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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
admitted
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From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
all
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From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
always
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
ample
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
anythingpronounUS /ˈeniθɪŋ/
any thing at all
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
beforeprepositionUS /bɪˈfɔːr/
earlier than; in front of
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
Ben
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
best
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
boat
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
bothdeterminerUS /boʊθ/
the two together, not just one
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
bound
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
broadsidenounUS /ˈbroadside/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
buoyantadjectiveUS /ˈbɔɪənt/
able to float or rise easily in water
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
Certainly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Certainly I did not know her way.
clever
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
coraclenounUS /ˈkɔːrəkəl/
a small, light, round boat traditionally covered with animal skin
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
craftnounUS /kræft/
a boat or ship in this chapter’s sailing situation
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
cross-grained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Certainly I did not know her way.
direction
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
Doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
donenounUS /done/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
else
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
EvennounUS /even/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
go
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
Gunn
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
handle
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
height
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
knew
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
knownounUS /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
leeway
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
lop-sided
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
made
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
manage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
manoeuvre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
more
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
most
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
nevernounUS /never/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Certainly I did not know her way.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
partnounUS /part/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
person
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
pleasednounUS /ˈpleased/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
queer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
reason
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
round
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
safe
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
seaway
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
shipnounUS /ship/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
surenounUS /sure/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
tide
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
tillprepositionUS /tɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
turned
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
turning
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
very
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Even Ben Gunn himself has admitted that she was “queer to handle till you knew her way.”
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
weight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading She turned in every direction but the one I was bound to go; the most part of the time we were broadside on, and I am very sure I never should have made the ship at all but for the tide.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The coracle--as I had ample reason to know before I was done with her--was a very safe boat for a person of my height and weight, both buoyant and clever in a seaway; but she was the most cross-grained, lop-sided craft to manage.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Do as you pleased, she always made more leeway than anything else, and turning round and round was the manoeuvre she was best at.
