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Chapter I
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It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice. I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.” “Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil. Conscience is the trade-name of the firm. That is all.”
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Reading 35/78 · 5 reading units · Lines 171–175
These definitions explain words found in the current reading and keep every example grounded in its original sentence.
Oxford-style entry order: headword, part of speech, US IPA, concise definition, contextual example, and audio.
any of several Old World tropical aromatic annual or perennial herbs of the genus Ocimum
From this reading ““Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil.”
motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
From this reading “It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.”
the trait of lacking courage
From this reading “It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.”
approval
From this reading “I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.””
the act of escaping physically
From this reading “I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.””
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading “Conscience is the trade-name of the firm.”
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading “It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.”
hard to endure
From this reading “I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.””
Every word in these five lines is listed here, and every one of them can be played on its own.
Dictionary details are shown only when verified; these are not licensed Oxford entries.
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
(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 That is all.”
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading “Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil.
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading “Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil.
any of several Old World tropical aromatic annual or perennial herbs of the genus Ocimum
From this reading “Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil.
motivation deriving logically from ethical or moral principles that govern a person's thoughts and actions
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
the trait of lacking courage
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
approval
From this reading I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.”
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
the act of escaping physically
From this reading I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.”
marked by firm determination or resolution; not shakable
From this reading Conscience is the trade-name of the firm.
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.”
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.”
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Conscience is the trade-name of the firm.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
used when the speaker is also the object of the action
From this reading I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.”
not any; not one
From this reading I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.”
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading “Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil.
Identical; not different.
From this reading “Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil.
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
a category of things distinguished by some common characteristic or quality
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
carry out
From this reading I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.”
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil.
any movable possession (especially articles of clothing)
From this reading “Conscience and cowardice are really the same things, Basil.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.”
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Conscience is the trade-name of the firm.
hard to endure
From this reading I take no credit to myself for trying to escape.”
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It was not conscience that made me do so: it was a sort of cowardice.
