used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
(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 ‘Why, no,’ I said, ‘they are the least free of all the peoples of the earth.
AmericansnounUS /əˈmerəkənz/
plural of “american” — a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading ‘Why, no,’ I said, ‘they are the least free of all the peoples of the earth.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
a piece of furniture that provides a place to sleep
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
plural of “body” — the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
the entire physical structure of an organism (an animal, plant, or human being)
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
conformverbUS /kənˈfɔːrm/
be similar, be in line with
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
deem to be
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
power to direct or determine
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading ‘Why, no,’ I said, ‘they are the least free of all the peoples of the earth.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
plural of “foot” — the part of the leg of a human being below the ankle joint
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
fittingadjectiveUS /ˈfɪtɪŋ/
in harmony with the spirit of particular persons or occasion
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
produced by or subjected to forcing
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
grant freedom to; free from confinement
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading ‘Why, no,’ I said, ‘they are the least free of all the peoples of the earth.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading ‘Why, no,’ I said, ‘they are the least free of all the peoples of the earth.
plural of “limb” — one of the jointed appendages of an animal used for locomotion or grasping: arm; leg; wing; flipper
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
loppingverbUS /ˈlɑːpɪŋ/
inflected form of “lop” — cut off from a whole
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
mercifuladjectiveUS /ˈmɜːrsɪfəl/
showing or giving mercy
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
mouldverbUS /moʊld/
form in clay, wax, etc
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
not any; not one
From this reading ‘Why, no,’ I said, ‘they are the least free of all the peoples of the earth.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
come into possession of
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading ‘Why, no,’ I said, ‘they are the least free of all the peoples of the earth.
from a particular thing or place or position (“forth” is obsolete)
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
a judge of a probate court
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
peoplesnounUS /ˈpiːpəlz/
the human beings of a particular nation or community or ethnic group
From this reading ‘Why, no,’ I said, ‘they are the least free of all the peoples of the earth.
possession of controlling influence
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
Procrustesnoun
(Greek mythology) a mythical giant who was a thief and murderer; he would capture people and tie them to an iron bed, stretching them or hacking off their legs to make them fit; was killed by Theseus
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
rackingadjectiveUS /ˈrækɪŋ/
causing great physical or mental suffering
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
rulesnounUS /ruːlz/
plural of “rule” — a principle or condition that customarily governs behavior
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
being the one previously mentioned or spoken of
From this reading ‘Why, no,’ I said, ‘they are the least free of all the peoples of the earth.
Identical; not different.
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
seeksnounUS /siːks/
plural of “seek” — the movement of a read/write head to a specific data track on a disk
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
SocratesnounUS /ˈsɑːkrətiːz/
ancient Athenian philosopher; teacher of Plato and Xenophon (470-399 BC)
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
standardizedadjectiveUS /ˈstændərdaɪzd/
brought into conformity with a standard
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
stretchingnounUS /ˈstretʃɪŋ/
act of expanding by lengthening or widening
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
express in words
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading ‘Why, no,’ I said, ‘they are the least free of all the peoples of the earth.
the plural of “that”: the people or things further away, or already known
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
tyrantnounUS /ˈtaɪrənt/
a cruel and oppressive dictator
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
tyrantsnounUS /ˈtaɪrənts/
plural of “tyrant” — a cruel and oppressive dictator
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
underprepositionUS /ˈʌndər/
below or beneath something; less than
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
whitnounUS /wɪt/
a tiny or scarcely detectable amount
From this reading For they live under a tyrant, and one not a whit more merciful than was Procrustes.
which person or people
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For Procrustes forced all over whom he could obtain power to become standardized, fitting them to that bed of his and lopping off the feet of those that were too long, but racking and stretching the limbs of those that were too short, so that the bodies of all should conform to the same mould.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading ‘Why, no,’ I said, ‘they are the least free of all the peoples of the earth.
(comparative of “bad”) inferior to another in quality or condition or desirability
From this reading But the tyrant who rules the Americans――or all whom he can master――is worse than Procrustes, for he seeks to fashion and control not the body, as is the way of ordinary tyrants, but the soul itself.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading ‘Then tell me, Socrates, do you consider the Americans to be free?’
