| Words | Parts of Speech | Meaning/Definition/Similar Words |
|---|---|---|
| abacus | noun | A table or tray strewn with sand, anciently used for drawing, calculating, etc., A calculating table or frame; an instrument for performing arithmetical calculations by balls sliding on wires, or counters in grooves, the lowest line representing units, the second line, tens, etc. It is still employed in China., The uppermost member or division of the capital of a column, immediately under the architrave. See Column., A tablet, panel, or compartment in ornamented or mosaic work., A board, tray, or table, divided into perforated compartments, for holding cups, bottles, or the like; a kind of cupboard, buffet, or sideboard. |
| abaist | past participle | Abashed; confounded; discomfited. |
| abanet | noun | See Abnet. |
| abanga | noun | A West Indian palm; also the fruit of this palm, the seeds of which are used as a remedy for diseases of the chest. |
| abased | imp. & past participle | of Abase, Lowered; humbled., Borne lower than usual, as a fess; also, having the ends of the wings turned downward towards the point of the shield. |
| abaser | noun | He who, or that which, abases. |
| abassi | noun | Alt. of Abassis |
| abated | imp. & past participle | of Abate |
| abater | noun | One who, or that which, abates. |
| abatis | noun | Alt. of Abattis |
| abator | noun | One who abates a nuisance., A person who, without right, enters into a freehold on the death of the last possessor, before the heir or devisee. |
| abawed | past participle | Astonished; abashed. |
| abbacy | noun | The dignity, estate, or jurisdiction of an abbot. |
| abbess | noun | A female superior or governess of a nunnery, or convent of nuns, having the same authority over the nuns which the abbots have over the monks. See Abbey. |
| abbeys | plural | of Abbey |
| abdest | noun | Purification by washing the hands before prayer; — a Mohammedan rite. |
| abduce | verb t. | To draw or conduct away; to withdraw; to draw to a different part. |
| abduct | verb t. | To take away surreptitiously by force; to carry away (a human being) wrongfully and usually by violence; to kidnap., To draw away, as a limb or other part, from its ordinary position. |
| abegge | Same as Aby. | |
| abider | noun | One who abides, or continues., One who dwells; a resident. |
| abject | adjective | Cast down; low-lying., Sunk to a law condition; down in spirit or hope; degraded; servile; groveling; despicable; as, abject posture, fortune, thoughts., To cast off or down; hence, to abase; to degrade; to lower; to debase., A person in the lowest and most despicable condition; a castaway. |
| abjure | verb t. | To renounce upon oath; to forswear; to disavow; as, to abjure allegiance to a prince. To abjure the realm, is to swear to abandon it forever., To renounce or reject with solemnity; to recant; to abandon forever; to reject; repudiate; as, to abjure errors., To renounce on oath. |
| ablaut | noun | The substitution of one root vowel for another, thus indicating a corresponding modification of use or meaning; vowel permutation; as, get, gat, got; sing, song; hang, hung. |
| ablaze | adverb & adjective | On fire; in a blaze, gleaming., In a state of glowing excitement or ardent desire. |
| ablins | adverb | Perhaps., Perhaps; possibly. |
| abloom | adverb | In or into bloom; in a blooming state. |
| ablude | verb t. | To be unlike; to differ. |
| ablush | adverb & adjective | Blushing; ruddy. |
| aboard | adverb | On board; into or within a ship or boat; hence, into or within a railway car., Alongside; as, close aboard., On board of; as, to go aboard a ship., Across; athwart. |
| aboral | adjective | Situated opposite to, or away from, the mouth. |
| abound | verb i. | To be in great plenty; to be very prevalent; to be plentiful., To be copiously supplied; — followed by in or with. |
| abrade | verb t. | To rub or wear off; to waste or wear away by friction; as, to abrade rocks., Same as Abraid. |
| abraid | verb t. & i. | To awake; to arouse; to stir or start up; also, to shout out. |
| abrase | adjective | Rubbed smooth. |
| abraum | noun | Alt. of Abraum salts |
| abroad | adverb | At large; widely; broadly; over a wide space; as, a tree spreads its branches abroad., Without a certain confine; outside the house; away from one’s abode; as, to walk abroad., Beyond the bounds of a country; in foreign countries; as, we have broils at home and enemies abroad., Before the public at large; throughout society or the world; here and there; widely. |
| abrood | adverb | In the act of brooding. |
| abrook | verb t. | To brook; to endure. |
| abrupt | adjective | Broken off; very steep, or craggy, as rocks, precipices, banks; precipitous; steep; as, abrupt places., Without notice to prepare the mind for the event; sudden; hasty; unceremonious., Having sudden transitions from one subject to another; unconnected., Suddenly terminating, as if cut off., An abrupt place., To tear off or asunder. |
| absent | adjective | Being away from a place; withdrawn from a place; not present., Not existing; lacking; as, the part was rudimental or absent., Inattentive to what is passing; absent-minded; preoccupied; as, an absent air., To take or withdraw (one’s self) to such a distance as to prevent intercourse; — used with the reflexive pronoun., To withhold from being present. |
| absist | verb i. | To stand apart from; top leave off; to desist. |
| absorb | verb t. | To swallow up; to engulf; to overwhelm; to cause to disappear as if by swallowing up; to use up; to include., To suck up; to drink in; to imbibe; as a sponge or as the lacteals of the body., To engross or engage wholly; to occupy fully; as, absorbed in study or the pursuit of wealth., To take up by cohesive, chemical, or any molecular action, as when charcoal absorbs gases. So heat, light, and electricity are absorbed or taken up in the substances into which they pass. |
| absume | verb t. | To consume gradually; to waste away. |
| absurd | adjective | Contrary to reason or propriety; obviously and fiatly opposed to manifest truth; inconsistent with the plain dictates of common sense; logically contradictory; nonsensical; ridiculous; as, an absurd person, an absurd opinion; an absurd dream., An absurdity. |
| aburst | adverb | In a bursting condition. |
| abused | imp. & past participle | of Abuse |
| abuser | noun | One who abuses [in the various senses of the verb]. |
| acacia | noun | A roll or bag, filled with dust, borne by Byzantine emperors, as a memento of mortality. It is represented on medals., A genus of leguminous trees and shrubs. Nearly 300 species are Australian or Polynesian, and have terete or vertically compressed leaf stalks, instead of the bipinnate leaves of the much fewer species of America, Africa, etc. Very few are found in temperate climates., The inspissated juice of several species of acacia; — called also gum acacia, and gum arabic. |
| acacin | noun | Alt. of Acacine |
| acajou | noun | The cashew tree; also, its fruit. See Cashew., The mahogany tree; also, its timber. |
| acanth | noun | Same as Acanthus. |
| acarus | noun | A genus including many species of small mites. |
| acater | noun | See Caterer. |
| acates | noun pl. | See Cates. |
| accede | verb i. | To approach; to come forward; — opposed to recede., To enter upon an office or dignity; to attain., To become a party by associating one’s self with others; to give one’s adhesion. Hence, to agree or assent to a proposal or a view; as, he acceded to my request. |
| accend | verb t. | To set on fire; to kindle. |
| accent | noun | A superior force of voice or of articulative effort upon some particular syllable of a word or a phrase, distinguishing it from the others., A mark or character used in writing, and serving to regulate the pronunciation; esp.: (a) a mark to indicate the nature and place of the spoken accent; (b) a mark to indicate the quality of sound of the vowel marked; as, the French accents., Modulation of the voice in speaking; manner of speaking or pronouncing; peculiar or characteristic modification of the voice; tone; as, a foreign accent; a French or a German accent., A word; a significant tone, expressions in general; speech., Stress laid on certain syllables of a verse., A regularly recurring stress upon the tone to mark the beginning, and, more feebly, the third part of the measure., A special emphasis of a tone, even in the weaker part of the measure., The rhythmical accent, which marks phrases and sections of a period., The expressive emphasis and shading of a passage., A mark placed at the right hand of a letter, and a little above it, to distinguish magnitudes of a similar kind expressed by the same letter, but differing in value, as y’, y”., A mark at the right hand of a number, indicating minutes of a degree, seconds, etc.; as, 12’27”, i. e., twelve minutes twenty seven seconds., A mark used to denote feet and inches; as, 6′ 10” is six feet ten inches., To express the accent of (either by the voice or by a mark); to utter or to mark with accent., To mark emphatically; to emphasize. |
| accept | verb t. | To receive with a consenting mind (something offered); as, to accept a gift; — often followed by of., To receive with favor; to approve., To receive or admit and agree to; to assent to; as, I accept your proposal, amendment, or excuse., To take by the mind; to understand; as, How are these words to be accepted?, To receive as obligatory and promise to pay; as, to accept a bill of exchange., In a deliberate body, to receive in acquittance of a duty imposed; as, to accept the report of a committee. [This makes it the property of the body, and the question is then on its adoption.], Accepted. |
| access | noun | A coming to, or near approach; admittance; admission; accessibility; as, to gain access to a prince., The means, place, or way by which a thing may be approached; passage way; as, the access is by a neck of land., Admission to sexual intercourse., Increase by something added; addition; as, an access of territory. [In this sense accession is more generally used.], An onset, attack, or fit of disease., A paroxysm; a fit of passion; an outburst; as, an access of fury. |
| accite | verb t. | To cite; to summon. |
| accloy | verb t. | To fill to satiety; to stuff full; to clog; to overload; to burden. See Cloy. |
| accoil | verb t. | To gather together; to collect., To coil together. |
| accord | verb t. | Agreement or concurrence of opinion, will, or action; harmony of mind; consent; assent., Harmony of sounds; agreement in pitch and tone; concord; as, the accord of tones., Agreement, harmony, or just correspondence of things; as, the accord of light and shade in painting., Voluntary or spontaneous motion or impulse to act; — preceded by own; as, of one’s own accord., An agreement between parties in controversy, by which satisfaction for an injury is stipulated, and which, when executed, bars a suit., To make to agree or correspond; to suit one thing to another; to adjust; — followed by to., To bring to an agreement, as persons; to reconcile; to settle, adjust, harmonize, or compose, as things; as, to accord suits or controversies., To grant as suitable or proper; to concede; to award; as, to accord to one due praise., To agree; to correspond; to be in harmony; — followed by with, formerly also by to; as, his disposition accords with his looks., To agree in pitch and tone. |
| accost | verb t. | To join side to side; to border; hence, to sail along the coast or side of., To approach; to make up to., To speak to first; to address; to greet., To adjoin; to lie alongside., Address; greeting. |
| accrue | noun | To increase; to augment., To come to by way of increase; to arise or spring as a growth or result; to be added as increase, profit, or damage, especially as the produce of money lent., Something that accrues; advantage accruing. |
| accumb | verb i. | To recline, as at table. |
| accuse | noun | Accusation., To charge with, or declare to have committed, a crime or offense, to charge with an offense, judicially or by a public process; — with of; as, to accuse one of a high crime or misdemeanor., To charge with a fault; to blame; to censure., To betray; to show. [L.] |
| aceric | adjective | Pertaining to, or obtained from, the maple; as, aceric acid. |
| acetal | noun | A limpid, colorless, inflammable liquid from the slow oxidation of alcohol under the influence of platinum black. |
| acetic | adjective | Of a pertaining to vinegar; producing vinegar; producing vinegar; as, acetic fermentation., Pertaining to, containing, or derived from, acetyl, as acetic ether, acetic acid. The latter is the acid to which the sour taste of vinegar is due. |
| acetin | noun | A combination of acetic acid with glycerin. |
| acetyl | noun | A complex, hypothetical radical, composed of two parts of carbon to three of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Its hydroxide is acetic acid. |
