used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
in addition
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
artificialitynoun
the quality of being produced by people and not occurring naturally
From this reading It leads to paint and putty--to artificiality.
a person whose creative work shows sensitivity and imagination
From this reading If a thing is beautiful, well and good; but I do not believe in an artist using literary varnish in writing of sordid things.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading If a thing is beautiful, well and good; but I do not believe in an artist using literary varnish in writing of sordid things.
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading He can discover the beauty in sordid lives not by varnishing them, but by sympathetic interpretation of them."
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
chordnounUS /kɔːrd/
a straight line connecting two points on a curve
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of
From this reading He can discover the beauty in sordid lives not by varnishing them, but by sympathetic interpretation of them."
diseasenounUS /dɪˈziːz/
an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
dissentnounUS /dɪˈsent/
(law) the difference of one judge's opinion from that of the majority
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading If a thing is beautiful, well and good; but I do not believe in an artist using literary varnish in writing of sordid things.
fearlessadjectiveUS /ˈfɪrləs/
oblivious of dangers or perils or calmly resolute in facing them
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
foremostadjectiveUS /ˈfɔːrmoʊst/
ranking above all others
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
only a very short time before
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If a thing is beautiful, well and good; but I do not believe in an artist using literary varnish in writing of sordid things.
illustrateverbUS /ˈɪləstreɪt/
clarify by giving an example of
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
impressionistnounUS /ˌɪmˈpreʃənəst/
a painter who follows the theories of Impressionism
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
interpretationnounUS /ˌɪntɜːrprɪˈteɪʃən/
a mental representation of the meaning or significance of something
From this reading He can discover the beauty in sordid lives not by varnishing them, but by sympathetic interpretation of them."
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It leads to paint and putty--to artificiality.
leadsnounUS /liːdz/
plural of “lead” — an advantage held by a competitor in a race
From this reading It leads to paint and putty--to artificiality.
of or relating to or characteristic of literature
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
creative writing of recognized artistic value
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
plural of “life” — a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading He can discover the beauty in sordid lives not by varnishing them, but by sympathetic interpretation of them."
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
novelistsnounUS /ˈnɑːvələsts/
plural of “novelist” — one who writes novels
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
occupiesverbUS /ˈɑːkjəpaɪz/
third-person singular of “occupy” — keep busy with
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
on one occasion
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
and nothing more
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
paintverbUS /peɪnt/
make a painting
From this reading It leads to paint and putty--to artificiality.
a point located with respect to surface features of some region
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
puttynounUS /ˈpʌti/
a dough-like mixture of whiting and boiled linseed oil; used especially to patch woodwork or secure panes of glass
From this reading It leads to paint and putty--to artificiality.
resonantadjectiveUS /ˈrezənənt/
characterized by resonance
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
sordidadjectiveUS /ˈsɔːrdəd/
morally degraded
From this reading If a thing is beautiful, well and good; but I do not believe in an artist using literary varnish in writing of sordid things.
past form of “sound” — appear in a certain way
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
sympatheticadjectiveUS /ˌsɪmpəˈθetɪk/
of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system
From this reading He can discover the beauty in sordid lives not by varnishing them, but by sympathetic interpretation of them."
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading He can discover the beauty in sordid lives not by varnishing them, but by sympathetic interpretation of them."
in or at that place or location
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
a special situation
From this reading If a thing is beautiful, well and good; but I do not believe in an artist using literary varnish in writing of sordid things.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading If a thing is beautiful, well and good; but I do not believe in an artist using literary varnish in writing of sordid things.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
unchangeableadjective
not changeable or subject to change
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
uniqueadjectiveUS /juːˈniːk/
radically distinctive and without equal
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
an act that exploits or victimizes someone (treats them unfairly)
From this reading If a thing is beautiful, well and good; but I do not believe in an artist using literary varnish in writing of sordid things.
varnishnounUS /ˈvɑːrnɪʃ/
a coating that provides a hard, lustrous, transparent finish to a surface
From this reading If a thing is beautiful, well and good; but I do not believe in an artist using literary varnish in writing of sordid things.
varnishing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He can discover the beauty in sordid lives not by varnishing them, but by sympathetic interpretation of them."
vibrantadjectiveUS /ˈvaɪbrənt/
vigorous and animated
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading If a thing is beautiful, well and good; but I do not believe in an artist using literary varnish in writing of sordid things.
relating to or characteristic of the western parts of the world or the West as opposed to the eastern or oriental parts
From this reading There might be some dissent from the opinion that he is the foremost of our Western novelists; but there can hardly be any dissent from the opinion that he occupies an unique place in American literature, for not only has he sounded a new, vibrant, resonant chord in our literature, but he also has been our one fearless and unchangeable literary impressionist.
exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity
From this reading "I believe," he said once, to illustrate his rule of work, "that the beauty disease has been the ruin of much good literature.
the act of creating written works
From this reading If a thing is beautiful, well and good; but I do not believe in an artist using literary varnish in writing of sordid things.
