Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (part 12 of 60)
1. To be allied, confederated, or associated; to coalescence. [R.] Bentley.
2. To form an ecclesiastical consociation. [U.S.]
CONSOCIATION Con*so`ci*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. consociatio.]
1. Intimate union; fellowship; alliance; companionship; confederation; association; intimacy. A friendly consociation with your kindred elements. Warburton.
2. A voluntary and permanent council or union of neighboring Congregational churches, for mutual advice and co
Note: In Connecticut some of the Congregational churhes are associated in consociations and the others in conferences.
CONSOCIATIONAL Con*so`ci*a"tion*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a consociation. [U.S.]
CONSOL Con*sol", n.
Defn: A consolidated annuity (see Consols); -- chiefly in combination or attributively.
CONSOLABLE Con*sol"a*ble, a. Etym: [L. consolabilis: cf. F. consolable.]
Defn: Capable of receiving consolation.
CONSOLATE Con"so*late, v. t. Etym: [L. consolatus, p.p. See Console, v. t.]
Defn: To console; to comfort. [Obs.] Shak.
CONSOLATION Con`so*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. consolatio: cf. F. consolation.]
Defn: The act of consoling; the state of being consoled; allevation of misery or distress of mind; refreshment of spirit; comfort; that which consoles or comforts the spirit. Against such cruelties With inward consolations recompensed. Milton. Are the consolations of God small with thee Job xv. 11.
Syn. -- Comfort; solace; allevation. See Comfort.
CONSOLATION GAME; CONSOLATION MATCH; CONSOLATION POT; CONSOLATION RACE Con`so*la"tion game, match, pot, race, etc.
Defn: A game, match, etc., open only to losers in early stages of contests.
CONSOLATO DEL MARE Con`so*la"to del ma"re. Etym: [It., the consulate of the sea.]
Defn: A collection of maritime laws of disputed origin, supposed to have been first published at Barcelona early in the 14th century. It has formed the basis of most of the subsequent collections of maritime laws. Kent. Bouvier.
CONSOLATOR Con"so*la`tor, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who consoles or comforts. Johnson.
CONSOLATORY Con*sol"a*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. consolatorius.]
Defn: Of a consoling or comforting nature. The punishment of tyrants is a noble and awful act of justice; and it has with truth been said to be consolatory to the human mind. Burke.
CONSOLATORY Con*sol"a*to*ry, n.
Defn: That which consoles; a speech or writing intended for consolation. [R.] Milton.
CONSOLE Con*sole", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Consoled; p.pr. & vb.n. Consoling.] Etym: [L. consolari,. p.p. consolatus; con- + solari to console, comfort: cf. F. consoler. See Solace.]
Defn: To cheer in distress or depression; to alleviate the grief and raise the spirits of; to relieve; to comfort; to soothe. And empty heads console with empty sound. Pope. I am much consoled by the reflection that the religion of Christ has been attacked in vain by all the wits and philosophers, and its triumph has been complete. P. Henry.
Syn. -- To comfort; solace; soothe; cheer; sustain; encourage; support. See Comfort.
CONSOLE Con"sole, n. Etym: [F.] (Arch.) (a) A bracket whose projection is not more than half its height. (b) Any small bracket; also, a console table. Console table, a table whose top is supported by two or more consoles instead of legs.
CONSOLER Con*sol"er, n.
Defn: One who gives consolation.
CONSOLIDANT Con*sol"i*dant, a. Etym: [L. consolidans, p.pr. of consolidare: cf. F. consolidant.]
Defn: Serving to unite or consolidate; having the quality of consolidating or making firm.
CONSOLIDATE Con*sol"i*date, a. Etym: [L. consolidatus, p.pr. of consolidare to make firm; con- + solidare to make firm; solidus solid. See Solid, and cf. Consound.]
Defn: Formed into a solid mass; made firm; consolidated. [R.] A gentleman [should learn to ride] while he is tender and the brawns and sinews of his thighs not fully consolidate. Elyot.
CONSOLIDATE Con*sol"i*date, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Consolidated; p.pr. & vb.n. Consolidating.]
1. To make solid; to unite or press together into a compact mass; to harden or make dense and firm. He fixed and consolidated the earth. T. Burnet.
2. To unite, as various particulars, into one mass or body; to bring together in close union; to combine; as, to consolidate the armies of the republic. Consolidating numbers into unity. Wordsworth.
3. (Surg.)
Defn: To unite by means of applications, as the parts of a broken bone, or the lips of a wound. [R.]
Syn. -- To unite; combine; harden; compact; condense; compress.
CONSOLIDATE Con*sol"i*date, v. i.
Defn: To grow firm and hard; to unite and become solid; as, moist clay consolidates by drying. In hurts and ulcers of the head, dryness maketh them more apt to consolidate. Bacon.
CONSOLIDATED Con*sol"i*da`ted, p.p. & a.
1. Made solid, hard, or compact; united; joined; solidified. The Aggregate Fund . . . consisted of a great variety of taxes and surpluses of taxes and duties which were [in 1715] consolidated. Rees. A mass of partially consolidated mud. Tyndall.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Having a small surface in proportion to bulk, as in the cactus. Consolidated plants are evidently adapted and designed for very dry regions; in such only they are found. Gray. The Consolidated Fund, a British fund formed by consolidating (in 1787) three public funds (the Aggregate Fund, the General Fund, and the South Sea Fund). In 1816, the larger part of the revenues of Great Britian and Ireland was assigned to what has been known as the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom, out of which are paid the interest of the national debt, the salaries of the civil list, etc.
CONSOLIDATION Con*sol`i*da"tion, n. Etym: [L. consolidatio a confirming: cf. F. consolidation.]
1. The act or process of consolidating, making firm, or uniting; the state of being consolidated; solidification; combination. The consolidation of the marble and of the stone did not fall out at random. Woodward. The consolidation of the great European monarchies. Hallam.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: To organic cohesion of different circled in a flower; adnation.
3. (Law)
Defn: The combination of several actions into one.
CONSOLIDATIVE Con*sol"i*da*tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. consolidatif.]
Defn: Tending or having power to consolidate; healing.
CONSOLING Con*sol"ing, a.
Defn: Adapted to console or comfort; cheering; as, this is consoling news.
CONSOLS Con"sols ( or , n. pl. Etym: [A contraction of consolidated (annuities).]
Defn: The leading British funded government security.
Note: A considerable part of the public debt of Great Britian, which had been contracted in the form of annuities yielding various rates of interest, was, in 1757, consolidated into one fund at 3 per cent interest, the account of which is kept at the Bank of England. This debt has been diminished and increased at different times, and now constitutes somewhat more than half of the entire national debt. The stocks are transferable, and Their value in the market constantly fluctuates; the price at any time being regarded as a gauge of the national prosperity and public confidence.
CONSOMME Con`som`me, n. Etym: [F., lit. p.p. of consommer to finish.] (Cookery)
Defn: A clear soup or bouillion boiled down so as to be very rich.
CONSONANCE; CONSONANCY Con"so*nance, Con"so*nan*cy, n. Etym: [L. consonantia: cf. F. consonnance.]
1. (Mus.)
Defn: Accord or agreement of sounds produced simultaneously, as a note with its third, fifth, and eighth.
2. Agreement or congruity; harmony; accord; consistency; suitableness. The perfect consonancy of our persecuted church to the doctrines of Scripture and antiquity. Hammond. The optic nerve responds to the waves with which it is in consonance. Tyndall.
3. Friendship; concord. [Obs.] By the consonancy of our youth. Shak.
Syn. -- Agreement; accord; consistency; unison; harmony; congruity; suitableness; agreeableness.
CONSONANT Con"so*nant, a. Etym: [L. consonans, -antis; p.pr. of consonare to sound at the same time, agree; con- + sonare to sound: cf. F. consonnant. See Sound to make a noise.]
1. Having agreement; congruous; consistent; according; -- usually followed by with or to. Each one pretends that his opinion . . . is consonant to the words there used. Bp. Beveridge. That where much is given shall be much required is a thing consonant with natural equity. Dr. H. More.
2. Having like sounds. Consonant words and syllables. Howell.
3. (Mus.)
Defn: harmonizing together; accordant; as, consonant tones, consonant chords.
4. Of or pertaining to consonants; made up of, or containing many, consonants. No Russian whose dissonant consonant name Almost shatters to fragments the trumpet of fame. T. Moore.
CONSONANT Con"so*nant, n. Etym: [L. consonans, -antis.]
Defn: An articulate sound which in utterance is usually combined and sounded with an open sound called a vowel; a member of the spoken alphabet other than a vowel; also, a letter or character representing such a sound.
Note: Consonants are divided into various classes, as mutes, spirants, sibilants, nasals, semivowels, etc. All of them are sounds uttered through a closer position of the organs than that of a vowel proper, although the most open of them, as the semivowels and nasals, are capable of being used as if vowels, and forming syllables with other closer consonants, as in the English feeble (taken (
Note: "A consonant is the result of audible friction, squeezing, or stopping of the breath in some part of the mouth (or occasionally of the throath.) The main distinction between vowels and consonants is, that while in the former the mouth configuration merely modifies the vocalized breath, which is therefore an essential element of the vowels, in consonants the narrowing or stopping of the oral passage is the foundation of the sound, and the state of the glottis is something secondary." H. Sweet.
CONSONANTAL Con`so*nan"tal
Defn: ,
CONSONANTIZE Con"so*nant*ize, v. t.
Defn: To change into, or use as, a consonant. "The vowel is consonantized, that is, made closer in position." Peile.
CONSONANTLY Con"so*nant*ly, adv.
Defn: In a consonant, consistent, or congruous manner; agreeably.
CONSONANTNESS Con"so*nant*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or condition of being consonant, agreeable, or consistent.
CONSONOUS Con"so*nous, a. Etym: [L. consonus. See Consonant.]
Defn: Agreeing in sound; symphonious.
CONSOPIATION Con*so`pi*a"tion, n.
Defn: The act of sleeping, or of lulling, to sleep. [Obs.] Pope.
CONSOPITE Con"so*pite, a. Etym: [L. consopitus, p.p. of consopire.]
Defn: Lulled to sleep. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
CONSOPITE Con"so*pite, v. t.
Defn: To lull to sleep; to quiet; to compose. [Obs.] The operation of the masculine faculties of the soul were, for a while, well slacked and consopited. Dr. H. More.
CONSORT Con"sort, n. Etym: [L. consore, -sortis; con- + sors lot, fate, share. See Sort.]
1. One who shares the lot of another; a companion; a partner; especially, a wife or husband. Milton. He single chose to live, and shunned to wed, Well pleased to want a consort of his bed. Dryden. The consort of the queen has passed from this troubled sphere. Thakeray. The snow-white gander, invariably accompanied by his darker consort. Darwin.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: A ship keeping company with another.
3. Concurrence; conjunction; combination; association; union. "By Heaven's consort." Fuller. "Working in consort." Hare. Take it singly, and is carries an air of levity; but, in consort with the rest, has a meaning quite different. Atterbury.
4. Etym: [LL. consortium.]
Defn: An assembly or association of persons; a company; a group; a combination. [Obs.] In one consort there sat Cruel revenge and rancorious despite, Disloyal treason, and heart-burning hate. Spenser. Lord, place me in thy consort. Herbert.
5. Etym: [Perh. confused with concert.]
Defn: Harmony of sounds; concert, as of musical instruments. [Obs.] Milton. To make a sad consort`; Come, let us join our mournful song with theirs. Spenser.
Prince consort, the husband of a queen regnant. -- Queen consort, the wife of a king, as distinguished from a queen regnant, who rules alone, and a queen dowager, the window of a king.
CONSORT Con*sort", v. i. [imp. & p.p. Consorted; p.pr. & vb.n. Consorting.]
Defn: To unite or to keep company; to associate; -- used with with. Which of the Grecian chiefs consorts with thee Dryden.
CONSORT Con*sort", v. t.
1. To unite or join, as in affection, harmony, company, marriage, etc.; to associate. He with his consorted Eve. Milton. For all that pleasing is to living ears Was there consorted in one harmony. Spenser. He begins to consort himself with men. Locke.
2. To attend; to accompany. [Obs.] Thou, wretched boy, that didst consort him here, Shalt with him hence. Shak.
CONSORTABLE Con*sort"a*ble, a.
Defn: Suitable for association or companionship. [Obs.] Sir H. Wotton.
CONSORTION Con*sor"tion, n. Etym: [L. consortio.]
Defn: Fellowship; association; companionship. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
CONSORTSHIP Con"sort*ship, n.
Defn: The condition of a consort; fellowship; partnership. Hammond.
CONSOUND Con"sound, n. Etym: [Corrupted fr. F. consoude, fr L. consolida comfrey (so called because supposed to have healing power); con- + solidus solid, consolidare to make solid. Cf. Comfrey, Consolidate.] (Bot.)
Defn: A name applied loosely to several plants of different genera, esp. the comfrey.
CONSPECIFIC Con`spe*cif"ic, a.
Defn: Of the same species.
CONSPECTUITY Con`spec*tu"i*ty, n.; pl. Conspectuities.
Defn: The faculty of seeing; sight; eye.
Note: [A word of Menenius's making. Coriolanus ii. 1] Shak.
CONSPECTUS Con*spec"tus, n.
Defn: A general sketch or outline of a subject; a synopsis; an epitome.
CONSPERSION Con*sper"sion, n. Etym: [L. conspersio, fr. conspergere to sprinkle.]
Defn: The act of sprinkling. [Obs.] The conspersion washing the doorposts. Jer. Taylor.
