adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
alladjectiveUS /ɔːl/
(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 And the books have gone the way of all the earth.
AmericannounUS /əˈmerəkən/
a native or inhabitant of the United States
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
authornounUS /ˈɔːθər/
writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
becomesverbUS /bɪˈkʌmz/
third-person singular of “become” — enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
boarding-schools
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
booknounUS /bʊk/
a written work or composition that has been published (printed on pages bound together)
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
booksnounUS /bʊks/
Bound written or printed works.
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
CharlesnounUS /tʃɑːrlz/
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
classicnounUS /ˈklæsɪk/
a creation of the highest excellence
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
comparedverbUS /kəmˈperd/
past form of “compare” — examine and note the similarities or differences of
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
conditionsnounUS /kənˈdɪʃənz/
the prevailing context that influences the performance or the outcome of a process
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
Copperfield
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
DavidnounUS /ˈdeɪvɪd/
patron saint of Wales (circa 520-600)
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
dealverbUS /diːl/
act on verbally or in some form of artistic expression
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
dealsnounUS /diːlz/
plural of “deal” — a particular instance of buying or selling
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
DickensnounUS /ˈdɪkənz/
a word used in exclamations of confusion
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
dozennounUS /ˈdʌzən/
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
eachdeterminerUS /iːtʃ/
every one of two or more people or things, taken separately
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
earthnounUS /ɜːrθ/
the 3rd planet from the sun; the planet we live on
From this reading And the books have gone the way of all the earth.
EliotnounUS /ˈeliət/
British poet (born in the United States) who won the Nobel prize for literature; his plays are outstanding examples of modern verse drama (1888-1965)
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
EnglandnounUS /ˈɪŋɡlənd/
a division of the United Kingdom
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
familiaradjectiveUS /fəˈmɪljər/
well known or easily recognized
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
formnounUS /fɔːrm/
the phonological or orthographic sound or appearance of a word that can be used to describe or identify something
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
GeorgenounUS /dʒɔːrdʒ/
Christian martyr; patron saint of England; hero of the legend of Saint George and the Dragon in which he slew a dragon and saved a princess (?-303)
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
goneadjectiveUS /ɡɔːn/
destroyed or killed
From this reading And the books have gone the way of all the earth.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
hailedverbUS /heɪld/
past form of “hail” — praise vociferously
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
ideasnounUS /aɪˈdiːəz/
plural of “idea” — the content of cognition; the main thing you are thinking about
From this reading With most the trouble is lack of real ideas.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
involvedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈvɑːlvd/
connected by participation or association or use
From this reading With some, the trouble is a weak, involved, or otherwise poor style.
involvingverbUS /ˌɪnˈvɑːlvɪŋ/
-ing form of “involve” — connect closely and often incriminatingly
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading With some, the trouble is a weak, involved, or otherwise poor style.
lacknounUS /læk/
the state of needing something that is absent or unavailable
From this reading With most the trouble is lack of real ideas.
lastadjectiveUS /læst/
immediately past
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
liveverbUS /laɪv/
be an inhabitant of or reside in
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
localadjectiveUS /ˈloʊkəl/
relating to or applicable to or concerned with the administration of a city or town or district rather than a larger area
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
ManyadjectiveUS /ˈmeni/
a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
mostadverbUS /moʊst/
used to form the superlative
From this reading With most the trouble is lack of real ideas.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
novelnounUS /ˈnɑːvəl/
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
novelsnounUS /ˈnɑːvəlz/
plural of “novel” — an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
OlivernounUS /ˈɑːləvər/
United States jazz musician who influenced the style of Louis Armstrong (1885-1938)
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading With some, the trouble is a weak, involved, or otherwise poor style.
otherwiseadverbUS /ˈʌðərwaɪz/
in other respects or ways
From this reading With some, the trouble is a weak, involved, or otherwise poor style.
pooradjectiveUS /puːr/
deserving or inciting pity
From this reading With some, the trouble is a weak, involved, or otherwise poor style.
principlenounUS /ˈprɪnsəpəl/
a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
realadjectiveUS /riːl/
being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verified existence; not illusory
From this reading With most the trouble is lack of real ideas.
recurverbUS /rɪˈkɜːr/
happen or occur again
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
relationnounUS /riˈleɪʃən/
an abstraction belonging to or characteristic of two entities or parts together
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
seenverbUS /siːn/
inflected form of “see” — perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
societynounUS /səˈsaɪəti/
an extended social group having a distinctive cultural and economic organization
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
someadjectiveUS /sʌm/
(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity
From this reading With some, the trouble is a weak, involved, or otherwise poor style.
stylenounUS /staɪl/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading With some, the trouble is a weak, involved, or otherwise poor style.
sureadjectiveUS /ʃʊr/
having or feeling no doubt or uncertainty; confident and assured
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
ThackeraynounUS /ˈθækəri/
English writer (born in India) (1811-1863)
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
timenounUS /taɪm/
an instance or single occasion for some event
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
troublenounUS /ˈtrʌbəl/
a source of difficulty
From this reading With some, the trouble is a weak, involved, or otherwise poor style.
TwistverbUS /twɪst/
to move in a twisting or contorted motion, (especially when struggling)
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading And the books have gone the way of all the earth.
weakadjectiveUS /wiːk/
wanting in physical strength
From this reading With some, the trouble is a weak, involved, or otherwise poor style.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to live, each of them the great American novel at last, the author to be compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot.
youthnounUS /juːθ/
a young person (especially a young man or boy)
From this reading Charles Dickens, to be sure, does deal with boarding-schools in England, with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not familiar to us; but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the relation of society to youth, and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist becomes a book for the life of all of us, and for all time.
