used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
from one side of something to the other
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
at or in the front
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
one more of the same kind, or a different one
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
from appearances alone
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
backgroundnounUS /ˈbækɡraʊnd/
a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
bellsnounUS /belz/
plural of “bell” — a hollow device made of metal that makes a ringing sound when struck
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
belowprepositionUS /bɪˈloʊ/
at or to a lower level than something
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
the process of taking in and expelling air during breathing
From this reading "Now," said Danbury to Stubbs, "hold your breath.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
clankverbUS /klæŋk/
make a clank
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
an authoritative direction or instruction to do something
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
Danbury
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Now," said Danbury to Stubbs, "hold your breath.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
decksnounUS /deks/
plural of “deck” — any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
enginesnounUS /ˈendʒənz/
plural of “engine” — motor that converts thermal energy to mechanical work
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
in a gradual manner
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "Now," said Danbury to Stubbs, "hold your breath.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
jingleverbUS /ˈdʒɪŋɡəl/
make a sound typical of metallic objects
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
lynx-eyedadjective
having very keen vision
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
a female domestic
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
metallicadjectiveUS /məˈtælɪk/
containing or made of or resembling or characteristic of a metal
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
a written account of what transpired at a meeting
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
a change of position that does not entail a change of location
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
muddyadjectiveUS /ˈmʌdi/
(of soil) soft and watery
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading "Now," said Danbury to Stubbs, "hold your breath.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
plural of “officer” — any person in the armed services who holds a position of authority or command
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
and nothing more
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
pickingnounUS /ˈpɪkɪŋ/
the quantity of a crop that is harvested
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
pulsenounUS /pʌls/
(electronics) a sharp transient wave in the normal electrical state (or a series of such transients)
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
quarantinenounUS /ˈkwɔːrəntiːn/
enforced isolation of patients suffering from a contagious disease in order to prevent the spread of disease
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
QueensnounUS /kwiːnz/
a borough of New York City
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
accomplished rapidly and without delay
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
an open way (generally public) for travel or transportation
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "Now," said Danbury to Stubbs, "hold your breath.
cut with a saw
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
transport commercially
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
for a short time
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
marked by absence of sound
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
slidenounUS /slaɪd/
a small flat rectangular piece of glass on which specimens can be mounted for microscopic study
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
in the near future
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
steam-driven
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
successive (without a break)
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
a thoroughfare (usually including sidewalks) that is lined with buildings
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
StubbsnounUS /stʌbz/
English historian noted for his constitutional history of medieval England (1825-1901)
From this reading "Now," said Danbury to Stubbs, "hold your breath.
past form of “succeed” — attain success or reach a desired goal
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "Now," said Danbury to Stubbs, "hold your breath.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading Shortly after this he felt the pulse beat of the engines below, and then saw the ship, as gently as a maid picking her way across a muddy street, move slowly ahead into the dark.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
we'll
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
used to ask for information about something
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading If we can only slide by the lynx-eyed quarantine officers, we'll have a straight road ahead of us for a while."
WilsonnounUS /ˈwɪlsən/
author of the first novel by an African American that was published in the United States (1808-1870)
From this reading _Of Love and Queens_ For a few minutes Wilson kept in the background.
windlassnounUS /ˈwɪndləs/
lifting device consisting of a horizontal cylinder turned by a crank on which a cable or rope winds
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading He saw that the young man was in command and apparently knew what he was about, for one order followed another, succeeded by a quick movement of silent figures about the decks, a jingle of bells below, and soon the metallic clank of the steam-driven windlass.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading "Now," said Danbury to Stubbs, "hold your breath.
