used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
accelerationnounUS /ˌækselərˈeɪʃən/
an increase in rate of change
From this reading The acceleration needle dropped with agonizing slowness.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
agonizingadjectiveUS /ˈæɡənaɪzɪŋ/
extremely painful
From this reading The acceleration needle dropped with agonizing slowness.
altimeternounUS /ælˈtɪmətər/
an instrument that measures the height above ground; used in navigation
From this reading The altimeter said one hundred thousand feet, then ninety thousand, eighty, seventy-five.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
Directly under; in or to a lower position than.
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
bracedadjectiveUS /breɪst/
positioned so as to be ready for confrontation or danger
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
bulkheadnounUS /ˈbʌlkhed/
a partition that divides a ship or plane into compartments
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
buttonnounUS /ˈbʌtən/
a round fastener sewn to shirts and coats etc to fit through buttonholes
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
depressionnounUS /dɪˈpreʃən/
a mental state characterized by a pessimistic sense of inadequacy and a despondent lack of activity
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
dialnounUS /ˈdaɪəl/
the face of a timepiece; graduated to show the hours
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading The acceleration needle dropped with agonizing slowness.
eightyadjectiveUS /ˈeɪti/
being ten more than seventy
From this reading The altimeter said one hundred thousand feet, then ninety thousand, eighty, seventy-five.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading The altimeter said one hundred thousand feet, then ninety thousand, eighty, seventy-five.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
the inside lower horizontal surface (as of a room, hallway, tent, or other structure)
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
the cardinal number that is the sum of three and one
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
functioningadjectiveUS /ˈfʌŋkʃənɪŋ/
performing or able to perform its regular function
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
gravities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
gyronounUS /ˈdʒaɪroʊ/
a Greek sandwich: sliced roast lamb with onion and tomato stuffed into pita bread
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
ten 10s
From this reading The altimeter said one hundred thousand feet, then ninety thousand, eighty, seventy-five.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
staying power
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
past form of “lock” — fasten with a lock
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
for more time
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
needlenounUS /ˈniːdəl/
the leaf of a conifer
From this reading The acceleration needle dropped with agonizing slowness.
ninetyadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnti/
being ten more than eighty
From this reading The altimeter said one hundred thousand feet, then ninety thousand, eighty, seventy-five.
not any; not one
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The altimeter said one hundred thousand feet, then ninety thousand, eighty, seventy-five.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading Four gravities, three point seven.
pseudograv
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
on the contrary
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
the cardinal number that is the sum of six and one
From this reading Four gravities, three point seven.
seventy-fiveadjectiveUS /ˈsevəntifaɪv/
being five more than seventy
From this reading The altimeter said one hundred thousand feet, then ninety thousand, eighty, seventy-five.
ship'snounUS /ʃɪps/
possessive form of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
slownessnounUS /ˈsloʊnəs/
unskillfulness resulting from a lack of training
From this reading The acceleration needle dropped with agonizing slowness.
stabilizernounUS /ˈsteɪbəlaɪzər/
a chemical that is added to a solution or mixture or suspension to maintain it in a stable or unchanging state
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
successive (without a break)
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
struggledverbUS /ˈstrʌɡəld/
past form of “struggle” — make a strenuous or labored effort
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
instrumentality that combines interrelated interacting artifacts designed to work as a coherent entity
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The altimeter said one hundred thousand feet, then ninety thousand, eighty, seventy-five.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading The altimeter said one hundred thousand feet, then ninety thousand, eighty, seventy-five.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading Four gravities, three point seven.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
the upper part of anything
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
unitnounUS /ˈjuːnət/
any division of quantity accepted as a standard of measurement or exchange
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
verticaladjectiveUS /ˈvɜːrtɪkəl/
at right angles to the plane of the horizon or a base line
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The ship's gyro system was no longer functioning as a pseudograv unit, but rather as a vertical stabilizer, and the second dial said four gravities.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He locked the top button at full depression and struggled to keep his legs straight beneath him, braced as they were now against a bulkhead which but a few minutes before had been, not a floor, but a wall.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The acceleration needle dropped with agonizing slowness.
