adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
accumulatedadjectiveUS /əˈkjuːmjəleɪtɪd/
periodically accumulated over time
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
acquaintancenounUS /əˈkweɪntəns/
personal knowledge or information about someone or something
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
acquiredadjectiveUS /əˈkwaɪərd/
gotten through environmental forces
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
advancedadjectiveUS /ədˈvænst/
farther along in physical or mental development
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
alarmedadjectiveUS /əˈlɑːrmd/
experiencing a sudden sense of danger
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
almostadverbUS /ˈɔːlmoʊst/
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
amazingadjectiveUS /əˈmeɪzɪŋ/
surprising greatly
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
amongstprepositionUS /əˈmʌŋst/
surrounded by; in the company of
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
AsconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
biddenverbUS /ˈbɪdɪn/
inflected form of “bid” — propose a payment
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But mere studiousness was not my spur, as he imagined.
circumstancenounUS /ˈsɜːrkəmstæns/
a condition that accompanies or influences some event or activity
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
classicnounUS /ˈklæsɪk/
a creation of the highest excellence
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
curriculumnounUS /kəˈrɪk.jə.ləm/
The subjects comprising a course of study in a school or magical academy.
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
daysnounUS /deɪz/
the time during which someone's life continues
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
devouredverbUS /dɪˈvaʊərd/
past form of “devour” — destroy completely
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
differentadjectiveUS /ˈdɪfərənt/
unlike in nature or quality or form or degree
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
discoveredadjectiveUS /dɪˈskʌvərd/
discovered or determined by scientific observation
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
DoctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
earliestadjectiveUS /ˈɜːrliəst/
(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
engagedadjectiveUS /enˈɡeɪdʒd/
having ones attention or mind or energy engaged
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
especiallyadverbUS /əˈspeʃli/
to a distinctly greater extent or degree than is common
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
extentnounUS /ɪkˈstent/
the point or degree to which something extends
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
Fifanti
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
Fifanti's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
fluentadjectiveUS /ˈfluːənt/
smooth and unconstrained in movement
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
flungverbUS /flʌŋ/
inflected form of “fling” — throw with force or recklessness
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
Fra
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
gaveverbUS /ɡeɪv/
inflected form of “give” — cause to have, in the abstract sense or physical sense
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
Gervasio
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
glowingadjectiveUS /ˈɡloʊɪŋ/
highly enthusiastic
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
greatadjectiveUS /ɡreɪt/
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
grewverbUS /ɡruː/
inflected form of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
growsverbUS /ɡroʊz/
third-person singular of “grow” — pass into a condition gradually, take on a specific property or attribute; become
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
Herodotusnoun
the ancient Greek known as the father of history; his accounts of the wars between the Greeks and Persians are the first known examples of historical writing (485-425 BC)
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
himselfpronounUS /hɪmˈself/
used when the man or boy doing the action is also its object
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
historynounUS /ˈhɪstəri/
the aggregate of past events
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
housenounUS /haʊs/
a dwelling that serves as living quarters for one or more families
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
ignorancenounUS /ˈɪɡnərəns/
the lack of knowledge or education
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
imaginedverbUS /ˌɪˈmædʒənd/
past form of “imagine” — form a mental image of something that is not present or that is not the case
From this reading But mere studiousness was not my spur, as he imagined.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
keptadjectiveUS /kept/
(especially of promises or contracts) not violated or disregarded
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
knowledgenounUS /ˈnɑːlədʒ/
the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
LatinadjectiveUS /ˈlætən/
of or relating to the ancient Latins or the Latin language
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
latteradjectiveUS /ˈlætər/
referring to the second of two things or persons mentioned (or the last one or ones of several)
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
learnedadjectiveUS /lɜːrnd/
having or showing profound knowledge
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
madeadjectiveUS /meɪd/
produced by a manufacturing process
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
mattersnounUS /ˈmætərz/
plural of “matter” — a vaguely specified concern
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
mereadjectiveUS /mɪr/
being nothing more than specified
From this reading But mere studiousness was not my spur, as he imagined.
