adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
aboveprepositionUS /əˈbʌv/
higher than, or over, something
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
advantageousadjectiveUS /ˌædvənˈteɪdʒəs/
giving an advantage
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
affairnounUS /əˈfer/
a vaguely specified concern
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
agenounUS /eɪdʒ/
how long something has existed
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading Our mothers tell me, that Domingo is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
Bourdonnais
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
canmodal verbUS /kæn/
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
carryingverbUS /ˈkæriɪŋ/
-ing form of “carry” — move while supporting, either in a vehicle or in one's hands or on one's body
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
commercenounUS /ˈkɑːmərs/
transactions (sales and purchases) having the objective of supplying commodities (goods and services)
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
culturenounUS /ˈkʌltʃər/
a particular society at a particular time and place
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading Our mothers tell me, that Domingo is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day.
denounUS /diː/
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
degreenounUS /dɪˈɡriː/
a position on a scale of intensity or amount or quality
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
determinedadjectiveUS /dɪˈtɜːrmənd/
characterized by great determination
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
DomingonounUS /doʊˈmɪŋɡoʊ/
Spanish operatic tenor noted for performances in operas by Verdi and Puccini (born in 1941)
From this reading Our mothers tell me, that Domingo is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day.
engageverbUS /enˈɡeɪdʒ/
carry out or participate in an activity; be involved in
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading Our mothers tell me, that Domingo is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day.
familynounUS /ˈfæməli/
a social unit living together
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
feebleadjectiveUS /ˈfiːbəl/
pathetically lacking in force or effectiveness
From this reading Our mothers tell me, that Domingo is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day.
fiftynounUS /ˈfɪfti/
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
fortunenounUS /ˈfɔːrtʃən/
an unknown and unpredictable phenomenon that causes an event to result one way rather than another
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
gatherverbUS /ˈɡæðər/
assemble or get together
From this reading Our mothers tell me, that Domingo is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day.
goodadjectiveUS /ɡʊd/
having desirable or positive qualities especially those suitable for a thing specified
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
hundred-fold
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
IndiesnounUS /ˈɪndiz/
plural of “indie” — a pop group not affiliated with a major record company
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
Isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
lanounUS /lɑː/
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
leaveverbUS /liːv/
go away from a place
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
mentionverbUS /ˈmenʃən/
make reference to
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
MonsieurnounUS /məˈsjɜːr/
used as a French courtesy title; equivalent to English “Mr”
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
moreadjectiveUS /mɔːr/
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
mothersnounUS /ˈmʌðərz/
plural of “mother” — a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading Our mothers tell me, that Domingo is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
myselfpronounUS /ˌmaɪˈself/
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
obtainverbUS /əbˈteɪn/
come into possession of
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
oldadjectiveUS /oʊld/
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Our mothers tell me, that Domingo is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
PaulnounUS /pɔːl/
United States feminist (1885-1977)
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
permissionnounUS /pərˈmɪʃən/
approval to do something
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
precariousadjectiveUS /priˈkeriəs/
affording no ease or reassurance
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
previouslyadverbUS /ˈpriːviəsli/
at an earlier time or formerly
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
pursuitnounUS /pərˈsuːt/
the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
saidadjectiveUS /sed/
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
sensenounUS /sens/
a general conscious awareness
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
strengthnounUS /streŋkθ/
the property of being physically or mentally strong
From this reading Our mothers tell me, that Domingo is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day.
superfluities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
surprisenounUS /sərˈpraɪz/
the astonishment you feel when something totally unexpected happens to you
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
tellverbUS /tel/
express in words
From this reading Our mothers tell me, that Domingo is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Our mothers tell me, that Domingo is old and feeble; but I am young, and gather strength every day.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
thereadverbUS /ðer/
in or at that place or location
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
tookverbUS /tʊk/
inflected form of “take” — carry out
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
townnounUS /taʊn/
an urban area with a fixed boundary that is smaller than a city
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
undertakeverbUS /ˈʌndərteɪk/
enter upon an activity or enterprise
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
voyagenounUS /ˈvɔɪədʒ/
an act of traveling by water
From this reading I took upon myself to obtain permission from Monsieur de la Bourdonnais to undertake this voyage; and I determined previously to mention the affair to Paul.
wanderingadjectiveUS /ˈwɑːndərɪŋ/
migratory
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
whynounUS /waɪ/
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
wishverbUS /wɪʃ/
hope for; have a wish
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading If we wish to engage in commerce, can we not do so by carrying our superfluities to the town without my wandering to the Indies?
worldnounUS /wɜːrld/
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
yieldsnounUS /jiːldz/
plural of “yield” — production of a certain amount
From this reading Is there any commerce in the world more advantageous than the culture of the ground, which yields sometimes fifty or a hundred-fold?
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
youngadjectiveUS /jʌŋ/
(used of living things especially persons) in an early period of life or development or growth
From this reading But what was my surprise, when this young man said to me, with a degree of good sense above his age, "And why do you wish me to leave my family for this precarious pursuit of fortune?
