used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
activitynounUS /ækˈtɪvəti/
any specific behavior
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Mike Lawton had got over his seasickness at length, and was among the passengers on deck.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
(used of soaps or cleaning agents) having a substance (an abrasive or filler) added to increase effectiveness
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
CalifornianounUS /ˌkæləˈfɔːrnjə/
a state in the western United States on the Pacific; the 3rd largest state; known for earthquakes
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
conspicuousadjectiveUS /kənˈspɪkjuːəs/
obvious to the eye or mind
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
the act of discovering something
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
eageradjectiveUS /ˈiːɡər/
having or showing keen interest or intense desire or impatient expectancy
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
elapsedadjectiveUS /ɪˈlæpst/
(of time) having passed or slipped by
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
past form of “enter” — to come or go into
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
FIRSTadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading FIRST PROSPECTS.
Francisco
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
yet to be or coming
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
coins made of gold
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Mike Lawton had got over his seasickness at length, and was among the passengers on deck.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
harborverbUS /ˈhɑːrbər/
maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
hill-side
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
a sense of concern with and curiosity about someone or something
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
large or big relative to something else
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
LawtonnounUS /ˈlɔːtən/
a town in southwest Oklahoma
From this reading Mike Lawton had got over his seasickness at length, and was among the passengers on deck.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading Mike Lawton had got over his seasickness at length, and was among the passengers on deck.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
MikenounUS /maɪk/
device for converting sound waves into electrical energy
From this reading Mike Lawton had got over his seasickness at length, and was among the passengers on deck.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Mike Lawton had got over his seasickness at length, and was among the passengers on deck.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
overlookingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊvərlʊkɪŋ/
used of a height or viewpoint
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
plural of “passenger” — a traveler riding in a vehicle (a boat or bus or car or plane or train etc) who is not operating it
From this reading Mike Lawton had got over his seasickness at length, and was among the passengers on deck.
PROSPECTSnounUS /ˈprɑːspekts/
plural of “prospect” — the possibility of future success
From this reading FIRST PROSPECTS.
without much difficulty
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
San
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
the place where some action occurs
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
seasicknessnoun
motion sickness experienced while traveling on water
From this reading Mike Lawton had got over his seasickness at length, and was among the passengers on deck.
an instance of visual perception
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
sinceprepositionUS /sɪns/
from a time in the past until now
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
male cat
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
townsnounUS /taʊnz/
plural of “town” — an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nineteen and one
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
voyagersnounUS /ˈvɔɪɪdʒərz/
plural of “voyager” — a traveler to a distant land (especially one who travels by sea)
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
accept gladly
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
which person or people
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
in the company of; together with
From this reading FROM the deck of the steamer, as it entered the harbor of San Francisco, Tom looked with eager interest at the city which was to be the scene of his future activity.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But, built as it was upon a hill-side, overlooking the bay, it was more conspicuous than many larger towns would have been, and, as may readily be imagined, was a welcome sight to voyagers who had been over twenty days at sea.
a late time of life
From this reading But a few years had elapsed since the discovery of gold in California, and San Francisco was small compared with what it has since become.
