used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
having great (or a certain) extent from one side to the other
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
actively or fully engaged or occupied
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
inflected form of “catch” — discover or come upon accidentally, suddenly, or unexpectedly; catch somebody doing something or in a certain state
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
cause to herd, drive, or crowd together
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
posing no difficulty; requiring little effort
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
ferryverbUS /ˈferi/
transport from one place to another
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
fillingnounUS /ˈfɪlɪŋ/
any material that fills a space or container
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Here the oarsman paused and waited for further orders.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading Here the oarsman paused and waited for further orders.
gildedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪldɪd/
having the deep slightly brownish color of gold
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
harborverbUS /ˈhɑːrbər/
maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
in or at this place; where the speaker or writer is
From this reading Here the oarsman paused and waited for further orders.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
launchesnounUS /ˈlɔːntʃəz/
plural of “launch” — a motorboat with an open deck or a half deck
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
plural of “mile” — a unit of length equal to 1,760 yards or 5,280 feet; exactly 1609.344 meters
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
not caught with the senses or the mind
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
oarsnounUS /ɔːrz/
plural of “oar” — an implement used to propel or steer a boat
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
oarsmannounUS /ˈɔːrzmən/
someone who rows a boat
From this reading Here the oarsman paused and waited for further orders.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
being directly across from each other; facing
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
plural of “order” — (often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading Here the oarsman paused and waited for further orders.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
past form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading Here the oarsman paused and waited for further orders.
pausingverbUS /ˈpɔːzɪŋ/
-ing form of “pause” — interrupt temporarily an activity before continuing
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
pedestriannounUS /pəˈdestriən/
a person who travels by foot
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
past form of “proceed” — continue talking
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
rowedverbUS /roʊd/
past form of “row” — propel with oars
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
Identical; not different.
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
sandyadjectiveUS /ˈsændi/
of hair color; pale yellowish to yellowish brown
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
schoonersnounUS /ˈskuːnərz/
plural of “schooner” — a large beer glass
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
shippingnounUS /ˈʃɪpɪŋ/
the commercial enterprise of moving goods and materials
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
lift onto one's shoulders
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
plural of “shoulder” — the part of the body between the neck and the upper arm
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
slidverbUS /slɪd/
inflected form of “slide” — move obliquely or sideways, usually in an uncontrolled manner
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
the utterance of intelligible speech
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
at a steady rate or pace
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
sternsnounUS /stɜːrnz/
plural of “stern” — the rear part of a ship
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
(sports) the act of swinging or striking at a ball with a club or racket or bat or cue or hand
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
swingverbUS /swɪŋ/
move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one and one
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
past form of “wait” — stay in one place and anticipate or expect something
From this reading Here the oarsman paused and waited for further orders.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They proceeded in this way some three miles until they were out of the harbor proper and opposite a small, sandy island.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
in the company of; together with
From this reading _What was Caught_ The man at the oars rowed steadily and in silence with an easy swing of his broad shoulders.
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
wormed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He wormed his way in and out of the shipping filling the harbor with the same instinct with which a pedestrian works through a crowd.
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 He slid before ferry boats, gilded under the sterns of schooners, and missed busy launches by a yard, never pausing in his stroke, never looking over his shoulder, never speaking.
