used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
acknowledgeverbUS /ækˈnɑːlɪdʒ/
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading I am, indeed, in private duty bound to acknowledge Sir Christopher's goodness to me and to mine.
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Is it not wonderful that there are among us so many good Christians, but so few good men?
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
marked by assurance; exhibiting confidence
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
confined by bonds
From this reading I am, indeed, in private duty bound to acknowledge Sir Christopher's goodness to me and to mine.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
cannot
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
ChristiansnounUS /ˈkrɪstʃənz/
plural of “christian” — a religious person who believes Jesus is the Christ and who is a member of a Christian denomination
From this reading Is it not wonderful that there are among us so many good Christians, but so few good men?
CHRISTOPHERnounUS /ˈkrɪstəfər/
Christian martyr and patron saint of travellers (3rd century)
From this reading SIR CHRISTOPHER.
Christopher'snounUS /ˈkrɪstəfərz/
possessive form of “christopher” — Christian martyr and patron saint of travellers (3rd century)
From this reading I am, indeed, in private duty bound to acknowledge Sir Christopher's goodness to me and to mine.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
deserveverbUS /dɪˈzɜːrv/
be worthy or deserving
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading I am, indeed, in private duty bound to acknowledge Sir Christopher's goodness to me and to mine.
either extremity of something that has length
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
fainadjectiveUS /feɪn/
having made preparations
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “a”; a small but indefinite number
From this reading Is it not wonderful that there are among us so many good Christians, but so few good men?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
set up or found
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
the supernatural being conceived as the perfect and omnipotent and omniscient originator and ruler of the universe; the object of worship in monotheistic religions
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
that which is pleasing or valuable or useful
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading I am, indeed, in private duty bound to acknowledge Sir Christopher's goodness to me and to mine.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading I am, indeed, in private duty bound to acknowledge Sir Christopher's goodness to me and to mine.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Is it not wonderful that there are among us so many good Christians, but so few good men?
the quality of being just or fair
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Is it not wonderful that there are among us so many good Christians, but so few good men?
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading I am, indeed, in private duty bound to acknowledge Sir Christopher's goodness to me and to mine.
the force of workers available
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
leniency and compassion shown toward offenders by a person or agency charged with administering justice
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
being nothing more than specified
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
meritsnounUS /ˈmerəts/
plural of “merit” — any admirable quality or attribute
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
the one or ones belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I am, indeed, in private duty bound to acknowledge Sir Christopher's goodness to me and to mine.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Is it not wonderful that there are among us so many good Christians, but so few good men?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
a writing implement with a point from which ink flows
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading I am, indeed, in private duty bound to acknowledge Sir Christopher's goodness to me and to mine.
ragsnounUS /ræɡz/
plural of “rag” — a small piece of cloth or paper
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
remembrancenounUS /riˈmembrəns/
the ability to recall past occurrences
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
salvationnounUS /sælˈveɪʃən/
(theology) the act of delivering from sin or saving from evil
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
term of address for a man
From this reading SIR CHRISTOPHER.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
in or at that place or location
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
undeservedadjectiveUS /ˌʌndɪˈzɜːrvd/
not deserved or earned
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
unsurpassedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnsərˈpæst/
not capable of being improved on
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Is it not wonderful that there are among us so many good Christians, but so few good men?
Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
weepverbUS /wiːp/
shed tears because of sadness, rage, or pain
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
at the time that
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
belonging to which person
From this reading At the mere remembrance of Sir Christopher, I am fain to lay down my pen and to weep, as for one whose goodness was unsurpassed, and whose end was undeserved.
extraordinarily good or great; used especially as intensifiers
From this reading Is it not wonderful that there are among us so many good Christians, but so few good men?
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading Good works, I know, are rags, and men cannot deserve the mercy of God by any merits of their own; but a good man--a man whose heart is full of justice, mercy, virtue, and truth--is so rare a creature, that when there is found such a one, his salvation seems assured.
