used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
AboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
accountedverbUS /əˈkaʊntɪd/
past form of “account” — be the sole or primary factor in the existence, acquisition, supply, or disposal of something
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
on or to one side
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading To some extent, too, his reputation was at stake, as well as the reputation of the ship.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
come out better in a competition, race, or conflict
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
calmnessnounUS /ˈkɑːmnəs/
steadiness of mind under stress
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
an officer holding a rank below a major but above a lieutenant
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
being full of or promoting cheer; having or showing good spirits
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
cigarnounUS /sɪˈɡɑːr/
a roll of tobacco for smoking
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
combinedadjectiveUS /kəmˈbaɪnd/
made or joined or united into one
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
absence of light or illumination
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
any of various platforms built into a vessel
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
an effort that is inconvenient
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
United States actor (born in Ireland); father of Georgiana Emma Barrymore (1827-1862)
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
the latter part of the day (the period of decreasing daylight from late afternoon until nightfall)
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
the point or degree to which something extends
From this reading To some extent, too, his reputation was at stake, as well as the reputation of the ship.
a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
hardihoodnoun
the trait of being willing to undertake things that involve risk or danger
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
greater than normal in degree or intensity or amount
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading To some extent, too, his reputation was at stake, as well as the reputation of the ship.
the quality of being humane
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
not in action or at work
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
investigationnounUS /ˌɪnvestəˈɡeɪʃən/
an inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is no light thing to lose passengers overboard, and he knew it.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is no light thing to lose passengers overboard, and he knew it.
become part of; become a member of a group or organization
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
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 It is no light thing to lose passengers overboard, and he knew it.
immediately past
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
past form of “laugh” — produce laughter
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
leadsnounUS /liːdz/
plural of “lead” — an advantage held by a competitor in a race
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
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 He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading It is no light thing to lose passengers overboard, and he knew it.
fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading It is no light thing to lose passengers overboard, and he knew it.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
as might be expected
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
not any; not one
From this reading It is no light thing to lose passengers overboard, and he knew it.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
o'clockadverbUS /əˈklɑːk/
according to the clock
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
overboardadverbUS /ˈoʊvərbɔːrd/
to extremes
From this reading It is no light thing to lose passengers overboard, and he knew it.
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 It is no light thing to lose passengers overboard, and he knew it.
patrollingverbUS /pəˈtroʊlɪŋ/
inflected form of “patrol” — maintain the security of by carrying out a patrol
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
positionsnounUS /pəˈzɪʃənz/
plural of “position” — the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
any factual evidence that helps to establish the truth of something
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
the state of being held in high esteem and honor
From this reading To some extent, too, his reputation was at stake, as well as the reputation of the ship.
seafaringnoun
the work of a sailor
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
in a serious manner
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
transport commercially
From this reading To some extent, too, his reputation was at stake, as well as the reputation of the ship.
the act of smoking tobacco or other substances
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading To some extent, too, his reputation was at stake, as well as the reputation of the ship.
a thing, without saying which
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
specimensnounUS /ˈspesəmənz/
plural of “specimen” — an example regarded as typical of its class
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
splendidlyadverbUS /ˈsplendədli/
extremely well
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
stakenounUS /steɪk/
(law) a right or legal share of something; a financial involvement with something
From this reading To some extent, too, his reputation was at stake, as well as the reputation of the ship.
superstitionnounUS /ˌsuːpərˈstɪʃən/
an irrational belief arising from ignorance or fear
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
the cardinal number that is the sum of nine and one; the base of the decimal system
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
theoriesnounUS /ˈθɪriz/
plural of “theory” — a well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the natural world; an organized system of accepted knowledge that applies in a variety of circumstances to explain a specific set of phenomena
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
in or at that place or location
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
a special situation
From this reading It is no light thing to lose passengers overboard, and he knew it.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading To some extent, too, his reputation was at stake, as well as the reputation of the ship.
toughadjectiveUS /tʌf/
not given to gentleness or sentimentality
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
something (as property) held by one party (the trustee) for the benefit of another (the beneficiary)
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
having or producing a comfortable and agreeable degree of heat or imparting or maintaining heat
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
(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 To some extent, too, his reputation was at stake, as well as the reputation of the ship.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
which person or people
From this reading About ten o'clock that evening, as I was smoking a last cigar, he came up to me, and drew me aside from the beat of the other passengers who were patrolling the deck in the warm darkness.
belonging to which person
From this reading The captain was one of those splendidly tough and cheerful specimens of seafaring humanity whose combined courage, hardihood, and calmness in difficulty leads them naturally into high positions of trust.
disposed or inclined toward
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading He was not the man to be led away by an idle tale, and the mere fact that he was willing to join me in the investigation was proof that he thought there was something seriously wrong, which could not be accounted for on ordinary theories, nor laughed down as a common superstition.
