used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was a love that would have delighted the cynical Schopenhauer and the philosophical Darwin.
(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 She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
Andrew'snounUS /ˈændruːz/
possessive form of “andrew” — (New Testament) disciple of Jesus; brother of Peter; patron saint of Scotland
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
capacitynounUS /kəˈpæsəti/
capability to perform or produce
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
a friend who is frequently in the company of another
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
intentionally conceived
From this reading He was conscious of neither passion nor sentiment, however.
cynicaladjectiveUS /ˈsɪnɪkəl/
believing the worst of human nature and motives; having a sneering disbelief in e.g. selflessness of others
From this reading It was a love that would have delighted the cynical Schopenhauer and the philosophical Darwin.
DarwinnounUS /ˈdɑːrwɪn/
English natural scientist who formulated a theory of evolution by natural selection (1809-1882)
From this reading It was a love that would have delighted the cynical Schopenhauer and the philosophical Darwin.
greatly pleased
From this reading It was a love that would have delighted the cynical Schopenhauer and the philosophical Darwin.
envynounUS /ˈenvi/
a feeling of grudging admiration and desire to have something that is possessed by another
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
exercisedverbUS /ˈeksərsaɪzd/
past form of “exercise” — put to use
From this reading The instinct of selection had never been more spontaneously and unerringly exercised.
after an unspecified period of time or an especially long delay
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
functionsnounUS /ˈfʌŋkʃənz/
plural of “function” — (mathematics) a mathematical relation such that each element of a given set (the domain of the function) is associated with an element of another set (the range of the function)
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The instinct of selection had never been more spontaneously and unerringly exercised.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
hoveredverbUS /ˈhʌvərd/
past form of “hover” — be undecided about something; waver between conflicting positions or courses of action
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading He was conscious of neither passion nor sentiment, however.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
inborn pattern of behavior often responsive to specific stimuli
From this reading The instinct of selection had never been more spontaneously and unerringly exercised.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was a love that would have delighted the cynical Schopenhauer and the philosophical Darwin.
a strong positive emotion of regard and affection
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
held dear
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The instinct of selection had never been more spontaneously and unerringly exercised.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading He was conscious of neither passion nor sentiment, however.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading The instinct of selection had never been more spontaneously and unerringly exercised.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading He was conscious of neither passion nor sentiment, however.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The instinct of selection had never been more spontaneously and unerringly exercised.
on one occasion
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading He was conscious of neither passion nor sentiment, however.
philosophicaladjectiveUS /ˌfɪləˈsɑːfɪkəl/
of or relating to philosophy or philosophers
From this reading It was a love that would have delighted the cynical Schopenhauer and the philosophical Darwin.
the act of having and controlling property
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
showing intellectual penetration or emotional depth
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
Schopenhauernoun
German pessimist philosopher (1788-1860)
From this reading It was a love that would have delighted the cynical Schopenhauer and the philosophical Darwin.
selectionnounUS /səˈlekʃən/
the act of choosing or selecting
From this reading The instinct of selection had never been more spontaneously and unerringly exercised.
tender, romantic, or nostalgic feeling or emotion
From this reading He was conscious of neither passion nor sentiment, however.
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
spontaneouslyadverbUS /spɑːnˈteɪniəsli/
in a spontaneous manner
From this reading The instinct of selection had never been more spontaneously and unerringly exercised.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was a love that would have delighted the cynical Schopenhauer and the philosophical Darwin.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It was a love that would have delighted the cynical Schopenhauer and the philosophical Darwin.
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
unerringlyadverb
without making errors
From this reading The instinct of selection had never been more spontaneously and unerringly exercised.
precisely as stated
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
visionsnounUS /ˈvɪʒənz/
plural of “vision” — a vivid mental image
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was a love that would have delighted the cynical Schopenhauer and the philosophical Darwin.
the form of “who” used as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Andrew's capacity for love may not have been very profound, but he loved this woman at once and finally.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading She hovered in his visions as a companion at great functions--his possession whom all the world would envy.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It was a love that would have delighted the cynical Schopenhauer and the philosophical Darwin.
