adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
accomplishmentnounUS /əˈkɑːmplɪʃmənt/
the action of accomplishing something
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
acquiresverbUS /əˈkwaɪərz/
third-person singular of “acquire” — come into the possession of something concrete or abstract
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
admirableadjectiveUS /ˈædmərəbəl/
deserving of the highest esteem or admiration
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
affordverbUS /əˈfɔːrd/
be able to spare or give up
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
affordsverbUS /əˈfɔːrdz/
third-person singular of “afford” — be able to spare or give up
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
afterprepositionUS /ˈæftər/
later than; following
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
ardentlyadverbUS /ˈɑːrdəntli/
in an ardent manner
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
artauxiliary verbUS /ɑːrt/
an old form of “are”, used with “thou”
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
artistnounUS /ˈɑːrtəst/
a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
From this reading For the artist works entirely upon honour.
artisticadjectiveUS /ɑːrˈtɪstɪk/
relating to or characteristic of art or artists
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
BalzacnounUS /bɑːlˈzæk/
French novelist; he portrays the complexity of 19th century French society (1799-1850)
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
besidesprepositionUS /bɪˈsaɪdz/
in addition to; as well as
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
blindnounUS /blaɪnd/
people who have severe visual impairments, considered as a group
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
bulknounUS /bʌlk/
the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
buriedadjectiveUS /ˈberid/
placed in a grave
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
certainadjectiveUS /ˈsɜːrtən/
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
cheapadjectiveUS /tʃiːp/
relatively low in price or charging low prices
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
condemnedverbUS /kənˈdemd/
past form of “condemn” — express strong disapproval of
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
designnounUS /dɪˈzaɪn/
the act of working out the form of something (as by making a sketch or outline or plan)
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
desiresnounUS /dɪˈzaɪərz/
plural of “desire” — the feeling that accompanies an unsatisfied state
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
easilyadverbUS /ˈiːzəli/
with ease (“easy” is sometimes used informally for “easily”)
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
endeavours
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
energynounUS /ˈenərdʒi/
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
entirelyadverbUS /ɪnˈtaɪərli/
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading For the artist works entirely upon honour.
everadverbUS /ˈevər/
at any time
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
exquisiteadjectiveUS /ˈekskwəzət/
intense or sharp
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
feelsnounUS /fiːlz/
plural of “feel” — an intuitive awareness
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
finishverbUS /ˈfɪnɪʃ/
come or bring to a finish or an end
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
first-hand
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
ForprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For the artist works entirely upon honour.
grossadjectiveUS /ɡroʊs/
before any deductions
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
honournounUS /ˈɑːnər/
the state of being honored
From this reading For the artist works entirely upon honour.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
keenlyadverbUS /ˈkiːnli/
in a keen or penetrating way
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
knowsnounUS /noʊz/
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
landslipnoun
a slide of a large mass of dirt and rock down a mountain or cliff
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
likeverbUS /laɪk/
prefer or wish to do something
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
massnounUS /mæs/
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
meritnounUS /ˈmerət/
any admirable quality or attribute
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
meritsnounUS /ˈmerəts/
plural of “merit” — any admirable quality or attribute
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
minernounUS /ˈmaɪnər/
laborer who works in a mine
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
NorconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
onlyadverbUS /ˈoʊnli/
and nothing more
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
pleasurenounUS /ˈpleʒər/
a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
practicenounUS /ˈpræktəs/
a customary way of operation or behavior
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
proficiencynounUS /prəˈfɪʃənsi/
the quality of having great facility and competence
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
questnounUS /kwest/
a search for an alternative that meets cognitive criteria
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
recasts
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
recogniseverbUS /ˈrekəɡnaɪz/
show approval or appreciation of
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
refinementsnounUS /rɪˈfaɪnmənts/
plural of “refinement” — a highly developed state of perfection; having a flawless or impeccable quality
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
rejectsnounUS /rɪˈdʒekts/
plural of “reject” — the person or thing that is rejected or set aside as inferior in quality
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
revisesnounUS /rɪˈvaɪzɪz/
plural of “revise” — the act of rewriting something
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
spendverbUS /spend/
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
tempernounUS /ˈtempər/
a sudden outburst of anger
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
toilverbUS /tɔɪl/
work hard
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
trainingnounUS /ˈtreɪnɪŋ/
activity leading to skilled behavior
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading For the artist works entirely upon honour.
valuenounUS /ˈvæljuː/
a numerical quantity measured or assigned or computed
From this reading Merits of design, the merit of first-hand energy, the merit of a certain cheap accomplishment which a man of the artistic temper easily acquires—these they can recognise, and these they value.
vigorousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪɡərəs/
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
wordsnounUS /wɜːrdz/
the words that are spoken
From this reading But to those more exquisite refinements of proficiency and finish, which the artist so ardently desires and so keenly feels, for which (in the vigorous words of Balzac) he must toil “like a miner buried in a landslip,” for which, day after day, he recasts and revises and rejects—the gross mass of the public must be ever blind.
worksnounUS /wɜːrks/
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading For the artist works entirely upon honour.
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Nor will the practice of art afford you pleasure only; it affords besides an admirable training.
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading The public knows little or nothing of those merits in the quest of which you are condemned to spend the bulk of your endeavours.
