used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
air-current
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
amphibiannounUS /æmˈfɪbiən/
a flat-bottomed motor vehicle that can travel on land or water
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
ardournoun
a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
arisenverbUS /ərˈɪzən/
inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
beamsnounUS /biːmz/
plural of “beam” — a signal transmitted along a narrow path; guides airplane pilots in darkness or bad weather
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
blisteringadjectiveUS /ˈblɪstərɪŋ/
harsh or corrosive in tone
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
a slight wind (usually refreshing)
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
make calm or still
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
candlesnounUS /ˈkændəlz/
plural of “candle” — stick of wax with a wick in the middle
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
put or send forth
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
chatverbUS /tʃæt/
talk socially without exchanging too much information
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
eddiesnounUS /ˈediz/
plural of “eddy” — founder of Christian Science in 1866 (1821-1910)
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
having dropped by the force of gravity
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
FESSENDEN'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading FESSENDEN'S ISLAND.
A hot glowing body of ignited gas produced by fire.
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
flickeredverbUS /ˈflɪkərd/
past form of “flicker” — move back and forth very rapidly
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
glarenounUS /ɡler/
a light within the field of vision that is brighter than the brightness to which the eyes are adapted
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
glassyadjectiveUS /ˈɡlæsi/
resembling glass in smoothness and shininess and slickness
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
headingnounUS /ˈhedɪŋ/
a line of text serving to indicate what the passage below it is about
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
intensitynounUS /ɪnˈtensəti/
the amount of energy transmitted (as by acoustic or electromagnetic radiation)
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading FESSENDEN'S ISLAND.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
languidadjectiveUS /ˈlæŋɡwəd/
lacking spirit or liveliness
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
the act of departing
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
location near or direction toward the left side; i.e. the side to the north when a person or object faces east
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
less than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
overheadadverbUS /ˈoʊvərˈhed/
above your head; in the sky
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
palæozoic
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
the act of departing politely
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
PettyadjectiveUS /ˈpetiː/
inferior in rank or status
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
predictedverbUS /prɪˈdɪktɪd/
past form of “predict” — make a prediction about; tell in advance
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
regurgitating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
precisely, exactly
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
get rid of
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
snortedverbUS /ˈsnɔːrtɪd/
past form of “snort” — indicate contempt by breathing noisily and forcefully through the nose
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
a clam that is usually steamed in the shell
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
stiflingnounUS /ˈstaɪflɪŋ/
forceful prevention; putting down by power or authority
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
swellingnounUS /ˈswelɪŋ/
an abnormal protuberance or localized enlargement
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
in or at that place or location
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
throbbed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
in the direction of
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
a track or mark left by something that has passed
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
the act of going from one place to another
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
unmitigatedadjectiveUS /ənˈmɪtəɡeɪtɪd/
not diminished or moderated in intensity or severity; sometimes used as an intensifier
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
unwholesomeadjective
detrimental to physical or moral well-being
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
an act of traveling by water
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
voyagersnounUS /ˈvɔɪɪdʒərz/
plural of “voyager” — a traveler to a distant land (especially one who travels by sea)
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
be awake, be alert, be there
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
German conductor (1876-1962)
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There really had arisen a languid air-current from the shore, as Walter Petty had predicted; but the boat was now heading down the bay towards the open sea, and travelling with the breeze, so that on board it seemed to have fallen calm, and was hot and stifling to a degree.
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 The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
United States actress and singer (1896-1977)
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
plural of “wave” — one of a series of ridges that moves across the surface of a liquid (especially across a large body of water)
From this reading The steamer throbbed and snorted on its voyage round the bay, like some big amphibian of palæozoic times, parting the glassy waters right and left, and leaving a long regurgitating trail of swelling waves and eddies in its wake.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
inflected form of “go” — change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading The chat among the voyagers flickered low, and then went out, like the flame of candles in an unwholesome well.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The sun, now overhead, shed down his beams with an unmitigated ardour, and the water cast back the glare with blistering intensity.
