used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
accidentsnounUS /ˈæksədənts/
plural of “accident” — an unfortunate mishap; especially one causing damage or injury
From this reading A positive vocation, stimulated further by the accidents of my education, had led me to the study of physical sciences.
(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 what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
concerned with concrete problems or data rather than with fundamental principles
From this reading For several years, I had applied all I have of intelligence and energy to certain investigations in electricity.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading A positive vocation, stimulated further by the accidents of my education, had led me to the study of physical sciences.
definite but not specified or identified
From this reading For several years, I had applied all I have of intelligence and energy to certain investigations in electricity.
inflected form of “compel” — force somebody to do something
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
convertverbUS /ˈkɑːnvərt/
change from one system to another or to a new plan or policy
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
the activities of educating or instructing; activities that impart knowledge or skill
From this reading A positive vocation, stimulated further by the accidents of my education, had led me to the study of physical sciences.
electricitynounUS /ɪˌlekˈtrɪsəti/
a physical phenomenon associated with stationary or moving electrons and protons
From this reading For several years, I had applied all I have of intelligence and energy to certain investigations in electricity.
(physics) a thermodynamic quantity equivalent to the capacity of a physical system to do work; the units of energy are joules or ergs
From this reading For several years, I had applied all I have of intelligence and energy to certain investigations in electricity.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For several years, I had applied all I have of intelligence and energy to certain investigations in electricity.
foundedverbUS /ˈfaʊndɪd/
past form of “found” — set up or found
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
to or at a greater extent or degree or a more advanced stage (“further” is used more often than “farther” in this abstract sense)
From this reading A positive vocation, stimulated further by the accidents of my education, had led me to the study of physical sciences.
garretnounUS /ˈɡerɪt/
floor consisting of open space at the top of a house just below roof; often used for storage
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
depressingly dark
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
grievedverbUS /ɡriːvd/
past form of “grieve” — feel grief
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading For several years, I had applied all I have of intelligence and energy to certain investigations in electricity.
plural of “hope” — a specific instance of feeling hopeful
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
a building where travelers can pay for lodging and meals and other services
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For several years, I had applied all I have of intelligence and energy to certain investigations in electricity.
incomparableadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈkɑːmpərəbəl/
such that comparison is impossible; unsuitable for comparison or lacking features that can be compared
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
From this reading For several years, I had applied all I have of intelligence and energy to certain investigations in electricity.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
investigationsnounUS /ˌɪnvestəˈɡeɪʃənz/
plural of “investigation” — an inquiry into unfamiliar or questionable activities
From this reading For several years, I had applied all I have of intelligence and energy to certain investigations in electricity.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
the emotion of great happiness
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
laborsnounUS /ˈleɪbərz/
plural of “labor” — a social class comprising those who do manual labor or work for wages
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading A positive vocation, stimulated further by the accidents of my education, had led me to the study of physical sciences.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
characterized by grandeur
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
used to form the superlative
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
motive-power
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
pangsnounUS /pæŋz/
plural of “pang” — a sudden sharp feeling
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
passesnounUS /ˈpæsəz/
plural of “pass” — (baseball) an advance to first base by a batter who receives four balls
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
a time interval during which there is a temporary cessation of something
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
PhilosophernounUS /fəˈlɑːsəfər/
a specialist in philosophy
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
involving the body as distinguished from the mind or spirit
From this reading A positive vocation, stimulated further by the accidents of my education, had led me to the study of physical sciences.
positiveadjectiveUS /ˈpɑːzətɪv/
characterized by or displaying affirmation or acceptance or certainty etc.
From this reading A positive vocation, stimulated further by the accidents of my education, had led me to the study of physical sciences.
a person who is being chased
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
cut with a saw
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
sciencesnounUS /ˈsaɪənsəz/
plural of “science” — a particular branch of scientific knowledge
From this reading A positive vocation, stimulated further by the accidents of my education, had led me to the study of physical sciences.
(used with count nouns) of an indefinite number more than 2 or 3 but not many
From this reading For several years, I had applied all I have of intelligence and energy to certain investigations in electricity.
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
steamverbUS /stiːm/
travel by means of steam power
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
stimulatedadjectiveUS /ˈstɪmjəleɪtɪd/
emotionally aroused
From this reading A positive vocation, stimulated further by the accidents of my education, had led me to the study of physical sciences.
a detailed critical inspection
From this reading A positive vocation, stimulated further by the accidents of my education, had led me to the study of physical sciences.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
sumptuousadjectiveUS /ˈsʌmptʃwəs/
ostentatiously rich and superior in quality
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
supersedeverbUS /ˌsuːpərˈsiːd/
take the place or move into the position of
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
vocationnounUS /voʊˈkeɪʃən/
the particular occupation for which you are trained
From this reading A positive vocation, stimulated further by the accidents of my education, had led me to the study of physical sciences.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading But what grieved me most of all was that I saw myself compelled to give up the labors which had been the joy of my life, and upon which I had founded the most magnificent hopes.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Philosopher though one may be, it is not without some pangs that one passes from a sumptuous hotel to a gloomy garret.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading To convert electricity into an incomparable motive-power which would supersede steam,--such was the object I pursued without pause.
a late time of life
From this reading For several years, I had applied all I have of intelligence and energy to certain investigations in electricity.