CONSPICUITY Con`spi*cu"i*ty, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being clear or bright; brightness; conspicuosness. [R.] Chapman.
CONSPICUOUS Con*spic"u*ous, a. Etym: [L. conspicuus, fr. conspicere to get sight of, to perceive; con- + spicere, specere, to look. See Spy]
1. Open to the view; obvious to the eye; easy to be seen; plainly visible; manifest; attracting the eye. It was a rock Of alabaster, piled up to the clouds, Conspicious far. Milton. Conspicious by her veil and hood, Signing the cross, the abbess stood. Sir W. Scott.
2. Obvious to the mental eye; easily recognized; clearly defined; notable; prominent; eminent; distinguished; as, a conspicuous exellence, or fault. A man who holds a conspicuous place in the political, eccesiastical, and literary history of England. Macaulay.
Syn. -- Distinguished; eminent; famous; illustrious; prominent; celebrated. See Distinguished. -- Con*spic"u*ous*ly, adv. -- Con*spic"u*ous*ness, n.
CONSPIRACY Con*spir"a*cy, n.; pl. Conspiracies. Etym: [See Conspiration.]
1. A combination of men for an evil purpose; as agreement, between two or more persons, to commit a crime in concert, as treason; a plot. When shapen was all his conspiracy From point to point. Chaucer. They made a conspiracy against [Amaziah]. 2 Kings xiv. 19. I had forgot that foul conspiracy Of the beast Caliban and his confederates. Shak.
2. A concurence or general tendency, as of circumstances, to one event, as if by agreement. A conspiracy in all heavenly and earthly things. Sir P. Sidney.
3. (Law)
Defn: An agreement, manifesting itself in words or deeds, by which two or more persons confederate to do an unlawful act, or to use unlawful to do an act which is lawful; confederacy.
Syn. -- Combination; plot; cabal.
CONSPIRANT Con*spir"ant, a. Etym: [L. conspirans, p.pr. of conspirare: cf. F. conspirant.]
Defn: Engaging in a plot to commit a crime; conspiring. [Obs.] Shak.
CONSPIRATION Con`spi*ra"tion, n. Etym: [F. conspiration, L. conspiratio.]
Defn: Agreement or concurrence for some end or purpose; conspiracy. [R.] As soon as it was day, certain Jews made a conspiration. Udall. In our natural body every part has a nacassary sympathy with every other, and all together form, by their harmonious onspiration, a healthy whole. Sir W. Hamilton.
CONSPIRATOR Con*spir"a*tor, n.
Defn: One who engages in a conspiracy; a plotter. 2 Sam. xv. 31.
CONSPIRE Con*spire", v. i. [imp. & p.p. Conspired; p.pr. & vb.n. Conspiring.] Etym: [F. conspirer, L. onspirare to blow together, harmonize, agree, plot; con- + spirare to breathe, blow. See Spirit.]
1. To make an agreement, esp. a secret agreement, to do some act, as to commit treason or a crime, or to do some unlawful deed; to plot together. They conspired against [Joseph] to slay him. Gen. xxxvii. 18. You have conspired against our royal person, Joined with an enemy proclaimed. Shak.
2. To concur to one end; to agree. The press, the pulpit, and the stage Conspire to censure and expose our age. Roscommon.
Syn. -- To unite; concur; complot; confederate; league.
CONSPIRE Con*spire", v. t.
Defn: To plot; to plan; to combine for. Angry clouds conspire your overthrow. Bp. Hall.
CONSPIRER Con*spir"er, n.
Defn: One who conspires; a conspirator.
CONSPIRINGLY Con*spir"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In the manner of a conspirator; by conspiracy. Milton.
CONSPISSATION Con`spis*sa"tion, n. Etym: [L. conspissatio, fr. onspissare to make thick.]
Defn: A making thick or viscous; thickness; inspissation. [R.] Dr. H. More.
CONSPURCATE Con*spur"cate, v. t. Etym: [L. conspurcatus, p.p. of conspurcare.]
Defn: To pollute; to defile. [Obs.] Cockeram.
CONSPURCATION Con`spur*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. conspurcare, -spuratum, to defile.]
Defn: This act of defiling; defilement; pollution. Bp. Hall.
CONSTABLE Con"sta*ble, n. Etym: [OE. conestable, constable, a constable (in sense 1), OF. conestable, F. conn, LL. conestabulus, constabularius, comes stabuli, orig., count of the stable, master of the horse, equerry; comes ount (L. ompanion) + L. stabulum stable. See Count a nobleman, and Stable.]
1. A high officer in the monarhical establishments of the Middle Ages.
Note: The constable of France was the first officer of the crown, and had the chief ommand of the army. It was also his duty to regulate all matters of chivalry. The office was suppressed in 1627. The constable, or lord high constable, of England, was one of the highest officers of the crown, commander in chief of the forces, and keeper of the peace of the nation. He also judicial cognizance of many important matters. The office was as early as the Conquest, but has been disused (except on great and solemn occasions), since the attainder of Stafford, duke of Buckingham, in the reign of Henry VIII.
2. (Law)
Defn: An officer of the peace having power as a conservator of the public peace, and bound to exeute the warrants of judicial offiers. Bouvier.
Note: In England, at the present time, the constable is a conservator of the peace within his district, and is also charged by various statutes with other duties, such as serving summons, precepts, warrants, etc. In the United States, constables are town or its officers of the peace, with powers similar to those of the constables of England. In addition to their duties as conservators of the peace, they are invested with others by statute, such as to execute civil as well as criminal process in certain cases, to attend courts, keep juries, etc. In some cities, there are officers called high constables, who act as shiefs of the constabulary or police force. In other cities the title of constable, as well as the office, is merged in that of the polie officer. High constable, a constable having certain duties and powers within a hundred. [Eng.] -- Petty constable, a conservator of the peace within a parish or tithing; a tithingman. [Eng.] -- Special constable, a person appointed to act as constable of special occasions. -- To overrun, or outrun, the constable, the spend more than one's income; to get into debt. [Colloq.] Smollett.
CONSTABLERY Con"sta*bler*y ( or , n. Etym: [OF. conestablerie. Cf. Constabulary.]
1. The constabulary. [Obs.]
2. The distrit or jurisdiction of a constable. [Obs.]
CONSTABLESHIP Con"sta*bleship, n.
Defn: The office or functions of a constable.
CONSTABLESS Con"sta*bless, n.
Defn: The wife of a constable. [Obs.]
CONSTABLEWICK Con"sta*ble*wick`, n. Etym: [Constable + wick a village]
Defn: The district to which a constable's power is limited. [Obs.] Sir M. Hale.
CONSTABULARY Con*stab"u*la*ry, a. Etym: [LL. constabularius an equerry. See Constable.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to constables; consisting of constables.
CONSTABULARY Con*stab"u*la*ry, n.
Defn: The collective body of constables in any town, district, or country.
CONSTABULATORY Con*stab"u*la*to*ry, n.
Defn: A constabulary. [Obs.] Bp. Burnet.
CONSTANCY Con"stan*cy, n. Etym: [L. constantia: cf. F. constance. See Constant.]
1. The state or quality of being constant or steadfast; freedom from hange; stability; fixedness; immutabilitu; asm the constancy of God in his nature and attributes.
2. Fixedness or firmness of mind; persevering resolution; especially, firmness of mind under sufferings, steadiness in attashments, or perseverance in enterprise; stability; fidelity. A fellow of plain unoined constancy. Shak. Constancy and contempt of danger. Prescott.
Syn. -- Fixedness; stability; firmness; steadiness; permanence; steadfastness; resolution. See Firmness.
CONSTANT Con"stant, a. Etym: [L. onstans, -antis, p.pr. of constare to stand firm, to be consistent; con- + stare to stand: cf.F. constant. See Stand and f. Cost, v. t.]
1. Firm; solid; fixed; immovable; -- opposed to fluid. [Obs.] If . . . you mix them, you may turn these two fluid liquors into a constant body. Boyle.
2. Not liable, or given, to change; permanent; regular; continuous; continually recurring; steadfast; faithful; not fickle. Both loving one fair maid, they yet remained constant friends. Sir P. Sidney. I am constant to my purposes. Shak. His gifts, his constant ourtship, nothing gained. Dryden. Onward the constant current sweeps. Longfellow.
3. (Math. & Physics)
Defn: Remaining unchanged or invariable, as a quantity, forc, law, etc.
4. Consistent; logical. [Obs.] Shak.
Syn. -- Fixed; steadfast; unchanging; permanent; unalterable; immutable; perpetual; continual; resolute; firm; unshaken; determined. -- Constant, Continual, Perpetual. These words are sometimes used in an absolute and sometimes in a qualified sense. Constant denotes, in its absolute sense, unchangeably fixed; as, a constant mind or purpose. In its qualified sense, it marks something as a "standing" fact or occurence; as, liable to constant interruptions; constantly called for. Continual, in its absolute sense, coincides with continuous. See Continuous. In its qualified sense, it describes, a thing as occuring in steady and rapid succession; as, a round of continual calls; continually changing. Perpetual denotes, in its absolute sense, what literally never ceases or comes to an end; as, perpetual motion. In its qualified sense, it is used hyperbolically, and denotes that which rarely ceases; as, perpetual disturbance; perpetual noise; perpetual intermeddling.
CONSTANT Con"stant, n.
1. That which is not subject to change; that which is invariable.
2. (Math.)
Defn: A quantity that does not change its value; -- used in countradistinction variable. Absolute costant (Math.), one whose value is absolutely the same under all cirumstanes, as the number 10, or any numeral. -- Arbitrary constant, an undetermined constant in a differential equation having the same value during all changes in the values of the variables.
CONSTANTIA Con*stan"ti*a ( or , n.
Defn: A superior wine, white and red, from Constantia, in Cape Colony.
CONSTANTLY Con"stant*ly, adv.
Defn: With constancy; steadily; continually; perseveringly; without cessation; uniformly. But she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Acts. xii. 15.
CONSTAT Con"stat, n. Etym: [L., it is evident.] (Law)
Defn: A certificate showing what appears upon record touching a matter in question.
CONSTATE Con*state", v. t. Etym: [F. constater; L. con- + stare to stand.]
Defn: To ascertain; to verify; to establish; to prove. F. P. Cobbe.
CONSTELLATE Con"stel*late ( or , v. i. Etym: [Pref. con- + L. stellatus, p.p. of stellare to cover with stars, stella star. See Stellate.]
Defn: To join luster; to shine with united radiance, or one general light. [R.] The several things which engage our affections . . . shine forth and constellate in God. Boule.
CONSTELLATE Con"stel*late, v. t.
1. To unite in one luster or radiane, as stars. [R.] Whe know how to constellate these lights. Boyle.
2. To set or adorn with stars or constellations; as, constellated heavens. J. Barlow.
CONSTELLATION Con`stel*la"tion, n. Etym: [F. constellation, L. constellatio.]
1. A cluster or group of fixed stars, or dvision of the heavens, designated in most cases by the name of some animal, or of some mythologial personage, within whose imaginary outline, as traced upon the heavens, the group is included. The constellations seem to have been almost purposely named and delineated to cause as much confusion and inconvenience as possible. Sir J. Herschel.
Note: In each of the constellations now recognized by astronomers (about 90 in number) the brightest stars, both named and unnamed are designated nearly in the order of brilliancy by the letters of the Greek alphabet; as,
2. An assemblage of splendors or excellences. The constellations of genius had already begun to show itself . . . which was to shed a glory over the meridian and close of Philip's reign. Prescott.
3. Fortune; fate; destiny. [Obs.] It is constellation, which causeth all that a man doeth. Gower.
CONSTERNATION Con`ster*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. consternatio, fr. consternare to overome, perplex, an accessory form of consternere to trow down, prostrate; con + sternere to spread out, throw down: cf. F. consternation. See Straum.]
Defn: Amazement or horror that confounds the faculties, and incapacitates for refletion; terror, combined with amaxement; dismay. The chiefs around, In silence wrapped, in onsternation downed. Attend the stern reply. Pope.
Syn. -- Alarm; fright; amazement; astonishment; surprise; panic; returbation. See Alarm.
CONSTIPATE Con"sti*pate, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Constipated; p.pr. & vb.n. Constipating.] Etym: [L. constipatus, p.p. of constipare; con- + stipare to crowd together. See Costive.]
1. To crowd or cram into a narrow compass; to press together or condense. [Obs.] Of cold the property is to condense and constipate. Bacon.
2. To stop (a channel) by filling it, and preventing passage through it; as, to constipate the capillary vessels.
3. (Med.)
Defn: To render costive; to cause constipation in.
CONSTIPATION Con`sti*pa"tion, n. Etym: [L. constipatio a crowding together: cf.F. constipation.]
1. Act of crowding anything into a less compass, or the state of being crowded or pressed together; condensation. [Obs.] Fullness of matter, or a pretty close constipation . . . of its particles. Boyle.
2. A state of the bowels in which the evacuations are infrequent and difficult, or the intestines become filled with hardened faces; costiveness.
CONSTITUENCY Con*stit"u*en*cy, n.; pl. Constituencies (.
Defn: A body of constituents, as the body of citizens or voters in a representative district.
CONSTITUENT Con*stit"u*ent, a. Etym: [L. constituens, -entis, p.pr. See Constitute.]
1. Serving to form, compose, or make up; elemental; component. Body, soul, and reason are the three parts necessarily constituent of a man. Dryden.
2. Having the power of electing or appointing. A question of right arises between the constituent and representative body. Junius.
CONSTITUENT Con*stit"u*ent, n.
