used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
abackadverbUS /əˈbæk/
having the wind against the forward side of the sails
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
on a ship, train, plane or other vehicle
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
alongsideadverbUS /əˈlɔːŋˈsaɪd/
side by side
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
(used of persons or the military) characterized by having or bearing arms
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
ArrownounUS /ˈæroʊ/
a mark to indicate a direction or relation
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
blue-jackets
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
boardersnounUS /ˈbɔːrdərz/
plural of “boarder” — a tenant in someone's house
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
boat'snounUS /boʊts/
possessive form of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
the lower side of anything
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
channelsnounUS /ˈtʃænəlz/
official routes of communication
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
convictsnounUS /ˈkɑːnvɪkts/
plural of “convict” — a person serving a sentence in a jail or prison
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
arising from or marked by despair or loss of hope
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
firmly closed or secured
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
be engaged in a fight; carry on a fight
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
(usually followed by “with” or used as a combining form) generously supplied with
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
franticadjectiveUS /ˈfræntɪk/
excessively agitated; distraught with fear or other violent emotion
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
the act of departing
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
overly eager speed (and possible carelessness)
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
how
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
ten 10s
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
intelligentlyadverbUS /ˌɪnˈtelɪdʒəntli/
in an intelligent manner
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element; is silver-white in pure form but readily rusts; used in construction and tools and armament; plays a role in the transport of oxygen by the blood
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
ironsnounUS /ˈaɪərnz/
metal shackles; for hands or legs
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
English writer and lexicographer (1709-1784)
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
man-o
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
maniacsnounUS /ˈmeɪniæks/
plural of “maniac” — an insane person
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
the force of workers available
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
mizzennoun
third mast from the bow in a vessel having three or more masts; the after and shorter mast of a yawl, ketch, or dandy
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
plural of “pound” — 16 ounces avoirdupois
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
ralliedverbUS /ˈrælid/
inflected form of “rally” — gather
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
transport commercially
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
be standing; be upright
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
tearingnounUS /ˈterɪŋ/
shedding tears
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
the act of changing or reversing the direction of the course
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
undoneadjectiveUS /ənˈdʌn/
not done
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
binary compound that occurs at room temperature as a clear colorless odorless tasteless liquid; freezes into ice below 0 degrees centigrade and boils above 100 degrees centigrade; widely used as a solvent
From this reading During the short time I was in the water, a desperate fight was going on aboard the _Arrow_.
weighingnounUS /ˈweɪɪŋ/
careful consideration
From this reading The boarders from the first small boat fastened to the mizzen channels, and, as they did so, Johnson dropped a mass of iron weighing two hundred pounds into the boat’s bottom, tearing her open.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Johnson, seeing how matters were turning out, rallied his men for a stand.
which person or people
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Five boats from the man-o’-war, filled with blue-jackets, armed and ready for the fight, drew alongside before the convicts could get the ship out of irons.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
past form of “work” — exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading She lay with her yards aback, and those who worked intelligently had their work undone by those who in their frantic haste worked like maniacs.
