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 The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
acrossprepositionUS /əˈkrɔːs/
from one side of something to the other
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
age
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
alert
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
all
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
appointment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
Approved
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
baby's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
behindprepositionUS /bɪˈhaɪnd/
at or toward the back of something
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
believing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
besideprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪd/
next to; at the side of
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
bodynounUS /body/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
brain
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
bunch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
bureau
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
called
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
calm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
came
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
CaptainnounUS /ˈcaptain/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
captain's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
cat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
chief
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
china-blue
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
comment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
cordwood
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
crewnounUS /crew/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
dog
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
due
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
dutynounUS /ˈduːti/
a responsibility that must be carried out
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
endorsed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
face
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
firstnounUS /first/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
forty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
fresh
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
gray
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
guile
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
handsplural nounUS /hændz/
members of a ship’s crew
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
hard
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
heart
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
Holt
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
Ike
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
infant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
inquiry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
Isaac
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
keeper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
knots
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
knowledge
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
legs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
Life-Saving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
like
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
list
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
lookednounUS /looked/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
moment
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
new
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
once
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
one-year-old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
openverbUS /ˈoʊ.pən/
To move from a closed position.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
own
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
peep-holes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
picked
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
Polhemus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
quick-moving
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
quick-thinking
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
said
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
scarred
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
seaman
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
seamed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
selected
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
sent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
shoulders
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
silent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
Sixty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
skill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
sleepy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
snubbing-posts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
some
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
Station
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
STORY
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
stove
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
strengthnounUS /ˈstrength/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
suppleness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
surfmen
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
SWEDE'S
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
THEdeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
thick-set
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
toddling
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
too
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
tooknounUS /took/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
tough
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
twenty
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Sixty only in years, this man; forty in strength and in skill, twenty in suppleness, and a one-year-old toddling infant in all that made for guile.
two
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
Uncle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
vouch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
weathers
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
whetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading THE SWEDE'S STORY Captain Holt had selected his crew--picked surfmen, every one of them--and the chief of the bureau had endorsed the list without comment or inquiry.
wondering
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
write
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The captain's own appointment as keeper of the new Life-Saving Station was due as much to his knowledge of men as to his skill as a seaman, and so when his list was sent in--men he said he could "vouch for"--it took but a moment for the chief to write "Approved" across its face.
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Isaac Polhemus came first: Sixty years of age, silent, gray, thick-set; face scarred and seamed by many weathers, but fresh as a baby's; two china-blue eyes--peep-holes through which you looked into his open heart; shoulders hard and tough as cordwood hands a bunch of knots; legs like snubbing-posts, body quick-moving; brain quick-thinking; alert as a dog when on duty, calm as a sleepy cat beside a stove when his time was his own.
younger
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading "Uncle Ike" some of the younger men once called him, wondering behind their hands whether he was not too old and believing all the time that he was.
