Chapter III · Chapter 3

be abundant or plentiful; exist in large quantities

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

inflected form of “arise” — come into existence; take on form or shape

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

relating to or characteristic of art or artists

From this reading And certainly he never can have thought it artistic to leave inconsistencies, obscurities, or passages of bombast in his work.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

make a request or demand for something to somebody

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

the act of creating written works

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

pompous or pretentious talk or writing

From this reading And certainly he never can have thought it artistic to leave inconsistencies, obscurities, or passages of bombast in his work.

used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

showing who or what does the action

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

to be able to, or to be allowed to

From this reading And certainly he never can have thought it artistic to leave inconsistencies, obscurities, or passages of bombast in his work.

the work of providing treatment for or attending to someone or something

From this reading Most of the defects in his writings must be due to indifference or want of care.

the particular occupation for which you are trained

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

plural of “case” — an occurrence of something

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)

From this reading And certainly he never can have thought it artistic to leave inconsistencies, obscurities, or passages of bombast in his work.

plural of “characteristic” — a prominent attribute or aspect of something

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

all the people living at the same time or of approximately the same age

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

plural of “defect” — an imperfection in a bodily system

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

the state of being unsure of something

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

plural of “drama” — a dramatic work intended for performance by actors on a stage

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

owed and payable immediately or on demand

From this reading Most of the defects in his writings must be due to indifference or want of care.

past form of “err” — to make a mistake or be incorrect

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

preceding all others in time or space or degree

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

relating to or containing gnomes

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading And certainly he never can have thought it artistic to leave inconsistencies, obscurities, or passages of bombast in his work.

a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

on condition that; in the event that

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

in ignorance; in an ignorant manner

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

without delay or hesitation; with no time intervening

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

the state or an instance of being imperfect

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

plural of “inconsistency” — the relation between propositions that cannot both be true at the same time

From this reading And certainly he never can have thought it artistic to leave inconsistencies, obscurities, or passages of bombast in his work.

unbiased impartial unconcern

From this reading Most of the defects in his writings must be due to indifference or want of care.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

plural of “kind” — a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

go away from a place

From this reading And certainly he never can have thought it artistic to leave inconsistencies, obscurities, or passages of bombast in his work.

prefer or wish to do something

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

the property resulting from being or relating to the greater in number of two parts; the main part

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

used to form the superlative

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading Most of the defects in his writings must be due to indifference or want of care.

not ever; at no time in the past or future

From this reading And certainly he never can have thought it artistic to leave inconsistencies, obscurities, or passages of bombast in his work.

not any; not one

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading And certainly he never can have thought it artistic to leave inconsistencies, obscurities, or passages of bombast in his work.

discover or determine the existence, presence, or fact of

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

used to mean any person in general, including the speaker

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

plural of “passage” — the act of passing from one state or place to the next

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

detected by instinct or inference rather than by recognized perceptual cues

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

existing or coming before

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

likely but not certain to be or become true or real

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

to a degree (not used with a negative)

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

(usually preceded by “in”) a detail or point

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

possessive form of “shakespeare” — English poet and dramatist considered one of the greatest English writers (1564-1616)

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

used with I and we for the future, or to offer and suggest

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

have in common; held or experienced in common

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

for that reason; with the result that

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

not in physical motion

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

of the kind already mentioned

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

a quantity that is more than what is appropriate

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

the people or things already mentioned, as the object

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

in spite of the fact that

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about

From this reading And certainly he never can have thought it artistic to leave inconsistencies, obscurities, or passages of bombast in his work.

(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

an instance or single occasion for some event

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

not developed, mature, or fully formulated

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

except if; if not

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

not likely to be true or to occur or to have occurred

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

precisely as stated

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.

feel or have a desire for; want strongly

From this reading Most of the defects in his writings must be due to indifference or want of care.

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading They are characteristics of an art still undeveloped, and, no doubt, were not perceived to be defects.

an old word meaning “from where”

From this reading If now we ask whence defects like these arose, we shall observe that some of them are shared by the majority of Shakespeare's contemporaries, and abound in the dramas immediately preceding his time.

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading And certainly he never can have thought it artistic to leave inconsistencies, obscurities, or passages of bombast in his work.

the third of three divisions of the Hebrew Scriptures

From this reading Most of the defects in his writings must be due to indifference or want of care.

a late time of life

From this reading But though it is quite probable that in regard to one or two kinds of imperfection (such as the superabundance of 'gnomic' passages) Shakespeare himself erred thus ignorantly, it is very unlikely that in most cases he did so, unless in the first years of his career of authorship.