used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
abstractverbUS /æbˈstrækt/
consider a concept without thinking of a specific example; consider abstractly or theoretically
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
aliveadjectiveUS /əˈlaɪv/
possessing life
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
(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 He had all manner of talents and pursuits.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading He had all manner of talents and pursuits.
one or some or every or all without specification
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
calculatedadjectiveUS /ˈkælkjəleɪtɪd/
carefully thought out in advance
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
past form of “care” — feel concern or interest
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
computationnounUS /ˌkɑːmpjəˈteɪʃən/
the procedure of calculating; determining something by mathematical or logical methods
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
not accessible to view
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
a phenomenon that follows and is caused by some previous phenomenon
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
explanatoryadjectiveUS /ɪkˈsplænətɔːri/
serving or intended to explain or make clear
From this reading A strange piece of news from any part of the world found him unsurprised, explanatory.
favouring
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
being satisfactory or in satisfactory condition
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
set up or found
From this reading A strange piece of news from any part of the world found him unsurprised, explanatory.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading He had all manner of talents and pursuits.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He had all manner of talents and pursuits.
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
inventionnounUS /ˌɪnˈvenʃən/
the creation of something in the mind
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
jocoselyadverb
with humor
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
having or showing a tender and considerate and helpful nature; used especially of persons and their behavior
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
found pleasant or attractive; often used as a combining form
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
past form of “look” — perceive with attention; direct one's gaze towards
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading He had all manner of talents and pursuits.
mathematicsnounUS /ˌmæθəˈmætɪks/
a science (or group of related sciences) dealing with the logic of quantity and shape and arrangement
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
moraladjectiveUS /ˈmɔːrəl/
concerned with principles of right and wrong or conforming to standards of behavior and character based on those principles
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
mysteriesnounUS /ˈmɪstəriz/
plural of “mystery” — something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
information about recent and important events
From this reading A strange piece of news from any part of the world found him unsurprised, explanatory.
not any; not one
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading He had all manner of talents and pursuits.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
and nothing more
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
something determined in relation to something that includes it
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
a separate part of a whole
From this reading A strange piece of news from any part of the world found him unsurprised, explanatory.
concerned with actual use or practice
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
pursuitsnounUS /pərˈsuːts/
plural of “pursuit” — the act of pursuing in an effort to overtake or capture
From this reading He had all manner of talents and pursuits.
express in words
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
scopenounUS /skoʊp/
an area in which something acts or operates or has power or control: "the range of a supersonic jet"
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
past form of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading A strange piece of news from any part of the world found him unsurprised, explanatory.
talentsnounUS /ˈtælənts/
plural of “talent” — natural abilities or qualities
From this reading He had all manner of talents and pursuits.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
to-day
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading A new invention concealed no mysteries from him; he looked into it; understood, calculated its scope.
unselfishnessnoun
the quality of not putting yourself first but being willing to give your time or money or effort etc. for others
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
unsurprisedadjective
not surprised or expressing surprise
From this reading A strange piece of news from any part of the world found him unsurprised, explanatory.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
wontnounUS /woʊnt/
an established custom
From this reading He liked mathematics, and was wont to say jocosely that an abstract computation had a fine moral effect, favouring unselfishness.
everything that exists anywhere
From this reading Knowledge--the only kind of knowledge he cared for, that of practical things, things alive in the world of to-day--seemed to come to him without any effort on his part.