1. The person or thing which constitutes, determines, or constructs. Their first composure and origination require a higher and nobler constituent than chance. Sir M. Hale
2. That which constitutes or composes, as a part, or an essential part; a component; an element. We know how to bring these constituents together, and to cause them to form water. Tyndall.
3. One for whom another acts; especially, one who is represented by another in a legislative assembly; -- correlative to representative. The electors in the district of a representative in Congress, or in the legislature of a State, are termed his constituents. Abbot. To appeal from the representatives to the constituents. Macaulay.
4. (Law)
Defn: A person who appoints another to act for him as attorney in fact. Burrill.
CONSTITUTE Con"sti*tute, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Constituted; p.pr. & vb.n. Constituting.] Etym: [L. constitutus, p.p. of constiture to constitute; con- + statuere to place, set, fr. status station, fr. stare to stand. See Stand.]
1. To cause to stand; to establish; to enact. Laws appointed and constituted by lawful authority. Jer. Taylor.
2. To make up; to compose; to form. Truth and reason constitute that intellectual gold that defies destruction. Johnson.
3. To appoint, depute, or elect to an offie; to make and empower. Me didst Thou constitute a priest of thine. Wordsworth. Constituted authorities, the officers of government, collectively, as of a nation, city, town, etc. Bartlett.
CONSTITUTE Con"sti*tute, n.
Defn: An established law. [Obs.] T. Preston.
CONSTITUTER Con"sti*tu`ter, n.
Defn: One who constitutes or appoints.
CONSTITUTION Con`sti*tu"tion, n. Etym: [F. constitution, L. constitute.]
1. The act or process of constituting; the action of enacting, establishing, or appointing; enactment; establishment; formation.
2. The state of being; that form of being, or structure and connection of parts, which constitutes and characterizes a system or body; natural condition; structure; texture; conformation. The physical constitution of the sun. Sir J. Herschel.
3. The agregate of all one's inherited physical qualities; the aggregate of the vital powers of an individual, with refernce to ability to endure hardship, resist disease, etc.; as, a robust constitution. Our constitutions have never been enfeebled by the vices or luxuries of the oid world. Story.
4. The aggregate of mental qualities; temperament. He defended himself with . . . less passion than was expected from his constitution. Clarendon.
5. The fundamental, organic law or principles of government of men, embodied in written documents, or implied in the institutions and usages of the country or society; also, a written instrument embodying such organic law, and laying down fundamental rules and principles for the conduct of affairs. Our constitution had begun to exist in times when statesmen were not much accustomed to frame exact definitions. Macaulay.
Note: In England the constitution is unwritten, and may be modified from time to time by act of Parliament. In the United States a constitution cannot ordinarily be modified, exept through such processes as the constitution itself ordains.
6. An authoritative ordinance, regulation or enactment; especially, one made by a Roman emperor, or one affecting ecclesiastical doctrine or disipline; as, the constitutions of Justinian. The positive constutions of our own churches. Hooker. A constitution of Valentinian addressed to Olybrius, then prefect of Rome, for the regulation of the conduct of advocates. George Long. Apostolic constitutions. See under Apostolic.
CONSTITUTIONAL Con`sti*tu"tion*al, a. Etym: [f. F. constitutionnel.]
1. Belonging to, or inherent in, the constitution, or in the structure of body or mind; as, a constitutional infirmity; constitutional ardor or dullness.
2. In accordance with, or authorized by, the constitution of a state or a society; as, constitutional reforms.
3. Regulated by, dependent on, or secured by, a constitution; as, constitutional government; constitutional rights. Hallam.
4. Relating to a constitution, or establishment form of government; as, a constitutional risis. The anient constitutional traditions of the state. Macaulay.
5. For the benefit or one's constitution or health; as, a constitutional walk. [Colloq.] Constitutional law, law that relates to the constitution, as a permanent system of political and juridical government, as distinguished from statutory and common law, which relate to matters subordinate to such constitution.
CONSTITUTIONAL Con`sti*tu"tion*al, n.
Defn: A walk or other exercise taken for one's health or constitution. [Colloq.] Thackeray. The men trudged diurnal constitutionals along the different roads. Compton Reade.
CONSTITUTIONALISM Con`sti*tu"tion*al*ism, n.
Defn: The theory, principles, or authority of constitutional government; attachment or adherene to a constitution or constitutional government. Carlyle.
CONSTITUTIONALIST Con`sti*tu"tion*al*ist, n.
Defn: One who advocates a constitutional form of government; a constitutionalist.
CONSTITUTIONALITY Con`sti*tu`tion*al"i*ty, n.; pl. -ties. Etym: [f. F. constitutionalité.]
1. The quality or state of being constitutional, or inherent in the natural frame.
2. The state of being consistent with the constitution or frame of government, or of being authorized by its provisions. Burke. Constitutionalities, bottomless cavilings and questionings about written laws. Carlyle.
CONSTITUTIONALLY Con`sti*tu"tion*al*ly, adv.
1. In accordance with the constitution or natural disposition of the mind or body; naturally; as, he was constitutionally timid. The English were constitutionally humane. Hallam.
2. In accordance with the constitution or fundamental law; legally; as, he was not constitutionally appointed. Nothing would indue them to acknowledge that [such] an assembly . . . was constitutionally a Parliament. Macaulay.
CONSTITUTIONIST Con`sti*tu"tion*ist, n.
Defn: One who adheres to the constitution of the country. Bolingbroke.
CONSTITUTIVE Con"sti*tu`tive, a.
1. Tending or assisting to constitute or compose; elemental; essential. An ingredient and constitutive part of every virtue. Barrow.
2. Having power to enact, establish, or create; instituting; determining. Sir W. Hamilton.
CONSTITUTIVELY Con"sti*tu`tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In a constitutive manner.
CONSTRAIN Con*strain", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Constrained; p.pr. & vb.n. Constraining.] Etym: [OF. constraindre, F. contrainde, L. constringere; con- + stringere to draw tight. See Strain, and. cf. Constrict, Conbstringere.]
1. To secure by bonds; to chain; to bond or con He binds in hains The droway prophet, and his limbs constrains. Dryden. When winter frosts constrain the fields with old. Dryden.
2. To bring into a narrow compass; to compress. How the strait stays the slender waist constrain. Gay.
3. To hold back by force; to restrain; to repress. My sire in caves constrains the winds. Dryden.
4. To compel; to force; to necessiate; to oblige. The love of Christ constraineth us. 2. Cor. v. 14. I was constrained to appeal unto CActs xxviii. 19.
5. To violate; to ravish. [Obs.] Shak.
6. To produce in such a manner as to give an unnatural effet; as, a constrained voice.
Syn. -- To compel; force; drive; impel; urge; press.
CONSTRAINABLE Con*strain"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. OF. constraignable, F. contraignable.]
Defn: Capable of being constrained; liable to constraint, or to restraint. Hooker.
CONSTRAINED Con*strained", a.
Defn: Marked by constraint; not free; not voluntary; embarrassed; as, a constrained manner; a constrained tone.
CONSTRAINEDLY Con*strain"ed*ly, adv.
Defn: By constraint or compulsion; in a constrained manner. Hooker.
CONSTRAINER Con*strain"er, n.
Defn: One who constrains.
CONSTRAINT Con*straint", n. Etym: [OF. constrainte, F. constrainte.]
Defn: The act of constraining, or the state of being constrained; that which compels to, or restrains from, action; compulsion; restraint; necessity. Long imprisonment and hard constraint. Spenser. Not by constraint, but bDryden.
Syn. -- Compulsion; violence; necessity; urgency. -- Constraint, Compulsion. Constraint implies strong binding force; as, the constraint of necessity; the constraint of fear. Compulsion implies the exertion of some urgent impelling force; as, driven by compulsion. The former prevents us from acting agreeably to our wishes; the latter forces us to act contrary to our will. Compulsion is always produced by some active agent; a constraint may be laid upon us by the forms of civil society, or by other outward circumstances. Crabb.
CONSTRAINTIVE Con*straint"ive, a.
Defn: Constraining; compulsory. [R.] "Any constraintive vow." R. Carew.
CONSTRICT Con*strict", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Constricted; p.pr. & vb.n. Constricting.] Etym: [L. constrictus, p.p. of constringere. See Constrain.]
Defn: To draw together; to render narrower or smaller; to bind; to cramp; to contract or ause to shrink. Such things as constrict the fibers. Arbuthnot. Membranous organs inclosing a cavity which their contraction constrict. Todd & Bowman.
CONSTRICTED Con*strict"ed, a.
1. Drawn together; bound; contracted; cramped.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Contracted or compressed so as to be smaller in certain places or parts than in others.
CONSTRICTION Con*stric"tion, n. Etym: [L. constrictio: cf. F. constriction.]
1. The act of constricting by means of some inherent power or by movement or change in the thing itself, as distinguished from compression.
2. The state of being constricted; the point where a thing is constricted; a narrowing or binding. A constriction of the parts inservient to speech. Grew.
CONSTRICTIVE Con*strict"ive, a.
Defn: Serving or tending to bind or constrict.
CONSTRICTOR Con*strict"or, n.
1. That which constricts, draws together, or contracts.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: A muscle which contracts or closes an orifice, or which compresses an organ; a sphincter.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A serpent that kills its prey by inclosing and crushing it with its folds; as, the boa constrictor.
CONSTRINGE Con*stringe", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Constringed; p.pr. & vb.n. Constringing.] Etym: [L. constringere. See onstrain.]
Defn: To dawn together; to contract; to force to contract itself; to constrict; to cause to shrink. [R.] Strong liquors . . . intoxicate, constringe, harden the fibers, and coagulate the fluids. Arbuthnot.
CONSTRINGENT Con*strin"gent, a. Etym: [L. constringens, p.pr.]
Defn: Having the quality of contracting, binding, or compressing. Thomson.
CONSTRUCT Con*struct", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Constructed; p.pr. & vb.n. Constructing.] Etym: [L. constructus, p.p. of construere to bring together, to construct; con- + struere to pile up, set in order. See Structure, and cf. Construe.]
1. To put together the constituent parts of (something) in their proper place and order; to build; to form; to make; as, to construct an edlifice.
2. To devise; to invent; to set in order; to arrange; as, to construct a theory of ethics.
Syn. -- To build; erect; form; compile; make; fabricate; originate; invent.
CONSTRUCT Con"struct, a.
Defn: Formed by, or relating to, construction, interpretation, or inference. Construct form or state (Heb. Gram.), that of a noun used before another which has the genitive relation to it.
CONSTRUCTER Con*struct"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, constructs or frames.
CONSTRUCTION Con*struc"tion, n. Etym: [L. constructio: cf. F. construction.]
1. The process or art of constructing; the act of building; erection; the act of devising and forming; fabrication; composition.
2. The form or manner of building or putting together the parts of anything; structure; arrangement. An astrolabe of peculiar construction. Whewell.
3. (Gram.)
Defn: The arrangement and connection of words in a sentence; syntactical arrangement. Some particles . . . in certain constructions have the sense of a whole sentence contained in them. Locke.
4. The method of construing, interpreting, or explaining a declaration or fact; an attributed sense or meaning; understanding; explanation; interpretation; sense. Any person . . . might, by the sort of construction that would be put on this act, become liable to the penalties of treason. Hallam. Strictly, the term [construction] signifies determining the meaning and proper effect of language by a consideration of the subject matter and attendant circumstances in connection with the words employed. Abbott. Interpretation properly precedes construction, but it does not go beyond the written text. Parsons. Construction of an equation (Math.), the drawing of such lines and figures as will represent geometrically the quantities in the equation, and their relations to each other. -- Construction train (Railroad), a train for transporting men and materials for construction or repairs.
CONSTRUCTIONAL Con*struc"tion*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or deduced from, construction or interpretation.
CONSTRUCTIONIST Con*struc"tion*ist, n.
Defn: One who puts a certain construction upon some writing or instrument, as the Constitutions of the United States; as, a strict constructionist; a broad constructionist.
CONSTRUCTIVE Con*struct"ive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. constructif.]
1. Having ability to construct or form; employed in construction; as, to exhibit constructive power. The constructive fingers of Watts. Emerson.
2. Derived from, or depending on, construction or interpretation; not directly expressed, but inferred. Constructive crimes (Law), acts having effects analogous to those of some statutory or common law crimes; as, constructive treason. Constructive crimes are no longer recognized by the courts. -- Constructive notice, notice imputed by construction of law. -- Constructive trust, a trust which may be assumed to exist, though no actual mention of it be made.
CONSTRUCTIVELY Con*struct"ive*ly, adv.
Defn: In a constructive manner; by construction or inference. A neutral must have notice of a blockade, either actually by a formal information, or constructively by notice to his government. Kent.
CONSTRUCTIVENESS Con*struct"ive*ness, n.
1. Tendency or ability to form or construct.
2. (Phren.)
Defn: The faculty which enables one to construct, as in mechanical, artistic, or literary matters.
CONSTRUCTOR Con*struct"or, n. Etym: [Cf. LL. constructor.]
Defn: A constructer.
CONSTRUCTURE Con*struc"ture, n.
Defn: That which is constructed or formed; an edifice; a fabric. [Obs.]
CONSTRUE Con*strue (; Archaic ), v. t. [imp & p. p. Construed; p. pr & vb. n. Construing.] Etym: [L. construere: cf. F. construire. See Construct.]
1. To apply the rules of syntax to (a sentence or clause) so as to exhibit the structure, arrangement, or connection of, or to discover the sense; to explain the construction of; to interpret; to translate.
2. To put a construction upon; to explain the sense or intention of; to interpret; to understand. Thus we are put to construe and paraphrase our own words to free ourselves either from the ignorance or malice of our enemies. Bp. Stilingfleet. And to be dull was construed to be good. Pope.
