used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading "The mariners shout, The ships swing about.
touching and pressing; in opposition to
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading The yards are all hoisted, The sails flutter out."
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The yards are all hoisted, The sails flutter out."
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
lacking funds
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
bumpedverbUS /bʌmpt/
past form of “bump” — knock against with force or violence
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
creakingnounUS /ˈkriːkɪŋ/
a squeaking sound
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
docksnounUS /dɑːks/
plural of “dock” — an enclosure in a court of law where the defendant sits during the trial
From this reading The docks were very quiet now.
driftedverbUS /ˈdrɪftəd/
past form of “drift” — be in motion due to some air or water current
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
flutterverbUS /ˈflʌtər/
move along rapidly and lightly; skim or dart
From this reading The yards are all hoisted, The sails flutter out."
footfalls
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
grindingnounUS /ˈɡraɪndɪŋ/
material resulting from the process of grinding
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
groaningverbUS /ˈɡroʊnɪŋ/
-ing form of “groan” — indicate pain, discomfort, or displeasure
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
hoistedverbUS /ˈhɔɪstəd/
past form of “hoist” — raise or haul up with or as if with mechanical help
From this reading The yards are all hoisted, The sails flutter out."
a male sovereign; ruler of a kingdom
From this reading _The Saga of King Olaf_.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
marinersnounUS /ˈmerənərz/
plural of “mariner” — a man who serves as a sailor
From this reading "The mariners shout, The ships swing about.
mooringsnounUS /ˈmuːrɪŋz/
plural of “mooring” — a place where a craft can be made fast
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The docks were very quiet now.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading _The Saga of King Olaf_.
Olaf
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading _The Saga of King Olaf_.
and nothing more
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading The yards are all hoisted, The sails flutter out."
pilesnounUS /paɪlz/
venous swelling external or internal to the anal sphincter
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
quietadjectiveUS /ˈkwaɪət/
characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
From this reading The docks were very quiet now.
a charge of ammunition for a single shot
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
SaganounUS /ˈsɑːɡə/
a narrative telling the adventures of a hero or a family; originally (12th to 14th centuries) a story of the families that settled Iceland and their descendants but now any prose narrative that resembles such an account
From this reading _The Saga of King Olaf_.
sailsnounUS /seɪlz/
plural of “sail” — a large piece of fabric (usually canvas fabric) by means of which wind is used to propel a sailing vessel
From this reading The yards are all hoisted, The sails flutter out."
plural of “ship” — a vessel that carries passengers or freight
From this reading "The mariners shout, The ships swing about.
utter in a loud voice; talk in a loud voice (usually denoting characteristic manner of speaking)
From this reading "The mariners shout, The ships swing about.
Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
sobbedverbUS /sɑːbd/
inflected form of “sob” — weep convulsively
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
swingverbUS /swɪŋ/
move in a curve or arc, usually with the intent of hitting
From this reading "The mariners shout, The ships swing about.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading "The mariners shout, The ships swing about.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
precisely as stated
From this reading The docks were very quiet now.
vesselsnounUS /ˈvesəlz/
plural of “vessel” — a tube in which a body fluid circulates
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
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 Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The docks were very quiet now.
wharves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only a few footfalls broke the silence, and the water sobbed a little round the piles, and there was some creaking and groaning and grinding, and the vessels drifted at their moorings, and bumped against the wharves.
plural of “yard” — a unit of length equal to 3 feet; defined as 91.44 centimeters; originally taken to be the average length of a stride
From this reading The yards are all hoisted, The sails flutter out."
