for Spider had given it a severe nip.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
in or at the place that
From this reading The lead-line betokened fifty fathoms where the frigate had cast anchor.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading "What, all three of us, sir?" asked Gerald, unable to resist the joke, which set the men grinning fore-and-aft, in spite of the perilous position of the ship.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "No; the two biggest of you; let the smaller monkey take his own time to come down," answered Jack.