CONSTUPRATE Con"stu*prate, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Construprated; p.p. & vb.n. Constuprating.] Etym: [L. constupratus, p.p. of constuprare to ravish; con- + stuprare to ravish, stuprum rape.]
Defn: To ravish; to debauch. Burton.
CONSTUPRATION Con`stu*pra"tion, n.
Defn: The act of ravishing; violation; defilement. Bp. Hall.
CONSUBSTANTIAL Con`sub*stan"tial, a. Etym: [L. consubstantialis; con- + substantialis: cf. F. consubstantiel. See Substantial.]
Defn: Of the same kind or nature; having the same substance or essence; coessential. Christ Jesus . . . coeternal and consubstantial with the Father and with the Holy Ghost. Foxe.
CONSUBSTANTIALISM Con`sub*stan"tial*ism, n.
Defn: The doctrine of consubstantiation.
CONSUBSTANTIALIST Con`sub*stan"tial*ist, n.
Defn: One who believes in consubstantiation. Barrow.
CONSUBSTANTIALITY Con`sub*stan"ti*al"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. consubstantialité.]
Defn: Participation of the same nature; coexistence in the same substance. "His [the Son's] . . . consubstantiality with the Father." Hammend.
CONSUBSTANTIALLY Con`sub*stan"tial*ly, adv.
Defn: In a consubstantial manner; with identity of substance or nature.
CONSUBSTANTIATE Con`sub*stan"ti*ate, v. t. [imp & p. p. Consubstantiated; p.pr & vb. n. Consubstantiating.]
Defn: To cause to unite, or to regard as united, in one common substance or nature. [R.] His soul must be consubstantiated with reason. Jer. Taylor.
CONSUBSTANTIATE Con`sub*stan"ti*ate, v. i.
Defn: To profess or belive the doctrine of consubstantion. The consubstantiating church and priest. Dryden.
CONSUBSTANTIATE Con`sub*stan"ti*ate, a.
Defn: Partaking of the same substance; united; consubstantial. We must love her [the wife] that is thus consubstantiate with us. Feltham.
CONSUBSTANTIATION Con`sub*stan`ti*a"tion, n.
1. An identity or union of substance.
2. (Theol.)
Defn: The actual, substantial presence of the body of Christ with the bread and wine of the sacrament of the Lord's Supper; impanation; -- opposed to transubstantiation.
Note: This view, held by Luther himself, was called consubstantiation by non Lutheran writers in contradistinction to transsubstantiation, the Catholic view.
CONSUETUDE Con"sue*tude (; 144), n. Etym: [L. consuetudo. See Custom.]
Defn: Custom, habit; usage. [R.] To observe this consuetude or law. Barnes .
CONSUETUDINAL Con`sue*tu"di*nal, a. Etym: [LL. consuetudinalis.]
Defn: According to custom; customary; usual. [R.]
CONSUETUDINARY Con`sue*tu"di*na"ry, a. Etym: [LL. consuetudinarius.]
Defn: Customary.
CONSUETUDINARY Con`sue*tu"di*na*ry, n.; pl. Consuetudinaries (.
Defn: A manual or ritual of customary devotional exercises.
CONSUL Con"sul, n. Etym: [L., prob. fr. consulere to deliberate. See Consult.]
1. (Rom. Antiq.)
Defn: One of the two chief magistrates of the republic.
Note: They were chosen annually, originally from the patricians only, but later from the plebeians also.
2. A senator; a counselor. [Obs.] Many of the consuls, raised and met, Are at the duke's already. Shak. With kings and consuls of the earth. Job. iii. 14 (Douay Ver. )
3. (Fr. Hist.)
Defn: One of the three chief magistrates of France from 1799 to 1804, who were called, respectively, first, second, and third consul.
4. An official comissioned to reside in some foreign country, to care for the commercial interests of the citizens of the appointing government, and to protect its seamen. Consul general, a consul of the first rank, stationed in an important place, or having jurisdiction in several places or over several consula. -- Vice consul, a consular officer holding the place of a consul during the consul's absence or after he has been relieved.
CONSULAGE Con"sul*age, n. (Com.)
Defn: A duty or tax paid by merchants for the protection of their connerce by means of a consul in a foreign place.
CONSULAR Con"su*lar, a. Etym: [L. consularis; cf. F. consulaire.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a consul; performing the duties of a consul; as, consular power; consular dignity; consular officers.
CONSULARY Con"su*la"ry, a.
Defn: Consular. [Obs.] Holland.
CONSULATE Con"su*late, n. Etym: [L. consulatus: cf. F. consulat.]
1. The office of a consul. Addison.
2. The jurisdiction or residence of a consul. Kent.
3. Consular government; term of office of a consul.
CONSULSHIP Con"sul*ship, n.
1. The office of a consul; consulate.
2. The term of office of a consul.
CONSULT Con*sult", v. i. [imp. & p.p. Consulted; p.pr. & vb.n. Consulting.] Etym: [L. consultare, fr. consulere to consult: cf. f. consulter. Cf. Counsel.]
Defn: To seek the opinion or advice of another; to take consel; to deliberate together; to confer. Let us consult upon to-morrow's business. Shak. All the laws of England have been made by the kings England, consulting with the nobility and commons. Hobbes.
CONSULT Con*sult", v. t.
1. To ask advice of; to seek the opinion of; to apply to for information or instruction; to refer to; as, to consult a physician; to consult a dictionary. Men fergot, or feared, to consult . . . ; they were content to consult liberaries. Whewell.
2. To have reference to, in judging or acting; to have regard to; to consider; as, to consult one's wishes. We are . . . to consult the necessities of life, rather than matters of ornament and delight. L'Estrange.
3. To deliberate upon; to take for. [Obs.] Manythings were there consulted for the future, yet nothing was positively resolved. Clarendon.
4. To bring about by counsel or contrivance; to devise; to contrive. [Obs.] Thou hast consulted shame to thy Hab. ii. 10.
CONSULT Con*sult" ( or ), n.
1. The act of consulting or deliberating; consultation; also, the result of consulation; determination; decision. [Obs.] The council broke; And all grave consults dissolved in smoke. Dryden.
2. A council; a meeting for consultation. [Obs.] "A consult of coquettes." Swift.
3. Agreement; concert [Obs.] Dryden.
CONSULTARY Con*sult"a*ry, a.
Defn: Formed by consultation; resulting from conference. Consultary response (Law), the opinion of a court on a special case. Wharton.
CONSULTATION Con`sul*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. consultatio: cf. F. consultation.]
1. The act of consulting or conferring; deliberation of two or more persons on some matter, with a view to a decision. Thus they doubtful consultations dark Ended. Milton.
2. A council or conference, as of physicians, held to consider a special case, or of lawyers restained in a cause. Writ of consultation (Law), a writ by which a cause, improperly removed by prohibition from one court to another, is returned to the court from which it came; -- so called because the judges, on consultation, find the prohibition ill-founded.
CONSULTATIVE Con*sult"a*tive, a.
Defn: Pertaining to consultation; having the privilege or right of conference. "A consultative . . . power." Abp. Bramhall.
CONSULTATORY Con*sult"a*to*ry, a.
Defn: Formed by, or resulting from, consultation; advisory. Bancroft.
CONSULTER Con*sult"er, n.
Defn: One who consults, or asks counsel or information.
CONSULTING Con*sult"ing, a.
Defn: That consults. Consulting physician (Med.), a physician who consults with the attending practitioner regarding any case of disease.
CONSULTIVE Con*sult"ive, a.
Defn: Determined by, or pertaining to, consultation; deliberate; consultative. He that remains in the grace of God sins not by any deliberative, consultive, knowing act. Jer. Taylor.
CONSUMABLE Con*sum"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being consumed; that may be destroyed, dissipated, wasted, or spent. "Consumable commodities." Locke.
CONSUME Con*sume", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Consumed; p.pr. & vb.n. Consuming.] Etym: [L. consumere to take wholly or complectely, to consume; con- + sumere to take; sub + emere to buv. See Redeem.]
Defn: To destroy, as by decomposition, dissipation, waste, or fire; to use up; to expend; to waste; to burn up; to eat up; to devour. If he were putting to my house the brand That shall consume it. Shak. Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume. Matt. vi. 20 (Rev. Ver. ). Let me alone . . . that I may consume them. Ex. xxxii. 10.
Syn. -- To destroy; swallow up; ingulf; absorb; waste; exhaust; spend; expend; squander; lavish; dissipate.
CONSUME Con*sume", v. i.
Defn: To waste away slowly. Therefore, let Renedick, like covered fire, Consume away in sighs. Shak.
CONSUMEDLY Con*sum"ed*ly, adv.
Defn: Excessively. [Low] He's so consumedly pround of it. Thackeray.
CONSUMER Con*sum"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, consumes; as, the consumer of food.
CONSUMER'S GOODS Con*sum"er's goods. (Polit. Econ.)
Defn: Economic goods that directly satisfy human wants or desires, such as food, clothes, pictures, etc.; -- called also consumption goods, or goods of the first order, and opposed to producer's goods.
CONSUMER'S SURPLUS Consumer's surplus. (Polit. econ.)
Defn: The excess that a purchaser would be willing to pay for a commodity over that he does pay, rather than go without the commodity; -- called also consumer's rent.
The price which a person pays for a thing can never exceed, and seldom comes up to, that which he would be willing to pay rather than go without it. . . . The excess of the price which he would be willing to pay rather than go without it, over that which he actually does pay, is the economic measure of this surplus satisfaction. It has some analogies to a rent; but is perhaps best called simply consumer's surplus. Alfred Marshall.
CONSUMINGLY Con*sum"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a consuming manner.
CONSUMMATE Con*sum"mate, a. Etym: [L. consummatus, p.p. or consummare to accomplish, sum up; con- + summa sum. See Sum.]
Defn: Carried to the utmost extent or degree; of the highest quality; complete; perfect. "A man of perfect and consummate virtue." Addison. The little band held the post with consummate tenacity. Motley
CONSUMMATE Con"sum*mate, v. t. [imp & p. p. Consummated; p. pr & vb. n. Consummating.]
Defn: To bring to completion; to raise to the highest point or degree; to complete; to finish; to perfect; to achieve. To consummate this business happily. Shak.
CONSUMMATELY Con*sum"mate*ly, adv.
Defn: In a consummate manner; completely. T. Warton.
CONSUMMATION Con`sum*ma"tion, n. Etym: [L. consummatio.]
Defn: The act of consummating, or the state of being consummated; completed; completion; perfection; termination; end (as of the world or of life). "Tis a consummation Devoutly to be wished. Shak. From its original to its consummation. Addison. Quiet consummation have, And renownShak. Consummation of marrige, completion of the connubial relation by actual cohabition.
CONSUMMATIVE Con*sum"ma*tive, a.
Defn: Serving to consummate; completing. "The final, the consummative procedure of philosophy." Sir W. Hamilton.
CONSUMPTION Con*sump"tion, n.. Etym: [L. consumptio: cf. F. consomption.]
1. The act or process of consuming by use, waste, etc.; decay; destruction. Every new advance of the price to the consumer is a new incentive to him to retrench the quality of his consumption. Burke.
2. The state or process of being consumed, wasted, or diminished; waste; diminution; loss; decay.
3. (Med.)
Defn: A progressive wasting away of the body; esp., that form of wasting, attendant upon pulmonary phthisis and associated with cough, spitting of blood, hectic fever, etc.; pulmonary phthisis; -- called also pulmonary consumption. Consumption of the bowels (Med.), inflammation and ulceration of the intestines from tubercular disease.
Syn. -- Decline; waste; decay. See Decline.
CONSUMPTIVE Con*sump"tive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. consomptif.]
1. Of or pertaining to consumption; having the quality of consuming, or dissipating; destructive; wasting. It [prayer] is not consumptive or our time. Sharp. A long consumptive war. Addison.
2. (Med.)
Defn: Affected with, or inclined to, consumption. The lean, consumptive wench, with coughs decayed. Dryden.
CONSUMPTIVE Con*sump"tive, n.
Defn: One affected with consumption; as, a resort for consumptives.
CONSUMPTIVELY Con*sump"tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In a way tending to or indication consumption. Beddoes.
CONSUMPTIVENESS Con*sump"tive*ness, n.
Defn: A state of being consumptive, or a tendency to a consumption.
CONTABESCENT Con`ta*bes"cent, a. Etym: [L. contabescenc, p.pr. of contabescere.]
Defn: Wasting away gradually. Darwin. - Con*ta*bes"cence, n.
CONTACT Con"tact, n. Etym: [L. contactus, fr. contingere, -tactum, to touch on all sides. See Contingent.]
1. A close union or junction of bodies; a touching or meeting.
2. (Geom.)
Defn: The property of two curves, or surfaces, which meet, and at the point of meeting have a common direction.
3. (Mining)
Defn: The plane between two adjacent bodies of dissimilar rock. Raymond. Contact level, a delicate level so pivoted as to tilt when two parts of a measuring apparatus come into contact with each other; -- used in precise determinations of lengths and in the accurate graduation of instruments.
CONTACTION Con*tac"tion, n.
Defn: Act of touching. [Obs.]
CONTAGION Con*ta"gion, n. Etym: [L. contagio: cf. F. contagion. See Contact.]
1. (Med.)
Defn: The transmission of a disease from one person to another, by direct or indirect contact.
Note: The term has been applied by some to the action of miasmata arising from dead animal or vegetable matter, bogs, fens, etc., but in this sense it is now abandoned. Dunglison. And will he steal out of his wholesome bed To dare the vile contagion of the night Shak.
