1872
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As late as 1872 the _North American Review_ declared that the true writer of fiction "must idealize.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
North American republic containing 50 states - 48 conterminous states in North America plus Alaska in northwest North America and the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean; achieved independence in 1776
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As late as 1872 the _North American Review_ declared that the true writer of fiction "must idealize.
backgroundsnounUS /ˈbækɡraʊndz/
plural of “background” — a person's social heritage: previous experience or training
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
barrenadjectiveUS /ˈbærən/
providing no shelter or sustenance
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
according with custom or propriety
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
state capital and largest city of Massachusetts; a major center for banking and financial services
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
colonialadjectiveUS /kəˈloʊniəl/
of or relating to or characteristic of or inhabiting a colony
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
coloredadjectiveUS /ˈkʌlərd/
having color or a certain color; sometimes used in combination
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
made known or openly avowed
From this reading As late as 1872 the _North American Review_ declared that the true writer of fiction "must idealize.
dilemmanounUS /dɪˈlemə/
state of uncertainty or perplexity especially as requiring a choice between equally unfavorable options
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
DutchadjectiveUS /dʌtʃ/
of or relating to the Netherlands or its people or culture
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
eranounUS /ˈerə/
a period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
to or in any or all places
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
fictionnounUS /ˈfɪkʃən/
a literary work based on the imagination and not necessarily on fact
From this reading As late as 1872 the _North American Review_ declared that the true writer of fiction "must idealize.
with resolute determination
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
set up or found
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
the (prehensile) extremity of the superior limb
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
HardyadjectiveUS /ˈhɑːrdi/
having rugged physical strength; inured to fatigue or hardships
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
HowellsnounUS /ˈhaʊəlz/
United States writer and editor (1837-1920)
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
HudsonnounUS /ˈhʌdsən/
a New York river; flows southward into New York Bay; explored by Henry Hudson early in the 17th century
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
IbsennounUS /ˈɪbsən/
realistic Norwegian author who wrote plays on social and political themes (1828-1906)
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
idealizeverbUS /aɪˈdiːlaɪz/
consider or render as ideal
From this reading As late as 1872 the _North American Review_ declared that the true writer of fiction "must idealize.
idealizingverbUS /aɪˈdiːlaɪzɪŋ/
-ing form of “idealize” — consider or render as ideal
From this reading The idealizing novelists will be the real novelists.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
insistentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈsɪstənt/
repetitive and persistent
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
being or occurring at an advanced period of time or after a usual or expected time
From this reading As late as 1872 the _North American Review_ declared that the true writer of fiction "must idealize.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
of or relating to or characteristic of literature
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
creative writing of recognized artistic value
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
concerned with worldly rather than spiritual interests
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
Maupassantnoun
French writer noted especially for his short stories (1850-1893)
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
not any; not one
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
the region of the United States lying to the north of the Mason-Dixon line
From this reading As late as 1872 the _North American Review_ declared that the true writer of fiction "must idealize.
novelistsnounUS /ˈnɑːvələsts/
plural of “novelist” — one who writes novels
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
not the same one or ones already mentioned or implied
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
by chance
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
PuritannounUS /ˈpjʊrətən/
a member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries thought that the Protestant Reformation under Elizabeth was incomplete and advocated the simplification and regulation of forms of worship
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading The idealizing novelists will be the real novelists.
ReviewnounUS /ˌriːˈvjuː/
a new appraisal or evaluation
From this reading As late as 1872 the _North American Review_ declared that the true writer of fiction "must idealize.
a relationship between two lovers
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
romanticadjectiveUS /roʊˈmæntɪk/
belonging to or characteristic of Romanticism or the Romantic Movement in the arts
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
SalemnounUS /ˈseɪləm/
capital of the state of Oregon in the northwestern part of the state on the Willamette River
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
except for; apart from
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
an educational institution
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
seventiesnounUS /ˈsevəntiz/
the decade from 1970 to 1979
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
the state of being covered with unclean things
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
spannounUS /spæn/
the complete duration of something
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
spicknoun
(ethnic slur) offensive term for persons of Latin American descent
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
the vital principle or animating force within living things
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
in or at that place or location
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
a special situation
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
thrillingadjectiveUS /ˈθrɪlɪŋ/
causing a surge of emotion or excitement
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
TolstoynounUS /ˈtoʊlstɔɪ/
Russian author remembered for two great novels (1828-1910)
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
traditionnounUS /trəˈdɪʃən/
an inherited pattern of thought or action
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading As late as 1872 the _North American Review_ declared that the true writer of fiction "must idealize.
vitaladjectiveUS /ˈvaɪtəl/
urgently needed; absolutely necessary
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
vividadjectiveUS /ˈvɪvəd/
evoking lifelike images within the mind
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
the distinctive quality or pitch or condition of a person's speech
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
which person or people
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The idealizing novelists will be the real novelists.
in the company of; together with
From this reading On one side was the new school which was becoming more and more insistent that literature in America must be a thing American, colored by American soil, and vivid and vital with the new spirit of Ibsen, Tolstoy, Hardy, Maupassant, Howells, that was thrilling everywhere like the voice of a coming era.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading THE NEW ROMANCE The novelists who began their work in the seventies found themselves in a dilemma.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading But on the other hand there was the firmly set tradition that the new world was barren of literary material, that it lay spick and span with no romantic backgrounds save perhaps the Dutch Hudson and old Puritan Salem and colonial Boston.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading As late as 1872 the _North American Review_ declared that the true writer of fiction "must idealize.
