allowedverbUS /əˈlaʊd/
past form of “allow” — make it possible through a specific action or lack of action for something to happen
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading [Titian Bad and Titian Good] I wonder why some things are?
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading The brush may still deal freely with any subject, however revolting or indelicate.
approachverbUS /əˈproʊtʃ/
move towards
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading [Titian Bad and Titian Good] I wonder why some things are?
Artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
BadadjectiveUS /bæd/
having undesirable or negative qualities
From this reading [Titian Bad and Titian Good] I wonder why some things are?
beastliest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
beastlinessnoun
the quality of being deliberately mean
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
brushverbUS /brʌʃ/
rub with a brush, or as if with a brush
From this reading The brush may still deal freely with any subject, however revolting or indelicate.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
curtailedverbUS /kərˈteɪld/
past form of “curtail” — place restrictions on
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
dealverbUS /diːl/
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
earlieradverbUS /ˈɜːrliər/
earlier in time; previously
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
eightyadjectiveUS /ˈeɪti/
being ten more than seventy
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
evenadjectiveUS /ˈiːvɪn/
divisible by two
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
FieldingnounUS /ˈfiːldɪŋ/
(baseball) handling the ball while playing in the field
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
formsnounUS /fɔːrmz/
plural of “form” — the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
fouladjectiveUS /faʊl/
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
freelyadverbUS /ˈfriːli/
in a free manner
From this reading The brush may still deal freely with any subject, however revolting or indelicate.
GoodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading [Titian Bad and Titian Good] I wonder why some things are?
guardedadjectiveUS /ˈɡɑːrdəd/
prudent
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading The brush may still deal freely with any subject, however revolting or indelicate.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading [Titian Bad and Titian Good] I wonder why some things are?
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
indecentadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdiːsənt/
not in keeping with accepted standards of what is right or proper in polite society
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
indelicateadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈdelɪkət/
in violation of good taste even verging on the indecent
From this reading The brush may still deal freely with any subject, however revolting or indelicate.
instancenounUS /ˈɪnstəns/
an occurrence of something
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
languagenounUS /ˈlæŋɡwədʒ/
a systematic means of communicating by the use of sounds or conventional symbols
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
licensenounUS /ˈlaɪsəns/
a legal document giving official permission to do something
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
LiteraturenounUS /ˈlɪtərətʃər/
creative writing of recognized artistic value
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading The brush may still deal freely with any subject, however revolting or indelicate.
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/
to a great degree or extent
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
nearadverbUS /nɪr/
near in time or place or relationship
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
niceadjectiveUS /naɪs/
pleasant or pleasing or agreeable in nature or appearance
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
ninetyadjectiveUS /ˈnaɪnti/
being ten more than eighty
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
pastnounUS /pæst/
the time that has elapsed
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
plentynounUS /ˈplenti/
a full supply
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
portrayverbUS /pɔːrˈtreɪ/
portray in words
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
privilegesnounUS /ˈprɪvlədʒəz/
plural of “privilege” — a special advantage or immunity or benefit not enjoyed by all
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
respectnounUS /rɪˈspekt/
(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
revoltingadjectiveUS /riˈvoʊltɪŋ/
highly offensive; arousing aversion or disgust
From this reading The brush may still deal freely with any subject, however revolting or indelicate.
sharplyadverbUS /ˈʃɑːrpli/
in an aggressive manner
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
Smollettnoun
Scottish writer of adventure novels (1721-1771)
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But not so with Art.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading [Titian Bad and Titian Good] I wonder why some things are?
speechnounUS /spiːtʃ/
the act of delivering a formal spoken communication to an audience
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
stilladjectiveUS /stɪl/
not in physical motion
From this reading The brush may still deal freely with any subject, however revolting or indelicate.
subjectnounUS /səbˈdʒekt/
the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading The brush may still deal freely with any subject, however revolting or indelicate.
subjectsnounUS /ˈsʌbdʒɪkts/
plural of “subject” — the subject matter of a conversation or discussion
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
thingsnounUS /θɪŋz/
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading [Titian Bad and Titian Good] I wonder why some things are?
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
timesnounUS /taɪmz/
a more or less definite period of time now or previously present
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
TitiannounUS /ˈtɪʃən/
old master of the Venetian school (1490-1576)
From this reading [Titian Bad and Titian Good] I wonder why some things are?
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
todaynounUS /təˈdeɪ/
the present time or age
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
whynounUS /waɪ/
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading [Titian Bad and Titian Good] I wonder why some things are?
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Fielding and Smollett could portray the beastliness of their day in the beastliest language; we have plenty of foul subjects to deal with in our day, but we are not allowed to approach them very near, even with nice and guarded forms of speech.
withinprepositionUS /wɪˈðɪn/
inside; before a period of time has passed
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
wondernounUS /ˈwʌndər/
the feeling aroused by something strange and surprising
From this reading [Titian Bad and Titian Good] I wonder why some things are?
yearsnounUS /jɪrz/
a late time of life
From this reading For instance, Art is allowed as much indecent license today as in earlier times--but the privileges of Literature in this respect have been sharply curtailed within the past eighty or ninety years.
