adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
agenounUS /eɪdʒ/
how long something has existed
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
alwaysadverbUS /ˈɔːlweɪz/
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading Whether the Frenchwoman be called ‘perfect lady,’ or great lady, she will always be the woman among women.
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Whether the Frenchwoman be called ‘perfect lady,’ or great lady, she will always be the woman among women.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
appearverbUS /əˈpɪr/
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading We have made so much history that historians will be lacking.
beautifuladjectiveUS /ˈbjuːtəfəl/
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
calledverbUS /kɔːld/
past form of “call” — assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading Whether the Frenchwoman be called ‘perfect lady,’ or great lady, she will always be the woman among women.
certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
Comtenoun
French philosopher remembered as the founder of positivism; he also established sociology as a systematic field of study
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
denounUS /diː/
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
fineadjectiveUS /faɪn/
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
followedverbUS /ˈfɑːloʊd/
past form of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
Frenchwomannoun
a person of French nationality
From this reading Whether the Frenchwoman be called ‘perfect lady,’ or great lady, she will always be the woman among women.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
historiansnounUS /hɪˈstɔːriənz/
plural of “historian” — a person who is an authority on history and who studies it and writes about it
From this reading We have made so much history that historians will be lacking.
historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/
the aggregate of past events
From this reading We have made so much history that historians will be lacking.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
lackingadjectiveUS /ˈlækɪŋ/
inadequate in amount or degree
From this reading We have made so much history that historians will be lacking.
ladynounUS /ˈleɪdi/
a polite name for any woman
From this reading Whether the Frenchwoman be called ‘perfect lady,’ or great lady, she will always be the woman among women.
lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/
the literary culture
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
LouisnounUS /ˈluːɪs/
United States prizefighter who was world heavyweight champion for 12 years (1914-1981)
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
madamenounUS /ˈmædəm/
title used for a married Frenchwoman
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading We have made so much history that historians will be lacking.
mostadverbUS /moʊst/
used to form the superlative
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/
to a great degree or extent
From this reading We have made so much history that historians will be lacking.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
opinionnounUS /əˈpɪnjən/
a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Whether the Frenchwoman be called ‘perfect lady,’ or great lady, she will always be the woman among women.
ParisnounUS /ˈperɪs/
the capital and largest city of France; and international center of culture and commerce
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
pastnounUS /pæst/
the time that has elapsed
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
perfectadjectiveUS /pərˈfekt/
being complete of its kind and without defect or blemish
From this reading Whether the Frenchwoman be called ‘perfect lady,’ or great lady, she will always be the woman among women.
posteritynounUS /pɑːˈsterəti/
all of the offspring of a given progenitor
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
proportionsnounUS /prəˈpɔːrʃənz/
plural of “proportion” — the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
publishverbUS /ˈpʌblɪʃ/
put into print
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
Recamier
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
repliedverbUS /rɪˈplaɪd/
inflected form of “reply” — react verbally
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
shallmodal verbUS /ʃæl/
used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading We have made so much history that historians will be lacking.
Sévigné
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading We have made so much history that historians will be lacking.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
thosedeterminerUS /ðoʊz/
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
thousandnounUS /ˈθaʊzənd/
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
trulyadverbUS /ˈtruːli/
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
Vandenesse
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
WepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading We have made so much history that historians will be lacking.
WhenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
WhetherconjunctionUS /ˈweðər/
used to introduce two or more possibilities
From this reading Whether the Frenchwoman be called ‘perfect lady,’ or great lady, she will always be the woman among women.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading “When posterity shall have followed us, will not Madame Recamier appear in proportions as fine as those of the most beautiful women of the past?
womannounUS /ˈwʊmən/
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Whether the Frenchwoman be called ‘perfect lady,’ or great lady, she will always be the woman among women.
womennounUS /ˈwɪmən/
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
writeverbUS /raɪt/
produce a literary work
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
XIVnoun
the cardinal number that is the sum of thirteen and one
From this reading The age of Louis XIV. had but one Madame de Sévigné; we have a thousand now in Paris who certainly write better than she did, and who do not publish their letters.
yourdeterminerUS /jɔːr/
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading “I am quite of your opinion, madame; the women of this age are truly great,” replied the Comte de Vandenesse.