2. That which serves as a medium or agency to transmit disease; a virus produced by, or exhalation proceeding from, a diseased person, and capable of reproducing the disease.
3. The act or means of communicating any influence to the mind or heart; as, the contagion of enthusiasm. "The contagion of example." Eikon Basilike. When lust . . . Lets in defilement to the inward parts, The soul grows clotted by contagion. Milton.
4. Venom; poison. [Obs.] "I'll touch my point with this contagion." Shak.
Syn. -- See Infection.
CONTAGIONED Con*ta"gioned, a.
Defn: Affected by contagion.
CONTAGIONIST Con*ta"gion*ist, n.
Defn: One who believes in the contagious character of certain diseases, as of yellow fever.
CONTAGIOUS Con*ta"gious, a. Etym: [L. contagiosus: cf. F. contagieux.]
1. (Med.)
Defn: Communicable by contact, by a virus, or by a bodily exhalation; catching; as, a contagious disease.
2. Conveying or generating disease; pestilential; poisonous; as, contagious air.
3. Spreading or communicable from one to another; exciting similar emotions or conduct in others. His genius rendered his courage more contagious. Wirt. The spirit of imitation is contagious. Ames.
Syn. -- Contagious, Infectious. These words have been used in very diverse senses; but, in general, a contagious disease has considered as one which is caught from another by contact, by the breath, by bodily effluvia, etc.; while an infectious disease supposes some entirely different cause acting by a hidden influence, like the miasma of prison ships, of marshes, etc., infecting the system with disease. "This distinction, though not universally admitted by medical men, as to the literal meaning, of the words, certainly applies to them in their figurative use. Thus we speak of the contagious influence of evil associates; their contagion of bad example, the contagion of fear, etc., when we refer to transmission by proximity or contact. On the other hand, we speak of infection by bad principles, etc., when we consider anything as diffused by some hidden influence.
CONTAGIOUS DISEASE Con*ta"gious dis*ease". (Med.)
Defn: A disease communicable by contact with a patient suffering from it, or with some secretion of, or object touched by, such a patient. Most such diseases have already been proved to be germ diseases, and their communicability depends on the transmission of the living germs. Many germ diseases are not contagious, some special method of transmission or inoculation of the germs being required.
CONTAGIOUSLY Con*ta"gious*ly, adv.
Defn: In a contagious manner.
CONTAGIOUSNESS Con*ta"gious*ness, n.
Defn: Quality of being contagious.
CONTAGIUM Con*ta"gi*um, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: Contagion; contagious matter. "Contagium of measles." Tyndall.
CONTAIN Con*tain", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contained; p.pr. & vb.n. Containing.] Etym: [OE. contenen, conteinen, F. contenir, fr. L. continere, - tentum; con- + tenere to hold. See Tenable, and cf. Countenance.]
1. To hold within fixed limits; to comprise; to include; to inclose; to hold. Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can not contain thee; how much less this house! 2 Chron. vi. 18. When that this body did contain a spirit. Shak. What thy stores contain bring forth. Milton.
2. To have capacity for; to be able to hold; to hold; to be equivalent to; as, a bushel contains four pecks.
3. To put constraint upon; to restrain; to confine; to keep within bounds. [Obs., exept as used reflexively.] The king's person contains the unruly people from evil occasions. Spenser. Fear not, my lord: we can contain ourselves. Shak.
CONTAIN Con*tain", v. i.
Defn: To restrain desire; to live in continence or chastity. But if they can not contain, let them marry. 1 Cor. vii. 9.
CONTAINABLE Con*tain"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being contained or comprised. Boyle.
CONTAINANT Con*tain"ant, n.
Defn: A container.
CONTAINER Con*tain"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, contains.
CONTAINMENT Con*tain"ment, n.
Defn: That which is contained; the extent; the substance. [Obs.] The containment of a rich man's estate. Fuller.
CONTAMINABLE Con*tam"i*na*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being contaminated.
CONTAMINATE Con*tam"i*nate, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contaminated; p.pr. & vb.n. Contaminating.] Etym: [L. contaminatus, p.p. of contaminare to bring into contact, to contaminate, fr. contamen contagion, for contagmen; con- + root of tangere to touch. See Contact.]
Defn: To soil, stain, or corrupt by contact; to tarnish; to sully; to taint; to pollute; to defile. Shall we now Contaminate our figures with base bribes Shak. I would neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue contaminated. Goldsmith.
Syn. -- To pollute; defile; sully; taint; tarnish; soil; stain; corrupt.
CONTAMINATE Con*tam"i*nate, a.
Defn: Contaminated; defiled; polluted; tainted. "Contaminate drink." Daniel.
CONTAMINATION Con*tam`i*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. contaminatio.]
Defn: The act or process of contaminating; pollution; defilement; taint; also, that which contaminates.
CONTAMITIVE Con*tam"i*tive, a.
Defn: Tending or liable to contaminate.
CONTANGO Con*tan"go, n.; pl. Contangoes. Etym: [Prob. a corruption of contingent.]
1. (Stock Exchange)
Defn: The premium or interest paid by the buyer to the seller, to be allowed to defer paying for the stock purchased until the next fortnightly settlement day. [Eng.]
2. (Law)
Defn: The postponement of payment by the buyer of stock on the payment of a premium to the seller. See Backwardation. N. Biddle.
CONTE Conte, n.; pl. Contes (#). [F.]
Defn: A short narrative or tale, esp. one dealing with surprising or marvelous events.
The conte (sic) is a tale something more than a sketch, it may be, and something less than a short story. . . . The "Canterbury Tales" are contes, most of them, if not all, and so are some of the "Tales of a Wayside Inn." Brander Matthews.
CONTECTION Con*tec"tion, n. Etym: [L. contegere, -tectum, to cover up.]
Defn: A covering. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
CONTEK Con"tek, n. Etym: [OE. conteck, conteke, contake, perh. a corruption either of contact or contest.]
1. Quarrel; contention; contest. [Obs.] Contek with bloody knife. Chaucer.
2 2
Defn: Contumely; reproach. [Obs.] Wyclif.
CONTEMN Con*temn", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contemned; p.pr. & vb.n. Contemning ( or ).] Etym: [L. contemnere, -temptum; con- + temnere to slight, despise: cf. OF. contemner.]
Defn: To view or treat with contempt, as mean and despicable; to reject with disdain; to despise; to scorn. Thy pompous delicacies I contemn. Milton. One who contemned divine and human laws. Dryden.
Syn. -- To despise; scorn; disdain; spurn; slight; neglect; underrate; overlook. -- To Contemn, Despise, Scorn, Disdain. Contemn is the generic term, and is applied especially to objects, qualities, etc., which are deemed contemptible, and but rarely to individuals; to despise is to regard or treat as mean, unbecoming, or worthless; to scorn is stronger, expressing a quick, indignant contempt; disdain is still stronger, denoting either unwarrantable pride and haughtiness or an abhorrence of what is base.
CONTEMNER Con*tem"ner ( or ), n.
Defn: One who contemns; a despiser; a scorner. "Contemners of the gods." South.
CONTEMNINGLY Con*tem"ning*ly, adv.
Defn: Contemptuously. [R.]
CONTEMPER Con*tem"per, v. t. Etym: [L. contemperare, -temperatum; con- + temperare to temper. Cf. Contemperate.]
Defn: To modify or temper; to allay; to qualify; to moderate; to soften. [Obs.] The antidotes . . . have allayed its bitterness and contempered its malignancy. Johnson.
CONTEMPERATE Con*tem"per*ate, v. t. Etym: [See Contemper.]
Defn: To temper; to moderate. [Obs.] Moisten and contemperate the air. Sir T. Browne.
CONTEMPERATION Con*tem`per*a"tion, n.
1. The act of tempering or moderating. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
2. Proportionate mixture or combination. "Contemperation of light and shade." Boyle.
CONTEMPERATURE Con*tem"per*a*ture, n.
Defn: The condition of being tempered; proportionate mixture; temperature. [Obs.] The different contemperature of the elements. SDouth.
CONTEMPLANCE Con*tem"plance, n.
Defn: Contemplation. [Obs.] Chaucer.
CONTEMPLANT Con*tem"plant, a. Etym: [L. contemplans, p.pr.]
Defn: Given to contemplation; meditative. [R.] Coleridge.
CONTEMPLATE Con"tem*plate, v. t. [imp & p. p. Contemplated (# or #); p.pr & vb. n. Contemplating.] Etym: [L. contemplatus, p.p. of contemplari to contemplate; con- + templum a space for observation marked out by the augur. See Temple.]
1. To look at on all sides or in all its bearings; to view or consider with continued attention; to regard with deliberate care; to meditate on; to study. To love, at least contemplate and admire, What I see excellent. Milton. We thus dilate Our spirits to the size of that they contemplate. Byron.
2. To consider or have in view, as contingent or probable; to look forward to; to purpose; to intend. There remain some particulars to complete the information contemplated by those resolutions. A. Hamilton. If a treaty contains any stipulations which contemplate a state of future war. Kent.
Syn. -- To view; behold; study; ponder; muse; meditate on; reflect on; consider; intend; design; plan; propose; purpose. See Meditate.
CONTEMPLATE Con"tem*plate, v. i.
Defn: To consider or think studiously; to ponder; to reflect; to muse; to meditate. So many hours must I contemplate. Shak.
CONTEMPLATION Con`tem*pla"tion, n. Etym: [F. contemplation, L. contemplatio.]
1. The act of the mind in considering with attention; continued attention of the mind to a particular subject; meditation; musing; study. In contemplation of created things, By steps we may ascend to God. Milton. Contemplation is keeping the idea which is brought into the mind for some time actually in view. Locke.
2. Holy meditation. [Obs.] To live in prayer and contemplation. Shak.
3. The act of looking forward to an event as about to happen; expectation; the act of intending or purposing. In contemplation of returning at an early date, he left. Reid. To have in contemplation, to inted or purpose, or to have under consideration.
CONTEMPLATIST Con*tem"pla*tist, n.
Defn: A contemplator. [R.] I. Taylor.
CONTEMPLATIVE Con*tem"pla*tive, a. Etym: [F. contemplatif, L. contemplativus.]
1. Pertaining to contemplation; addicted to, or employed in, contemplation; meditative. Fixed and contemplative their looks. Denham.
2. Having the power of contemplation; as, contemplative faculties. Ray.
CONTEMPLATIVE Con*tem"pla*tive, n. (R. C. Ch.)
Defn: A religious or either sex devoted to prayer and meditation, rather than to active works of charity.
CONTEMPLATIVELY Con*tem"pla*tive*ly, adv.
Defn: With contemplation; in a contemplative manner.
CONTEMPLATIVENESS Con*tem"pla*tive*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being contemplative; thoughtfulness.
CONTEMPLATOR Con"tem*pla`tor, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who contemplates. Sir T. Browne.
CONTEMPORANEITY Con*tem`po*ra*ne"i*ty, n.
Defn: The state of being contemporaneous. The lines of contemporaneity in the oölitic system. J. Philips.
CONTEMPORANEOUS Con*tem`po*ra"ne*ous, a. Etym: [L. contemporaneus; con- + tempus time. See Temporal, and cf. Contemporaneous.]
Defn: Living, existing, or occurring at the same time; contemporary. The great age of Jewish philosophy, that of Aben Esra, Maimonides, and Kimchi, had been contemporaneous with the later Spanish school of Arabic philosophy. Milman - Con*tem`po*ra"ne*ous*ness, n.
CONTEMPORANEOUSLY Con*tem`po*ra"ne*ous*ly, adv.
Defn: At the same time with some other event.
CONTEMPORARINESS Con*tem"po*ra*ri*ness, n.
Defn: Existence at the same time; contemporaneousness. Howell.
CONTEMPORARY Con*tem"po*ra*ry, a. Etym: [Pref. con- + L. temporarius of belonging to time, tempus time. See Temporal, and cf. Contemporaneous.]
1. Living, occuring, or existing, at the same time; done in, or belonging to, the same times; contemporaneous. This king [Henry VIII.] was contemporary with the greatest monarchs of Europe. Strype.
2. Of the same age; coeval. A grove born with himself he sees, And loves his old contemporary trees. Cowley.
CONTEMPORARY Con*tem"po*ra*ry, n.; pl. Contemporaries.
Defn: One who lives at the same time with another; as, Petrarch and Chaucer were contemporaries.
CONTEMPT Con*tempt", n. Etym: [L. contemptus, fr. contemnere: cf. OF. contempt. See Contemn.]
1. The act of contemning or despising; the feeling with which one regards that which is esteement mean, vile, or worthless; disdain; scorn. Criminal contempt of public feeling. Macaulay. Nothing, says Longinus, can be great, the contempt of which is great. Addison.
2. The state of being despised; disgrace; shame. Contempt and begarry hangs upon thy back. Shaks.
3. An act or expression denoting contempt. Little insults and contempts. Spectator. The contempt and anger of his lip. Shak.
4. (Law)
Defn: Disobedience of the rules, orders, or process of a court of justice, or of rules or orders of a legislative body; disorderly, contemptuous, or insolent language or behavior in presence of a court, tending to disturb its proceedings, or impair the respect due to its authority.
Note: Contempt is in some jurisdictions extended so as to include publications reflecting injuriously on a court of justice, or commenting unfairly on pending proceedings; in other jurisdictions the courts are prohibited by statute or by the constitution from thus exercising this process.
Syn. -- Disdain; scorn; derision; mockery; contumely; neglect; disregard; slight.
CONTEMPTIBILITY Con*tempt`i*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The quality of being contemptible; contemptibleness. Speed.
