used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
achievementnounUS /əˈtʃiːvmənt/
the action of accomplishing something
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
affordedverbUS /əˈfɔːrdəd/
past form of “afford” — be able to spare or give up
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
apathynounUS /ˈæpəθi/
an absence of emotion or enthusiasm
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
ardournoun
a feeling of strong eagerness (usually in favor of a person or cause)
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
createdverbUS /kriˈeɪtəd/
past form of “create” — make or cause to be or to become
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
discernedverbUS /dɪˈsɜːrnd/
past form of “discern” — detect with the senses
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
-ing form of “do” — engage in
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
the social force that binds you to the courses of action demanded by that force
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
an Indo-European language belonging to the West Germanic branch; the official language of Britain and the United States and most of the commonwealth countries
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
EnquirynounUS /ɪnˈkwaɪriː/
an instance of questioning
From this reading _Enquiry into the ...
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
FIELDINGnounUS /ˈfiːldɪŋ/
(baseball) handling the ball while playing in the field
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
Fielding's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
inactionnounUS /ˌɪˈnækʃən/
the state of being inactive
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
IncreasenounUS /ˌɪnˈkriːs/
a quantity that is added
From this reading Increase of Robbers_.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
inducementnounUS /ˌɪnˈduːsmənt/
a positive motivational influence
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
insightnounUS /ˈɪnsaɪt/
clear or deep perception of a situation
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
intellectsnounUS /ˈɪntəlekts/
plural of “intellect” — knowledge and intellectual ability
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading _Enquiry into the ...
irrepressibleadjectiveUS /ˌɪrəˈpresəbəl/
impossible to repress or control
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
United States labor leader (born in Ireland) who helped to found the Industrial Workers of the World (1830-1930)
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
the quality of being just or fair
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
used to form the superlative
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
a form of address for a man
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
not any; not one
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
novelnounUS /ˈnɑːvəl/
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Increase of Robbers_.
owesverbUS /oʊz/
third-person singular of “owe” — be obliged to pay or repay
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
penetratingadjectiveUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪŋ/
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
an amount of time
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
the original amount of a debt on which interest is calculated
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
reposeverbUS /riˈpoʊz/
put or confide something in a person or thing
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
RobbersnounUS /ˈrɒb.ərz/
Persons who steal from a person or place, especially using violence or threats.
From this reading Increase of Robbers_.
1/60 of a minute; the basic unit of time adopted under the Systeme International d'Unites
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
tireverbUS /ˈtaɪər/
lose interest or become bored with something or somebody
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
male cat
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
not known
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
precisely as stated
From this reading At no period of Fielding's short life can he be discerned as doing nothing; and, indeed, to an insight so penetrating, to an ardour so irrepressible, the England of George the Second can have afforded but very little inducement to inaction.
vigorousadjectiveUS /ˈvɪɡərəs/
characterized by forceful and energetic action or activity
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading MR JUSTICE FIELDING "The principal Duty which every Man owes is to his Country."
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading To have created the English novel were, it might seem, achievement enough to tire for a while the most vigorous of intellects; but to the author of _Tom Jones_ the apathy of repose was unknown.