| achate | noun | An agate., Purchase; bargaining., Provisions. Same as Cates. |
| aching | present participle & vb. noun | of Ache, That aches; continuously painful. See Ache. |
| achean | a & noun | See Achaean, Achaian. |
| achene | noun | Alt. of Achenium |
| acidic | adjective | Containing a high percentage of silica; — opposed to basic. |
| acidly | adverb | Sourly; tartly. |
| acinus | noun | One of the small grains or drupelets which make up some kinds of fruit, as the blackberry, raspberry, etc., A grapestone., One of the granular masses which constitute a racemose or compound gland, as the pancreas; also, one of the saccular recesses in the lobules of a racemose gland. |
| acknow | verb t. | To recognize., To acknowledge; to confess. |
| acnode | noun | An isolated point not upon a curve, but whose coordinates satisfy the equation of the curve so that it is considered as belonging to the curve. |
| acopic | adjective | Relieving weariness; restorative. |
| acquit | past participle | Acquitted; set free; rid of., To discharge, as a claim or debt; to clear off; to pay off; to requite., To pay for; to atone for., To set free, release or discharge from an obligation, duty, liability, burden, or from an accusation or charge; — now followed by of before the charge, formerly by from; as, the jury acquitted the prisoner; we acquit a man of evil intentions., To clear one’s self., To bear or conduct one’s self; to perform one’s part; as, the soldier acquitted himself well in battle; the orator acquitted himself very poorly. |
| acrase | verb t. | Alt. of Acraze |
| acraze | verb t. | To craze., To impair; to destroy. |
| acrasy | noun | Excess; intemperance. |
| acrisy | noun | Inability to judge., Undecided character of a disease. |
| acrita | noun pl. | The lowest groups of animals, in which no nervous system has been observed. |
| acrite | adjective | Acritan. |
| acrity | noun | Sharpness; keenness. |
| acrook | adverb | Crookedly. |
| across | noun | From side to side; athwart; crosswise, or in a direction opposed to the length; quite over; as, a bridge laid across a river., From side to side; crosswise; as, with arms folded across., Obliquely; athwart; amiss; awry. |
| acting | present participle & vb. noun | of Act, Operating in any way., Doing duty for another; officiating; as, an acting superintendent. |
| action | noun | A process or condition of acting or moving, as opposed to rest; the doing of something; exertion of power or force, as when one body acts on another; the effect of power exerted on one body by another; agency; activity; operation; as, the action of heat; a man of action., An act; a thing done; a deed; an enterprise. (pl.): Habitual deeds; hence, conduct; behavior; demeanor., The event or connected series of events, either real or imaginary, forming the subject of a play, poem, or other composition; the unfolding of the drama of events., Movement; as, the horse has a spirited action., Effective motion; also, mechanism; as, the breech action of a gun., Any one of the active processes going on in an organism; the performance of a function; as, the action of the heart, the muscles, or the gastric juice., Gesticulation; the external deportment of the speaker, or the suiting of his attitude, voice, gestures, and countenance, to the subject, or to the feelings., The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiment or passion depicted., A suit or process, by which a demand is made of a right in a court of justice; in a broad sense, a judicial proceeding for the enforcement or protection of a right, the redress or prevention of a wrong, or the punishment of a public offense., A right of action; as, the law gives an action for every claim., A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds; hence, in the plural, equivalent to stocks., An engagement between troops in war, whether on land or water; a battle; a fight; as, a general action, a partial action., The mechanical contrivance by means of which the impulse of the player’s finger is transmitted to the strings of a pianoforte or to the valve of an organ pipe. |
| active | adjective | Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting; — opposed to passive, that receives; as, certain active principles; the powers of the mind., Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body; nimble; as, an active child or animal., In action; actually proceeding; working; in force; — opposed to quiescent, dormant, or extinct; as, active laws; active hostilities; an active volcano., Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy; — opposed to dull, sluggish, indolent, or inert; as, an active man of business; active mind; active zeal., Requiring or implying action or exertion; — opposed to sedentary or to tranquil; as, active employment or service; active scenes., Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative; — opposed to speculative or theoretical; as, an active rather than a speculative statesman., Brisk; lively; as, an active demand for corn., Implying or producing rapid action; as, an active disease; an active remedy., Applied to a form of the verb; — opposed to passive. See Active voice, under Voice., Applied to verbs which assert that the subject acts upon or affects something else; transitive., Applied to all verbs that express action as distinct from mere existence or state. |
| actual | adjective | Involving or comprising action; active., Existing in act or reality; really acted or acting; in fact; real; — opposed to potential, possible, virtual, speculative, conceivable, theoretical, or nominal; as, the actual cost of goods; the actual case under discussion., In action at the time being; now exiting; present; as the actual situation of the country., Something actually received; real, as distinct from estimated, receipts. |
| acture | noun | Action. |
| acuate | verb t. | To sharpen; to make pungent; to quicken., Sharpened; sharp-pointed. |
| acuity | noun | Sharpness or acuteness, as of a needle, wit, etc. |
| aculei | plural | of Aculeus |
| acumen | noun | Quickness of perception or discernment; penetration of mind; the faculty of nice discrimination. |
| adagio | adjective & adverb | Slow; slowly, leisurely, and gracefully. When repeated, adagio, adagio, it directs the movement to be very slow., A piece of music in adagio time; a slow movement; as, an adagio of Haydn. |
| adamic | adjective | Alt. of Adamical |
| adance | adverb | Dancing. |
| adarce | noun | A saltish concretion on reeds and grass in marshy grounds in Galatia. It is soft and porous, and was formerly used for cleansing the skin from freckles and tetters, and also in leprosy. |
| adatis | noun | A fine cotton cloth of India. |
| adaunt | verb t. | To daunt; to subdue; to mitigate. |
| adding | present participle & vb. noun | of Add |
| addeem | verb t. | To award; to adjudge. |
| addice | noun | See Adze. |
| addict | past participle | Addicted; devoted., To apply habitually; to devote; to habituate; — with to., To adapt; to make suitable; to fit. |
| addled | imp. & past participle | of Addle |
| addoom | verb t. | To adjudge. |
| adduce | verb t. | To bring forward or offer, as an argument, passage, or consideration which bears on a statement or case; to cite; to allege. |
| adduct | verb t. | To draw towards a common center or a middle line. |
| adempt | past participle | Takes away. |
| adeno- | Combining forms of the Greek word for gland; — used in words relating to the structure, diseases, etc., of the glands. | |
| adesmy | noun | The division or defective coherence of an organ that is usually entire. |
| adhere | verb i. | To stick fast or cleave, as a glutinous substance does; to become joined or united; as, wax to the finger; the lungs sometimes adhere to the pleura., To hold, be attached, or devoted; to remain fixed, either by personal union or conformity of faith, principle, or opinion; as, men adhere to a party, a cause, a leader, a church., To be consistent or coherent; to be in accordance; to agree. |
| adhort | verb t. | To exhort; to advise. |
| adieus | plural | of Adieu |
| adight | past participle | of Adight, To set in order; to array; to attire; to deck, to dress. |
| adipic | adjective | Pertaining to, or derived from, fatty or oily substances; — applied to certain acids obtained from fats by the action of nitric acid. |
| adipsy | noun | Absence of thirst. |
| adject | verb t. | To add or annex; to join. |
| adjoin | verb t. | To join or unite to; to lie contiguous to; to be in contact with; to attach; to append., To lie or be next, or in contact; to be contiguous; as, the houses adjoin., To join one’s self. |
| adjure | verb t. | To charge, bind, or command, solemnly, as if under oath, or under the penalty of a curse; to appeal to in the most solemn or impressive manner; to entreat earnestly. |
| adjust | verb t. | To make exact; to fit; to make correspondent or conformable; to bring into proper relations; as, to adjust a garment to the body, or things to a standard., To put in order; to regulate, or reduce to system., To settle or bring to a satisfactory state, so that parties are agreed in the result; as, to adjust accounts; the differences are adjusted., To bring to a true relative position, as the parts of an instrument; to regulate for use; as, to adjust a telescope or microscope. |
| adjute | verb t. | To add. |
| admire | verb t. | To regard with wonder or astonishment; to view with surprise; to marvel at., To regard with wonder and delight; to look upon with an elevated feeling of pleasure, as something which calls out approbation, esteem, love, or reverence; to estimate or prize highly; as, to admire a person of high moral worth, to admire a landscape., To wonder; to marvel; to be affected with surprise; — sometimes with at. |
| admove | verb t. | To move or conduct to or toward. |
| adnate | adjective | Grown to congenitally., Growing together; — said only of organic cohesion of unlike parts., Growing with one side adherent to a stem; — a term applied to the lateral zooids of corals and other compound animals. |
| adnoun | noun | An adjective, or attribute. |
| adonic | adjective | Relating to Adonis, famed for his beauty., An Adonic verse. |
| adonis | noun | A youth beloved by Venus for his beauty. He was killed in the chase by a wild boar., A preeminently beautiful young man; a dandy., A genus of plants of the family Ranunculaceae, containing the pheasant’s eye (Adonis autumnalis); — named from Adonis, whose blood was fabled to have stained the flower. |
| adoors | At the door; of the door; as, out adoors. | |
| adorer | noun | One who adores; a worshiper; one who admires or loves greatly; an ardent admirer. |
| adread | verb t. & i. | To dread. |
| adrian | adjective | Pertaining to the Adriatic Sea; as, Adrian billows. |
| adrift | adverb & adjective | Floating at random; in a drifting condition; at the mercy of wind and waves. Also fig. |
| adroit | adjective | Dexterous in the use of the hands or in the exercise of the mental faculties; exhibiting skill and readiness in avoiding danger or escaping difficulty; ready in invention or execution; — applied to persons and to acts; as, an adroit mechanic, an adroit reply. |
| advene | verb i. | To accede, or come (to); to be added to something or become a part of it, though not essential. |
| advent | noun | The period including the four Sundays before Christmas., The first or the expected second coming of Christ., Coming; any important arrival; approach. |
| adverb | noun | A word used to modify the sense of a verb, participle, adjective, or other adverb, and usually placed near it; as, he writes well; paper extremely white. |
| advert | verb i. | To turn the mind or attention; to refer; to take heed or notice; — with to; as, he adverted to what was said. |
| advice | noun | An opinion recommended or offered, as worthy to be followed; counsel., Deliberate consideration; knowledge., Information or notice given; intelligence; as, late advices from France; — commonly in the plural., Counseling to perform a specific illegal act. |
| advise | verb t. | To give advice to; to offer an opinion, as worthy or expedient to be followed; to counsel; to warn., To give information or notice to; to inform; — with of before the thing communicated; as, we were advised of the risk., To consider; to deliberate., To take counsel; to consult; — followed by with; as, to advise with friends. |
| adviso | noun | Advice; counsel; suggestion; also, a dispatch or advice boat. |
| advoke | verb t. | To summon; to call. |
| adward | noun | Award. |
| adytum | noun | The innermost sanctuary or shrine in ancient temples, whence oracles were given. Hence: A private chamber; a sanctum. |
| aedile | noun | A magistrate in ancient Rome, who had the superintendence of public buildings, highways, shows, etc.; hence, a municipal officer. |