CONTEMPTIBLE Con*tempt"i*ble, a.
1. Worthy of contempt; deserving of scorn or disdain; mean; vile; despicable. Milton. The arguments of tyranny are ascontemptible as its force is dreadful. Burke.
2. Despised; scorned; neglected; abject. Locke.
3. Insolent; scornful; contemptuous. [Obs.] If she should make tender of her love, 't is very possible he 'll scorn it; for the man . . . hath a contemptible spirit. Shak.
Syn. -- Despicable; abject; vile; mean; base; paltry; worthless; sorry; pitiful; scurrile. See Contemptuous. -- Contemptible, Despicable, Pitiful, Paltry. Despicable is stronger than contemptible, as despise is stronger than contemn. It implies keen disapprobation, with a mixture of anger. A man is despicable chiefly for low actions which mark his life, such as servility, baseness, or mean adulation. A man is contemptible for mean qualities which distinguish his character, especially those which show him to be weak, foolish, or worthless. Treachery is despicable, egotism is contemptible. Pitiful and paltry are applied to cases which are beneath anger, and are simply contemptible in a high degree.
CONTEMPTIBLENESS Con*tempt"i*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being contemptible, or of being despised.
CONTEMPTIBLY Con*tempt"i*bly, adv.
Defn: In a contemptible manner.
CONTEMPTUOUS Con*temp"tu*ous, a.
Defn: Manifecting or expressing contempt or disdain; scornful; haughty; insolent; disdainful. A proud, contemptious behavior. Hammond. Savage invectiveand contemptuous sarcasm. Macaulay. Rome . . . entertained the most contemptuous opinion of the Jews. Atterbury.
Syn. -- Scornful; insolent; haughty; disdainful; supercilious; insulting; contumelious. -- Contemptuous, Contemptible. These words, from their similarity of sound, are sometimes erroneously interchanged, as when a person speaks of having "a very contemptible opinion of another." Contemptible is applied to that which is the object of contempt; as, contemptible conduct; acontemptible fellow. Contemptuous is applied to that which indicates contempts; as, a contemptuous look; a contemptuous remark; contemptuous treatment. A person, or whatever is personal, as an action, an expression, a feeling, an opinion, may be either contemptuous or contemptible; a thing may be contemptible, but can not be contemptuous.
CONTEMPTUOUSLY Con*temp"tu*ous*ly, adv.
Defn: In a contemptuous manner; with scorn or disdain; despitefully. The apostles and most eminent Christians were poor, and used contemptuously. Jer. Taylor.
CONTEMPTUOUSNESS Con*temp"tu*ous*ness, n.
Defn: Disposition to or manifestion of contempt; insolence; haughtiness.
CONTEND Con*tend", v. i. [imp. & p.p. Contended; p.pr. & vb.n. Contending.] Etym: [OF. contendre, L. contendere, -tentum; con- + tendere to strech. See Tend.]
1. To strive in opposition; to contest; to dispute; to vie; to quarrel; to fight. For never two such kingdoms did content Without much fall of blood. Shak. The Lord said unto me, Distress not the Moabites, neither contend with them in battle. Deut. ii. 9. In ambitious strength I did Contend against thy valor. Shak.
2. To struggle or exert one's self to obtain or retain possession of, or to defend. You sit above, and see vain men below Contend for what you only can bestow. Dryden.
3. To strive in debate; to engage in discussion; to dispute; to argue. The question which our author would contend for. Locke. Many things he fiercely contended about were trivial. Dr. H. More.
Syn. -- To struggle; fight; combat; vie; strive; oppose; emulate; contest; litigate; dispute; debate.
CONTEND Con*tend", v. t.
Defn: To struggle for; to contest. [R.] Carthage shall contend the world with Rome.Dryden.
CONTENDENT Con*tend"ent, n. Etym: [L. contendens, p.pr.]
Defn: n antagonist; a contestant. [Obs.] In all notable changes and revolutions the contendents have been still made a prey to the third party. L'Estrange.
CONTENDER Con*tend"er, n.
Defn: One who contends; a contestant.
CONTENDRESS Con*tend"ress, n.
Defn: A female contestant. [R.]
CONTENEMENT Con*ten"e*ment, n. Etym: [Pref. con- + tenemnt.] (Law)
Defn: That which is held together with another thing; that which is connected with a tenetment, or thing holden, as a certin quantity of land a Burrill.
CONTENT Con*tent, a. Etym: [F. content, fr. L. contentus, p.p. of contenire to hold together, restrain. See Contain.]
Defn: Contained within limits; hence, having the desires limited by that which one has; not disposed to repine or grumble; satisfied; contented; at rest. Having food rainment, let us be therewith content. 1 Tim. vi. 8.
CONTENT Con"tent ( or ; 277), n.; usually in pl., Contents.
1. That which is contained; the thing or things held by a receptacle or included within specified limits; as, the contents of a cask or bale or of a room; the contents of a book. I shall prove these writings . . . authentic, and the contents true, and worthy of a divine original. Grew.
2. Power of containing; capacity; extent; size. [Obs.] Strong ship's, of great content. Bacon.
3. (Geom.)
Defn: Area or quantity of space or matter contained within certain limits; as, solid contents; superficial contents. The geometrical content, figure, and situation of all the lands of a kingdom. Graunt. Table of contents, or Contents, a table or list of topics in a book, showing their order and the place where they may be found: a summary.
CONTENT Con*tent", v. t. Etym: [F. contenter, LL. contentare, fr. L. contentus, p.p. See Content, a.]
1. To satisfy the desires of; to make easy in any situation; to appease or quiet; to gratify; to please. Do not content yourselves with obscure and confused ideas, where clearer are to be attained. I. Watts. Pilate, willing to content the people, released Barabbas unto them. Mark xv. 15.
2. To satisfy the expectations of; to pay; to requite. Come the next Sabbath, and I will content you. Shak.
Syn. -- To satisfy; appease; plese. See Satiate.
CONTENT Con*tent", n.
1. Rest or quietness of the mind in one's present condition; freedom from discontent; satisfaction; contentment; moderate happiness. Such is the fullness of my heart's content. Shak.
2. Acquiescence without examination. [Obs.] The sense they humbly take upon content. Pope.
3. That which contents or satisfies; that which if attained would make one happy. So will I in England work your grace's full content. Shak.
4. (Eng. House of Lords)
Defn: An expression of assent to a bill or motion; an affirmate vote; also, a member who votes "Content.". Supposing the number of "Contents" and "Not contents" strictly equal in number and consequence.Burke.
CONTENTATION Con`ten*ta"tion, n. Etym: [LL. contentatio.]
Defn: Content; satisfaction. [Obs.] Bacon.
CONTENTED Con*tent"ed, a.
Defn: Content; easy in mind; satisfied; quiet; willing. -- Con*tent"ed*ly, adv. -- Con*tent"ed*ness, n.
CONTENTFUL Con*tent"ful, a.
Defn: Full of content. [Obs.] Barrow.
CONTENTION Con*ten"tion, n. Etym: [F. contention, L. contentio. See Contend.]
1. A violent effort or struggle to obtain, or to resist, something; contest; strife. I would my arcontenion. Shak.
2. Strife in words; controversy; altercation quarrel; dispute; as, a bone of contention. Contentions and strivings about the law. Titus iii. 9.
3. Vehemence of endeavor; eagerness; ardor; zeal. An end . . . worthy our utmost contenion to obtain. Rogers.
4. A point maintained in an argument, or a line of argument taken in its support; the subject matter of discussion of strife; a position taken or contended for. All men seem agreed what is to be done; the contention is how the subject is to be divided and defined. Bagehot. This was my original contention, and I still maintain that you should abide by your former decision. Jowett.
Syn. -- Struggle; strife; contest; quarrel; combat; conflict; feud; litigation; controversy; dissension; variance; disagreement; debate; competition; emulation. -- Contention, Strife. A struggle between two parties is the idea common to these two words. Strife is a struggle for mastery; contention is a struggle for the possession of some desired object, or the accomplishment of some favorite end. Neither of the words is necessairly used in a bad sense, since there may be a generous strife or contention between two friends as to which shall incur danger or submit to sacrifices. Ordinarily, however, these words denote a struggle arising from bad passions. In that case, strife usually springs from a quarrelsome temper, and contention from, a selfish spirit which seeks its own aggrandizement, or is fearful lest others should obtain too such. Strife has more reference to the manner than to the object of a struggle, while contention takes more account of the end to be gained.
CONTENTIOUS Con*ten"tious, a. Etym: [L. contentiosus: cf. F. contentieux.]
1. Fond of contention; given to angry debate; provoking dispute or contention; quarrelsome. Despotic and contentious temper. Macaulay.
2. Relating to contention or strife; involving or characterized by contention. Spenser. More cheerfull; though not less contentious, regions. Brougham.
3. (Law)
Defn: Contested; litigated; litigious; having power to decide controversy. Contentious jurisdiction (Eng. Eccl. Law), jurisdiction over matters in controversy between parties, in contradistinction to voluntary jurisdiction, or that exercised upon matters not opposed or controverted.
Syn. -- Quarrelsome; pugnacious; dissentious; wrangling; litigious; perverse; peevish. - Con*ten"tious*ly, adv. -- Con*ten"tious*ness, n.
CONTENTLESS Con*tent"less, a. Etym: [Content + -less.]
Defn: Discontented; dissatisfied. [R.] Shak.
CONTENTLY Con*tent"ly, adv.
Defn: In a contented manner. [Obs.]
CONTENTMENT Con*tent"ment, n. Etym: [Cf. F. contentement. See Content, v. t.]
1. The state of being contented or satisfied; content. Contentment without external honor is humility. Grew. Godliness with contentment is great gain. 1 Tim. vi. 6.
2. The act or process of contenting or satisfying; as, the contentment of avarice is impossible.
3. Gratification; pleasure; satisfaction. [Obs.] At Paris the prince spent one whole day to give his mind some contentment in viewing of a famous city. Sir H. Wotton.
CONTENTS Con*tents ( or ; 277), n. pl.
Defn: See Content, n.
CONTERMINABLE Con*ter"mi*na*ble, a.
Defn: Having the same bounds; terminating at the same time or place; conterminous. Love and life not conterminable. Sir H. Wotton.
CONTERMINAL Con*ter"mi*nal, a. Etym: [LL. conterminalis.]
Defn: Conterminous.
CONTERMINANT Con*ter"mi*nant, a.
Defn: Having the same limits; ending at the same time; conterminous. Lamb.
CONTERMINATE Con*ter"mi*nate, a. Etym: [L. conterminare to border upon, fr. conterminus conterminous; con- + terminus border.]
Defn: Having the same bounds; conterminous. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
CONTERMINOUS Con*ter"mi*nous, a. Etym: [L. conterminus. Cf. Conterminous.]
Defn: Having the same bounds, or limits; bordering upon; contiguous. This conformed so many of them as were conterminous to the colonies and garrisons, to the Roman laws. Sir M. Hale.
CONTERRANEAN; CONTERRANEOUS Con`ter*ra"ne*an, Con`ter*ra"ne*ous, a. Etym: [L. conterraneus; con- + terra country.]
Defn: Of or belonging to the same country. Howell.
CONTESSERATION Con*tes`ser*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. contesseratio, from contesserare to contract friendship by means of the tesserae (friendship tokens).]
Defn: An assemblage; a collection; harmonious union. [Obs.] That person of his [George Herbert], which afforded so unusual a contesseration of elegancies. Oley.
CONTEST Con*test", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contested; p.pr. & vb.n. Contesting.] Etym: [F. contester, fr. L. contestari to call to witness, contestari litem to introduce a lawsuit by calling witnesses, to bring an action; con- + testari to be a witness, testic witness. See Testify.]
1. To make a subject of dispute, contention, litigation, or emulation; to contend for; to call in question; to controvert; to oppose; to dispute. The people . . . contested not what was done. Locke. Few philosophical aphorisms have been more frequenty repeated, few more contested than this. J. D. Morell.
2. To strive earnestly to hold or maintain; to struggle to defend; as, the troops contested every inch of ground.
3. (Law)
Defn: To make a subject of litigation; to defend, as a suit; to dispute or resist; as a claim, by course of law; to controvert. To contest an election. (Polit.) (a) To strive to be elected. (b) To dispute the declared result of an election.
Syn. -- To dispute; controvert; debate; litigate; oppose; argue; contend.
CONTEST Con*test", v. i.
Defn: To engage in contention, or emulation; to contend; to strive; to vie; to emulate; -- followed usually by with. The difficulty of an argument adds to the pleasure of contesting with in, when there are hopes of victory. Bp. Burnet. Of man, who dares in pomp with Jove contest Pope.
CONTEST Con"test, n.
1. Earnest dispute; strife in argument; controversy; debate; altercation. Leave all noisy contests, all immodest clamors and brawling language. I. Watts.
2. Earnest struggle for superiority, victory, defense, etc.; competition; emulation; strife in arms; conflict; combat; encounter. The late battle had, in effect, been a contest between one usurper and another. Hallam. It was fully expected that the contest there would be long and fierce. Macaulay.
