Every word is available to listen to. Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
absurdly
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From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
Age
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From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
anothernounUS /ˈanother/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
army
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From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
better
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From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
brows
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From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
comenounUS /come/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
Community
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From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
comparing
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From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
deeply
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From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
dimmed
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From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
discovered
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From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
disgustnounUS /dɪsˈɡʌst/
a strong feeling of dislike or sickness caused by something unpleasant
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
enterprise
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From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
experience
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From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
eyes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
faces
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From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
faith
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From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
fluid
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From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
gone
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From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
growing
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
habits
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From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
hair
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From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
idea
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From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
InprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
incrusted
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From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
individuals
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From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
interval
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From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
itsdeterminerUS /ɪts/
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
lamplight
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
layer
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
like
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From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
lined
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From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
lose
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From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
martyrs
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
minds
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
mostly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
norconjunctionUS /nɔːr/
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
number
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
often
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
old
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
OnprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
onepronounUS /wʌn/
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
ordinary
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From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
ourdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
out
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From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
overprepositionUS /ˈoʊvər/
above and across; more than
From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
place
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
possibilities
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
prematurely
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From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
pursuits
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
recruits
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
require
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From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
retaining
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From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
saints
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
seclusion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
seldom
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
showed
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
silent
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
silver
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
sombre
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
spectacles
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
stony
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
strongly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
student's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
suffered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
sympathy
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
there
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
TheypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
Thoughtful
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
thread
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
throughnounUS /ˈthrough/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
timenounUS /time/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading In the interval of my seclusion, there had been a number of recruits to our little army of saints and martyrs.
unknown
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
unlessconjunctionUS /ənˈles/
except if; if not
From this reading Thoughtful, strongly lined faces were among them; sombre brows, but eyes that did not require spectacles, unless prematurely dimmed by the student's lamplight, and hair that seldom showed a thread of silver.
up
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
wedded
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading Age, wedded to the past, incrusted over with a stony layer of habits, and retaining nothing fluid in its possibilities, would have been absurdly out of place in an enterprise like this.
years
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading On comparing their minds one with another they often discovered that this idea of a Community had been growing up, in silent and unknown sympathy, for years.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading They were mostly individuals who had gone through such an experience as to disgust them with ordinary pursuits, but who were not yet so old, nor had suffered so deeply, as to lose their faith in the better time to come.