Chapter II · Chapter 2

used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

an old form of “are”, used with “thou”

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

at the same time that; because; in the way that

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

take to be the case or to be true; accept without verification or proof

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

writes (books or stories or articles or the like) professionally (for pay)

From this reading It is in the surroundings of the author that we find the key to the creation.

used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

the yard associated with a church

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

a politically organized body of people under a single government

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

an assembly (including one or more judges) to conduct judicial business

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

the human act of creating

From this reading It is in the surroundings of the author that we find the key to the creation.

having the ability or power to create

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

act of improving by expanding or enlarging or refining

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

in a condition of biological rest or suspended animation

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

remove the dust from

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

every one of two or more people or things, taken separately

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

(comparative and superlative of “early”) more early than; most early

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

a state of being carried away by overwhelming emotion

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

a mournful poem; a lament for the dead

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

the domain ruled by an emperor or empress; the region over which imperial dominion is exercised

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

an adequate quantity; a quantity that is large enough to achieve a purpose

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

the totality of surrounding conditions

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

encouraging or approving or pleasing

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

come upon, as if by accident; meet with

From this reading It is in the surroundings of the author that we find the key to the creation.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

intended to be given to, or used by, somebody

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

a powerful effect or influence

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

showing where something starts, or who sent it

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

brought together in one place

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

a neutral achromatic color midway between white and black

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

relatively large in size or number or extent; larger than others of its kind

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

(with “in”) guardianship over; in divorce cases it is the right to house and care for and discipline a child

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

used to add a contrasting statement

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

a vague idea in which some confidence is placed

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

inside something, or within a place, period, or state

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

not complete or total; not completed

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

arousal of the mind to special unusual activity or creativity

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

belonging to the thing or animal already mentioned

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

metal device shaped in such a way that when it is inserted into the appropriate lock the lock's mechanism can be rotated

From this reading It is in the surroundings of the author that we find the key to the creation.

be cognizant or aware of a fact or a specific piece of information; possess knowledge or information about

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

the psychological result of perception and learning and reasoning

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

the literary culture

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

a characteristic state or mode of living

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

of comparatively little physical weight or density

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

past form of “live” — be an inhabitant of or reside in

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

the experience of being alive; the course of human events and activities

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

primarily temporal sense; being or indicating a relatively great or greater than average duration or passage of time or a duration as specified

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

a harp used by ancient Greeks for accompaniment

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

a quantifier that can be used with count nouns and is often preceded by “as” or “too” or “so” or “that”; amounting to a large but indefinite number

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

an artist of consummate skill

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

used to say something is possible but not certain

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

The element of a person that enables awareness and thought.

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

used to say something is necessary, or almost certainly true

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

used to join alternatives or possibilities

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

belonging to the speaker and others

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

not allowed to continue to bat or run

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

an artist who paints

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

having a point

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

marked by suitability or rightness or appropriateness

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

plural of “proportion” — the quotient obtained when the magnitude of a part is divided by the magnitude of the whole

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

interpret something that is written or printed

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

a long thin implement made of metal or wood

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

the context and environment in which something is set

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

Complete absence of sound; a state of quietness and stillness.

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

a natural and periodic state of rest during which consciousness of the world is suspended

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

a deliberate discourteous act (usually as an expression of anger or disapproval)

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

(quantifier) used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns to indicate an unspecified number or quantity

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

a message that tells the particulars of an act or occurrence or course of events; presented in writing or drama or cinema or as a radio or television program

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

a town in central England on the River Avon; birthplace (and burial place) of William Shakespeare

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

a detailed critical inspection

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

the environmental condition

From this reading It is in the surroundings of the author that we find the key to the creation.

past form of “sway” — move back and forth or sideways

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

third-person singular of “tend” — have a tendency or disposition to do or be something; be inclined

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

in or at that place or location

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

to a degree exceeding normal or proper limits

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

the speaker together with one or more other people

From this reading It is in the surroundings of the author that we find the key to the creation.

used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

belonging to which person

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."

used to talk about the future, or about willingness

From this reading We know that it is not enough to have the creative force dormant in the mind; environment must be favourable to its development, or it will sleep too long.

not having, not using, or not accompanied by

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

exert oneself by doing mental or physical work for a purpose or out of necessity

From this reading It is in the light of a life story and its setting, however slight our knowledge, that creative work tends to assume proper proportions.

buildings for carrying on industrial labor

From this reading STRATFORD-ON-AVON To read the works of a great master of letters, or to study the art of a great painter, without some first-hand knowledge of the country in which each lived and from which each gathered his earliest inspiration, is to court an incomplete impression.

set down in writing in any of various ways

From this reading For, as Gray has pointed out in his "Elegy written in a Country Churchyard," there are many in the dust and silence whose hands "the rod of Empire might have swayed, or waked to ecstasy the living lyre."