Syn. -- Conflict; combat; battle; encounter; shock; struggle; dispute; altercation; debate; controvesy; difference; disagreement; strife. -- Contest, Conflict, Combat, Encounter. Contest is the broadest term, and had originally no reference to actual fighting. It was, on the contrary, a legal term signifying to call witnesses, and hence came to denote first a struggle in argument, and then a struggle for some common object between opposing parties, usually one of considerable duration, and implying successive stages or acts. Conflict denotes literally a close personal engagement, in which sense it is applied to actual fighting. It is, however, more commonly used in a figurative sense to denote strenuous or direct opposition; as, a mental conflict; conflicting interests or passions; a conflict of laws. An encounter is a direct meeting face to face. Usually it is a hostile meeting, and is then very nearly coincident with conflict; as, an encounter of opposing hosts. Sometimes it is used in a looser sense; as, "this keen encounter of our wits." Shak. Combat is commonly applied to actual fighting, but may be used figuratively in reference to a strife or words or a struggle of feeling.
CONTESTABLE Con*test"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. contestable.]
Defn: Capable of being contested; debatable.
CONTESTANT Con*test"ant, n. Etym: [Cf. F. contestant.]
Defn: One who contests; an opponent; a litigant; a disputant; one who claims that which has been awarded to another.
CONTESTATION Con`tes*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. contestatio testimony: cf. F. contestation a contesting.]
1. The act of contesting; emulation; rivalry; strife; dispute. "Loverlike contestation." Milton. After years spent in domestic, unsociable contestations, she found means to withdraw. Clarendon.
2. Proof by witness; attestation; testimony. [Obs.] A solemn contestation ratified on the part of God. Barrow.
CONTESTINGLY Con*test"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a contending manner.
CONTEX Con*tex, v. t.
Defn: To context. [Obs.] Boyle.
CONTEXT Con*text", a. Etym: [L. contextus, p.p. of contexere to weave, to unite; con- + texere to weave. See Text.]
Defn: Knit or woven together; close; firm. [Obs.] The coats, without, are context and callous. Derham.
CONTEXT Con"text, n. Etym: [L. contextus; cf. F. contexte .]
Defn: The part or parts of something written or printed, as of Scripture, which precede or follow a text or quoted sentence, or are so intimately associated with it as to throw light upon its meaning. According to all the light that the contexts afford. Sharp.
CONTEXT Con*text", v. t.
Defn: To knit or bind together; to unite closely. [Obs.] Feltham. The whole world's frame, which is contexted only by commerce and contracts. R. Junius.
CONTEXTURAL Con*tex"tur*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to contexture or arrangement of parts; producing contexture; interwoven. Dr. John Smith (1666).
CONTEXTURE Con*tex"ture, n. Etym: [Cf. F. contexture.]
Defn: The arrangement and union of the constituent parts of a thing; a weaving together of parts; structural character of a thing; system; constitution; texture. That wonderful contexture of all created beings. Dryden. He was not of any delicate contexture; his limbs rather sturdy than dainty. Sir H. Wotton.
CONTEXTURED Con*tex"tured, a.
Defn: Formed into texture; woven together; arranged; composed. [R.] Carlyle.
CONTICENT Con"ti*cent, a. Etym: [L. conticens, p.pr. of conticere; con- + tacere to be silent.]
Defn: Silent. [R.] "The guests sit conticent." Thackeray.
CONTIGNATION Con`tig*na"tion, n. Etym: [L. contignatio, fr. contignare to join with beams; con- + tignum beam.]
1. The act or process of framing together, or uniting, as beams in a fabric. Burke.
2. A framework or fabric, as of beams. Sir H. Wotton.
CONTIGUATE Con*tig"u*ate, a. Etym: [LL. contiguatus.]
Defn: Contiguous; touching. [Obs.] Holland.
CONTIGUITY Con`ti*gu"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. contiguit, LL. contiguitas.]
Defn: The state of being contiguous; intimate association; nearness; proximity. The convicinity and contiguity of the two parishes. T. Warton.
CONTIGUOUS Con*tig"u*ous, a. Etym: [L. contiguus; akin to contigere to touch on all sides. See Contingent.]
Defn: In actual contact; touching; also, adjacent; near; neighboring; adjoining. The two halves of the paper did not appear fully divided . . . but seemed contiguous at one of their angles. Sir I. Newton. Sees no contiguous palace rear its head. Goldsmith. Contiguous angles. See Adjacent angles, under Angle.
Syn. -- Adjoining; adjacent. See Adjacent. - Con*tig"u*ous*ly, adv. -- Con*tig"u*ous*ness, n.
CONTINENCE; CONTINENCY Con"ti*nence, Con"ti*nen*cy, n. Etym: [F. continence, L. continentia. See Continent, and cf. Countenance.]
1. Self-restraint; self-command. He knew what to say; he knew also, when to leave off, -- a continence which is practiced by few writers. Dryden.
2. The restraint which a person imposes upon his desires and passions; the act or power of refraining from indulgence of the sexual appetite, esp. from unlawful indulgence; sometimes, moderation in sexual indulgence. If they [the unmarried and widows] have not continency, let them marry. 1 Cor. vii. 9 (Rev. Ver. ). Chastity is either abstinence or continence: abstinence is that of virgins or widows; continence, that of married persons. Jer. Taylor.
3. Uninterrupted course; continuity. [Obs.] Ayliffe.
CONTINENT Con"ti*nent, a. Etym: [L. continens, -entis, prop., p. pr. of continere to hold together, to repress: cf. F. continent. See Contain.]
1. Serving to restrain or limit; restraining; opposing. [Obs.] Shak.
2. Exercising restraint as to the indulgence of desires or passions; temperate; moderate. Have a continent forbearance till the speed of his rage goes slower. Shak.
3. Abstaining from sexual intercourse; exercising restraint upon the sexual appetite; esp., abstaining from illicit sexual intercourse; chaste. My past life Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true, As I am now unhappy. Shak.
4. Not interrupted; connected; continuous; as, a continent fever. [Obs.] The northeast part of Asia is, if not continent with the west side of America, yet certainly it is the least disoined by sea of all that coast. Berrewood.
CONTINENT Con"ti*nent, n. Etym: [L. continens, prop., a holding together: cf. F. continent. See Continent, a.]
1. That which contains anything; a receptacle. [Obs.] The smaller continent which we call a pipkin. Bp. Kennet.
2. One of the grand divisions of land on the globe; the main land; specifically (Phys. Geog.), a large body of land differing from an island, not merely in its size, but in its structure, which is that of a large basin bordered by mountain chains; as, the continent of North America.
Note: The continents are now usually regarded as six in number: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Australia. But other large bodies of land are also reffered to as continents; as, the Antarctic continent; the continent of Greenland. Europe, Asia, and Africa are often grouped together as the Eastern Continent, and North and South America as the Western Continent. The Continent, the main land of Europe, as distinguished from the islands, especially from England.
CONTINENTAL Con`ti*nen"tal, a.
1. Of or pertaining to a continent.
2. Of or pertaining to the main land of Europe, in distinction from the adjacent islands, especially England; as, a continental tour; a continental coalition. Macaulay. No former king had involved himself so frequently in the labyrinth of continental alliances. Hallam.
3. (Amer. Hist.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the confederated colonies collectively, in the time of the Revolutionary War; as, Continental money. The army before Boston was designated as the Continental army, in contradistinction to that under General Gage, which was called the "Ministerial army." W. Irving. Continental Congress. See under Congress. -- Continental system (Hist.), the blockade of Great Britain ordered by Napoleon by the decree of Berlin, Nov. 21, 1806; the object being to strike a blow at the maritime and commercial supremacy of Great Britain, by cutting her off from all intercourse with the continent of Europe.
CONTINENTAL Con`ti*nen"tal, n. (Amer. Hist.)
Defn: A soldier in the Continental army, or a piece of the Continental currency. See Continental, a., 3.
CONTINENTAL DRIVE Con`ti*nen"tal drive. (Automobiles)
Defn: A transmission arrangement in which the longitudinal crank shaft drives the rear wheels through a clutch, change-speed gear, countershaft, and two parallel side chains, in order.
CONTINENTAL GLACIER Continental glacier.
Defn: A broad ice sheet resting on a plain or plateau and spreading outward from a central névé, or region of accumulation.
CONTINENTAL PRONUNCIATION Continental pronunciation (of Latin and Greek.)
Defn: A method of pronouncing Latin and Greek in which the vowels have their more familiar Continental values, as in German and Italian, the consonants being pronounced mostly as in English. The stricter form of this method of pronouncing Latin approaches the Roman, the modified form the English, pronunciation. The Continental method of Greek pronunciation is often called Erasmian.
CONTINENTAL SYSTEM Continental system. (Hist.)
Defn: The system of commercial blockade aiming to exclude England from commerce with the Continent instituted by the Berlin decree, which Napoleon I. issued from Berlin Nov. 21, 1806, declaring the British Isles to be in a state of blockade, and British subjects, property, and merchandise subject to capture, and excluding British ships from all parts of Europe under French dominion. The retaliatory measures of England were followed by the Milan decree, issued by Napoleon from Milan Dec. 17, 1807, imposing further restrictions, and declaring every ship going to or from a port of England or her colonies to be lawful prize.
CONTINENTLY Con"ti*nent*ly, adv.
Defn: In a continent manner; chastely; moderately; temperately.
CONTINGENCE Con*tin"gence, n.
Defn: See Contingency.
CONTINGENCY Con*tin"gen*cy, n,; pl. Contingencies. Etym: [Cf. F. contingence.]
1. Union or connection; the state of touching or contact. "Point of contingency." J. Gregory.
2. The quality or state of being contingent or casual; the possibility of coming to pass. Aristotle says we are not to build certain rules on the contingency of human actions. South.
3. An event which may or may not occur; that which is possible or probable; a fortuitous event; a chance. The remarkable position of the queen rendering her death a most important contingency. Hallam.
4. An adjunct or accessory. Wordsworth.
5. (Law)
Defn: A certain possible event that may or may not happen, by which, when happening, some particular title may be affected.
Syn. -- Casualty; accident; chance.
CONTINGENT Con*tin"gent, a. Etym: [L. contingens, -entis, p.pr. of contingere to touch on all sides, to happen; con- + tangere to touch: cf. F. contingent. See Tangent, Tact.]
1. Possible, or liable, but not certain, to occur; incidental; casual. Weighing so much actual crime against so much contingent advantage. Burke.
2. Dependent on that which is undetermined or unknown; as, the success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he can not control. "Uncertain and contingent causes." Tillotson.
3. (Law)
Defn: Dependent for effect on something that may or may not occur; as, a contingent estate. If a contingent legacy be left to any one when he attains, or if he attains, the age of twenty-one. Blackstone.
CONTINGENT Con*tin"gent, n.
1. An event which may or may not happen; that which is unforeseen, undetermined, or dependent on something future; a contingency. His understanding could almost pierce into future contingets. South.
2. That which falls to one in a division or apportionment among a number; a suitable share; proportion; esp., a quota of troops. From the Alps to the border of Flanders, contingents were required . . . 200,000 men were in arms. Milman.
CONTINGENTLY Con*tin"gent*ly, adv.
Defn: In a contingent manner; without design or foresight; accidentally.
CONTINGENTNESS Con*tin"gent*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being contingent; fortuitousness.
CONTINUABLE Con*tin"u*a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being continued [R.]
CONTINUAL Con*tin"u*al, a. Etym: [OE. continuel, F. continuel. See Continue.]
1. Proceeding without interruption or cesstaion; continuous; unceasing; lasting; abiding. He that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast. Prov. xv. 15.
2. Occuring in steady and rapid succession; very frequent; often repeated. The eye is deligh by a continental succession of small landscapes. W. Irwing. Continual proportionals (Math.), quantities in continued proportion. Brande & C.
Syn. -- Constant; prepetual; incessant; unceasing; uninterrupted; unintermitted; continuous. See Constant, and Continuous.
CONTINUALLY Con*tin"u*al*ly, adv.
1. Without cessation; unceasingly; continuously; as, the current flows continually. Why do not all animals continually increase in bigness Bentley.
2. In regular or repeated succession; very often. Thou shalt eat bread at my table continually. 2 Sam. ix. 7.
CONTINUANCE Con*tin"u*ance, n. Etym: [OF. continuance.]
1. A holding on, or remaining in a particular state; permanence, as of condition, habits, abode, etc.; perseverance; constancy; duration; stay. Great plagues, and of long continuence. Deut. xxviii. 59. Patient continuance i well-doing. Rom. ii. 7.
2. Uninterrupted succession; continuation; constant renewell; perpetuation; propagation. The brute immedistely regards his own preservation or the continuance of his species. Addison.
3. A holding together; continuity. [Obs.] Bacon.
4. (Law) (a) The adjournment of the proceedings in a cause from one day, or from one stated term of a court, to another. (b) The entry of such adjuornment and the grounds thereof on the record.
CONTINUANT Con*tin"u*ant, a.
Defn: Continuing; prolonged; sustained; as, a continuant sound. -- n.
Defn: A continuant sound; a letter whose sound may be prolonged.
CONTINUATE Con*tin"u*ate, a. Etym: [L. continuatus, p.p. See Continue.]
1. Immediately united together; intimately connocted. [R.] We are of Him and in Him, even as though our very flesh and bones should be made continuate with his. Hooker.
2. Uninterrupted; unbroken; continual; continued. An untirable and continuate goodness. Shak.
CONTINUATION Con*tin`u*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. continuatio: cf. F. connuation.]
1. That act or state of continuing; the state of being continued; uninterrupted extension or succession; prolongation; propagation. Preventing the continuation of the royal line. Macaulay.
2. That which extends, increases, supplements, or carries on; as, the continuation of a story. My continuation of the version of Statius. Pope.
CONTINUATIVE Con*tin"u*a*tive, n. Etym: [Cf. F. continuatif.]
1. (Logic)
Defn: A term or expression denoting continuance. [R.] To these may be added continuatives; as, Rome remains to this day; which includes, at least, two propositions, viz., Rome was, and Rome is. I. Watts.
