used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
AfterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
alertadjectiveUS /əˈlɜːrt/
engaged in or accustomed to close observation
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
amidprepositionUS /əˈmɪd/
in the middle of; surrounded by
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
eagerly desirous
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
inflected form of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
past form of “belong” — be owned by; be in the possession of
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
a committee having supervisory powers
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
a small vessel for travel on water
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
Carl
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
CarlosnounUS /ˈkɑːrloʊs/
Venezuelan master terrorist raised by a Marxist-Leninist father; trained and worked with many terrorist groups (born in 1949)
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
at or within a short distance in space or time or having elements near each other
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
the skilled practice of a practical occupation
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
past form of “dare” — take upon oneself; act presumptuously, without permission
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
leave someone who needs or counts on you; leave in the lurch
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
disconnectedadjectiveUS /ˌdɪskəˈnektɪd/
(music) marked by or composed of disconnected parts or sounds; cut short crisply
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
excitements
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
plural of “figure” — a diagram or picture illustrating textual material
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
plural of “footstep” — the sound of a step of someone walking
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
plural of “friend” — a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
guardedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːrdəd/
prudent
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
a period of time assigned for work
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
an instinctive motive
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
interminableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtɜːrmənəbəl/
tiresomely long; seemingly without end
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
keenlyadverbUS /ˈkiːnli/
in a keen or penetrating way
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
plural of “lad” — a boy or man
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
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 He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
the linear extent in space from one end to the other; the longest dimension of something that is fixed in place
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
of comparatively little physical weight or density
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
MermaidnounUS /ˈmɜːrmeɪd/
half woman and half fish; lives in the sea
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
a unit of time equal to 60 seconds or 1/60th of an hour
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
the time after sunset and before sunrise while it is dark outside
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
and nothing more
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
(often plural) a command given by a superior (e.g., a military or law enforcement officer) that must be obeyed
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
the particular portion of space occupied by something
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
preciseadjectiveUS /prɪˈsaɪs/
sharply exact or accurate or delimited
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
realisedadjectiveUS /ˈriːəlaɪzd/
successfully completed or brought to an end
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
removeverbUS /riˈmuːv/
remove something concrete, as by lifting, pushing, or taking off, or remove something abstract
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
go or come back to place, condition, or activity where one has been before
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
free from danger or the risk of harm
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
try to locate or discover, or try to establish the existence of
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
a general conscious awareness
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
submergedadjectiveUS /səbˈmɜːrdʒd/
beneath the surface of the water
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
surroundingsnounUS /sərˈaʊndɪŋz/
the environmental condition
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
suspensenounUS /səˈspens/
apprehension about what is going to happen
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
temptationnounUS /temˈteɪʃən/
something that seduces or has the quality to seduce
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
turretnounUS /ˈtɜːrət/
a small tower extending above a building
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
(usually followed by “to”) not having the necessary means or skill or know-how
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
plural of “voice” — the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
the act of waiting (remaining inactive in one place while expecting something)
From this reading Although amid the excitements of the night Carl and Carlos had not realised the flight of time, the hours of waiting passed by their companion in anxious suspense on board the _Mermaid_ had seemed interminable.
look attentively
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
whisperingnounUS /ˈwɪspərɪŋ/
a light noise, like the noise of silk clothing or leaves blowing in the wind
From this reading After a while he seemed to hear guarded footsteps and whispering voices close at hand, though unable to see the figures to which they belonged.
wiresnounUS /ˈwaɪərz/
plural of “wire” — ligament made of metal and used to fasten things or make cages or fences etc
From this reading The impulse to turn on a search light and thus discover the nature of his surroundings became so strong that at length he disconnected the wires in order to remove the temptation.
in the company of; together with
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He had not dared desert his boat for a minute, nor would it have been safe to move from the precise position in which the lads had left her.
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading So he could only watch from the turret of his submerged craft, with every sense keenly alert for the return of his young friends.