| aegean | adjective | Of or pertaining to the sea, or arm of the Mediterranean sea, east of Greece. See Archipelago. |
| aeneid | noun | The great epic poem of Virgil, of which the hero is Aeneas. |
| aeolic | adjective | Aeolian, 1; as, the Aeolic dialect; the Aeolic mode. |
| aeolus | noun | The god of the winds. |
| aerate | verb t. | To combine or charge with gas; usually with carbonic acid gas, formerly called fixed air., To supply or impregnate with common air; as, to aerate soil; to aerate water., To expose to the chemical action of air; to oxygenate (the blood) by respiration; to arterialize. |
| aerial | adjective | Of or pertaining to the air, or atmosphere; inhabiting or frequenting the air; produced by or found in the air; performed in the air; as, aerial regions or currents., Consisting of air; resembling, or partaking of the nature of air. Hence: Unsubstantial; unreal., Rising aloft in air; high; lofty; as, aerial spires., Growing, forming, or existing in the air, as opposed to growing or existing in earth or water, or underground; as, aerial rootlets, aerial plants., Light as air; ethereal. |
| aerify | verb t. | To infuse air into; to combine air with., To change into an aeriform state. |
| aerose | adjective | Of the nature of, or like, copper; brassy. |
| aerugo | noun | The rust of any metal, esp. of brass or copper; verdigris. |
| aether | noun | See Ether. |
| afeard | p. adjective | Afraid. |
| affair | noun | That which is done or is to be done; matter; concern; as, a difficult affair to manage; business of any kind, commercial, professional, or public; — often in the plural. “At the head of affairs.” Junius., Any proceeding or action which it is wished to refer to or characterize vaguely; as, an affair of honor, i. e., a duel; an affair of love, i. e., an intrigue., An action or engagement not of sufficient magnitude to be called a battle., Action; endeavor., A material object (vaguely designated). |
| affear | verb t. | To frighten. |
| affect | verb t. | To act upon; to produce an effect or change upon., To influence or move, as the feelings or passions; to touch., To love; to regard with affection., To show a fondness for; to like to use or practice; to choose; hence, to frequent habitually., To dispose or incline., To aim at; to aspire; to covet., To tend to by affinity or disposition., To make a show of; to put on a pretense of; to feign; to assume; as, to affect ignorance., To assign; to appoint., Affection; inclination; passion; feeling; disposition. |
| affeer | verb t. | To confirm; to assure., To assess or reduce, as an arbitrary penalty or amercement, to a certain and reasonable sum. |
| affile | verb t. | To polish. |
| affine | verb t. | To refine. |
| affirm | verb t. | to assert or confirm, as a judgment, decree, or order, brought before an appellate court for review., To assert positively; to tell with confidence; to aver; to maintain as true; — opposed to deny., To declare, as a fact, solemnly, under judicial sanction. See Affirmation, 4., To declare or assert positively., To make a solemn declaration, before an authorized magistrate or tribunal, under the penalties of perjury; to testify by affirmation. |
| afflux | noun | A flowing towards; that which flows to; as, an afflux of blood to the head. |
| afford | verb t. | To give forth; to supply, yield, or produce as the natural result, fruit, or issue; as, grapes afford wine; olives afford oil; the earth affords fruit; the sea affords an abundant supply of fish., To give, grant, or confer, with a remoter reference to its being the natural result; to provide; to furnish; as, a good life affords consolation in old age., To offer, provide, or supply, as in selling, granting, expending, with profit, or without loss or too great injury; as, A affords his goods cheaper than B; a man can afford a sum yearly in charity., To incur, stand, or bear without serious detriment, as an act which might under other circumstances be injurious; — with an auxiliary, as can, could, might, etc.; to be able or rich enough. |
| affrap | verb t. & i. | To strike, or strike down. |
| affray | verb t. | To startle from quiet; to alarm., To frighten; to scare; to frighten away., The act of suddenly disturbing any one; an assault or attack., Alarm; terror; fright., A tumultuous assault or quarrel; a brawl; a fray., The fighting of two or more persons, in a public place, to the terror of others. |
| affret | noun | A furious onset or attack. |
| affuse | verb t. | To pour out or upon. |
| affied | imp. & past participle | of Affy |
| afghan | adjective | Of or pertaining to Afghanistan., A native of Afghanistan., A kind of worsted blanket or wrap. |
| afield | adverb | To, in, or on the field., Out of the way; astray. |
| aflame | adverb & adjective | Inflames; glowing with light or passion; ablaze. |
| afloat | adverb & adjective | Borne on the water; floating; on board ship., Moving; passing from place to place; in general circulation; as, a rumor is afloat., Unfixed; moving without guide or control; adrift; as, our affairs are all afloat. |
| aflush | adverb & adjective | In a flushed or blushing state., On a level. |
| afraid | p. adjective | Impressed with fear or apprehension; in fear; apprehensive. |
| afreet | noun | Same as Afrit., A powerful evil jinnee, demon, or monstrous giant. |
| afresh | adverb | Anew; again; once more; newly. |
| afrite | noun | Alt. of Afreet |
| afront | adverb | In front; face to face., In front of. |
| agains | preposition | Against; also, towards (in order to meet). |
| agamis | plural | of Agami |
| agamic | adjective | Produced without sexual union; as, agamic or unfertilized eggs., Not having visible organs of reproduction, as flowerless plants; agamous. |
| agapae | plural | of Agape |
| agaric | noun | A fungus of the genus Agaricus, of many species, of which the common mushroom is an example., An old name for several species of Polyporus, corky fungi growing on decaying wood. |
| aghast | verb t. | To affright; to terrify., See Agast, v. t., Terrified; struck with amazement; showing signs of terror or horror. |
| agazed | past participle | Gazing with astonishment; amazed. |
| agedly | adverb | In the manner of an aged person. |
| agency | noun | The faculty of acting or of exerting power; the state of being in action; action; instrumentality., The office of an agent, or factor; the relation between a principal and his agent; business of one intrusted with the concerns of another., The place of business of am agent. |
| agenda | plural | of Agendum |
| aggest | verb t. | To heap up. |
| agible | adjective | Possible to be done; practicable. |
| agleam | adverb & adjective | Gleaming; as, faces agleam. |
| aiglet | noun | A tag of a lace or of the points, braids, or cords formerly used in dress. They were sometimes formed into small images. Hence, “aglet baby” (Shak.), an aglet image., A round white staylace., Same as Aglet. |
| agnail | noun | A corn on the toe or foot., An inflammation or sore under or around the nail; also, a hangnail. |
| agnate | adjective | Related or akin by the father’s side; also, sprung from the same male ancestor., Allied; akin., A relative whose relationship can be traced exclusively through males. |
| agnize | verb t. | To recognize; to acknowledge. |
| agoing | adverb | In motion; in the act of going; as, to set a mill agoing. |
| agones | plural | of Agon |
| agonic | adjective | Not forming an angle. |
| agouta | noun | A small insectivorous mammal (Solenodon paradoxus), allied to the moles, found only in Hayti. |
| agouti | noun | Alt. of Agouty |
| agouty | noun | A rodent of the genus Dasyprocta, about the size of a rabbit, peculiar to South America and the West Indies. The most common species is the Dasyprocta agouti. |
| agrace | noun & verb | See Aggrace. |
| agreed | imp. & past participle | of Agree |
| agreer | noun | One who agrees. |
| agrief | adverb | In grief; amiss. |
| agrise | verb i. | To shudder with terror; to tremble with fear., To shudder at; to abhor; to dread; to loathe., To terrify; to affright. |
| agrope | adverb & adjective | In the act of groping. |
| aguilt | verb t. | To be guilty of; to offend; to sin against; to wrong. |
| aguise | noun | Dress., To dress; to attire; to adorn. |
| aguish | adjective | Having the qualities of an ague; somewhat cold or shivering; chilly; shaky., Productive of, or affected by, ague; as, the aguish districts of England. |
| aiding | present participle & vb. noun | of Aid |
| aidant | adjective | Helping; helpful; supplying aid. |
| aidful | adjective | Helpful. |
| aigret | noun | Alt. of Aigrette |
| ailing | present participle & vb. noun | of Ail |
| aiming | present participle & vb. noun | of Aim |
| airing | present participle & vb. noun | of Air, A walk or a ride in the open air; a short excursion for health’s sake., An exposure to air, or to a fire, for warming, drying, etc.; as, the airing of linen, or of a room. |
| airily | adverb | In an airy manner; lightly; gaily; jauntily; flippantly. |
| aisled | adjective | Furnished with an aisle or aisles. |
| aketon | noun | See Acton. |
| akimbo | adjective | With a crook or bend; with the hand on the hip and elbow turned outward. |
| alarum | noun | See Alarm. |
| alated | adjective | Winged; having wings, or side appendages like wings. |
| alaunt | noun | See Alan. |
| albata | noun | A white metallic alloy; which is made into spoons, forks, teapots, etc. British plate or German silver. See German silver, under German. |
| albedo | noun | Whiteness. Specifically: (Astron.) The ratio which the light reflected from an unpolished surface bears to the total light falling upon that surface. |
| albeit | conj. | Even though; although; notwithstanding. |
| albino | noun | A person, whether negro, Indian, or white, in whom by some defect of organization the substance which gives color to the skin, hair, and eyes is deficient or in a morbid state. An albino has a skin of a milky hue, with hair of the same color, and eyes with deep red pupil and pink or blue iris. The term is also used of the lower animals, as white mice, elephants, etc.; and of plants in a whitish condition from the absence of chlorophyll. |
| albion | noun | An ancient name of England, still retained in poetry. |
| albite | noun | A mineral of the feldspar family, triclinic in crystallization, and in composition a silicate of alumina and soda. It is a common constituent of granite and of various igneous rocks. See Feldspar. |
| albugo | noun | Same as Leucoma. |
| alburn | noun | The bleak, a small European fish having scales of a peculiarly silvery color which are used in making artificial pearls. |
| alcade | noun | Same as Alcaid. |
| alcaic | adjective | Pertaining to Alcaeus, a lyric poet of Mitylene, about 6000 b. c., A kind of verse, so called from Alcaeus. One variety consists of five feet, a spondee or iambic, an iambic, a long syllable, and two dactyls. |
| alcaid | noun | Alt. of Alcayde |
| alcedo | noun | A genus of perching birds, including the European kingfisher (Alcedo ispida). See Halcyon. |
| alcove | noun | A recessed portion of a room, or a small room opening into a larger one; especially, a recess to contain a bed; a lateral recess in a library., A small ornamental building with seats, or an arched seat, in a pleasure ground; a garden bower., Any natural recess analogous to an alcove or recess in an apartment. |
| alcyon | noun | See Halcyon. |
| aldern | adjective | Made of alder. |
| aldine | adjective | An epithet applied to editions (chiefly of the classics) which proceeded from the press of Aldus Manitius, and his family, of Venice, for the most part in the 16th century and known by the sign of the anchor and the dolphin. The term has also been applied to certain elegant editions of English works. |
| alegar | noun | Sour ale; vinegar made of ale. |
| aleger | adjective | Gay; cheerful; sprightly. |
| alegge | verb t. | To allay or alleviate; to lighten. |
| alevin | noun | Young fish; fry. |
| algate | adverb | Alt. of Algates |
| algoid | adjective | Of the nature of, or resembling, an alga. |
| algous | adjective | Of or pertaining to the algae, or seaweeds; abounding with, or like, seaweed. |
| alible | adjective | Nutritive; nourishing. |
| aliene | verb t. | To alien or alienate; to transfer, as title or property; as, to aliene an estate. |
| alight | verb i. | To spring down, get down, or descend, as from on horseback or from a carriage; to dismount., To descend and settle, lodge, rest, or stop; as, a flying bird alights on a tree; snow alights on a roof., To come or chance (upon)., Lighted; lighted up; in a flame. |
| aliner | noun | One who adjusts things to a line or lines or brings them into line. |
| alioth | noun | A star in the tail of the Great Bear, the one next the bowl in the Dipper. |
