Use Superb / Understand a passage

Understand a passage

Start with the sentence that made you pause. Lens works best when the expression stays connected to the context around it.

1. Bring the context#

Open Reference. Enter the word or phrase you want to inspect. Paste the complete sentence into Passage, including any nearby sentence needed to identify the speaker or subject.

Try the word material in: “The auditor identified a material error in the report.” This asks about significance to the report, not the substance an object is made from.

2. Inspect the readings#

Choose Explore meanings. Read the candidate meanings separately. The part of speech, examples, and source help distinguish usages that happen to share a spelling.

A result is a possible reading, not a claim to know the writer’s private intent. If several readings fit, look for additional context rather than treating the first result as certainty.

3. Explore language in use#

Choose a term in Lore to see contemporary cultural usages and linked sources. These usage notes are separate from the historical reference inventory. Publication dates and source links tell you where the interpretation came from.

4. Keep reading#

In the reader, select a word inside a passage to explore it without leaving the book. Saved words remain attached to your reading context.

When no reading fits#

Try the complete expression instead of a single word: “crash out” is different from “crash.” Keep capitalization, negation, and the surrounding clause. A missing inventory entry is a gap in the reference, not a mistake in your language.

Next: Compare a disagreement or make the same request in code.