used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
adventurousadjectiveUS /ædˈventʃərəs/
willing to undertake or seeking out new and daring enterprises
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading At the present moment he stood listening as though stunned.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading At the present moment he stood listening as though stunned.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
DominicnounUS /ˈdɑːmənɪk/
(Roman Catholic Church) Spanish priest who founded an order whose members became known as Dominicans or Black Friars (circa 1170-1221)
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
EAVESDROPPINGverbUS /ˈiːvzdrɑːpɪŋ/
inflected form of “eavesdrop” — listen without the speaker's knowledge
From this reading EAVESDROPPING.
faultsnounUS /fɔːlts/
plural of “fault” — a wrong action attributable to bad judgment or ignorance or inattention
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
fearlessadjectiveUS /ˈfɪrləs/
oblivious of dangers or perils or calmly resolute in facing them
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
the cardinal number that is the sum of fourteen and one
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
past form of “guess” — expect, believe, or suppose
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
inflected form of “know” — be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading He knew quite well that he was eavesdropping.
apprehended with certainty
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
a boy or man
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
the act of hearing attentively
From this reading At the present moment he stood listening as though stunned.
mean or intend to express or convey
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
a particular point in time
From this reading At the present moment he stood listening as though stunned.
the essential qualities or characteristics by which something is recognized
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
no person; not anyone
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
outshoneverbUS /aʊtˈʃoʊn/
inflected form of “outshine” — shine brighter than
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
passionsnounUS /ˈpæʃənz/
plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
a full supply
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
influenced or controlled by a powerful force such as a strong emotion
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
give an exhibition of to an interested audience
From this reading At the present moment he stood listening as though stunned.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading He knew quite well that he was eavesdropping.
all of your experiences that determine how things appear to you
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
Maintained an upright posture.
From this reading At the present moment he stood listening as though stunned.
having strength or power greater than average or expected
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
stunnedadjectiveUS /stʌnd/
filled with the emotional impact of overwhelming surprise or shock
From this reading At the present moment he stood listening as though stunned.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading At the present moment he stood listening as though stunned.
a special situation
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
in spite of the fact that
From this reading At the present moment he stood listening as though stunned.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
consistent with fact or reality; not false
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
underhandadjective
with hand brought forward and up from below shoulder level
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
virtuesnounUS /ˈvɜːrtʃuːz/
plural of “virtue” — the quality of doing what is right and avoiding what is wrong
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He knew quite well that he was eavesdropping.
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading He knew quite well that he was eavesdropping.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
marked by extreme lack of restraint or control
From this reading It is true he had plenty of faults--for what lad has not--but his virtues outshone strong passions, and nobody in reality guessed that he possessed a wild, fearless, and adventurous nature.
a late time of life
From this reading Dominic had never in his short life of fifteen years been known to do an underhand or mean thing.