| aliped | adjective | Wing-footed, as the bat., An animal whose toes are connected by a membrane, serving for a wing, as the bat. |
| alkali | noun | Soda ash; caustic soda, caustic potash, etc., One of a class of caustic bases, such as soda, potash, ammonia, and lithia, whose distinguishing peculiarities are solubility in alcohol and water, uniting with oils and fats to form soap, neutralizing and forming salts with acids, turning to brown several vegetable yellows, and changing reddened litmus to blue. |
| allect | verb t. | To allure; to entice. |
| allege | verb t. | To bring forward with positiveness; to declare; to affirm; to assert; as, to allege a fact., To cite or quote; as, to allege the authority of a judge., To produce or urge as a reason, plea, or excuse; as, he refused to lend, alleging a resolution against lending., To alleviate; to lighten, as a burden or a trouble. |
| alleys | plural | of Alley, of Alley |
| allice | noun | Alt. of Allis |
| allied | adjective | United; joined; leagued; akin; related. See Ally., of Ally |
| allium | noun | A genus of plants, including the onion, garlic, leek, chive, etc. |
| allude | verb i. | To refer to something indirectly or by suggestion; to have reference to a subject not specifically and plainly mentioned; — followed by to; as, the story alludes to a recent transaction., To compare allusively; to refer (something) as applicable. |
| allure | verb t. | To attempt to draw; to tempt by a lure or bait, that is, by the offer of some good, real or apparent; to invite by something flattering or acceptable; to entice; to attract., Allurement., Gait; bearing. |
| allies | plural | of Ally |
| almain | noun | Alt. of Alman |
| almery | noun | See Ambry. |
| almner | noun | An almoner. |
| almond | noun | The fruit of the almond tree., The tree that bears the fruit; almond tree., Anything shaped like an almond., One of the tonsils. |
| almose | noun | Alms. |
| almost | adverb | Nearly; well nigh; all but; for the greatest part. |
| almuce | noun | Same as Amice, a hood or cape. |
| almude | noun | A measure for liquids in several countries. In Portugal the Lisbon almude is about 4.4, and the Oporto almude about 6.6, gallons U. S. measure. In Turkey the “almud” is about 1.4 gallons. |
| alnage | noun | Measurement (of cloth) by the ell; also, a duty for such measurement. |
| alpaca | noun | An animal of Peru (Lama paco), having long, fine, wooly hair, supposed by some to be a domesticated variety of the llama., Wool of the alpaca., A thin kind of cloth made of the wooly hair of the alpaca, often mixed with silk or with cotton. |
| alpine | adjective | Of or pertaining to the Alps, or to any lofty mountain; as, Alpine snows; Alpine plants., Like the Alps; lofty. |
| alpist | noun | Alt. of Alpia |
| alsike | noun | A species of clover with pinkish or white flowers; Trifolium hybridum. |
| altaic | adjective | Of or pertaining to the Altai, a mountain chain in Central Asia. |
| altern | adjective | Acting by turns; alternate. |
| althea | noun | A genus of plants of the Mallow family. It includes the officinal marsh mallow, and the garden hollyhocks., An ornamental shrub (Hibiscus Syriacus) of the Mallow family. |
| aludel | noun | One of the pear-shaped pots open at both ends, and so formed as to be fitted together, the neck of one into the bottom of another in succession; — used in the process of sublimation. |
| alular | adjective | Pertaining to the alula. |
| alumen | noun | Alum. |
| alumna | noun fem. | A female pupil; especially, a graduate of a school or college. |
| alumni | plural | of Alumnus |
| alveus | noun | The channel of a river. |
| alvine | adjective | Of, from, in, or pertaining to, the belly or the intestines; as, alvine discharges; alvine concretions. |
| always | adverb | At all times; ever; perpetually; throughout all time; continually; as, God is always the same., Constancy during a certain period, or regularly at stated intervals; invariably; uniformly; — opposed to sometimes or occasionally. |
| amadou | noun | A spongy, combustible substance, prepared from fungus (Boletus and Polyporus) which grows on old trees; German tinder; punk. It has been employed as a styptic by surgeons, but its common use is as tinder, for which purpose it is prepared by soaking it in a strong solution of niter. |
| amazed | imp. & past participle | of Amaze |
| amazon | noun | One of a fabulous race of female warriors in Scythia; hence, a female warrior., A tall, strong, masculine woman; a virago., A name numerous species of South American parrots of the genus Chrysotis |
| ambigu | noun | An entertainment at which a medley of dishes is set on at the same time. |
| ambled | imp. & past participle | of Amble |
| ambler | noun | A horse or a person that ambles. |
| ambush | verb t. | A disposition or arrangement of troops for attacking an enemy unexpectedly from a concealed station. Hence: Unseen peril; a device to entrap; a snare., A concealed station, where troops or enemies lie in wait to attack by surprise., The troops posted in a concealed place, for attacking by surprise; liers in wait., To station in ambush with a view to surprise an enemy., To attack by ambush; to waylay., To lie in wait, for the purpose of attacking by surprise; to lurk. |
| amende | noun | A pecuniary punishment or fine; a reparation or recantation. |
| amends | noun sing. & pl. | Compensation for a loss or injury; recompense; reparation. |
| amenta | plural | of Amentum |
| amerce | verb t. | To punish by a pecuniary penalty, the amount of which is not fixed by law, but left to the discretion of the court; as, the amerced the criminal in the sum on the hundred dollars., To punish, in general; to mulct. |
| amidin | noun | Start modified by heat so as to become a transparent mass, like horn. It is soluble in cold water. |
| amidst | preposition | Alt. of Amid |
| amioid | adjective | Like or pertaining to the Amioidei., One of the Amioidei. |
| ammite | noun | Oolite or roestone; — written also hammite. |
| amnion | noun | A thin membrane surrounding the embryos of mammals, birds, and reptiles. |
| amnios | noun | Same as Amnion. |
| amoeba | noun | A rhizopod. common in fresh water, capable of undergoing many changes of form at will. See Rhizopoda. |
| amomum | noun | A genus of aromatic plants. It includes species which bear cardamoms, and grains of paradise. |
| amoret | noun | An amorous girl or woman; a wanton., A love knot, love token, or love song. (pl.) Love glances or love tricks., A petty love affair or amour. |
| amorwe | adverb | In the morning., On the following morning. |
| amotus | adjective | Elevated, — as a toe, when raised so high that the tip does not touch the ground. |
| amount | noun | To go up; to ascend., To rise or reach by an accumulation of particular sums or quantities; to come (to) in the aggregate or whole; — with to or unto., To rise, reach, or extend in effect, substance, or influence; to be equivalent; to come practically (to); as, the testimony amounts to very little., To signify; to amount to., The sum total of two or more sums or quantities; the aggregate; the whole quantity; a totality; as, the amount of 7 and 9 is 16; the amount of a bill; the amount of this year’s revenue., The effect, substance, value, significance, or result; the sum; as, the amount of the testimony is this. |
| ampere | noun | Alt. of Ampere, The unit of electric current; — defined by the International Electrical Congress in 1893 and by U. S. Statute as, one tenth of the unit of current of the C. G. S. system of electro-magnetic units, or the practical equivalent of the unvarying current which, when passed through a standard solution of nitrate of silver in water, deposits silver at the rate of 0.001118 grams per second. Called also the international ampere. |
| amphi- | A prefix in words of Greek origin, signifying both, of both kinds, on both sides, about, around. | |
| amphid | noun | A salt of the class formed by the combination of an acid and a base, or by the union of two oxides, two sulphides, selenides, or tellurides, as distinguished from a haloid compound. |
| amrita | noun | Immortality; also, the nectar conferring immortality., Ambrosial; immortal. |
| amulet | noun | An ornament, gem, or scroll, or a package containing a relic, etc., worn as a charm or preservative against evils or mischief, such as diseases and witchcraft, and generally inscribed with mystic forms or characters. [Also used figuratively.] |
| amused | imp. & past participle | of Amuse, Diverted., Expressing amusement; as, an amused look. |
| amuser | noun | One who amuses. |
| amylic | adjective | Pertaining to, or derived from, amyl; as, amylic ether. |
| amyous | adjective | Wanting in muscle; without flesh. |
| anabas | noun | A genus of fishes, remarkable for their power of living long out of water, and of making their way on land for considerable distances, and for climbing trees; the climbing fishes. |
| anadem | noun | A garland or fillet; a chaplet or wreath. |
| anakim | noun pl. | Alt. of Anaks |
| ananas | noun | The pineapple (Ananassa sativa). |
| anarch | noun | The author of anarchy; one who excites revolt. |
| anatto | noun | Same as Annotto. |
| anbury | noun | Alt. of Ambury |
| ambury | noun | A soft tumor or bloody wart on horses or oxen., A disease of the roots of turnips, etc.; — called also fingers and toes. |
| anchor | noun | A iron instrument which is attached to a ship by a cable (rope or chain), and which, being cast overboard, lays hold of the earth by a fluke or hook and thus retains the ship in a particular station., Any instrument or contrivance serving a purpose like that of a ship’s anchor, as an arrangement of timber to hold a dam fast; a contrivance to hold the end of a bridge cable, or other similar part; a contrivance used by founders to hold the core of a mold in place., Fig.: That which gives stability or security; that on which we place dependence for safety., An emblem of hope., A metal tie holding adjoining parts of a building together., Carved work, somewhat resembling an anchor or arrowhead; — a part of the ornaments of certain moldings. It is seen in the echinus, or egg-and-anchor (called also egg-and-dart, egg-and-tongue) ornament., One of the anchor-shaped spicules of certain sponges; also, one of the calcareous spinules of certain Holothurians, as in species of Synapta., To place at anchor; to secure by an anchor; as, to anchor a ship., To fix or fasten; to fix in a stable condition; as, to anchor the cables of a suspension bridge., To cast anchor; to come to anchor; as, our ship (or the captain) anchored in the stream., To stop; to fix or rest., An anchoret. |
| ancile | noun | The sacred shield of the Romans, said to have-fallen from heaven in the reign of Numa. It was the palladium of Rome. |
| ancome | noun | A small ulcerous swelling, coming suddenly; also, a whitlow. |
| ancone | noun | The corner or quoin of a wall, cross-beam, or rafter., A bracket supporting a cornice; a console. |
| ancony | noun | A piece of malleable iron, wrought into the shape of a bar in the middle, but unwrought at the ends. |
| andean | adjective | Pertaining to the Andes. |
| andine | adjective | Andean; as, Andine flora. |
| andron | noun | The apartment appropriated for the males. This was in the lower part of the house. |
| aneath | preposition & adverb | Beneath. |
| anenst | adjective | Alt. of Anent |
| anetic | adjective | Soothing. |
| angina | noun | Any inflammatory affection of the throat or faces, as the quinsy, malignant sore throat, croup, etc., especially such as tends to produce suffocation, choking, or shortness of breath. |
| angio- | A prefix, or combining form, in numerous compounds, usually relating to seed or blood vessels, or to something contained in, or covered by, a vessel. | |
| angled | imp. & past participle | of Angle, Having an angle or angles; — used in compounds; as, right-angled, many-angled, etc. |
| angler | noun | One who angles., A fish (Lophius piscatorius), of Europe and America, having a large, broad, and depressed head, with the mouth very large. Peculiar appendages on the head are said to be used to entice fishes within reach. Called also fishing frog, frogfish, toadfish, goosefish, allmouth, monkfish, etc. |
| angles | noun pl. | An ancient Low German tribe, that settled in Britain, which came to be called Engla-land (Angleland or England). The Angles probably came from the district of Angeln (now within the limits of Schleswig), and the country now Lower Hanover, etc. |
| anglic | adjective | Anglian. |
| anglo- | A combining form meaning the same as English; or English and, or English conjoined with; as, Anglo-Turkish treaty, Anglo-German, Anglo-Irish. | |
| angola | noun | A fabric made from the wool of the Angora goat. |
| angora | noun | A city of Asia Minor (or Anatolia) which has given its name to a goat, a cat, etc. |
