used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
absurditynounUS /əbˈsɜːrdəti/
a message whose content is at variance with reason
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
matters of personal concern
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
(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 Of all institutions, none has caused more intellectual degeneracy.
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
a knot with two loops and loose ends; used to tie shoelaces
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
to be able to, or to be allowed to
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
past form of “cause” — give rise to; cause to happen or occur, not always intentionally
From this reading Of all institutions, none has caused more intellectual degeneracy.
Cfnoun
a radioactive transuranic element; discovered by bombarding curium with alpha particles
From this reading [Cf.
a boy or man
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
com-mon
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
belonging to or participated in by a community as a whole; public
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
very opposed in nature or character or purpose
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
debasedadjectiveUS /dəˈbeɪst/
mixed with impurities
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
degeneracynounUS /dɪˈdʒenərəsi/
the state of being degenerate in mental or moral qualities
From this reading Of all institutions, none has caused more intellectual degeneracy.
being or moving lower in position or less in some value
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
EditornounUS /ˈedətər/
a person responsible for the editorial aspects of publication; the person who determines the final content of a text (especially of a newspaper or magazine)
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
be identical or equivalent to
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
EssaysnounUS /eˈseɪz/
plural of “essay” — an analytic or interpretive literary composition
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
divisible by two
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
be agreeable or acceptable to
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Of all institutions, none has caused more intellectual degeneracy.
homagenounUS /ˈɑːmədʒ/
respectful deference
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
a tangible symbol signifying approval or distinction
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
the lack of knowledge or education
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
institutionsnounUS /ˌɪnstɪˈtuːʃənz/
plural of “institution” — an organization founded and united for a specific purpose
From this reading Of all institutions, none has caused more intellectual degeneracy.
intellectualadjectiveUS /ˌɪntəˈlektʃuːəl/
of or associated with or requiring the use of the mind
From this reading Of all institutions, none has caused more intellectual degeneracy.
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
Montaigne's
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
(comparative of “much” used with mass nouns) a quantifier meaning greater in size or amount or extent or degree
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
not any; not one
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
not one, and not any
From this reading Of all institutions, none has caused more intellectual degeneracy.
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
(plural) any group of human beings (men or women or children) collectively
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
plagueverbUS /pleɪɡ/
cause to suffer a blight
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
renderverbUS /ˈrendər/
cause to become
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
precisely, exactly
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
RoyaltynounUS /ˈrɔɪəlti/
payment to the holder of a patent or copyright or resource for the right to use their property
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
Identical; not different.
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
a general conscious awareness
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
ludicrous, foolish
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
submissionnounUS /səbˈmɪʃən/
something (manuscripts or architectural plans and models or estimates or works of art of all genres etc.) submitted for the judgment of others (as in a competition)
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
the people, animals, or things already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
a special situation
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
(used to introduce a logical conclusion) from that fact or reason or as a result
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
vicenounUS /vaɪs/
moral weakness
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
Moral excellence and goodness of character; the highest human attainment in Stoic philosophy.
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
which person or people
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
accumulated knowledge or erudition or enlightenment
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading But it would be a plague even if no more than an absurdity; for a people who can bow down in honor of a silly thing is a debased people.
xiinoun
the cardinal number that is the sum of eleven and one
From this reading Montaigne's Essays, chap. xii.--_Editor._] Royalty is thus as contrary to common sense as to com-mon right.
yieldverbUS /jiːld/
be the cause or source of
From this reading Can they be fit for great affairs who render equal homage to vice and virtue, and yield the same submission to ignorance and wisdom?
