used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
accuracynounUS /ˈækjərəsi/
the quality of being near to the true value
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
filled with fear or apprehension
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
airsnounUS /erz/
affected manners intended to impress others
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
to a complete degree or to the full or entire extent (“whole” is often used informally for “wholly”)
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
Amboise
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
angryadjectiveUS /ˈæŋɡri/
feeling or showing anger
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
articulationnounUS /ˌɑːrtɪkjəˈleɪʃən/
the aspect of pronunciation that involves bringing articulatory organs together so as to shape the sounds of speech
From this reading The articulation remains the same, but the tone, so to speak, is more subdued.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
ASKSverbUS /æsks/
third-person singular of “ask” — make a request or demand for something to somebody
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
beingauxiliary verbUS /ˈbiːɪŋ/
the -ing form of “be”
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
(used in the plural) a percussion instrument consisting of a pair of hollow pieces of wood or bone (usually held between the thumb and fingers) that are made to click together (as by Spanish dancers) in rhythm with the dance
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading The articulation remains the same, but the tone, so to speak, is more subdued.
Commines
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
feeling or showing worry or solicitude
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
lack of respect accompanied by a feeling of intense dislike
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
cupboardnounUS /ˈkʌbərd/
a small room (or recess) or cabinet used for storage space
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
daresnounUS /derz/
plural of “dare” — a challenge to do something dangerous or foolhardy
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
DauphinnounUS /ˈdaʊfɪn/
formerly, the eldest son of the King of France and direct heir to the throne
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
day-by-dayadjectiveUS /ˈdeɪbaɪdeɪ/
of or belonging to or occurring every day
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
a Mid-Atlantic state; one of the original 13 colonies
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
deliberatelyadverbUS /dɪˈlɪbərətli/
with intention; in an intentional manner
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
represented in words especially with sharpness and detail
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
doesauxiliary verbUS /dʌz/
the form of “do” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
plural of “door” — a swinging or sliding barrier that will close the entrance to a room or building or vehicle
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
existverbUS /ɪɡˈzɪst/
have an existence, be extant
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
to a considerable degree; very much
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
a person who lacks good judgment
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
devoid of good sense or judgment
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
containing as much or as many as is possible or normal
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
governsverbUS /ˈɡʌvərnz/
third-person singular of “govern” — bring into conformity with rules or principles or usage; impose regulations
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
grislyadjectiveUS /ˈɡrɪzli/
shockingly repellent; inspiring horror
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
growsverbUS /ɡroʊz/
third-person singular of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
not accessible to view
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
prevent from being seen or discovered
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
not solid; having a space or gap or cavity
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
the ability to comprehend; to understand and profit from experience
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The articulation remains the same, but the tone, so to speak, is more subdued.
plural of “know” — the fact of being aware of information that is known to few people
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
a white soft metallic element that tarnishes readily; occurs in rare earth minerals and is usually classified as a rare earth
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
the superlative of “little” that can be used with mass nouns and is usually preceded by “the”; a quantifier meaning smallest in amount or extent or degree
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
libelnounUS /ˈlaɪbəl/
a false and malicious publication printed for the purpose of defaming a living person
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
an adult person who is male (as opposed to a woman)
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading The articulation remains the same, but the tone, so to speak, is more subdued.
MOTHE
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
nakedadjectiveUS /ˈneɪkəd/
completely unclothed
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
not one and not the other of two
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
and nothing more
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
To move from a closed position.
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
ostrichnounUS /ˈɔːstrɪtʃ/
a person who refuses to face reality or recognize the truth (a reference to the popular notion that the ostrich hides from danger by burying its head in the sand)
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
have ownership or possession of
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
persuadeverbUS /pərˈsweɪd/
win approval or support for
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
the state of being present; current existence
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
a basic generalization that is accepted as true and that can be used as a basis for reasoning or conduct
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
rattleverbUS /ˈrætəl/
make short successive sounds
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
any object that is left unused or still extant
From this reading The articulation remains the same, but the tone, so to speak, is more subdued.
Identical; not different.
From this reading The articulation remains the same, but the tone, so to speak, is more subdued.
secretsnounUS /ˈsiːkrəts/
plural of “secret” — something that should remain hidden from others (especially information that is not to be passed on)
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
seeksnounUS /siːks/
plural of “seek” — the movement of a read/write head to a specific data track on a disk
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
shiveringnounUS /ˈʃɪvərɪŋ/
a sensation of cold that often marks the start of an infection and the development of a fever
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
skeletonnounUS /ˈskelətən/
something reduced to its minimal form
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The articulation remains the same, but the tone, so to speak, is more subdued.
the immaterial part of a person; the actuating cause of an individual life
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
express in speech
From this reading The articulation remains the same, but the tone, so to speak, is more subdued.
STEPHENnounUS /ˈstiːvən/
English writer (1832-1904)
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
subduedadjectiveUS /səbˈduːd/
in a softened tone
From this reading The articulation remains the same, but the tone, so to speak, is more subdued.
of a quantity that can fulfill a need or requirement but without being abundant
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
an overwhelming feeling of fear and anxiety
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
subsequently or soon afterward (often used as sentence connectors)
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
in or at that place or location
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
therebyadverbUS /ˈðerˈbaɪ/
by that means or because of that
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
threateningadjectiveUS /ˈθretənɪŋ/
threatening or foreshadowing evil or tragic developments
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
the quality of a person's voice
From this reading The articulation remains the same, but the tone, so to speak, is more subdued.
triesnounUS /traɪz/
plural of “try” — earnest and conscientious activity intended to do or accomplish something
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
a fact that has been verified
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
unpalatableadjectiveUS /ənˈpælətəbəl/
not pleasant or acceptable to the taste or mind
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
Ursula
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
vainlyadverbUS /ˈveɪnli/
to no avail
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
precisely as stated
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
Vesc
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
wanting in physical strength
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
whileconjunctionUS /waɪl/
during the time that
From this reading The fool follows the principle which governs the libel upon the intelligence of the ostrich, and vainly tries to persuade himself that what he does not see does not exist, while the weak man dares not open the doors of the cupboard hidden in every life for shivering terror of the secrets he knows are there.
wickednessnounUS /ˈwɪkədnəs/
morally objectionable behavior
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
WiseradjectiveUS /ˈwaɪzər/
comparative of “wise” — having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading Wiser wickedness deliberately airs his skeleton now and then, and thereby the grisly presence grows less grisly, and the hollow rattle of the bones less threatening.
in the company of; together with
From this reading And Stephen La Mothe, being neither a fool nor altogether weak, was not afraid to admit to himself that Commines' angry contempt had described the day-by-day life at Amboise with sufficient accuracy, at least so far as the Dauphin and Ursula de Vesc were concerned.
not correct; not in conformity with fact or truth
From this reading STEPHEN LA MOTHE ASKS THE WRONG QUESTION Only the very foolish or the very weak man seeks to hide from his own soul the full, naked, unpalatable truth about himself.
