1812
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Weimar, December 3, 1812.
3
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Weimar, December 3, 1812.
35
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
aloneadjectiveUS /əˈloʊn/
Having no one else present.
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
befallenverbUS /bəˈfɑːlən/
inflected form of “befall” — become of; happen to
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
being of the achromatic color of maximum darkness; having little or no hue owing to absorption of almost all incident light
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
of a stringed instrument; sounded by stroking with a bow
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
showing who or what does the action
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story)
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
compactnounUS /ˈkɑːmpækt/
a small cosmetics case with a mirror; to be carried in a woman's purse
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
a quality of spirit that enables you to face danger or pain without showing fear
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
the event of dying or departure from life
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
DecembernounUS /dɪˈsembər/
the last (12th) month of the year
From this reading Weimar, December 3, 1812.
a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it
From this reading Of the deed or the misdeed itself, I know of nothing to say.
depressedadjectiveUS /dɪˈprest/
lower than previously
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
foundationnounUS /faʊnˈdeɪʃən/
the basis on which something is grounded
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
coins made of gold
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
How
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
in truth (often tends to intensify)
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Of the deed or the misdeed itself, I know of nothing to say.
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading Of the deed or the misdeed itself, I know of nothing to say.
a written message addressed to a person or organization
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
the location of something surrounded by other things
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
misdeednounUS /ˈmɪsˈdiːd/
improper or wicked or immoral behavior
From this reading Of the deed or the misdeed itself, I know of nothing to say.
unnecessary and unforeseen trouble resulting from an unfortunate event
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
to a great degree or extent
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
not one thing; not anything
From this reading Of the deed or the misdeed itself, I know of nothing to say.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Of the deed or the misdeed itself, I know of nothing to say.
owingadjectiveUS /ˈoʊɪŋ/
owed as a debt
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
pluckverbUS /plʌk/
pull or pull out sharply
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
established beyond doubt
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
free of extraneous elements of any kind
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
past form of “reach” — reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
refinedadjectiveUS /rəˈfaɪnd/
(used of persons and their behavior) cultivated and genteel
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
reflectionsnounUS /rɪˈflekʃənz/
plural of “reflection” — a calm, lengthy, intent consideration
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
restsnounUS /rests/
plural of “rest” — something left after other parts have been taken away
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
express in words
From this reading Of the deed or the misdeed itself, I know of nothing to say.
concerned with work or important matters rather than play or trivialities
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
talentnounUS /ˈtælənt/
natural abilities or qualities
From this reading How beautiful is a character when it is so compact of mind and soul, and how beautiful must be a talent that rests on such a foundation.
disclosing unintentionally something concealed
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
touchstonenounUS /ˈtʌtʃstoʊn/
a basis for comparison; a reference point against which other things can be evaluated
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
tested and proved useful or correct
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
being or moving higher in position or greater in some value; being above a former position or level
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
precisely as stated
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
WeimarnounUS /ˈvaɪmɑːr/
a German city near Leipzig; scene of the adoption in 1919 of the constitution of the Weimar Republic that lasted until 1933
From this reading Weimar, December 3, 1812.
at the time that
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
belonging to the person or people being spoken to
From this reading Your letter telling me of the great misfortune which has befallen your house,[35] depressed me very much, indeed quite bowed me down; for it reached me in the midst of very serious reflections on life, and it is owing to you alone that I have been able to pluck up courage.
used when the person spoken to is also the object of the action
From this reading You have proved yourself to be pure refined gold when tried by the black touchstone of death.
