adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
acquaintedadjectiveUS /əˈkweɪntɪd/
having fair knowledge of
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
adorationnounUS /ˌædərˈeɪʃən/
a feeling of profound love and admiration
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
afternoonnounUS /ˌæftərˈnuːn/
the part of the day between noon and evening
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
alnounUS /æl/
a silvery ductile metallic element found primarily in bauxite
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
aptadjectiveUS /æpt/
(usually followed by “to”) naturally disposed toward
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
beautynounUS /ˈbjuːti/
the qualities that give pleasure to the senses
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
believeverbUS /bɪˈliːv/
accept as true; take to be true
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
betteradjectiveUS /ˈbetər/
(comparative of “good”) superior to another (of the same class or set or kind) in excellence or quality or desirability or suitability; more highly skilled than another
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
CalderonnounUS /ˈkɔːldərɑːn/
Spanish poet and dramatist considered one of the great Spanish writers (1600-1681)
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
cantava
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
Che
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
Commedia
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
crampedadjectiveUS /kræmpt/
constricted in size
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
DamnadjectiveUS /dæm/
used as expletives
From this reading “Damn!” he said, and no more.
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
despairnounUS /dɪˈsper/
a state in which all hope is lost or absent
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
dismago
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
Divina
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
dolceadverbUS /ˈdoʊltʃeɪ/
gently and sweetly
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
droppedverbUS /drɑːpt/
inflected form of “drop” — let fall to the ground
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
findverbUS /faɪnd/
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
FrenchnounUS /frentʃ/
the Romance language spoken in France and in countries colonized by France
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
ineffableadjectiveUS /ˌɪˈnefəbəl/
defying expression or description
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
instantlyadverbUS /ˈɪnstəntli/
without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
IonounUS /ˈaɪoʊ/
(Greek mythology) a maiden seduced by Zeus; when Hera was about to discover them together Zeus turned her into a white heifer
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
knewverbUS /nuː/
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
liberatedadjectiveUS /ˈlɪbɜːreɪtɪd/
(of a gas e.g.) released from chemical combination
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
literatures
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
magnanimouslyadverb
in a magnanimous manner
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
marverbUS /mɑːr/
make imperfect
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
marinai
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
matchlessadjective
eminent beyond or above comparison
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
mezzonounUS /ˈmezoʊ/
a soprano with a voice between soprano and contralto
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading “Damn!” he said, and no more.
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/
to a great degree or extent
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
musicnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
nodeterminerUS /noʊ/
not any; not one
From this reading “Damn!” he said, and no more.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
OnepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
passagesnounUS /ˈpæsədʒəz/
plural of “passage” — the act of passing from one state or place to the next
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
playsnounUS /pleɪz/
plural of “play” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
poeta
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
poetsnounUS /ˈpoʊəts/
plural of “poet” — a writer of poems (the term is usually reserved for writers of good poetry)
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
proposedverbUS /prəˈpoʊzd/
past form of “propose” — make a proposal, declare a plan for something
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
quotingverbUS /ˈkwoʊtɪŋ/
-ing form of “quote” — repeat a passage from
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
rapturenounUS /ˈræptʃər/
a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
readingnounUS /ˈriːdɪŋ/
the cognitive process of understanding a written linguistic message
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading “Damn!” he said, and no more.
sensenounUS /sens/
a general conscious awareness
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
Sirena
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
somma
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
sonnounUS /sʌn/
a male human offspring
From this reading One day I came in quoting “Io son, cantava, io son dolce Sirena, Che i marinai in mezzo al mar dismago.”
soulnounUS /soʊl/
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
staredverbUS /sterd/
past form of “stare” — look at with fixed eyes
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
studynounUS /ˈstʌdi/
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
supposedadjectiveUS /səˈpoʊzd/
required or under orders
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
thenadverbUS /ðen/
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
utteredadjectiveUS /ˈʌtərd/
communicated in words
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
versenounUS /vɜːrs/
literature in metrical form
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
vistasnounUS /ˈvɪstəz/
plural of “vista” — the visual percept of a region
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
walknounUS /wɔːk/
the act of traveling by foot
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
wallsnounUS /wɔːlz/
plural of “wall” — an architectural partition with a height and length greater than its thickness; used to divide or enclose an area or to support another structure
From this reading I believe he instantly proposed a walk that day, as if his study walls with all their vistas into the great literatures cramped his soul liberated to a sense of ineffable beauty of the verse of the ‘somma poeta’.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading If I dropped in upon him in the afternoon I was apt to find him reading the old French poets, or the plays of Calderon, or the ‘Divina Commedia’, which he magnanimously supposed me much better acquainted with than I was because I knew some passages of it by heart.
wordnounUS /wɜːrd/
a unit of language that native speakers can identify
From this reading He stared at me in a rapture with the matchless music, and then uttered all his adoration and despair in one word.