monthsnounUS /mʌnθs/
plural of “month” — one of the twelve divisions of the calendar year
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
mothernounUS /ˈmʌðər/
a woman who has given birth to a child (also used as a term of address to your mother)
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
mydeterminerUS /maɪ/
belonging to the person speaking
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading But mere studiousness was not my spur, as he imagined.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
onceadverbUS /wʌns/
on one occasion
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
pagesnounUS /ˈpeɪdʒəz/
plural of “page” — one side of one leaf (of a book or magazine or newspaper or letter etc.) or the written or pictorial matter it contains
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
passedverbUS /pæst/
past form of “pass” — go across or through
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
passionsnounUS /ˈpæʃənz/
plural of “passion” — a strong feeling or emotion
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
pedantnounUS /ˈpedənt/
a person who pays more attention to formal rules and book learning than they merit
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
preparationnounUS /ˌprepərˈeɪʃən/
the activity of putting or setting in order in advance of some act or purpose
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
profaneadjectiveUS /proʊˈfeɪn/
characterized by profanity or cursing
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
pursuednounUS /pərˈsuːd/
a person who is being chased
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
rapidlyadverbUS /ˈræpədli/
with speed
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
redressnounUS /rɪˈdres/
a sum of money paid in compensation for loss or injury
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
scholarnounUS /ˈskɒl.ər/
A specialist in a particular branch of study; a distinguished student.
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
setverbUS /set/
put into a certain place or abstract location
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
speedverbUS /spiːd/
move hurridly
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
spurnounUS /spɜːr/
a verbalization that encourages you to attempt something
From this reading But mere studiousness was not my spur, as he imagined.
strangeadjectiveUS /streɪndʒ/
being definitely out of the ordinary and unexpected; slightly odd or even a bit weird
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
studiousnessnoun
diligent study
From this reading But mere studiousness was not my spur, as he imagined.
swelledadjectiveUS /sweld/
feeling self-importance
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
swiftlyadverbUS /ˈswɪftli/
in a swift manner
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
thesedeterminerUS /ðiːz/
the plural of “this”: the people or things near, or just mentioned
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
ThisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
Thucydidesnoun
ancient Greek historian remembered for his history of the Peloponnesian War (460-395 BC)
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
translationsnounUS /trænzˈleɪʃənz/
plural of “translation” — a written communication in a second language having the same meaning as the written communication in a first language
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
turnverbUS /tɜːrn/
change orientation or direction, also in the abstract sense
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
tutorverbUS /ˈtuːtər/
be a tutor to someone; give individual instruction
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
uponprepositionUS /əˈpɑːn/
a formal word for “on”
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
utterverbUS /ˈʌtər/
articulate; either verbally or with a cry, shout, or noise
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
vastlyadverbUS /ˈvæstli/
to an exceedingly great extent or degree
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
weednounUS /wiːd/
any plant that crowds out cultivated plants
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
weeksnounUS /wiːks/
plural of “week” — any period of seven consecutive days
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
whilstconjunctionUS /waɪlst/
an old and formal word for “while”
From this reading Fifanti flung into strange passions when he discovered the extent of my ignorance and the amazing circumstance that whilst Fra Gervasio had made of me a fluent Latin scholar, he had kept me in utter ignorance of the classic writers, and almost in as great an ignorance of history itself.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
worksnounUS /wɜːrks/
buildings for carrying on industrial labor
From this reading This the pedant set himself at once to redress, and amongst the earliest works he gave me as preparation were Latin translations of Thucydides and Herodotus which I devoured--especially the glowing pages of the latter--at a speed that alarmed my tutor.
worldlyadjectiveUS /ˈwɜːrldli/
characteristic of or devoted to the temporal world as opposed to the spiritual world
From this reading As the days passed and swelled into weeks, and these, in their turn, accumulated into months, I grew rapidly learned in worldly matters at Doctor Fifanti's house.
writersnounUS /ˈraɪtərz/
plural of “writer” — writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)
From this reading The curriculum I now pursued was so vastly different from that which my mother had bidden Fra Gervasio to set me, and my acquaintance with the profane writers advanced so swiftly once it was engaged upon, that I acquired knowledge as a weed grows.
