adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading What do we, as a nation, care about books?
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading What do we, as a nation, care about books?
altogetheradverbUS /ˌɔːltəˈɡeðər/
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
anyadjectiveUS /ˈeni/
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading What do we, as a nation, care about books?
bibliomaniac
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If a man spends lavishly on his library, you call him mad—a bibliomaniac.
booksnounUS /bʊks/
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading What do we, as a nation, care about books?
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
callverbUS /kɔːl/
assign a specified (usually proper) proper name to
From this reading If a man spends lavishly on his library, you call him mad—a bibliomaniac.
carenounUS /ker/
the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something
From this reading What do we, as a nation, care about books?
comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
daynounUS /deɪ/
time for Earth to make a complete rotation on its axis
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
despisedadjectiveUS /dɪˈspaɪzd/
treated with dislike or contempt
From this reading (I.) I say first we have despised literature.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading What do we, as a nation, care about books?
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading (I.) I say first we have despised literature.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading (I.) I say first we have despised literature.
hearverbUS /hiːr/
perceive (sound) via the auditory sense
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading If a man spends lavishly on his library, you call him mad—a bibliomaniac.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading If a man spends lavishly on his library, you call him mad—a bibliomaniac.
horsemaniac
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
horsesnounUS /ˈhɔːrsəz/
plural of “horse” — solid-hoofed herbivorous quadruped domesticated since prehistoric times
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading (I.) I say first we have despised literature.
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If a man spends lavishly on his library, you call him mad—a bibliomaniac.
lavishlyadverbUS /ˈlævɪʃli/
in a wasteful manner
From this reading If a man spends lavishly on his library, you call him mad—a bibliomaniac.
librariesnounUS /ˈlaɪbreriːz/
plural of “library” — a room where books are kept
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
librarynounUS /ˈlaɪbreriː/
a room where books are kept
From this reading If a man spends lavishly on his library, you call him mad—a bibliomaniac.
literaturenounUS /ˈlɪtərətʃər/
creative writing of recognized artistic value
From this reading (I.) I say first we have despised literature.
madadjectiveUS /mæd/
roused to anger
From this reading If a man spends lavishly on his library, you call him mad—a bibliomaniac.
mannounUS /mæn/
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading If a man spends lavishly on his library, you call him mad—a bibliomaniac.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/
to a great degree or extent
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
nationnounUS /ˈneɪʃən/
a politically organized body of people under a single government
From this reading What do we, as a nation, care about books?
neveradverbUS /ˈnevər/
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
peoplenounUS /ˈpiːpəl/
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
privateadjectiveUS /ˈpraɪvət/
confined to particular persons or groups or providing privacy
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
publicnounUS /ˈpʌblɪk/
people in general considered as a whole
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
ruinnounUS /ˈruːən/
an irrecoverable state of devastation and destruction
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
ruiningnounUS /ˈruːɪnɪŋ/
destruction achieved by causing something to be wrecked or ruined
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
sayverbUS /seɪ/
express in words
From this reading (I.) I say first we have despised literature.
spendverbUS /spend/
use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
spendsverbUS /spendz/
third-person singular of “spend” — use up a period of time in a specific way
From this reading If a man spends lavishly on his library, you call him mad—a bibliomaniac.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
themselvespronounUS /ðemˈselvz/
used when the people doing the action are also its object
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
thinkverbUS /θɪŋk/
judge or regard; look upon; judge
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading But you never call any one a horsemaniac, though men ruin themselves every day by their horses, and you do not hear of people ruining themselves by their books.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading (I.) I say first we have despised literature.
WhatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading What do we, as a nation, care about books?
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
youpronounUS /juː/
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading How much do you think we spend altogether on our libraries, public or private, as compared with what we spend on our horses?
