used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
surrounding, or on every side of, something
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Occasionally a grim, grey destroyer glided up, moored for a time, and then steamed away.
bargeverbUS /bɑːrdʒ/
push one's way
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
BargesnounUS /ˈbɑːrdʒəz/
plural of “barge” — a flatbottom boat for carrying heavy loads (especially on canals)
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
plural of “boat” — a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the little ship remained, and strangers in those parts wondered what she was doing there.
cablesnounUS /ˈkeɪbəlz/
plural of “cable” — a telegram sent abroad
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
the shore of a sea or ocean
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
well in the past; former
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
destroyernounUS /dɪˈstrɔɪər/
a small fast lightly armored but heavily armed warship
From this reading Occasionally a grim, grey destroyer glided up, moored for a time, and then steamed away.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading But the little ship remained, and strangers in those parts wondered what she was doing there.
Donegal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
all through a period, or at some point within it
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
floatingadjectiveUS /ˈfloʊtɪŋ/
borne up by or suspended in a liquid
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
fussyadjectiveUS /ˈfʌsi/
annoyed and irritable
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
glidedverbUS /ˈɡlaɪdɪd/
past form of “glide” — move smoothly and effortlessly
From this reading Occasionally a grim, grey destroyer glided up, moored for a time, and then steamed away.
of an achromatic color of any lightness intermediate between the extremes of white and black
From this reading Occasionally a grim, grey destroyer glided up, moored for a time, and then steamed away.
not to be placated or appeased or moved by entreaty
From this reading Occasionally a grim, grey destroyer glided up, moored for a time, and then steamed away.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
a period of time equal to 1/24th of a day
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
incredibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkredəbəl/
beyond belief or understanding
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
and nothing more
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
ladenadjectiveUS /ˈleɪdən/
filled with a great quantity
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
launchesnounUS /ˈlɔːntʃəz/
plural of “launch” — a motorboat with an open deck or a half deck
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
mooredverbUS /mʊrd/
past form of “moor” — secure in or as if in a berth or dock
From this reading Occasionally a grim, grey destroyer glided up, moored for a time, and then steamed away.
sporadically and infrequently
From this reading Occasionally a grim, grey destroyer glided up, moored for a time, and then steamed away.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
unique or specific to a person or thing or category
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
the local environment
From this reading But the little ship remained, and strangers in those parts wondered what she was doing there.
the time that has elapsed
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
pipesnounUS /paɪps/
plural of “pipe” — a tube with a small bowl at one end; used for smoking tobacco
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
past form of “pull” — cause to move by pulling
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
past form of “remain” — stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But the little ship remained, and strangers in those parts wondered what she was doing there.
transport commercially
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
steamedadjectiveUS /stiːmd/
cooked in steam
From this reading Occasionally a grim, grey destroyer glided up, moored for a time, and then steamed away.
plural of “stranger” — anyone who does not belong in the environment in which they are found
From this reading But the little ship remained, and strangers in those parts wondered what she was doing there.
tanglesnounUS /ˈtæŋɡəlz/
plural of “tangle” — a twisted and tangled mass that is highly interwoven
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But the little ship remained, and strangers in those parts wondered what she was doing there.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading But the little ship remained, and strangers in those parts wondered what she was doing there.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Boats pulled around from barge to ship, and fussy little launches came from the coast, remained an hour or two, and then departed.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Occasionally a grim, grey destroyer glided up, moored for a time, and then steamed away.
vicinitynounUS /vəˈsɪnəti/
a surrounding or nearby region
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the little ship remained, and strangers in those parts wondered what she was doing there.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But the little ship remained, and strangers in those parts wondered what she was doing there.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Barges lay in her vicinity, barges laden with incredible tangles of pipes and cables.
past form of “wonder” — have a wish or desire to know something
From this reading But the little ship remained, and strangers in those parts wondered what she was doing there.
a late time of life
From this reading For months at a time during the past few years, a little ship may have been seen floating around a particular spot just off the coast of Donegal.
