adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
ableadjectiveUS /ˈeɪbəl/
(usually followed by “to”) having the necessary means or skill or know-how or authority to do something
From this reading From his own conversation I was able to glean nothing.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
accountnounUS /əˈkaʊnt/
a record or narrative description of past events
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
amauxiliary verbUS /æm/
the form of “be” used with “I”
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
arbitraryadjectiveUS /ˈɑːrbətreri/
based on or subject to individual discretion or preference or sometimes impulse or caprice
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
backadverbUS /bæk/
in or to or toward a former location
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
becauseconjunctionUS /bɪˈkɔːz/
for the reason that
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
becomeverbUS /bɪˈkʌm/
enter or assume a certain state or condition
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
causesnounUS /ˈkɑːzəz/
plural of “cause” — events that provide the generative force that is the origin of something
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
changeverbUS /tʃeɪndʒ/
cause to change; make different; cause a transformation
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
CharlesnounUS /tʃɑːrlz/
King of France from 1560 to 1574 whose reign was dominated by his mother Catherine de Medicis (1550-1574)
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
circumstancesnounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstænsəz/
your overall circumstances or condition in life (including everything that happens to you)
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
conversationnounUS /ˌkɑːnvərˈseɪʃən/
the use of speech for informal exchange of views or ideas or information etc.
From this reading From his own conversation I was able to glean nothing.
curiousadjectiveUS /ˈkjʊriəs/
beyond or deviating from the usual or expected
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
determinationnounUS /dɪˌtɜːrməˈneɪʃən/
the act of determining the properties of something, usually by research or calculation
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
factsnounUS /fækts/
plural of “fact” — a piece of information about circumstances that exist or events that have occurred
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
FromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading From his own conversation I was able to glean nothing.
givenadjectiveUS /ˈɡɪvən/
acknowledged as a supposition
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
gleanverbUS /ɡliːn/
gather, as of natural products
From this reading From his own conversation I was able to glean nothing.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
heartnounUS /hɑːrt/
the locus of feelings and intuitions
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
ignorantadjectiveUS /ˈɪɡnərənt/
uneducated in general; lacking knowledge or sophistication
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
incidentsnounUS /ˈɪnsədənts/
plural of “incident” — a single distinct event
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
inventedverbUS /ˌɪnˈventəd/
past form of “invent” — come up with (an idea, plan, explanation, theory, or principle) after a mental effort
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
knowverbUS /noʊ/
be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
lednounUS /led/
diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
lifenounUS /laɪf/
a characteristic state or mode of living
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
LookingnounUS /ˈlʊkɪŋ/
the act of directing the eyes toward something and perceiving it visually
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
muchadverbUS /mʌtʃ/
to a great degree or extent
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
mustmodal verbUS /mʌst/
used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
narrating
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
nothingpronounUS /ˈnʌθɪŋ/
not one thing; not anything
From this reading From his own conversation I was able to glean nothing.
novelnounUS /ˈnɑːvəl/
an extended fictional work in prose; usually in the form of a story
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
obscureverbUS /əbsˈkjʊr/
make less visible or unclear
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
ownverbUS /oʊn/
have ownership or possession of
From this reading From his own conversation I was able to glean nothing.
painternounUS /ˈpeɪntər/
an artist who paints
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
personalitynounUS /ˌpɜːrsəˈnælɪti/
the complex of all the attributes--behavioral, temperamental, emotional and mental--that characterize a unique individual
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
ratheradverbUS /ˈræðər/
on the contrary
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
realiseverbUS /ˈriːəlaɪz/
earn on some commercial or business transaction; earn as salary or wages
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
reasonsnounUS /ˈriːzənz/
plural of “reason” — a rational motive for a belief or action
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
remainverbUS /rɪˈmeɪn/
stay the same; remain in a certain state
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
seemverbUS /siːm/
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
seemsverbUS /siːmz/
third-person singular of “seem” — give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
strangestadjectiveUS /ˈstreɪndʒɪst/
superlative of “strange” — being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
StricklandnounUS /ˈstrɪklənd/
United States architect and student of Latrobe (1787-1854)
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
Strickland's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
suchdeterminerUS /sʌtʃ/
of the kind already mentioned
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
thempronounUS /ðem/
the people or things already mentioned, as the object
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
theypronounUS /ðeɪ/
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
thoughconjunctionUS /ðoʊ/
in spite of the fact that
From this reading The strangest, Strickland’s determination to become a painter, seems to be arbitrary; and though it must have had causes in the circumstances of his life, I am ignorant of them.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I have given incidents that came to my knowledge, but they remain obscure because I do not know the reasons that led to them.
unsatisfactoryadjectiveUS /ˌʌnsətɪˈsfæktəri/
not giving satisfaction
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading From his own conversation I was able to glean nothing.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
writingnounUS /ˈraɪtɪŋ/
the act of creating written works
From this reading If I were writing a novel, rather than narrating such facts as I know of a curious personality, I should have invented much to account for this change of heart.
writtenadjectiveUS /ˈrɪtən/
set down in writing in any of various ways
From this reading Looking back, I realise that what I have written about Charles Strickland must seem very unsatisfactory.