| angust | adjective | Narrow; strait. |
| anhang | verb t. | To hang. |
| anhele | verb i. | To pant; to be breathlessly anxious or eager (for). |
| anhima | noun | A South American aquatic bird; the horned screamer or kamichi (Palamedea cornuta). See Kamichi. |
| anicut | noun | Alt. of Annicut |
| anient | verb t. | Alt. of Anientise |
| anight | adverb | Alt. of Anights |
| anilic | adjective | Pertaining to, or obtained from, anil; indigotic; — applied to an acid formed by the action of nitric acid on indigo. |
| animal | noun | An organized living being endowed with sensation and the power of voluntary motion, and also characterized by taking its food into an internal cavity or stomach for digestion; by giving carbonic acid to the air and taking oxygen in the process of respiration; and by increasing in motive power or active aggressive force with progress to maturity., One of the lower animals; a brute or beast, as distinguished from man; as, men and animals., Of or relating to animals; as, animal functions., Pertaining to the merely sentient part of a creature, as distinguished from the intellectual, rational, or spiritual part; as, the animal passions or appetites., Consisting of the flesh of animals; as, animal food. |
| animus | noun | Animating spirit; intention; temper. |
| anisic | adjective | Of or derived from anise; as, anisic acid; anisic alcohol. |
| ankled | adjective | Having ankles; — used in composition; as, well-ankled. |
| anklet | noun | An ornament or a fetter for the ankle; an ankle ring. |
| anlace | noun | A broad dagger formerly worn at the girdle. |
| annals | noun pl. | A relation of events in chronological order, each event being recorded under the year in which it happened., Historical records; chronicles; history., The record of a single event or item., A periodic publication, containing records of discoveries, transactions of societies, etc.; as “Annals of Science.” |
| annats | noun pl. | Alt. of Annates |
| anneal | verb t. | To subject to great heat, and then cool slowly, as glass, cast iron, steel, or other metal, for the purpose of rendering it less brittle; to temper; to toughen., To heat, as glass, tiles, or earthenware, in order to fix the colors laid on them. |
| annual | adjective | Of or pertaining to a year; returning every year; coming or happening once in the year; yearly., Performed or accomplished in a year; reckoned by the year; as, the annual motion of the earth., Lasting or continuing only one year or one growing season; requiring to be renewed every year; as, an annual plant; annual tickets., A thing happening or returning yearly; esp. a literary work published once a year., Anything, especially a plant, that lasts but one year or season; an annual plant., A Mass for a deceased person or for some special object, said daily for a year or on the anniversary day. |
| annuli | plural | of Annulus |
| anodon | noun | A genus of fresh-water bivalves, having no teeth at the hinge. |
| anoint | verb t. | To smear or rub over with oil or an unctuous substance; also, to spread over, as oil., To apply oil to or to pour oil upon, etc., as a sacred rite, especially for consecration., Anointed. |
| anolis | noun | A genus of lizards which belong to the family Iguanidae. They take the place in the New World of the chameleons in the Old, and in America are often called chameleons. |
| anomal | noun | Anything anomalous. |
| anomia | noun | A genus of bivalve shells, allied to the oyster, so called from their unequal valves, of which the lower is perforated for attachment. |
| anonym | noun | One who is anonymous; also sometimes used for “pseudonym.”, A notion which has no name, or which can not be expressed by a single English word. |
| anopla | noun pl. | One of the two orders of Nemerteans. See Nemertina. |
| anopsy | adjective | Want or defect of sight; blindness. |
| anotta | noun | See Annotto. |
| anoura | noun | See Anura. |
| answer | noun | To speak in defense against; to reply to in defense; as, to answer a charge; to answer an accusation., To speak or write in return to, as in return to a call or question, or to a speech, declaration, argument, or the like; to reply to (a question, remark, etc.); to respond to., To respond to satisfactorily; to meet successfully by way of explanation, argument, or justification, and the like; to refute., To be or act in return or response to., To be or act in compliance with, in fulfillment or satisfaction of, as an order, obligation, demand; as, he answered my claim upon him; the servant answered the bell., To render account to or for., To atone; to be punished for., To be opposite to; to face., To be or act an equivalent to, or as adequate or sufficient for; to serve for; to repay., To be or act in accommodation, conformity, relation, or proportion to; to correspond to; to suit., To speak or write by way of return (originally, to a charge), or in reply; to make response., To make a satisfactory response or return., To render account, or to be responsible; to be accountable; to make amends; as, the man must answer to his employer for the money intrusted to his care., To be or act in return., To be or act by way of compliance, fulfillment, reciprocation, or satisfaction; to serve the purpose; as, gypsum answers as a manure on some soils., To be opposite, or to act in opposition., To be or act as an equivalent, or as adequate or sufficient; as, a very few will answer., To be or act in conformity, or by way of accommodation, correspondence, relation, or proportion; to conform; to correspond; to suit; — usually with to., A reply to a change; a defense., Something said or written in reply to a question, a call, an argument, an address, or the like; a reply., Something done in return for, or in consequence of, something else; a responsive action., A solution, the result of a mathematical operation; as, the answer to a problem., A counter-statement of facts in a course of pleadings; a confutation of what the other party has alleged; a responsive declaration by a witness in reply to a question. In Equity, it is the usual form of defense to the complainant’s charges in his bill. |
| anteal | adjective | Being before, or in front. |
| anthem | noun | Formerly, a hymn sung in alternate parts, in present usage, a selection from the Psalms, or other parts of the Scriptures or the liturgy, set to sacred music., A song or hymn of praise., To celebrate with anthems. |
| anther | noun | That part of the stamen containing the pollen, or fertilizing dust, which, when mature, is emitted for the impregnation of the ovary. |
| antiae | noun pl. | The two projecting feathered angles of the forehead of some birds; the frontal points. |
| antiar | noun | A Virulent poison prepared in Java from the gum resin of one species of the upas tree (Antiaris toxicaria). |
| antler | noun | The entire horn, or any branch of the horn, of a cervine animal, as of a stag. |
| antlia | noun | The spiral tubular proboscis of lepidopterous insects. See Lepidoptera. |
| antral | adjective | Relating to an antrum. |
| antrum | noun | A cavern or cavity, esp. an anatomical cavity or sinus |
| anubis | noun | An Egyptian deity, the conductor of departed spirits, represented by a human figure with the head of a dog or fox. |
| anyhow | adverb | In any way or manner whatever; at any rate; in any event. |
| anyone | noun | One taken at random rather than by selection; anybody. [Commonly written as two words.] |
| anyway | adverb | Alt. of Anyways |
| aonian | adjective | Pertaining to Aonia, in B/otia, or to the Muses, who were supposed to dwell there. |
| aorist | noun | A tense in the Greek language, which expresses an action as completed in past time, but leaves it, in other respects, wholly indeterminate. |
| aortic | adjective | Of or pertaining to the aorta. |
| aoudad | noun | An African sheeplike quadruped (the Ammotragus tragelaphus) having a long mane on the breast and fore legs. It is, perhaps, the chamois of the Old Testament. |
| apathy | noun | Want of feeling; privation of passion, emotion, or excitement; dispassion; — applied either to the body or the mind. As applied to the mind, it is a calmness, indolence, or state of indifference, incapable of being ruffled or roused to active interest or exertion by pleasure, pain, or passion. |
| apaume | noun | See Appaume. |
| apepsy | noun | Defective digestion, indigestion. |
| aperea | noun | The wild Guinea pig of Brazil (Cavia aperea). |
| apexes | plural | of Apex |
| apices | plural | of Apex, See Apex. |
| aphasy | noun | Loss of the power of speech, or of the appropriate use of words, the vocal organs remaining intact, and the intelligence being preserved. It is dependent on injury or disease of the brain. |
| aphony | noun | Loss of voice or vocal utterance. |
| aphtha | noun | One of the whitish specks called aphthae., The disease, also called thrush. |
| apiary | noun | A place where bees are kept; a stand or shed for bees; a beehouse. |
| apical | adjective | At or belonging to an apex, tip, or summit. |
| apiece | adverb | Each by itself; by the single one; to each; as the share of each; as, these melons cost a shilling apiece. |
| apiked | adjective | Trimmed. |
| aplomb | noun | Assurance of manner or of action; self-possession. |
| apnoea | noun | Partial privation or suspension of breath; suffocation. |
| apodal | noun | Without feet; footless., Destitute of the ventral fin, as the eels. |
| apodes | plural | of Apode, An order of fishes without ventral fins, including the eels., A group of holothurians destitute of suckers. See Apneumona. |
| apodan | adjective | Apodal. |
| apogee | noun | That point in the orbit of the moon which is at the greatest distance from the earth., Fig.: The farthest or highest point; culmination. |
| apoise | adverb | Balanced. |
| apolar | adjective | Having no radiating processes; — applied particularly to certain nerve cells. |
| apollo | noun | A deity among the Greeks and Romans. He was the god of light and day (the “sun god”), of archery, prophecy, medicine, poetry, and music, etc., and was represented as the model of manly grace and beauty; — called also Phebus. |
| aporia | noun | A figure in which the speaker professes to be at a loss what course to pursue, where to begin to end, what to say, etc. |
| apozem | noun | A decoction or infusion. |
| appair | verb t. & i. | To impair; to grow worse. |
| appall | adjective | To make pale; to blanch., To weaken; to enfeeble; to reduce; as, an old appalled wight., To depress or discourage with fear; to impress with fear in such a manner that the mind shrinks, or loses its firmness; to overcome with sudden terror or horror; to dismay; as, the sight appalled the stoutest heart., To grow faint; to become weak; to become dismayed or discouraged., To lose flavor or become stale., Terror; dismay. |
| appeal | verb t. | To make application for the removal of (a cause) from an inferior to a superior judge or court for a rehearing or review on account of alleged injustice or illegality in the trial below. We say, the cause was appealed from an inferior court., To charge with a crime; to accuse; to institute a private criminal prosecution against for some heinous crime; as, to appeal a person of felony., To summon; to challenge., To invoke., To apply for the removal of a cause from an inferior to a superior judge or court for the purpose of reexamination of for decision., To call upon another to decide a question controverted, to corroborate a statement, to vindicate one’s rights, etc.; as, I appeal to all mankind for the truth of what is alleged. Hence: To call on one for aid; to make earnest request., An application for the removal of a cause or suit from an inferior to a superior judge or court for reexamination or review., The mode of proceeding by which such removal is effected., The right of appeal., An accusation; a process which formerly might be instituted by one private person against another for some heinous crime demanding punishment for the particular injury suffered, rather than for the offense against the public., An accusation of a felon at common law by one of his accomplices, which accomplice was then called an approver. See Approvement., A summons to answer to a charge., A call upon a person or an authority for proof or decision, in one’s favor; reference to another as witness; a call for help or a favor; entreaty., Resort to physical means; recourse. |
| appear | verb i. | To come or be in sight; to be in view; to become visible., To come before the public; as, a great writer appeared at that time., To stand in presence of some authority, tribunal, or superior person, to answer a charge, plead a cause, or the like; to present one’s self as a party or advocate before a court, or as a person to be tried., To become visible to the apprehension of the mind; to be known as a subject of observation or comprehension, or as a thing proved; to be obvious or manifest., To seem; to have a certain semblance; to look., Appearance. |
