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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 Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
abstract
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From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
AndeterminerUS /æn/
the form of “a” used before a word that begins with a vowel sound
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
andconjunctionUS /ənd/
used to join words or parts of a sentence that go together
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
areauxiliary verbUS /ɑːr/
the form of “be” used with you, we, they, or a plural noun
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
atprepositionUS /æt/
in or near a particular place or position
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
bad
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From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
banks
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From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
beauxiliary verbUS /biː/
used with a past participle to form the passive, or with -ing for continuous tenses
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
bred
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From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
ButconjunctionUS /bʌt/
used to introduce something that contrasts with what came before
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
byprepositionUS /baɪ/
showing who or what does the action
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
classes
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From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
comes
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From this reading See what comes of philanthropy!
consciencenounUS /ˈkɑːnʃəns/
the inner sense of right and wrong
From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
criminal
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From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
danger
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From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
demoralization
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From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
down
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From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
dreaded
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From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
education
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From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
feelings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
forprepositionUS /fɔːr/
intended to be given to, or used by, somebody
From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
fromprepositionUS /frʌm/
showing where something starts, or who sent it
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
go
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
greatnounUS /great/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
hepronounUS /hiː/
a man, boy, or male animal already mentioned, as the subject
From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
helm
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
honestadjectiveUS /ˈɑnɪst/
truthful and trustworthy
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
howeveradverbUS /ˌhaʊˈevər/
used to add a contrasting statement
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
inprepositionUS /ɪn/
inside something, or within a place, period, or state
From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
inoculating
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From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
isauxiliary verbUS /ɪz/
the form of “be” used with he, she, it, or a singular noun
From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
itpronounUS /ɪt/
a thing, animal, or idea already mentioned
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
leastnounUS /least/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
less
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
letauxiliary verbUS /let/
used to make a suggestion or a command including the speaker
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
love
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
makenounUS /make/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
maymodal verbUS /meɪ/
used to say something is possible, or to give permission
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
mepronounUS /miː/
the person speaking, as the object of a verb or preposition
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
means
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From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
nation
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From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
ofprepositionUS /ʌv/
belonging to, or connected with, somebody or something
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
orconjunctionUS /ɔːr/
used to join alternatives or possibilities
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
oughtmodal verbUS /ɔːt/
used with “to” to say what is right or advisable
From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
people
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From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
philanthropy
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From this reading See what comes of philanthropy!
pilot
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From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
politician
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
questions
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From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
reason
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From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
restrained
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
Savings
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
schemes
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
See
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From this reading See what comes of philanthropy!
seems
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From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
self-interest
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
shipnounUS /ship/
an important story-specific word used in this passage
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
steam-engine
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.
steersman
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From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
tacitly
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From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
thanconjunctionUS /ðæn/
used to introduce the second part of a comparison
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
thatconjunctionUS /ðæt/
used to introduce what somebody said, thought, or felt
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
thedeterminerUS /ðə/
used before a noun that is already known, already mentioned, or the only one of its kind
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
thisdeterminerUS /ðɪs/
used for a person or thing that is near, or that has just been mentioned
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
toparticleUS /tuː/
used before the base form of a verb to make the infinitive
From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
vices
Dictionary entry pending editorial verification. Tap Listen to hear the word.
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
whatpronounUS /wʌt/
used to ask for information about something
From this reading See what comes of philanthropy!
widespread
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From this reading “But this danger, however great it may be, seems to me less to be dreaded than the widespread demoralization.
withprepositionUS /wɪð/
in the company of; together with
From this reading Savings banks are a means of inoculating the people, the classes least restrained by education or by reason from schemes that are tacitly criminal, with the vices bred of self-interest.
withoutprepositionUS /wɪˈθaʊt/
not having, not using, or not accompanied by
From this reading “A great politician ought to be without a conscience in abstract questions, or he is a bad steersman for a nation.
wouldmodal verbUS /wʊd/
used for something imagined, polite, or habitual in the past
From this reading An honest politician is a steam-engine with feelings, a pilot that would make love at the helm and let the ship go down.