used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
absurditynounUS /əbˈsɜːrdəti/
a message whose content is at variance with reason
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
perform an action, or work out or perform (an action)
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
how long something has existed
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
plural of “age” — how long something has existed
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
(quantifier) used with either mass or count nouns to indicate the whole number or amount of or every one of a class
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
be present at (meetings, church services, university), etc.
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
basedadjectiveUS /beɪst/
having a base
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But the contagiousness of the plague is now doubted by many enlightened physicians.
causingnounUS /ˈkɑːzɪŋ/
the act of causing something to happen
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
citiesnounUS /ˈsɪtiz/
plural of “city” — a large and densely populated urban area; may include several independent administrative districts
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
civilizedadjectiveUS /ˈsɪvəlaɪzd/
having a high state of culture and development both social and technological
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
climaxnounUS /ˈklaɪmæks/
the highest point of anything conceived of as growing or developing or unfolding
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
commercenounUS /ˈkɑːmərs/
transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services)
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
communitynounUS /kəˈmjuːnəti/
a group of people living in a particular local area
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
contagiousadjectiveUS /kənˈteɪdʒəs/
easily diffused or spread as from one person to another
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
contagiousness
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But the contagiousness of the plague is now doubted by many enlightened physicians.
delaysnounUS /dɪˈleɪz/
plural of “delay” — time during which some action is awaited
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
diseasenounUS /dɪˈziːz/
an impairment of health or a condition of abnormal functioning
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
psychological suffering
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
doubtedverbUS /ˈdaʊtɪd/
past form of “doubt” — consider unlikely or have doubts about
From this reading But the contagiousness of the plague is now doubted by many enlightened physicians.
enactedverbUS /eˈnæktəd/
past form of “enact” — order by virtue of superior authority; decree
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
enlightenedadjectiveUS /ˌenˈlaɪtənd/
having knowledge and spiritual insight
From this reading But the contagiousness of the plague is now doubted by many enlightened physicians.
brought about or set up or accepted; especially long established
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
exceptionsnounUS /ɪkˈsepʃənz/
plural of “exception” — a deliberate act of omission
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
amounts paid for goods and services that may be currently tax deductible (as opposed to capital expenditures)
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
at a previous time
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
a healthy state of wellbeing free from disease
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
horrorsnounUS /ˈhɔːrərz/
plural of “horror” — intense and profound fear
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
the lack of knowledge or education
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
incubusnoun
a male demon believed to lie on sleeping persons and to have sexual intercourse with sleeping women
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
introductionnounUS /ˌɪntrəˈdʌkʃən/
the act of beginning something new
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the contagiousness of the plague is now doubted by many enlightened physicians.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
the first of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures comprising the first five books of the Hebrew Bible considered as a unit
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
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 But the contagiousness of the plague is now doubted by many enlightened physicians.
mercantileadjectiveUS /ˈmɜːrkəntaɪl/
of or relating to the economic system of mercantilism
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
used to form the superlative
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
nationsnounUS /ˈneɪʃənz/
plural of “nation” — a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
nobleadjectiveUS /ˈnoʊbəl/
impressive in appearance
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading But the contagiousness of the plague is now doubted by many enlightened physicians.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
offspringnounUS /ˈɔːfsprɪŋ/
the immediate descendants of a person
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
and nothing more
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
operationsnounUS /ˌɑːpərˈeɪʃənz/
financial transactions at a brokerage; having to do with the execution of trades and keeping customer records
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
physiciansnounUS /fəˈzɪʃənz/
plural of “physician” — a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading But the contagiousness of the plague is now doubted by many enlightened physicians.
PLAGUEverbUS /pleɪɡ/
cause to suffer a blight
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
preservationnounUS /ˌprezərˈveɪʃən/
the activity of protecting something from loss or danger
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
keep from happening or arising; make impossible
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
an anticipated outcome that is intended or that guides your planned actions
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
quarantinenounUS /ˈkwɔːrəntiːn/
enforced isolation of patients suffering from a contagious disease in order to prevent the spread of disease
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
not widely known; especially valued for its uncommonness
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
past form of “regard” — deem to be
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
ruinousadjectiveUS /ˈruːənəs/
extremely harmful; bringing physical or financial ruin
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
stringentadjectiveUS /ˈstrɪndʒənt/
demanding strict attention to rules and procedures
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
subserveverb
be helpful or useful
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Laws for the preservation of the health of a community have been established among civilized nations in every age.
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
undoubtedlyadverbUS /ənˈdaʊtɪdli/
without doubt; certainly
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
universallyadverbUS /ˌjuːnəˈvɜːrsəli/
everywhere
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
unnecessaryadjectiveUS /ənˈnesəseri/
not necessary
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
at the time that
From this reading And when these laws are based on reason and intelligence, they undoubtedly subserve a noble purpose.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The PLAGUE was formerly universally regarded as a contagious disease, and to prevent the horrors which attend its introduction in large cities, the most stringent laws have been enacted for ages.
in the company of; together with
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading But the quarantine laws all over the world, with some rare exceptions, being the offspring of ignorance and terror, are not only the climax of absurdity, but act as an incubus on commerce, causing ruinous delays in mercantile operations, much distress, and unnecessary expense.