| append | verb t. | To hang or attach to, as by a string, so that the thing is suspended; as, a seal appended to a record; the inscription was appended to the column., To add, as an accessory to the principal thing; to annex; as, notes appended to this chapter. |
| appete | verb t. | To seek for; to desire. |
| appian | adjective | Of or pertaining to Appius. |
| applot | verb t. | To divide into plots or parts; to apportion. |
| appose | verb t. | To place opposite or before; to put or apply (one thing to another)., To place in juxtaposition or proximity., To put questions to; to examine; to try. [Obs.] See Pose. |
| aptate | verb t. | To make fit. |
| aptera | noun pl. | Insects without wings, constituting the seventh Linnaen order of insects, an artificial group, which included Crustacea, spiders, centipeds, and even worms. These animals are now placed in several distinct classes and orders. |
| aptote | noun | A noun which has no distinction of cases; an indeclinable noun. |
| aquila | noun | A genus of eagles., A northern constellation southerly from Lyra and Cygnus and preceding the Dolphin; the Eagle. |
| aquose | adjective | Watery; aqueous. |
| arabic | adjective | Of or pertaining to Arabia or the Arabians., The language of the Arabians. |
| arabin | noun | A carbohydrate, isomeric with cane sugar, contained in gum arabic, from which it is extracted as a white, amorphous substance., Mucilage, especially that made of gum arabic. |
| arable | adjective | Fit for plowing or tillage; — hence, often applied to land which has been plowed or tilled., Arable land; plow land. |
| araise | verb t. | To raise. |
| arango | noun | A bead of rough carnelian. Arangoes were formerly imported from Bombay for use in the African slave trade. |
| arbute | noun | The strawberry tree, a genus of evergreen shrubs, of the Heath family. It has a berry externally resembling the strawberry; the arbute tree. |
| arcade | noun | A series of arches with the columns or piers which support them, the spandrels above, and other necessary appurtenances; sometimes open, serving as an entrance or to give light; sometimes closed at the back (as in the cut) and forming a decorative feature., A long, arched building or gallery., An arched or covered passageway or avenue. |
| arcane | adjective | Hidden; secret. |
| arcana | plural | of Arcanum |
| arched | imp. & past participle | of Arch, Made with an arch or curve; covered with an arch; as, an arched door. |
| archer | noun | A bowman, one skilled in the use of the bow and arrow. |
| arches | pl. of Arch, n. | |
| archi- | A prefix signifying chief, arch; as, architect, archiepiscopal. In Biol. and Anat. it usually means primitive, original, ancestral; as, archipterygium, the primitive fin or wing. | |
| archil | noun | A violet dye obtained from several species of lichen (Roccella tinctoria, etc.), which grow on maritime rocks in the Canary and Cape Verd Islands, etc., The plant from which the dye is obtained. |
| archly | adverb | In an arch manner; with attractive slyness or roguishness; slyly; waggishly. |
| archon | noun | One of the chief magistrates in ancient Athens, especially, by preeminence, the first of the nine chief magistrates. |
| arctic | adjective | Pertaining to, or situated under, the northern constellation called the Bear; northern; frigid; as, the arctic pole, circle, region, ocean; an arctic expedition, night, temperature., The arctic circle., A warm waterproof overshoe. |
| arcual | adjective | Of or pertaining to an arc. |
| ardent | adjective | Hot or burning; causing a sensation of burning; fiery; as, ardent spirits, that is, distilled liquors; an ardent fever., Having the appearance or quality of fire; fierce; glowing; shining; as, ardent eyes., Warm, applied to the passions and affections; passionate; fervent; zealous; vehement; as, ardent love, feelings, zeal, hope, temper. |
| arenas | plural | of Arena |
| arenae | plural | of Arena |
| arenga | noun | A palm tree (Saguerus saccharifer) which furnishes sago, wine, and fibers for ropes; the gomuti palm. |
| areola | noun | An interstice or small space, as between the cracks of the surface in certain crustaceous lichens; or as between the fibers composing organs or vessels that interlace; or as between the nervures of an insect’s wing., The colored ring around the nipple, or around a vesicle or pustule. |
| areole | noun | Same as Areola. |
| argali | noun | A species of wild sheep (Ovis ammon, or O. argali), remarkable for its large horns. It inhabits the mountains of Siberia and central Asia. |
| argala | noun | The adjutant bird. |
| argean | adjective | Pertaining to the ship Argo. See Argo. |
| argent | noun | Silver, or money., Whiteness; anything that is white., The white color in coats of arms, intended to represent silver, or, figuratively, purity, innocence, beauty, or gentleness; — represented in engraving by a plain white surface., Made of silver; of a silvery color; white; shining. |
| argive | adjective | Of or performance to Argos, the capital of Argolis in Greece., A native of Argos. Often used as a generic term, equivalent to Grecian or Greek. |
| argoan | adjective | Pertaining to the ship Argo. |
| argosy | noun | A large ship, esp. a merchant vessel of the largest size. |
| argued | imp. & past participle | of Argue |
| arguer | noun | One who argues; a reasoner; a disputant. |
| argufy | verb t. & i. | To argue pertinaciously., To signify. |
| argute | adjective | Sharp; shrill., Sagacious; acute; subtle; shrewd. |
| aright | adverb | Rightly; correctly; in a right way or form; without mistake or crime; as, to worship God aright. |
| ariled | adjective | Having an aril. |
| ariman | noun | See Ahriman. |
| ariose | adjective | Characterized by melody, as distinguished from harmony. |
| arioso | adverb & adjective | In the smooth and melodious style of an air; ariose. |
| arisen | past participle | of Arise |
| arista | noun | An awn. |
| arkite | adjective | Belonging to the ark. |
| arming | present participle & vb. noun | of Arm, The act of furnishing with, or taking, arms., A piece of tallow placed in a cavity at the lower end of a sounding lead, to bring up the sand, shells, etc., of the sea bottom., Red dress cloths formerly hung fore and aft outside of a ship’s upper works on holidays. |
| armada | verb t. | A fleet of armed ships; a squadron. Specifically, the Spanish fleet which was sent to assail England, a. d. 1558. |
| armado | noun | Armada. |
| armful | noun | As much as the arm can hold. |
| armlet | noun | A small arm; as, an armlet of the sea., An arm ring; a bracelet for the upper arm., Armor for the arm. |
| armory | noun | A place where arms and instruments of war are deposited for safe keeping., Armor; defensive and offensive arms., A manufactory of arms, as rifles, muskets, pistols, bayonets, swords., Ensigns armorial; armorial bearings., That branch of heraldry which treats of coat armor. |
| armpit | noun | The hollow beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder; the axilla. |
| armure | noun | Armor., A variety of twilled fabric ribbed on the surface. |
| arnica | noun | A genus of plants; also, the most important species (Arnica montana), native of the mountains of Europe, used in medicine as a narcotic and stimulant. |
| aroint | interj. | Stand off, or begone., To drive or scare off by some exclamation. |
| around | adverb | In a circle; circularly; on every side; round., In a circuit; here and there within the surrounding space; all about; as, to travel around from town to town., Near; in the neighborhood; as, this man was standing around when the fight took place., On all sides of; encircling; encompassing; so as to make the circuit of; about., From one part to another of; at random through; about; on another side of; as, to travel around the country; a house standing around the corner. |
| arouse | verb t. | To excite to action from a state of rest; to stir, or put in motion or exertion; to rouse; to excite; as, to arouse one from sleep; to arouse the dormant faculties. |
| aroynt | interj. | See Aroint. |
| arpent | noun | Alt. of Arpen |
| arpine | noun | An arpent. |
| arrach | noun | See Orach. |
| arrack | noun | A name in the East Indies and the Indian islands for all ardent spirits. Arrack is often distilled from a fermented mixture of rice, molasses, and palm wine of the cocoanut tree or the date palm, etc. |
| arrant | adjective | Notoriously or preeminently bad; thorough or downright, in a bad sense; shameless; unmitigated; as, an arrant rogue or coward., Thorough or downright, in a good sense. |
| arrear | adverb | To or in the rear; behind; backwards., That which is behind in payment, or which remains unpaid, though due; esp. a remainder, or balance which remains due when some part has been paid; arrearage; — commonly used in the plural, as, arrears of rent, wages, or taxes. |
| arrect | adjective | Alt. of Arrected, To direct., To impute. |
| arrest | verb t. | To stop; to check or hinder the motion or action of; as, to arrest the current of a river; to arrest the senses., To take, seize, or apprehend by authority of law; as, to arrest one for debt, or for a crime., To seize on and fix; to hold; to catch; as, to arrest the eyes or attention., To rest or fasten; to fix; to concentrate., To tarry; to rest., The act of stopping, or restraining from further motion, etc.; stoppage; hindrance; restraint; as, an arrest of development., The taking or apprehending of a person by authority of law; legal restraint; custody. Also, a decree, mandate, or warrant., Any seizure by power, physical or moral., A scurfiness of the back part of the hind leg of a horse; — also named rat-tails. |
| arride | verb t. | To please; to gratify. |
| arrish | noun | The stubble of wheat or grass; a stubble field; eddish. |
| arrive | verb i. | To come to the shore or bank. In present usage: To come in progress by water, or by traveling on land; to reach by water or by land; — followed by at (formerly sometimes by to), also by in and from., To reach a point by progressive motion; to gain or compass an object by effort, practice, study, inquiry, reasoning, or experiment., To come; said of time; as, the time arrived., To happen or occur., To bring to shore., To reach; to come to., Arrival. |
| arroba | noun | A Spanish weight used in Mexico and South America = 25.36 lbs. avoir.; also, an old Portuguese weight, used in Brazil = 32.38 lbs. avoir., A Spanish liquid measure for wine = 3.54 imp. gallons, and for oil = 2.78 imp. gallons. |
| arrose | verb t. | To drench; to besprinkle; to moisten. |
| arrowy | adjective | Consisting of arrows., Formed or moving like, or in any respect resembling, an arrow; swift; darting; piercing. |
| arroyo | noun | A water course; a rivulet., The dry bed of a small stream. |
| arsine | noun | A compound of arsenic and hydrogen, AsH3, a colorless and exceedingly poisonous gas, having an odor like garlic; arseniureted hydrogen. |
| artery | noun | The trachea or windpipe., One of the vessels or tubes which carry either venous or arterial blood from the heart. They have tricker and more muscular walls than veins, and are connected with them by capillaries., Hence: Any continuous or ramified channel of communication; as, arteries of trade or commerce. |
| artful | adjective | Performed with, or characterized by, art or skill., Artificial; imitative., Using or exhibiting much art, skill, or contrivance; dexterous; skillful., Cunning; disposed to cunning indirectness of dealing; crafty; as, an artful boy. [The usual sense.] |
| arthen | adjective | Same as |
| artiad | adjective | Even; not odd; — said of elementary substances and of radicals the valence of which is divisible by two without a remainder. |
| artist | noun | One who practices some mechanic art or craft; an artisan., One who professes and practices an art in which science and taste preside over the manual execution., One who shows trained skill or rare taste in any manual art or occupation., An artful person; a schemer. |
| ascend | verb i. | To move upward; to mount; to go up; to rise; — opposed to descend., To rise, in a figurative sense; to proceed from an inferior to a superior degree, from mean to noble objects, from particulars to generals, from modern to ancient times, from one note to another more acute, etc.; as, our inquiries ascend to the remotest antiquity; to ascend to our first progenitor., To go or move upward upon or along; to climb; to mount; to go up the top of; as, to ascend a hill, a ladder, a tree, a river, a throne. |
| ascent | The act of rising; motion upward; rise; a mounting upward; as, he made a tedious ascent; the ascent of vapors from the earth., The way or means by which one ascends., An eminence, hill, or high place., The degree of elevation of an object, or the angle it makes with a horizontal line; inclination; rising grade; as, a road has an ascent of five degrees. | |
