used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
perfect or complete or pure
From this reading For the object of warfare, of course, is to kill; and why stop short of the absolute?
(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 Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
at all times; all the time and on every occasion
From this reading And always the human reason, ever the servant to our passions, finds a way to justify the slaughter.
ambushverbUS /ˈæmbʊʃ/
wait in hiding to attack
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
barbarismnounUS /ˈbɑːrbərɪzəm/
a brutal barbarous savage act
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
The red fluid that circulates in the heart and blood vessels.
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
plural of “boy” — a youthful male person
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
breedverbUS /briːd/
call forth
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
breedsnounUS /briːdz/
plural of “breed” — a special variety of domesticated animals within a species
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
education imparted in a series of lessons or meetings
From this reading For the object of warfare, of course, is to kill; and why stop short of the absolute?
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
plural of “end” — either extremity of something that has length
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
at any time
From this reading And always the human reason, ever the servant to our passions, finds a way to justify the slaughter.
excessesnounUS /ˌekˈsesɪz/
plural of “excess” — a quantity much larger than is needed
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
feudnounUS /fjuːd/
a bitter quarrel between two parties
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
feudsnounUS /fjuːdz/
plural of “feud” — a bitter quarrel between two parties
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
plural of “find” — a productive insight
From this reading And always the human reason, ever the servant to our passions, finds a way to justify the slaughter.
firstadjectiveUS /fɜːrst/
preceding all others in time or space or degree
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
a formation of aircraft in flight
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
third-person singular of “follow” — to travel behind, go after, come after
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
yet to be or coming
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
used of physical heat; having a high or higher than desirable temperature or giving off heat or feeling or causing a sensation of heat or burning
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
humanadjectiveUS /ˈhjuːmən/
characteristic of humanity
From this reading And always the human reason, ever the servant to our passions, finds a way to justify the slaughter.
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
invitesnounUS /ˌɪnˈvaɪts/
plural of “invite” — a colloquial expression for invitation
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading For the object of warfare, of course, is to kill; and why stop short of the absolute?
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
justificationnounUS /ˌdʒʌstəfəˈkeɪʃən/
something (such as a fact or circumstance) that shows an action to be reasonable or necessary
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
justifyverbUS /ˈdʒʌstəfaɪ/
show to be right by providing justification or proof
From this reading And always the human reason, ever the servant to our passions, finds a way to justify the slaughter.
cause to die; put to death, usually intentionally or knowingly
From this reading For the object of warfare, of course, is to kill; and why stop short of the absolute?
killingnounUS /ˈkɪlɪŋ/
an event that causes someone to die
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
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 Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
go away from a place
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
lullverbUS /lʌl/
calm by deception
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
roused to anger
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
manhoodnounUS /ˈmænhʊd/
the state of being a man; manly qualities
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
the force of workers available
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
kill intentionally and with premeditation
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
murdersnounUS /ˈmɜːrdərz/
plural of “murder” — unlawful premeditated killing of a human being by a human being
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
not ever; at no time in the past or future
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
and not; used after a negative to add a second negative
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
try to cure by special care of treatment, of an illness or injury
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
a tangible and visible entity; an entity that can cast a shadow
From this reading For the object of warfare, of course, is to kill; and why stop short of the absolute?
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
(used especially of persons) having lived for a relatively long time or attained a specific age
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
and nothing more
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading And always the human reason, ever the servant to our passions, finds a way to justify the slaughter.
used when we are both doing the action and receiving it
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
passionsnounUS /ˈpæʃənz/
plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading And always the human reason, ever the servant to our passions, finds a way to justify the slaughter.
capable of happening or existing
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
protestsnounUS /ˈproʊtests/
plural of “protest” — a formal and solemn declaration of objection
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading And always the human reason, ever the servant to our passions, finds a way to justify the slaughter.
reprisalnounUS /riˈpraɪzəl/
a retaliatory action against an enemy in wartime
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
revertverbUS /rɪˈvɜːrt/
go back to a previous state
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
a person working in the service of another (especially in the household)
From this reading And always the human reason, ever the servant to our passions, finds a way to justify the slaughter.
primarily temporal sense; indicating or being or seeming to be limited in duration
From this reading For the object of warfare, of course, is to kill; and why stop short of the absolute?
slaughternounUS /ˈslɔːtər/
the killing of animals (as for food)
From this reading And always the human reason, ever the servant to our passions, finds a way to justify the slaughter.
sparknounUS /spɑːrk/
a momentary flash of light
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
speedilyadverbUS /ˈspiːdəli/
with speed
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
come to a halt, stop moving
From this reading For the object of warfare, of course, is to kill; and why stop short of the absolute?
swirlverbUS /swɜːrl/
turn in a twisting or spinning motion
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
tardilyadverb
without speed (“slow” is sometimes used informally for “slowly”)
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
in or at that place or location
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
untilprepositionUS /ənˈtɪl/
up to a particular time
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
warfarenounUS /ˈwɔːrfer/
the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading For the object of warfare, of course, is to kill; and why stop short of the absolute?
warsnounUS /wɔːrz/
plural of “war” — the waging of armed conflict against an enemy
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading And always the human reason, ever the servant to our passions, finds a way to justify the slaughter.
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading There we have the justification not only of war, but of feuds and murder from ambush; but the murders come first and reason follows tardily to lull the protests of conscience.
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
the cause or intention underlying an action or situation, especially in the phrase “the whys and wherefores”
From this reading For the object of warfare, of course, is to kill; and why stop short of the absolute?
in the company of; together with
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
plural of “woman” — an adult female person (as opposed to a man)
From this reading Why leave boys to grow to manhood, or women to breed more boys, or old men to nurse the spark of future wars; why not kill them all, as speedily as possible, and with the least possible danger to ourselves?
but in spite of that
From this reading THE FLIGHT There never was a feud, nor yet a war, which did not revert to barbarism; for reprisal invites reprisal, and hot blood breeds new excesses until it ends in a mad swirl of killing.
