used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
catchingnounUS /ˈkætʃɪŋ/
(baseball) playing the position of catcher on a baseball team
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
without stop or interruption
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
couldn't
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
cruiseverbUS /kruːz/
drive around aimlessly but ostentatiously and at leisure
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
the termination of something by causing so much damage to it that it cannot be repaired or no longer exists
From this reading Thus the devil with a memory lured him to destruction.
Devereux
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
(Judeo-Christian and Islamic religions) chief spirit of evil and adversary of God; tempter of mankind; master of Hell
From this reading Thus the devil with a memory lured him to destruction.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
(of persons) excessively affected by emotion
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
more distant in especially space or time
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
fellow-men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
any of various mostly cold-blooded aquatic vertebrates usually having scales and breathing through gills
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
he'd
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
the line at which the sky and Earth appear to meet
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
investigateverbUS /ˌɪnˈvestəɡeɪt/
investigate scientifically
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
a land mass (smaller than a continent) that is surrounded by water
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
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 object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
luredverbUS /lʊrd/
past form of “lure” — provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion
From this reading Thus the devil with a memory lured him to destruction.
man'snounUS /mænz/
possessive form of “man” — an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
The faculty by which the mind stores and remembers information and knowledge.
From this reading Thus the devil with a memory lured him to destruction.
not any; not one
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
proppedverbUS /prɑːpt/
inflected form of “prop” — support by placing against something solid or rigid
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
any member of a ship's crew
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
rescued; especially from the power and consequences of sin
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
the land along the edge of a body of water
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
comparatives of “soon” or “early”
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
specknounUS /spek/
a very small spot
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
happening unexpectedly
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Thus the devil with a memory lured him to destruction.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
tracesnounUS /ˈtreɪsəz/
plural of “trace” — a just detectable amount
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
employed in accomplishing something
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
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 "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
whaleboatnoun
a long narrow boat designed for quick turning and use in rough seas
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The object was farther away than he had at first realized; it continued for a long while to look like a boat with a man’s figure propped up in one end.
past form of “wish” — hope for; have a wish
From this reading One day something led him far off shore—a speck on the horizon, which he’d no sooner seen than he wished to investigate.
in the company of; together with
From this reading Thus the devil with a memory lured him to destruction.
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading "They had saved the whaleboat, of course; Devereux used to cruise about the island in her, catching wonderful fish, for he was a sailor at heart, and couldn’t keep off the water.
wreckagenounUS /ˈrekədʒ/
the remaining parts of something that has been wrecked
From this reading It looked like a piece of wreckage, or a boat; he became suddenly excited to think of finding traces of his fellow-men.