| ascham | noun | A sort of cupboard, or case, to contain bows and other implements of archery. |
| ascian | noun | One of the Ascii. |
| ashame | verb t. | To shame. |
| ashery | noun | A depository for ashes., A place where potash is made. |
| ashine | adjective | Shining; radiant. |
| ashlar | noun | Alt. of Ashler |
| ashler | noun | Hewn or squared stone; also, masonry made of squared or hewn stone., In the United States especially, a thin facing of squared and dressed stone upon a wall of rubble or brick. |
| ashore | adverb | On shore or on land; on the land adjacent to water; to the shore; to the land; aground (when applied to a ship); — sometimes opposed to aboard or afloat. |
| asilus | noun | A genus of large and voracious two-winged flies, including the bee killer and robber fly. |
| asitia | noun | Want of appetite; loathing of food. |
| asking | present participle & vb. noun | of Ask, The act of inquiring or requesting; a petition; solicitation., The publishing of banns. |
| askant | adverb | Sideways; obliquely; with a side glance; with disdain, envy, or suspicion. |
| aslake | verb t. & i. | To mitigate; to moderate; to appease; to abate; to diminish. |
| aslant | adverb & adjective | Toward one side; in a slanting direction; obliquely., In a slanting direction over; athwart. |
| asleep | adjective & adverb | In a state of sleep; in sleep; dormant., In the sleep of the grave; dead., Numbed, and, usually, tingling. |
| aslope | adverb & adjective | Slopingly; aslant; declining from an upright direction; sloping. |
| asmear | adjective | Smeared over. |
| aspect | noun | The act of looking; vision; gaze; glance., Look, or particular appearance of the face; countenance; mien; air., Appearance to the eye or the mind; look; view., Position or situation with regard to seeing; that position which enables one to look in a particular direction; position in relation to the points of the compass; as, a house has a southern aspect, that is, a position which faces the south., Prospect; outlook., The situation of planets or stars with respect to one another, or the angle formed by the rays of light proceeding from them and meeting at the eye; the joint look of planets or stars upon each other or upon the earth., The influence of the stars for good or evil; as, an ill aspect., To behold; to look at. |
| aspire | verb t. | To desire with eagerness; to seek to attain something high or great; to pant; to long; — followed by to or after, and rarely by at; as, to aspire to a crown; to aspire after immorality., To rise; to ascend; to tower; to soar., To aspire to; to long for; to try to reach; to mount to., Aspiration. |
| aspish | adjective | Pertaining to, or like, an asp. |
| asquat | adverb & adjective | Squatting. |
| assail | verb t. | To attack with violence, or in a vehement and hostile manner; to assault; to molest; as, to assail a man with blows; to assail a city with artillery., To encounter or meet purposely with the view of mastering, as an obstacle, difficulty, or the like., To attack morally, or with a view to produce changes in the feelings, character, conduct, existing usages, institutions; to attack by words, hostile influence, etc.; as, to assail one with appeals, arguments, abuse, ridicule, and the like. |
| assart | noun | The act or offense of grubbing up trees and bushes, and thus destroying the thickets or coverts of a forest., A piece of land cleared of trees and bushes, and fitted for cultivation; a clearing., To grub up, as trees; to commit an assart upon; as, to assart land or trees. |
| assent | verb t. | To admit a thing as true; to express one’s agreement, acquiescence, concurrence, or concession., The act of assenting; the act of the mind in admitting or agreeing to anything; concurrence with approval; consent; agreement; acquiescence. |
| assert | verb t. | To affirm; to declare with assurance, or plainly and strongly; to state positively; to aver; to asseverate., To maintain; to defend., To maintain or defend, as a cause or a claim, by words or measures; to vindicate a claim or title to; as, to assert our rights and liberties. |
| assess | verb | To value; to make a valuation or official estimate of for the purpose of taxation., To apportion a sum to be paid by (a person, a community, or an estate), in the nature of a tax, fine, etc.; to impose a tax upon (a person, an estate, or an income) according to a rate or apportionment., To determine and impose a tax or fine upon (a person, community, estate, or income); to tax; as, the club assessed each member twenty-five cents., To fix or determine the rate or amount of. |
| assets | noun pl. | Property of a deceased person, subject by law to the payment of his debts and legacies; — called assets because sufficient to render the executor or administrator liable to the creditors and legatees, so far as such goods or estate may extend., Effects of an insolvent debtor or bankrupt, applicable to the payment of debts., The entire property of all sorts, belonging to a person, a corporation, or an estate; as, the assets of a merchant or a trading association; — opposed to liabilities. |
| assign | verb t. | To appoint; to allot; to apportion; to make over., To fix, specify, select, or designate; to point out authoritatively or exactly; as, to assign a limit; to assign counsel for a prisoner; to assign a day for trial., To transfer, or make over to another, esp. to transfer to, and vest in, certain persons, called assignees, for the benefit of creditors., A thing pertaining or belonging to something else; an appurtenance., A person to whom property or an interest is transferred; as, a deed to a man and his heirs and assigns. |
| assish | adjective | Resembling an ass; asinine; stupid or obstinate. |
| assist | verb t. | To give support to in some undertaking or effort, or in time of distress; to help; to aid; to succor., To lend aid; to help., To be present as a spectator; as, to assist at a public meeting. |
| assize | noun | An assembly of knights and other substantial men, with a bailiff or justice, in a certain place and at a certain time, for public business., A special kind of jury or inquest., A kind of writ or real action., A verdict or finding of a jury upon such writ., A statute or ordinance in general. Specifically: (1) A statute regulating the weight, measure, and proportions of ingredients and the price of articles sold in the market; as, the assize of bread and other provisions; (2) A statute fixing the standard of weights and measures., Anything fixed or reduced to a certainty in point of time, number, quantity, quality, weight, measure, etc.; as, rent of assize., A court, the sitting or session of a court, for the trial of processes, whether civil or criminal, by a judge and jury., The periodical sessions of the judges of the superior courts in every county of England for the purpose of administering justice in the trial and determination of civil and criminal cases; — usually in the plural., The time or place of holding the court of assize; — generally in the plural, assizes., Measure; dimension; size., To assess; to value; to rate., To fix the weight, measure, or price of, by an ordinance or regulation of authority. |
| assoil | verb t. | To set free; to release., To solve; to clear up., To set free from guilt; to absolve., To expiate; to atone for., To remove; to put off., To soil; to stain. |
| assort | verb t. | To separate and distribute into classes, as things of a like kind, nature, or quality, or which are suited to a like purpose; to classify; as, to assort goods. [Rarely applied to persons.], To furnish with, or make up of, various sorts or a variety of goods; as, to assort a cargo., To agree; to be in accordance; to be adapted; to suit; to fall into a class or place. |
| assume | verb t. | To take to or upon one’s self; to take formally and demonstratively; sometimes, to appropriate or take unjustly., To take for granted, or without proof; to suppose as a fact; to suppose or take arbitrarily or tentatively., To pretend to possess; to take in appearance., To receive or adopt., To be arrogant or pretentious; to claim more than is due., To undertake, as by a promise. |
| assure | verb t. | To make sure or certain; to render confident by a promise, declaration, or other evidence., To declare to, solemnly; to assert to (any one) with the design of inspiring belief or confidence., To confirm; to make certain or secure., To affiance; to betroth., To insure; to covenant to indemnify for loss, or to pay a specified sum at death. See Insure. |
| astart | verb t. & i. | Same as Astert. |
| astate | noun | Estate; state. |
| astern | adverb | In or at the hinder part of a ship; toward the hinder part, or stern; backward; as, to go astern., Behind a ship; in the rear. |
| astert | verb t. | To start up; to befall; to escape; to shun., To escape. |
| asthma | noun | A disease, characterized by difficulty of breathing (due to a spasmodic contraction of the bronchi), recurring at intervals, accompanied with a wheezing sound, a sense of constriction in the chest, a cough, and expectoration. |
| astond | of Astone | |
| astone | verb t. | To stun; to astonish; to stupefy. |
| astony | verb t. | To stun; to bewilder; to astonish; to dismay. |
| astoop | adverb | In a stooping or inclined position. |
| astral | adjective | Pertaining to, coming from, or resembling, the stars; starry; starlike. |
| astray | adverb & adjective | Out of the right, either in a literal or in a figurative sense; wandering; as, to lead one astray. |
| astro- | The combining form of the Greek word ‘a`stron, meaning star. | |
| astrut | adjective & adverb | Sticking out, or puffed out; swelling; in a swelling manner., In a strutting manner; with a strutting gait. |
| astute | adjective | Critically discerning; sagacious; shrewd; subtle; crafty. |
| aswail | noun | The sloth bear (Melursus labiatus) of India. |
| asweve | verb t. | To stupefy. |
| aswing | adverb | In a state of swinging. |
| aswoon | adverb | In a swoon. |
| asylum | noun | A sanctuary or place of refuge and protection, where criminals and debtors found shelter, and from which they could not be forcibly taken without sacrilege., Any place of retreat and security., An institution for the protection or relief of some class of destitute, unfortunate, or afflicted persons; as, an asylum for the aged, for the blind, or for the insane; a lunatic asylum; an orphan asylum. |
| atabal | noun | A kettledrum; a kind of tabor, used by the Moors. |
| ataman | noun | A hetman, or chief of the Cossacks. |
| ataunt | adverb | Alt. of Ataunto |
| atavic | adjective | Pertaining to a remote ancestor, or to atavism. |
| ataxia | noun | Alt. of Ataxy |
| ataxic | adjective | Characterized by ataxy, that is, (a) by great irregularity of functions or symptoms, or (b) by a want of coordinating power in movements. |
| atazir | noun | The influence of a star upon other stars or upon men. |
| ateles | noun | A genus of American monkeys with prehensile tails, and having the thumb wanting or rudimentary. See Spider monkey, and Coaita. |
| athink | verb t. | To repent; to displease; to disgust. |
| atomic | adjective | Alt. of Atomical |
| at one | In concord or friendship; in agreement (with each other); as, to be, bring, make, or set, at one, i. e., to be or bring in or to a state of agreement or reconciliation., Of the same opinion; agreed; as, on these points we are at one., Together. | |
| atoned | imp. & past participle | of Atone |
| atoner | noun | One who makes atonement. |
| atonic | adjective | Characterized by atony, or want of vital energy; as, an atonic disease., Unaccented; as, an atonic syllable., Destitute of tone vocality; surd., A word that has no accent., An element of speech entirely destitute of vocality, or produced by the breath alone; a nonvocal or surd consonant; a breathing., A remedy capable of allaying organic excitement or irritation. |
| atrede | verb t. | To surpass in council. |
| atrial | adjective | Of or pertaining to an atrium. |
| atrium | noun | A square hall lighted from above, into which rooms open at one or more levels., An open court with a porch or gallery around three or more sides; especially at the entrance of a basilica or other church. The name was extended in the Middle Ages to the open churchyard or cemetery., The main part of either auricle of the heart as distinct from the auricular appendix. Also, the whole articular portion of the heart., A cavity in ascidians into which the intestine and generative ducts open, and which also receives the water from the gills. See Ascidioidea. |
| atrous | adjective | Coal-black; very black. |
| atrypa | noun | A extinct genus of Branchiopoda, very common in Silurian limestones. |
