adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading The dullest persons have mind enough to foresee a danger to self-interests.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
beholdingnounUS /bɪˈhoʊldɪŋ/
perception by means of the eyes
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
brainsnounUS /breɪnz/
plural of “brain” — that part of the central nervous system that includes all the higher nervous centers; enclosed within the skull; continuous with the spinal cord
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
certainlyadverbUS /ˈsɜːrtənli/
definitely or positively (“sure” is sometimes used informally for “surely”)
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
ChurchnounUS /tʃɜːrtʃ/
one of the groups of Christians who have their own beliefs and forms of worship
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
constitutesverbUS /ˈkɑːnstətuːts/
third-person singular of “constitute” — form or compose
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
dangernounUS /ˈdeɪndʒər/
the condition of being susceptible to harm or injury
From this reading The dullest persons have mind enough to foresee a danger to self-interests.
diplomatistnoun
an official engaged in international negotiations
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
doctornounUS /ˈdɑːktər/
a licensed medical practitioner
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
dragverbUS /dræɡ/
pull, as against a resistance
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
dullestadjectiveUS /ˈdʌləst/
superlative of “dull” — lacking in liveliness or animation
From this reading The dullest persons have mind enough to foresee a danger to self-interests.
enoughnounUS /ɪˈnʌf/
an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose
From this reading The dullest persons have mind enough to foresee a danger to self-interests.
fataladjectiveUS /ˈfeɪtəl/
bringing death
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
fiftynounUS /ˈfɪfti/
the cardinal number that is the product of ten and five
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
fireverbUS /ˈfaɪər/
start firing a weapon
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
foreseeverbUS /fɔːrˈsiː/
realize beforehand
From this reading The dullest persons have mind enough to foresee a danger to self-interests.
forgottenadjectiveUS /fərˈɡɑːt.n̩/
Not remembered; lapsed from memory.
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
francsnounUS /fræŋks/
plural of “franc” — the basic monetary unit in many countries; equal to 100 centimes
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
frightnounUS /fraɪt/
an emotion experienced in anticipation of some specific pain or danger (usually accompanied by a desire to flee or fight)
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
godfathernounUS /ˈɡɑːdfɑːðər/
any man who serves as a sponsor for a child at baptism
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
groundnounUS /ɡraʊnd/
the solid part of the earth's surface
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
hadauxiliary verbUS /hæd/
the past form of “have”, used to form the past perfect
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading The dullest persons have mind enough to foresee a danger to self-interests.
hearingnounUS /ˈhiːrɪŋ/
(law) a proceeding (usually by a court) where evidence is taken for the purpose of determining an issue of fact and reaching a decision based on that evidence
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
heirnounUS /er/
A person legally or magically entitled to the property or rank of another on that person's death.
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
heirsnounUS /erz/
plural of “heir” — a person who is entitled by law or by the terms of a will to inherit the estate of another
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
herdeterminerUS /hɜːr/
belonging to a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
himpronounUS /hɪm/
the male already mentioned, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
hundrednounUS /ˈhʌndrəd/
ten 10s
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
hurrynounUS /ˈhɜːri/
a condition of urgency making it necessary to hurry
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
IfconjunctionUS /ɪf/
on condition that; in the event that
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
influencenounUS /ˈɪnfluːəns/
a power to affect persons or events especially power based on prestige etc
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
intoprepositionUS /ˈɪntuː/
moving to the inside of something
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
leaveverbUS /liːv/
go away from a place
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
lettersnounUS /ˈletərz/
the literary culture
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
littleadjectiveUS /ˈlɪtəl/
limited or below average in number or quantity or magnitude or extent
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
losingverbUS /ˈluːzɪŋ/
-ing form of “lose” — fail to keep or to maintain; cease to have, either physically or in an abstract sense
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
makeverbUS /meɪk/
engage in
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
massnounUS /mæs/
the property of a body that causes it to have weight in a gravitational field
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
masternounUS /ˈmæstər/
an artist of consummate skill
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
mennounUS /men/
the force of workers available
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
mindnounUS /maɪnd/
The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.
From this reading The dullest persons have mind enough to foresee a danger to self-interests.
mostadverbUS /moʊst/
used to form the superlative
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
nowadverbUS /naʊ/
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
obtuseadjectiveUS /ɑːbˈtuːs/
of an angle; between 90 and 180 degrees
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
paleadjectiveUS /peɪl/
very light colored; highly diluted with white
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
peasantnounUS /ˈpezənt/
a country person
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
personsnounUS /ˈpɜːrsənz/
plural of “person” — a human being
From this reading The dullest persons have mind enough to foresee a danger to self-interests.
postverbUS /poʊst/
affix in a public place or for public notice
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
powerfuladjectiveUS /ˈpaʊərfəl/
having great power or force or potency or effect
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
propertynounUS /ˈprɑːpərti/
something owned; any tangible or intangible possession that is owned by someone
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
questionverbUS /ˈkwestʃən/
challenge the accuracy, probity, or propriety of
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
reachverbUS /riːtʃ/
reach a destination, either real or abstract
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
reallyadverbUS /ˈrɪli/
in accordance with truth or fact or reality
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
reasoningnounUS /ˈriːzənɪŋ/
thinking that is coherent and logical
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
Self-interestnounUS /ˈselˈfɪntrəst/
taking advantage of opportunities without regard for the consequences for others
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
self-interests
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The dullest persons have mind enough to foresee a danger to self-interests.
shepronounUS /ʃiː/
a woman, girl, or female animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
SoconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
sometimesadverbUS /səmˈtaɪmz/
on certain occasions or in certain cases but not always
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
sonnounUS /sʌn/
a male human offspring
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
squareverbUS /skwer/
make square
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
stampedverbUS /stæmpt/
past form of “stamp” — walk heavily
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
stupidestadjectiveUS /ˈstuːpɪdəst/
superlative of “stupid” — lacking or marked by lack of intellectual acuity
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
theirdeterminerUS /ðer/
belonging to the people or things already mentioned
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
thousandnounUS /ˈθaʊzənd/
the cardinal number that is the product of 10 and 100
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
twonounUS /tuː/
the cardinal number that is the sum of one and one or a numeral representing this number
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
unclenounUS /ˈʌŋkəl/
the brother of your father or mother; the husband of your aunt
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
understoodadjectiveUS /ˌʌndərˈstʊd/
fully apprehended as to purport or meaning or explanation
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
Ursula
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading So the fatal reasoning, “If that little Ursula has influence enough to drag her godfather into the pale of the Church she will certainly have enough to make him leave her his property,” was now stamped in letters of fire on the brains of the most obtuse heir.
waynounUS /weɪ/
how something is done or how it happens
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
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 Self-interest constitutes the mind of the peasant as well as that of the diplomatist, and on that ground the stupidest of men is sometimes the most powerful.
wereauxiliary verbUS /wɜːr/
the past form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The post master had forgotten about his son in his hurry to reach the square; for if the doctor were really in the church hearing mass it was a question of losing two hundred and fifty thousand francs.
willmodal verbUS /wɪl/
used to talk about the future, or about willingness
From this reading The fright of the heirs at beholding their uncle on his way to mass will now be understood.
