adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
ambitionnounUS /æmˈbɪʃən/
a cherished desire
From this reading To be a commonplace performer did not seem to him very desirable, and would not have satisfied his ambition.
AMBITIOUSadjectiveUS /æmˈbɪʃəs/
having a strong desire for success or achievement
From this reading AN AMBITIOUS WAYFARER.
ANdeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading AN AMBITIOUS WAYFARER.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading To be a commonplace performer did not seem to him very desirable, and would not have satisfied his ambition.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
boynounUS /bɔɪ/
a youthful male person
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
butconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
cameverbUS /keɪm/
inflected form of “come” — move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
comeverbUS /kʌm/
move toward, travel toward something or somebody or approach something or somebody
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
commonplaceadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːmənpleɪs/
completely ordinary and unremarkable
From this reading To be a commonplace performer did not seem to him very desirable, and would not have satisfied his ambition.
consciousadjectiveUS /ˈkɑːnʃəs/
intentionally conceived
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
dazzledadjectiveUS /ˈdæzəld/
having vision overcome temporarily by or as if by intense light
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
decisionnounUS /dɪˈsɪʒən/
the act of making up your mind about something
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
desirableadjectiveUS /dɪˈzaɪrəbəl/
worth having or seeking or achieving
From this reading To be a commonplace performer did not seem to him very desirable, and would not have satisfied his ambition.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading To be a commonplace performer did not seem to him very desirable, and would not have satisfied his ambition.
feltverbUS /felt/
mat together and make felt-like
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
goverbUS /ɡoʊ/
change location; move, travel, or proceed, also metaphorically
From this reading He had told Professor Riccabocca that he intended to go to New York.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
hastyadjectiveUS /ˈheɪsti/
excessively quick
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
HepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading To be a commonplace performer did not seem to him very desirable, and would not have satisfied his ambition.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
intendedadjectiveUS /ˌɪnˈtendɪd/
resulting from one's intentions
From this reading He had told Professor Riccabocca that he intended to go to New York.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
largeadjectiveUS /lɑːrdʒ/
above average in size or number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
lessadverbUS /les/
used to form the comparative of some adjectives and adverbs
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
mightmodal verbUS /maɪt/
used to say something is possible but not certain
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
musicnounUS /ˈmjuːzɪk/
an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
NewadjectiveUS /nuː/
not of long duration; having just (or relatively recently) come into being or been made or acquired or discovered
From this reading He had told Professor Riccabocca that he intended to go to New York.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
performernounUS /pərˈfɔːrmər/
an entertainer who performs a dramatic or musical work for an audience
From this reading To be a commonplace performer did not seem to him very desirable, and would not have satisfied his ambition.
PhilipnounUS /ˈfɪləp/
Englishman and husband of Elizabeth II (born 1921)
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
playedadjectiveUS /pleɪd/
(of games) engaged in
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
playingnounUS /ˈpleɪɪŋ/
the act of playing a musical instrument
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
professionnounUS /prəˈfeʃən/
the body of people in a learned occupation
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
ProfessornounUS /prəˈfesər/
someone who is a member of the faculty at a college or university
From this reading He had told Professor Riccabocca that he intended to go to New York.
quiteadverbUS /kwaɪt/
to a degree (not used with a negative)
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
receivedadjectiveUS /rəˈsiːvd/
conforming to the established language usage of educated native speakers
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
Riccabocca
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading He had told Professor Riccabocca that he intended to go to New York.
satisfiedadjectiveUS /ˈsætəsfaɪd/
filled with satisfaction
From this reading To be a commonplace performer did not seem to him very desirable, and would not have satisfied his ambition.
seemverbUS /siːm/
give a certain impression or have a certain outward aspect
From this reading To be a commonplace performer did not seem to him very desirable, and would not have satisfied his ambition.
selectingverbUS /səˈlektɪŋ/
-ing form of “select” — pick out, select, or choose from a number of alternatives
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
sensibleadjectiveUS /ˈsensəbəl/
showing reason or sound judgment
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
sumsnounUS /sʌmz/
plural of “sum” — a quantity of money
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
toldverbUS /toʊld/
inflected form of “tell” — express in words
From this reading He had told Professor Riccabocca that he intended to go to New York.
tooadverbUS /tuː/
to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
unusuallyadverbUS /əˈnjuːʒuːəli/
to a remarkable degree or extent
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
veryadjectiveUS /ˈveri/
precisely as stated
From this reading To be a commonplace performer did not seem to him very desirable, and would not have satisfied his ambition.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
WAYFARERnoun
a pedestrian who walks from place to place
From this reading AN AMBITIOUS WAYFARER.
welladverbUS /wel/
(often used as a combining form) in a good or proper or satisfactory manner or to a high standard (“good” is a nonstandard dialectal variant for “well”)
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
whenconjunctionUS /wen/
at the time that
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading The large sums which Philip had received for his playing might have dazzled a less sensible boy.
wiseadjectiveUS /waɪz/
having or prompted by wisdom or discernment
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading He was quite conscious that he played unusually well for a boy, but when it came to selecting music as a profession, he felt it would not be wise to come to too hasty a decision.
YorknounUS /jɔːrk/
the English royal house (a branch of the Plantagenet line) that reigned from 1461 to 1485; its emblem was a white rose
From this reading He had told Professor Riccabocca that he intended to go to New York.