| attach | verb t. | To bind, fasten, tie, or connect; to make fast or join; as, to attach one thing to another by a string, by glue, or the like., To connect; to place so as to belong; to assign by authority; to appoint; as, an officer is attached to a certain regiment, company, or ship., To win the heart of; to connect by ties of love or self-interest; to attract; to fasten or bind by moral influence; — with to; as, attached to a friend; attaching others to us by wealth or flattery., To connect, in a figurative sense; to ascribe or attribute; to affix; — with to; as, to attach great importance to a particular circumstance., To take, seize, or lay hold of., To take by legal authority: (a) To arrest by writ, and bring before a court, as to answer for a debt, or a contempt; — applied to a taking of the person by a civil process; being now rarely used for the arrest of a criminal. (b) To seize or take (goods or real estate) by virtue of a writ or precept to hold the same to satisfy a judgment which may be rendered in the suit. See Attachment, 4., To adhere; to be attached., To come into legal operation in connection with anything; to vest; as, dower will attach., An attachment. |
| attack | verb t. | To fall upon with force; to assail, as with force and arms; to assault., To assail with unfriendly speech or writing; to begin a controversy with; to attempt to overthrow or bring into disrepute, by criticism or satire; to censure; as, to attack a man, or his opinions, in a pamphlet., To set to work upon, as upon a task or problem, or some object of labor or investigation., To begin to affect; to begin to act upon, injuriously or destructively; to begin to decompose or waste., To make an onset or attack., The act of attacking, or falling on with force or violence; an onset; an assault; — opposed to defense., An assault upon one’s feelings or reputation with unfriendly or bitter words., A setting to work upon some task, etc., An access of disease; a fit of sickness., The beginning of corrosive, decomposing, or destructive action, by a chemical agent. |
| attain | verb t. | To achieve or accomplish, that is, to reach by efforts; to gain; to compass; as, to attain rest., To gain or obtain possession of; to acquire., To get at the knowledge of; to ascertain., To reach or come to, by progression or motion; to arrive at., To overtake., To reach in excellence or degree; to equal., To come or arrive, by motion, growth, bodily exertion, or efforts toward a place, object, state, etc.; to reach., To come or arrive, by an effort of mind., Attainment. |
| attame | verb t. | To pierce; to attack., To broach; to begin. |
| attask | verb t. | To take to task; to blame. |
| attend | verb t. | To direct the attention to; to fix the mind upon; to give heed to; to regard., To care for; to look after; to take charge of; to watch over., To go or stay with, as a companion, nurse, or servant; to visit professionally, as a physician; to accompany or follow in order to do service; to escort; to wait on; to serve., To be present with; to accompany; to be united or consequent to; as, a measure attended with ill effects., To be present at; as, to attend church, school, a concert, a business meeting., To wait for; to await; to remain, abide, or be in store for., To apply the mind, or pay attention, with a view to perceive, understand, or comply; to pay regard; to heed; to listen; — usually followed by to., To accompany or be present or near at hand, in pursuance of duty; to be ready for service; to wait or be in waiting; — often followed by on or upon., (with to) To take charge of; to look after; as, to attend to a matter of business., To wait; to stay; to delay. |
| attent | verb t. | Attentive; heedful., Attention; heed. |
| attest | verb t. | To bear witness to; to certify; to affirm to be true or genuine; as, to attest the truth of a writing, a copy of record., To give proof of; to manifest; as, the ruins of Palmyra attest its ancient magnificence., To call to witness; to invoke., Witness; testimony; attestation. |
| attire | verb t. | To dress; to array; to adorn; esp., to clothe with elegant or splendid garments., Dress; clothes; headdress; anything which dresses or adorns; esp., ornamental clothing., The antlers, or antlers and scalp, of a stag or buck., The internal parts of a flower, included within the calyx and the corolla. |
| attone | adverb | See At one. |
| attorn | verb t. | To turn, or transfer homage and service, from one lord to another. This is the act of feudatories, vassals, or tenants, upon the alienation of the estate., To agree to become tenant to one to whom reversion has been granted. |
| attrap | verb t. | To entrap; to insnare., To adorn with trapping; to array. |
| attune | verb t. | To tune or put in tune; to make melodious; to adjust, as one sound or musical instrument to another; as, to attune the voice to a harp., To arrange fitly; to make accordant. |
| atwain | adverb | In twain; asunder. |
| atween | adverb or preposition | Between. |
| atwirl | adjective & adverb | Twisted; distorted; awry. |
| atwite | verb t. | To speak reproachfully of; to twit; to upbraid. |
| atwixt | adverb | Betwixt. |
| atypic | adjective | Alt. of Atypical |
| aubade | noun | An open air concert in the morning, as distinguished from an evening serenade; also, a pianoforte composition suggestive of morning. |
| auburn | adjective | Flaxen-colored., Reddish brown. |
| augean | adjective | Of or pertaining to Augeus, king of Elis, whose stable contained 3000 oxen, and had not been cleaned for 30 years. Hercules cleansed it in a single day., Hence: Exceedingly filthy or corrupt. |
| augite | noun | A variety of pyroxene, usually of a black or dark green color, occurring in igneous rocks, such as basalt; — also used instead of the general term pyroxene. |
| augrim | noun | See Algorism. |
| augury | noun | The art or practice of foretelling events by observing the actions of birds, etc.; divination., An omen; prediction; prognostication; indication of the future; presage., A rite, ceremony, or observation of an augur. |
| august | adjective | Of a quality inspiring mingled admiration and reverence; having an aspect of solemn dignity or grandeur; sublime; majestic; having exalted birth, character, state, or authority., The eighth month of the year, containing thirty-one days. |
| aumail | verb t. | To figure or variegate. |
| aumbry | noun | Same as Ambry. |
| aumery | noun | A form of Ambry, a closet; but confused with Almonry, as if a place for alms. |
| auncel | noun | A rude balance for weighing, and a kind of weight, formerly used in England. |
| aunter | verb t. | Alt. of Auntre |
| auntre | verb t. | To venture; to dare. |
| auntie | noun | Alt. of Aunty |
| aurate | noun | A combination of auric acid with a base; as, aurate or potassium. |
| auriga | noun | The Charioteer, or Wagoner, a constellation in the northern hemisphere, situated between Perseus and Gemini. It contains the bright star Capella. |
| aurist | noun | One skilled in treating and curing disorders of the ear. |
| aurora | noun | The rising light of the morning; the dawn of day; the redness of the sky just before the sun rises., The rise, dawn, or beginning., The Roman personification of the dawn of day; the goddess of the morning. The poets represented her a rising out of the ocean, in a chariot, with rosy fingers dropping gentle dew., A species of crowfoot., The aurora borealis or aurora australis (northern or southern lights). |
| aurous | adjective | Containing gold., Pertaining to, or derived from, gold; — said of those compounds of gold in which this element has its lower valence; as, aurous oxide. |
| auster | noun | The south wind. |
| austin | adjective | Augustinian; as, Austin friars. |
| author | noun | The beginner, former, or first mover of anything; hence, the efficient cause of a thing; a creator; an originator., One who composes or writes a book; a composer, as distinguished from an editor, translator, or compiler., The editor of a periodical., An informant., To occasion; to originate., To tell; to say; to declare. |
| autumn | noun | The third season of the year, or the season between summer and winter, often called “the fall.” Astronomically, it begins in the northern temperate zone at the autumnal equinox, about September 23, and ends at the winter solstice, about December 23; but in popular language, autumn, in America, comprises September, October, and November., The harvest or fruits of autumn., The time of maturity or decline; latter portion; third stage. |
| avatar | noun | The descent of a deity to earth, and his incarnation as a man or an animal; — chiefly associated with the incarnations of Vishnu., Incarnation; manifestation as an object of worship or admiration. |
| avaunt | interj. | Begone; depart; — a word of contempt or abhorrence, equivalent to the phrase “Get thee gone.”, To advance; to move forward; to elevate., To depart; to move away., To vaunt; to boast., A vaunt; to boast. |
| avener | noun | An officer of the king’s stables whose duty it was to provide oats for the horses. |
| avenge | verb t. | To take vengeance for; to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer., To treat revengefully; to wreak vengeance on., To take vengeance., Vengeance; revenge. |
| avenor | noun | See Avener. |
| avenue | noun | A way or opening for entrance into a place; a passage by which a place may by reached; a way of approach or of exit., The principal walk or approach to a house which is withdrawn from the road, especially, such approach bordered on each side by trees; any broad passageway thus bordered., A broad street; as, the Fifth Avenue in New York. |
| averse | adjective | Turned away or backward., Having a repugnance or opposition of mind; disliking; disinclined; unwilling; reluctant., To turn away. |
| avesta | noun | The Zoroastrian scriptures. See Zend-Avesta. |
| aviary | noun | A house, inclosure, large cage, or other place, for keeping birds confined; a bird house. |
| avocat | noun | An advocate. |
| avocet | noun | Alt. of Avoset |
| avoset | noun | A grallatorial bird, of the genus Recurvirostra; the scooper. The bill is long and bend upward toward the tip. The American species is R. Americana., Same as Avocet. |
| avouch | verb t. | To appeal to; to cite or claim as authority., To maintain a just or true; to vouch for., To declare or assert positively and as matter of fact; to affirm openly., To acknowledge deliberately; to admit; to confess; to sanction., Evidence; declaration. |
| avowed | imp. & past participle | of Avow, Openly acknowledged or declared; admitted. |
| avowal | noun | An open declaration; frank acknowledgment; as, an avowal of such principles. |
| avowee | noun | The person who has a right to present to a benefice; the patron; an advowee. See Advowson. |
| avower | noun | One who avows or asserts. |
| avowry | noun | An advocate; a patron; a patron saint., The act of the distrainer of goods, who, in an action of replevin, avows and justifies the taking in his own right. |
| avoyer | noun | A chief magistrate of a free imperial city or canton of Switzerland. |
| avulse | verb t. | To pluck or pull off. |
| awaked | of Awake, of Awake | |
| awaken | of Awake, To rouse from sleep or torpor; to awake; to wake. | |
| awoken | of Awake | |
| aweary | adjective | Weary. |
| aweigh | adverb | Just drawn out of the ground, and hanging perpendicularly; atrip; — said of the anchor. |
| awhape | verb t. | To confound; to terrify; to amaze. |
| awhile | adverb | For a while; for some time; for a short time. |
| awless | adjective | Wanting reverence; void of respectful fear., Inspiring no awe. |
| awning | noun | A rooflike cover, usually of canvas, extended over or before any place as a shelter from the sun, rain, or wind., That part of the poop deck which is continued forward beyond the bulkhead of the cabin. |
| awreak | verb t. & i. | Alt. of Awreke |
| awreke | verb t. & i. | To avenge. [Obs.] See Wreak. |
| awrong | adverb | Wrongly. |
| awsome | adjective | Same as Awesome. |
| axeman | See Ax, Axman. | |
| axilla | noun | The armpit, or the cavity beneath the junction of the arm and shoulder., An axil. |
| axtree | noun | Axle or axletree. |
| axunge | noun | Fat; grease; esp. the fat of pigs or geese; usually (Pharm.), lard prepared for medical use. |
| ayeins | adverb & preposition | Again; back against. |
| azalea | noun | A genus of showy flowering shrubs, mostly natives of China or of North America; false honeysuckle. The genus is scarcely distinct from Rhododendron. |
| azonic | adjective | Confined to no zone or region; not local. |
| azotic | adjective | Pertaining to azote, or nitrogen; formed or consisting of azote; nitric; as, azotic gas; azotic acid. |
| azured | adjective | Of an azure color; sky-blue. |
| azymic | adjective | Azymous. |
| atting | present participle & vb. noun | of Fat |