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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Our cardinal was a widower for some weeks longer.
account
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only on this theory can I account for his conduct.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Did he want to encourage them to become self-reliant and useful?
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
become
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From this reading Did he want to encourage them to become self-reliant and useful?
Canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
cardinal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our cardinal was a widower for some weeks longer.
Cardinal's
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From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
children
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
compel
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From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
conduct
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only on this theory can I account for his conduct.
crueladjectiveUS /ˈkruːəl/
causing pain or showing no kindness
From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
dainties
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
Didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Did he want to encourage them to become self-reliant and useful?
encourage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Did he want to encourage them to become self-reliant and useful?
Father
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From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
food
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Only on this theory can I account for his conduct.
furnished
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Only on this theory can I account for his conduct.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
longer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our cardinal was a widower for some weeks longer.
motherless
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
natural
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
Only
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only on this theory can I account for his conduct.
OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our cardinal was a widower for some weeks longer.
persecution
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
rather
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From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
say
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
seek
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
seemed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
self-reliant
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Did he want to encourage them to become self-reliant and useful?
some
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From this reading Our cardinal was a widower for some weeks longer.
subsist
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From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Did he want to encourage them to become self-reliant and useful?
theory
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Only on this theory can I account for his conduct.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Only on this theory can I account for his conduct.
thus
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
tried
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
unnatural
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Father Cardinal’s persecution of his motherless children seemed unnatural, not to say cruel.
useful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Did he want to encourage them to become self-reliant and useful?
want
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Did he want to encourage them to become self-reliant and useful?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Our cardinal was a widower for some weeks longer.
weeks
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our cardinal was a widower for some weeks longer.
widower
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our cardinal was a widower for some weeks longer.
young
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Can it be that he tried thus to compel his young to seek their natural food, rather than to subsist on dainties furnished?
