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adeterminerUS /ə/
used before a singular noun to mean one of a group, when it is not a particular one
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
andeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
aristocracy
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From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
beenauxiliary verbUS /bɪn/
the past participle of “be”
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
black
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From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
centuries
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From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
certain
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From this reading We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory Constitution.
class
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From this reading We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory Constitution.
Constitution
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From this reading We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory Constitution.
contradictory
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From this reading We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory Constitution.
creating
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From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
devil
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From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
education
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From this reading We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory Constitution.
else
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From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
England
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From this reading In England we have an aristocracy instead of a religion.
English
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
everythingpronounUS /ˈevriθɪŋ/
all things; all of a situation
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
face
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
fairies
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From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
goodnounUS /good/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
Government
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the same way in England we have an aristocracy instead of a Government.
hasauxiliary verbUS /hæz/
the form of “have” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading In England we have an aristocracy instead of a religion.
humour
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From this reading We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory Constitution.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
instead
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In England we have an aristocracy instead of a religion.
interpret
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory Constitution.
Irish
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
itselfpronounUS /ˌɪtˈself/
used when the thing doing the action is also its object
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
large
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
lifenounUS /life/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
many
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
much
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
nobility
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading In England we have an aristocracy instead of a religion.
onprepositionUS /ɑːn/
touching and supported by a surface
From this reading We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory Constitution.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
OurdeterminerUS /ˈaʊər/
belonging to the speaker and others
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
past
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
poetry
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
poornounUS /poor/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
religion
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In England we have an aristocracy instead of a religion.
rely
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory Constitution.
saints
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
samenounUS /same/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading In the same way in England we have an aristocracy instead of a Government.
Scotch
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
substituting
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
tendency
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
ThedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
thingnounUS /thing/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
towardsprepositionUS /təˈwɔːrdz/
in the direction of
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
upper
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory Constitution.
uspronounUS /ʌs/
the speaker and others, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading We rely on a certain good humour and education in the upper class to interpret to us our contradictory Constitution.
wasauxiliary verbUS /wɑːz/
the past form of “be” used with I, he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
way
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading In the same way in England we have an aristocracy instead of a Government.
wepronounUS /wiː/
the speaker together with one or more other people
From this reading In England we have an aristocracy instead of a religion.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
whichpronounUS /wɪtʃ/
used to introduce a clause giving more about a thing just mentioned
From this reading Our tendency for many centuries past has been, not so much towards creating an aristocracy (which may or may not be a good thing in itself), as towards substituting an aristocracy for everything else.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading The nobility are to the English poor what the saints and the fairies are to the Irish poor, what the large devil with a black face was to the Scotch poor—the poetry of life.
