used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
advancesnounUS /ədˈvænsəz/
plural of “advance” — a movement forward
From this reading But as for their women, the wives and daughters of the distinguished, he had shrunk perceptibly from their advances.
amongprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋ/
surrounded by; in the middle of a group
From this reading Men had penetrated it, among them one or two distinguished in his own profession.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But as for their women, the wives and daughters of the distinguished, he had shrunk perceptibly from their advances.
combinedadjectiveUS /kəmˈbaɪnd/
made or joined or united into one
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
condemnedverbUS /kənˈdemd/
past form of “condemn” — express strong disapproval of
From this reading He condemned their manner as a shade too patronizing to his proud obscurity.
a living organism characterized by voluntary movement
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
plural of “daughter” — a female human offspring
From this reading But as for their women, the wives and daughters of the distinguished, he had shrunk perceptibly from their advances.
(used of persons) standing above others in character or attainment or reputation
From this reading Men had penetrated it, among them one or two distinguished in his own profession.
come upon, as if by accident; meet with
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
the cardinal number that is the sum of four and one
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading But as for their women, the wives and daughters of the distinguished, he had shrunk perceptibly from their advances.
someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
half-savage
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
cause to continue in a certain state, position, or activity; e.g., “keep clean”
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He condemned their manner as a shade too patronizing to his proud obscurity.
the force of workers available
From this reading Men had penetrated it, among them one or two distinguished in his own profession.
obscuritynounUS /əbsˈkjʊrəti/
the quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand
From this reading He condemned their manner as a shade too patronizing to his proud obscurity.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But as for their women, the wives and daughters of the distinguished, he had shrunk perceptibly from their advances.
used to mean any person in general, including the speaker
From this reading Men had penetrated it, among them one or two distinguished in his own profession.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Men had penetrated it, among them one or two distinguished in his own profession.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading Men had penetrated it, among them one or two distinguished in his own profession.
patronizingadjectiveUS /ˈpeɪtrənaɪzɪŋ/
(used of behavior or attitude) characteristic of those who treat others with condescension
From this reading He condemned their manner as a shade too patronizing to his proud obscurity.
penetratedverbUS /ˈpenətreɪtɪd/
past form of “penetrate” — pass into or through, often by overcoming resistance
From this reading Men had penetrated it, among them one or two distinguished in his own profession.
perceptiblyadverb
in a noticeable manner
From this reading But as for their women, the wives and daughters of the distinguished, he had shrunk perceptibly from their advances.
the state of having little or no money and few or no material possessions
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
the body of people in a learned occupation
From this reading Men had penetrated it, among them one or two distinguished in his own profession.
feeling self-respect or pleasure in something by which you measure your self-worth; or being a reason for pride
From this reading He condemned their manner as a shade too patronizing to his proud obscurity.
Identical; not different.
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
relative darkness caused by light rays being intercepted by an opaque body
From this reading He condemned their manner as a shade too patronizing to his proud obscurity.
shrunkverbUS /ʃrʌŋk/
inflected form of “shrink” — wither, as with a loss of moisture
From this reading But as for their women, the wives and daughters of the distinguished, he had shrunk perceptibly from their advances.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
a state of social isolation
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
subtleadjectiveUS /ˈsʌtəl/
difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
temperamentnounUS /ˈtemprəmənt/
your usual mood
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading But as for their women, the wives and daughters of the distinguished, he had shrunk perceptibly from their advances.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Men had penetrated it, among them one or two distinguished in his own profession.
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He condemned their manner as a shade too patronizing to his proud obscurity.
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading Men had penetrated it, among them one or two distinguished in his own profession.
unsophisticatedadjectiveUS /ˌʌnsəˈfɪstɪkeɪtɪd/
not wise in the ways of the world
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
virginnounUS /ˈvɜːrdʒɪn/
a person who has never had sex
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
plural of “wife” — a married woman; a man's partner in marriage
From this reading But as for their women, the wives and daughters of the distinguished, he had shrunk perceptibly from their advances.
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading But as for their women, the wives and daughters of the distinguished, he had shrunk perceptibly from their advances.
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would have been hard to find a creature so subtle and at the same time so unsophisticated as he.
a late time of life
From this reading For five years his genius, his temperament and his poverty had combined to keep him in a half-savage virgin solitude.
