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Moby-Dick; or, The Whale
Moby-Dick; or, The Whale

Chapter LXXXIII · Jonah Historically Regarded

Jonah Historically Regarded, section 1: Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter. Now some Nantucketers rather distrust this historical story of Jonah and the whale. But
Context Illustration Reading 1/6 · 5 lines
English subtitles · tap any word to listen 1 / 5
Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.
Now some Nantucketers rather distrust this historical story of Jonah and the whale.
But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.
One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.
But, to this, Bishop Jebb’s anticipative answer is ready.
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LEARNER DICTIONARY
Archivist
/ˈɑːrkɪvɪst/
Editorial verification pending

A keeper or guardian of historical records and memories.

Moby-Dick; or, The Whale

Chapter LXXXIII · Jonah Historically Regarded

Reading 1/6 · 5 reading units · Lines 1–5

Line 1
Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.
Line 2
Now some Nantucketers rather distrust this historical story of Jonah and the whale.
Line 3
But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.
Line 4
One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.
Line 5
But, to this, Bishop Jebb’s anticipative answer is ready.

Learner Dictionary

Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, audio, and collocations from this reading.

reference noun US /ˈrefərəns/

a remark that calls attention to something or someone

From this reading “Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.”

Collocations
Reference wasA source-grounded phrase from this reading.
was madeA source-grounded phrase from this reading.
All words in this reading · 107

Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.

adeterminerUS /ə/

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

all

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

andconjunctionUS /ənd/

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

answer

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But, to this, Bishop Jebb’s anticipative answer is ready.

anticipative

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But, to this, Bishop Jebb’s anticipative answer is ready.

Arion

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

Bibles

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

Bishop

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But, to this, Bishop Jebb’s anticipative answer is ready.

ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

chapter

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

chief

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

choke

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

concerning

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

curious

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

distrust

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Now some Nantucketers rather distrust this historical story of Jonah and the whale.

dolphin

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

doubted

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

doubting

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

embellished

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

equallynounUS /ˈequally/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

facts

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

fishermen

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

forprepositionUS /fɔːr/

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

fromprepositionUS /frʌm/

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

Greeks

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/

the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

HepronounUS /hiː/

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

head

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

Hebrew

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

Hercules

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

himpronounUS /hɪm/

the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

historical

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

inprepositionUS /ɪn/

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

Jebb's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But, to this, Bishop Jebb’s anticipative answer is ready.

Jonah

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

Jonah's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

less

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

Leviathan

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

made

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

makenounUS /make/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

Nantucketers

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Now some Nantucketers rather distrust this historical story of Jonah and the whale.

notadverbUS /nɑːt/

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

Now

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Now some Nantucketers rather distrust this historical story of Jonah and the whale.

ofprepositionUS /ʌv/

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

old

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

old-fashioned

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

onepronounUS /wʌn/

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

only

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

ordernounUS /order/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

orthodox

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

out

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

pagans

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

peculiarity

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

penny

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

plates

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

preceding

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

quaint

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

questioning

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

rather

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Now some Nantucketers rather distrust this historical story of Jonah and the whale.

ready

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But, to this, Bishop Jebb’s anticipative answer is ready.

reason

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

ReferencenounUS /ˈrefərəns/

a remark that calls attention to something or someone

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

represented

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

respect

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

RightnounUS /right/

an important story-specific word used in this passage

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

roll

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

Romans

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

Sag-Harbor

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

saying

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From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

sceptical

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From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

small

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

soconjunctionUS /soʊ/

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

some

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From this reading Now some Nantucketers rather distrust this historical story of Jonah and the whale.

species

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From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

spouts

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

standingnounUS /ˈstanding/

a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

story

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

swallow

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

thedeterminerUS /ðə/

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

theirdeterminerUS /ðer/

belonging to the people or things already mentioned

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

then

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From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

there

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/

used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned

From this reading Now some Nantucketers rather distrust this historical story of Jonah and the whale.

thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/

the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

times

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

toparticleUS /tuː/

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

traditions

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

true

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

two

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

unscientific

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

varieties

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

very

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/

the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

whale

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading Reference was made to the historical story of Jonah and the whale in the preceding chapter.

whaleman's

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

whit

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

whopronounUS /huː/

which person or people

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.

withprepositionUS /wɪð/

in the company of; together with

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/

used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past

From this reading One old Sag-Harbor whaleman’s chief reason for questioning the Hebrew story was this:—He had one of those quaint old-fashioned Bibles, embellished with curious, unscientific plates; one of which represented Jonah’s whale with two spouts in his head—a peculiarity only true with respect to a species of the Leviathan (the Right Whale, and the varieties of that order), concerning which the fishermen have this saying, “A penny roll would choke him;” his swallow is so very small.

yetconjunctionUS /jet/

but in spite of that

From this reading But then there were some sceptical Greeks and Romans, who, standing out from the orthodox pagans of their times, equally doubted the story of Hercules and the whale, and Arion and the dolphin; and yet their doubting those traditions did not make those traditions one whit the less facts, for all that.