used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
inflected form of “awake” — stop sleeping
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
an indentation of a shoreline larger than a cove but smaller than a gulf
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
an area of sand sloping down to the water of a sea or lake
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
artifact made by weaving or felting or knitting or crocheting natural or synthetic fibers
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
demanding attention
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
destituteadjectiveUS /ˈdestətuːt/
poor enough to need help from others
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
having a face or facing especially of a specified kind or number; often used in combination
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
feel or handle with the fingers
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
recently made, produced, or harvested
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
past form of “gaze” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
destroyed or killed
From this reading GONE!
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
inflected form of “get” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
gullsnounUS /ɡʌlz/
plural of “gull” — a person who is gullible and easy to take advantage of
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
the upper part of the human body or the front part of the body in animals; contains the face and brains
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
detected or perceived by the sense of hearing
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
plural of “hill” — a local and well-defined elevation of the land
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
honey-colouredadjective
having the color of honey
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
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 heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
the production of eggs (especially in birds)
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
lazilyadverbUS /ˈlæzəli/
in a slow and lazy manner
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
provided with artificial light
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
a particular point in time
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
a large body of water constituting a principal part of the hydrosphere
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
patchnounUS /pætʃ/
a small contrasting part of something
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
plainsnounUS /pleɪnz/
plural of “plain” — extensive tract of level open land
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
free of extraneous elements of any kind
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
a lump or mass of hard consolidated mineral matter
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
sagebrushnounUS /ˈseɪdʒbrʌʃ/
any of several North American composite subshrubs of the genera Artemis or Seriphidium
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
traverse or travel on (a body of water)
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
a loose material consisting of grains of rock or coral
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
a division of an ocean or a large body of salt water partially enclosed by land
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
transport commercially
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
encouragement in the form of cheers from spectators
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
a perceptible indication of something not immediately apparent (as a visible clue that something has happened)
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
Sinaloa
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
(used in combination) affected by something overwhelming
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
the star that is the source of light and heat for the planets in the solar system
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
a portable shelter (usually of canvas stretched over supporting poles and fastened to the ground with ropes and pegs)
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
tent-opening
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
from one end or side of something to the other
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading The sun got up and struck the hills of Sinaloa, the plains of sagebrush, rock and sand, the sea.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
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 He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
WhalesnounUS /weɪlz/
plural of “whale” — a very large person; impressive in size or qualities
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
in or at the place that
From this reading George awoke in the tent and gazed for a moment lazily at the honey-coloured patch on the sail cloth above his head, where the sun was laying a finger.
air moving (sometimes with considerable force) from an area of high pressure to an area of low pressure
From this reading He heard the waves on the beach and the crying of the gulls, the wind through the tent-opening came fresh and pure, and he knew it was good to be alive.
in the company of; together with
From this reading The Bay of Whales, lit from end to end and shouting with gulls, faced an ocean destitute of sign of ship or sail.
