used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
a mixture of gases (especially oxygen) required for breathing; the stuff that the wind consists of
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
past form of “appear” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
arraynounUS /ərˈeɪ/
an orderly arrangement
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
averageadjectiveUS /ˈævərɪdʒ/
approximating the statistical norm or average or expected value
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
earlier than; in front of
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
inflected form of “begin” — take the first step or steps in carrying out an action
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
bosoms
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
bristlingverbUS /ˈbrɪsəlɪŋ/
-ing form of “bristle” — be in a state of movement or action
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
an occurrence of something
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
the total spent for goods or services including money and time and labor
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
countrymennounUS /ˈkʌntrimɪn/
plural of “countryman” — a man from your own country
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
createdverbUS /kriˈeɪtəd/
past form of “create” — make or cause to be or to become
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
demolishverbUS /dɪˈmɑːlɪʃ/
destroy completely
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
disperseverbUS /dɪˈspɜːrs/
distribute loosely
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
to or in any or all places
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
your basis for belief or disbelief; knowledge on which to base belief
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
foresawverbUS /ˌfɔːrˈsɔː/
inflected form of “foresee” — realize beforehand
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
hauntingadjectiveUS /ˈhɔːntɪŋ/
continually recurring to the mind
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
hugverbUS /hʌɡ/
hold (someone) tightly in your arms, usually with fondness
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
ill-concealed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
ingenuitynounUS /ˌɪndʒəˈnuːətiː/
the power of creative imagination
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
relating to or being on the side closer to the center or within a defined space
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
insurmountableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnsərˈmaʊntəbəl/
not capable of being surmounted or overcome
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
determine the result of (a competition)
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
jurynounUS /ˈdʒʊri/
a body of citizens sworn to give a true verdict according to the evidence presented in a court of law
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
having or demonstrating ability to recognize or draw fine distinctions
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
lime-light
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
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 That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
masterpiecesnounUS /ˈmæstərpiːsəz/
plural of “masterpiece” — the most outstanding work of a creative artist or craftsman
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
meltverbUS /melt/
reduce or cause to be reduced from a solid to a liquid state, usually by heating
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
not any; not one
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
obstaclesnounUS /ˈɑːbstəkəlz/
plural of “obstacle” — something immaterial that stands in the way and must be circumvented or surmounted
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
not allowed to continue to bat or run
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
paradoxnounUS /ˈperədɑːks/
(logic) a statement that contradicts itself
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
pearlsnounUS /pɜːrlz/
plural of “pearl” — a smooth lustrous round structure inside the shell of a clam or oyster; much valued as a jewel
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
a geometric element that has position but no extension
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
positivelyadverbUS /ˈpɑːzətɪvli/
extremely
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
past form of “present” — give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
with speed
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
ripenessnoun
the state of being ripe
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
get rid of
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
spunverbUS /spʌn/
inflected form of “spin” — revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
talentnounUS /ˈtælənt/
natural abilities or qualities
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
make physical contact with, come in contact with
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading In the ripeness of his talent he foresaw that it would cost him no labor to demolish the evidence, to turn it inside out.
wandnounUS /wɑːnd/
a rod used by a magician or water diviner
From this reading That array of facts which a judge and jury of his countrymen would hug to their bosoms as so many pearls they could positively hold in their hands he would disperse with a touch of his wand.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
in the company of; together with
From this reading It was with an ill-concealed joy that he shed the lime-light of paradox on each point that presented itself.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading The world is full of great masterpieces that have been created out of nothing, haunting and beautiful things which have been spun by genius out of the air.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Before the ingenuity of this keen intelligence those obstacles which were bristling everywhere in the case, which to the average mind would have appeared insurmountable, began rapidly to melt away.
