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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 It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
aboutprepositionUS /əˈbaʊt/
on the subject of; concerning
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
All
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All things and all men do not run in grooves.
AndconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading And yet I do not know why it should be considered so.
asconjunctionUS /æz/
at the same time that; because; in the way that
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
bad
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man to be a criminal need not be hopelessly bad in every other sense.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
burglars
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
child
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
complicated
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
considered
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And yet I do not know why it should be considered so.
couldmodal verbUS /kʊd/
the past of “can”; used for possibility or polite requests
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
criminal
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man to be a criminal need not be hopelessly bad in every other sense.
declare
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
despoil
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
didauxiliary verbUS /dɪd/
the past form of “do”, used in questions and negatives
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
doauxiliary verbUS /duː/
used to form questions and negatives, and to give emphasis
From this reading And yet I do not know why it should be considered so.
everydeterminerUS /ˈevəri/
all the members of a group, with none left out
From this reading A man to be a criminal need not be hopelessly bad in every other sense.
foundnounUS /found/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
grooves
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All things and all men do not run in grooves.
halfpenny
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
haveauxiliary verbUS /hæv/
used with a past participle to form the perfect tenses
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
hisdeterminerUS /hɪz/
belonging to a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
hopelessly
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man to be a criminal need not be hopelessly bad in every other sense.
human
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
IpronounUS /aɪ/
the person speaking or writing, as the subject of the verb
From this reading And yet I do not know why it should be considered so.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
ItpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
kill
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
knownounUS /know/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading And yet I do not know why it should be considered so.
littlenounUS /little/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
machinery
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
man
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man to be a criminal need not be hopelessly bad in every other sense.
men
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All things and all men do not run in grooves.
met
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
murderersnounUS /ˈmurderers/
a story-specific word describing an important person, object, action, or idea in this passage
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
nature
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
neednounUS /need/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading A man to be a criminal need not be hopelessly bad in every other sense.
nerve
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
notadverbUS /nɑːt/
used to make a word, phrase, or sentence negative
From this reading And yet I do not know why it should be considered so.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
other
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man to be a criminal need not be hopelessly bad in every other sense.
piece
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
poornounUS /poor/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
possess
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
possessions
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
rabbit
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
rob
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
run
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All things and all men do not run in grooves.
sense
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading A man to be a criminal need not be hopelessly bad in every other sense.
shouldmodal verbUS /ʃʊd/
used to say what is right, expected, or advisable
From this reading And yet I do not know why it should be considered so.
soconjunctionUS /soʊ/
for that reason; with the result that
From this reading And yet I do not know why it should be considered so.
sufficient
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
things
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading All things and all men do not run in grooves.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
truism
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
whopronounUS /huː/
which person or people
From this reading I have met murderers who did not possess sufficient nerve to kill a rabbit, burglars who would rob a poor man of all his possessions in the world, and yet would not despoil a little child of a halfpenny.
why
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading And yet I do not know why it should be considered so.
world
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading It would be a truism to declare that human nature is about as complicated a piece of machinery as could be found in the human world.
yetconjunctionUS /jet/
but in spite of that
From this reading And yet I do not know why it should be considered so.
