used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
in the past
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
take a court case to a higher court for review
From this reading As a teacher, therefore, Comte made no appeal.
a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As a teacher, therefore, Comte made no appeal.
Auguste
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
blandadjectiveUS /blænd/
lacking taste or flavor or tang
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
the act of drawing spatially closer to something
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
comparativeadjectiveUS /kəmˈperətɪv/
relating to or based on or involving comparison
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
Comtenoun
French philosopher remembered as the founder of positivism; he also established sociology as a systematic field of study
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
counselornounUS /ˈkaʊnsələr/
someone who gives advice about problems
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
et
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
make plain and comprehensible
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
foundernounUS /ˈfaʊndər/
inflammation of the laminated tissue that attaches the hoof to the foot of a horse
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
a person you know well and regard with affection and trust
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
grandlyadverbUS /ˈɡrændli/
in a grand manner
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
greetingnounUS /ˈɡriːtɪŋ/
(usually plural) an acknowledgment or expression of good will (especially on meeting)
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
Joan
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
and nothing more
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
labeledadjectiveUS /ˈleɪbəld/
bearing or marked with a label or tag
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
lodgingnounUS /ˈlɑːdʒɪŋ/
structures collectively in which people are housed
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading As a teacher, therefore, Comte made no appeal.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
a hard crystalline metamorphic rock that takes a high polish; used for sculpture and as building material
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
inflected form of “mean” — mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
and nothing more
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
the time period between dawn and noon
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
not any; not one
From this reading As a teacher, therefore, Comte made no appeal.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
Ordre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
pedestalnounUS /ˈpedəstəl/
a support or foundation
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
philosophernounUS /fəˈlɑːsəfər/
a specialist in philosophy
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
experiencing or manifesting pleasure
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
positiveadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːzətɪv/
characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
PositivismnounUS /ˈpɑːzətɪvɪzəm/
the form of empiricism that bases all knowledge on perceptual experience (not on intuition or revelation)
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
Progres
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
filled with bewilderment
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
sleeknessnoun
the quality of being well-groomed and neatly tailored
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
past form of “smile” — change one's facial expression by spreading the lips, often to signal pleasure
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
SorbonnenounUS /sɔːrˈbɑːn/
a university in Paris; intellectual center of France
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
statuenounUS /ˈstætʃuː/
a sculpture representing a human or animal
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
stoutlyadverbUS /ˈstaʊtli/
in a resolute manner
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
struttingverbUS /ˈstrʌtɪŋ/
inflected form of “strut” — to walk with a lofty proud gait, often in an attempt to impress others
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
the rays of the sun
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
superlativenounUS /sʊˈpɜːrlətɪv/
an exaggerated expression (usually of praise)
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
teachernounUS /ˈtiːtʃər/
a person whose occupation is teaching
From this reading As a teacher, therefore, Comte made no appeal.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
for that reason; as a result
From this reading As a teacher, therefore, Comte made no appeal.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
Vernon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On a day in May, not so long ago, Joan Vernon, coming out into the sunshine from her lodging in the Place de la Sorbonne, smiled a morning greeting to the statue of Auguste Comte, founder of Positivism.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
a Caucasian
From this reading She just liked the bland look of the man, was pleased by the sleekness of his white marble.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
worthilyadverb
in a worthy manner; with worthiness
From this reading He seemed to be a friend, a counselor, strutting worthily on a pedestal labeled "_Ordre et Progres_"; for Joan was an artist, not a philosopher.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would have puzzled her to explain what Positivism meant, or why it should be merely positive and not stoutly comparative or grandly superlative.