2. (Gram.)
Defn: A word that continues the connection of sentences or subjects; a connective; a conjunction. Continuatives . . . consolidate sentences into one continuous whole. Harris.
CONTINUATOR Con*tin"u*a`tor, n. Etym: [Cf. F. continuateur.]
Defn: One who, or that which, continues; esp., one who continues a series or a work; a continuer. Sir T. Browne.
CONTINUE Con*tin"ue, v. i. [imp. & p.p. Continued; p.pr. & vb.n. Continuing.] Etym: [F. continuer, L. continuare, -tinuatum, to connect, continue, fr. continuus. See Continuous, and cf. Continuate.]
1. To remain ina given place or condition; to remain in connection with; to abide; to stay. Here to continue, and build up here A growing empire. Milton. They continue with me now three days, and have nothing to eat. Matt. xv. 32.
2. To be permanent or durable; to endure; to last. But now thy kingdom shall not continue. 1 Sam. xiii. 14.
3. To be steadfast or constant in any course; to persevere; to abide; to endure; to persist; to keep up or maintain a particular condition, course, or series of actions; as, the army continued to advance. If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed. John viii. 31.
Syn. -- To persevere; persist. See Persevere.
CONTINUE Con*tin"ue, v. t.
1. To unite; to connect. [Obs.] the use of the navel is to continue the infant unto the mother. Sir T. browne.
2. To protract or extend in duration; to preserve or persist in; to cease not. O continue thy loving kindness unto them that know thee. Ps. xxxvi. 10. You know how to make yourself happy by only continuing such a life as you have been long acustomed to lead. Pope.
3. To carry onward or extend; to prolong or produce; to add to or draw out in length. A bridge of wond'rous length, From hell continued, reaching th' utmost orb of this frall world. Milton.
4. To retain; to suffer or cause to remain; as, the trustees were continued; also, to suffer to live. And how shall we continue Claudio. Shak.
CONTINUED Con*tin"ued, p.p. & a.
Defn: Having extension of time, space, order of events, exertion of energy, etc.; extended; protacted; uninterrupted; also, resumed after interruption; extending through a succession of issues, session, etc.; as, a continued story. "Continued woe." Jenyns. "Continued succession." Locke. Continued bass (Mus.), a bass continued through an entire piece of music, while the other parts of the harmony are indicated by figures beneath the bass; the same as thorough bass or figured bass; basso continuo. [It.] -- Continued fever (Med.), a fever which presents no interruption in its course. -- Continued fraction (Math.), a fraction whose numerator is 1, and whose denominator is a whole number plus a fraction whose numerator is 1 and whose denominator is a whole number, plus a fraction, and so on. -- Continued proportion (Math.), a proportion composed of two or more equal ratios, in which the consequent of each preceding ratio is the same with the antecedent of the folowing one; as, 4 : 8 : 8 : 16 :: 16 : 32.
CONTINUEDLY Con*tin"u*ed*ly ( or , adv.
Defn: Continuously.
CONTINUER Con*tin"u*er, n.
Defn: One who continues; one who has the power of perseverance or persistence. "Indulgent continuers in sin." Hammond. I would my horse had the speed of your tongue, and so good a continuer. Shak.
CONTINUITY Con`ti*nu"i*ty, n.; pl. Continuities. Etym: [L. continuitas: cf. F. continuit. See Continuous.]
Defn: the state of being continuous; uninterupted connection or succession; close union of parts; cohesion; as, the continuity of fibers. Grew. The sight would be tired, if it were attracted by a continuity of glittering objects. Dryden. Law of continuity (Math. & Physics), the principle that nothing passes from one state to another without passing through all the intermediate states. -- Solution of continuity. (Math.) See under Solution.
CONTINUO Con*ti"nu*o ( or , n. Etym: [It.] (Mus.)
Defn: Basso continuo, or continued bass.
CONTINUOUS Con*tin"u*ous, a. Etym: [L. continuus, fr. continere to hold together. See Continent.]
1. Without break, cessation, or interruption; without intervening space or time; uninterrupted; unbroken; continual; unceasing; constant; continued; protracted; extended; as, a continuous line of railroad; a continuous current of electricity. he can hear its continuous murmur. Longfellow.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Not deviating or varying from uninformity; not interrupted; not joined or articulated. Continuous brake (Railroad), a brake which is attached to each car a train, and can be caused to operate in all the cars simultaneously from a point on any car or on the engine. -- Continuous impost. See Impost.
Syn. -- Continuous, Continual. Continuous is the stronger word, and denotes that the continuity or union of parts is absolute and uninterrupted; as, a continuous sheet of ice; a continuous flow of water or of argument. So Daniel Webster speaks of "a continuous and unbroken strain of the martial airs of England." Continual, in most cases, marks a close and unbroken succession of things, rather than absolute continuity. Thus we speak of continual showers, implying a repetition with occasional interruptions; we speak of a person as liable to continual calls, or as subject to continual applications for aid, etc. See Constant.
CONTINUOUSLY Con*tin"u*ous*ly, adv.
Defn: In a continuous maner; without interruption. -- Con*tin"u*ous*ness, n.
CONTLINE Cont"line`, n.
1. (Ropemaking)
Defn: The space between the strands on the outside of a rope. Knight.
2. (Naut.)
Defn: The space between the bilges of two casks stowed side by side.
CONTORNIATE; CONTORNIATE Con*tor"ni*ate, Con*tor"ni*a`te, n., Etym: [It. contorniato, p.pr. of contorniare to make a circuit or outline, fr. contorno circuit, outline. See Contour.] (Numis.)
Defn: A species of medal or medallion of bronze, having a deep furrow on the contour or edge; -- supposed to have been struck in the days of Constantine and his successors. R. S. Poole.
CONTORSION Con*tor"sion, n.
Defn: See Contortion.
CONTORT Con*tort", v. t. Etym: [L. contortus, p.p. of contorquere to twist; con- + torquere to twist. See Torture.]
Defn: To twist, or twist together; to turn awry; to bend; to distort; to wrest. The vertebral arteries are variously contorted. Ray. Kant contorted the term category from the proper meaning of attributed. Sir W. Hamilton.
CONTORTED Con*tort"ed, a.
1. Twisted, or twisted together. "A contorted chain of icicles." Massinger.
2. (Bot.) (a) Twisted back upon itself, as some parts of plants. (b) Arranged so as to overlap each other; as, petals in contorted or convolute æstivation.
CONTORTION Con*tor"tion, n. Etym: [L. contortio: cf. F. contorsion. See Contort, and cf. Torsion.]
Defn: A twisting; a writhing; wry motion; a twist; as, the contortion of the muscles of the face. Swift. All the contortions of the sibyl, without the inspiration. Burke.
CONTORTIONIST Con*tor"tion*ist, n.
Defn: One who makes or practices contortions.
CONTORTIVE Con*tor"tive, a.
Defn: Expressing contortion.
CONTORTUPLICATE Con`tor*tu"pli*cate, a. Etym: [L. contortuplicatus; contortus contorted + plicare to fold.] (Bot.)
Defn: Plaited lengthwise and twisted in addition, as the bud of the morning-glory. Gray.
CONTOUR Con*tour", n. Etym: [F. contour, fr. contourner to mark the outlines; con- + tourner to turn. See Turn.]
1. The outline of a figure or body, or the line or lines representing such an outline; the line that bounds; periphery. Titian's coloring and contours. A. Drummond.
2. (Mil.)
Defn: The outline of a horizontal section of the ground, or of works of fortification. Contour feathers (Zoöl.), those feathers that form the general covering of a bird. -- Contour of ground (Surv.), the outline of the surface of ground with respect to its undulation, etc. -- Contour line (Topographical Suv.), the line in which a horizontal plane intersects a portion of ground, or the corresponding line in a map or chart.
CONTOURNE Con`tour`ne, a. Etym: [F., p.p. of contourner to twist.] (Her.)
Defn: Turned in a direction which is not the usual one; -- said of an animal turned to the sinister which is usually turned to the dexter, or the like.
CONTOURNIATED Con*tour"ni*a`ted, a. Etym: [Cf. Contorniate.] (Numis.)
Defn: Having furrowed edges, as if turned in a lathe.
CONTRA Con"tra.
Defn: A Latin adverb and preposition, signifying against, contrary, in opposition, etc., entering as a prefix into the composition of many English words. Cf. Counter, adv. & pref.
CONTRABAND Con"tra*band, n. Etym: [It. contrabando; contra + bando ban, proclamation: cf. F. contrebande. See Ban an edict.]
1. Illegal or prohobited traffic. Persons the most bound in duty to prevent contraband, and the most interested in the seizures. Burke.
2. Goods or merchandise the importation or exportation of which is forbidden.
3. A negro slave, during the Civil War, escaped to, or was brought within, the Union lines. Such slave was considered contraband of war. [U.S.] Contraband of war, that which, according to international law, cannot be supplied to a hostile belligerent except at the risk of seizure and condemnation by the aggrieved belligerent. Wharton.
CONTRABAND Con"tra*band, a.
Defn: Prohibited or excluded by law or treaty; forbidden; as, contraband goods, or trade. The contraband will always keep pace, in some measure, with the fair trade. Burke.
CONTRABAND Con"tra*band, v. t.
1. To import illegaly, as prohibited goods; to smuggle. [Obs.] Johnson.
2. To declare prohibited; to forbid. [Obs.] The law severly contrabands Our taking business of men's hands. Hudibras.
CONTRABANDISM Con"tra*band*ism, n.
Defn: Traffic in contraband gods; smuggling.
CONTRABANDIST Con"tra*band`ist, n.
Defn: One who traffic illegaly; a smuggler.
CONTRABASS Con`tra*bass"
Defn: , n. (Mus.) Double bass; -- applied to any instrument of the same deep range as the stringed double bass; as, the contrabass ophicleide; the cotrabass tuba or bombardon.
CONTRABASSO Con`tra*bas"so, n. Etym: [It. contrabasso.] (Mus.)
Defn: The largest kind of bass viol. See Violone.
CONTRACT Con*tract", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contracted; p.pr. & vb.n. Contracting.] Etym: [L. contractus, p.p. of contrahere to contract; con- + trahere to draw: cf. F. contracter. See Trace, and cf. Contract, n.]
1. To draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to shorten, narrow, or lesen; as, to contract one's shpere of action. In all things desuetude doth contract and narrow our faculties. Dr. H. More.
2. To draw together so as to wrinkle; to knit. Thou didst contract and purse thy brow. Shak.
3. To bring on; to incur; to acquire; as, to contract a habit; to contract a debt; to contract a disease. Each from each contract new strength and light. Pope. Such behavior we contract by having much conversed with persons of high statiSwift.
4. To enter into, with mutual obligations; to make a bargain or covenant for. We have contracted an inviolable amity, peace, and lague with the aforesaid queen. Hakluyt. Many persons . . . had contracted marriage within the degrees of consanguinity . . . prohibited by law. Strype.
5. To betroth; to affiance. The truth is, she and I, long since contracted, Are now so sure, that nothing can dissolve us. Shak.
6. (Gram.)
Defn: To shorten by omitting a letter or letters or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one.
Syn. -- To shorten; abridge; epitomize; narrow; lessen; condense; reduce; confine; incur; assume.
CONTRACT Con*tract", v. i.
1. To be drawn together so as to be diminished in size or extent; to shrink; to be reduced in compass or in duration; as, iron contracts in cooling; a rope contracts when wet. Years contracting to a moment. Wordsworth.
2. To make an agreement; to covenant; to agree; to bargain; as, to contract for carrying the mail.
CONTRACT Con"tract, a.
Defn: Contracted: as, a contract verb. Goodwin.
CONTRACT Con*tract", a. Etym: [L. contractus, p.p.]
Defn: Contracted; affianced; betrothed. [Obs.] Shak.
CONTRACT Con"tract, n. Etym: [L. contractus, fr. contrahere: cf. F. contrat, formerly also contract.]
1. (Law)
Defn: The agreement of two or more persons, upon a sufficient consideration or cause, to do, or to abstain from doing, some act; an agreement in which a party undertakes to do, or not to do, a particular thing; a formal bargain; a compact; an interchange of legal rights. Wharton.
2. A formal writing which contains the agreement of parties, with the terms and conditions, and which serves as a proof of the obligation.
3. The act of formally betrothing a man and woman. This is the the night of the contract. Longwellow.
Syn. -- Covenant; agreement; compact; stipulation; bargain; arrangement; obligation. See Covenant.
CONTRACTED Con*tract"ed, a.
1. Drawn together; shrunken; wrinkled; narrow; as, a contracted brow; a contracted noun.
2. Narrow; illiberal; selfish; as, a contracted mind; contracted views.
3. Bargained for; betrothed; as, a contracted peace. Inquire me out contracted bachelors. Shak.
CONTRACTEDNESS Con*tract"ed*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being contracted; narrowness; meannes; selfishness.
CONTRACTIBILITY Con*tract`i*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: Capability of being contracted; quality of being contractible; as, the contractibiliy and dilatability of air. Arbuthnot.
CONTRACTIBLE Con*tract"i*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of contraction. Small air bladders distable and contractible. Arbuthnot.
CONTRACTIBLENESS Con*tract"i*ble*ness, n.
Defn: Contractibility.
CONTRACTILE Con*tract"ile, a. Etym: [Cf. F. contractile.]
Defn: tending to contract; having the power or property of contracting, or of shrinking into shorter or smaller dimensions; as, the contractile tissues. The heart's contractile force. H. Brooke. Each cilium seems to be composed of contractile substance. Hixley. Contractile vacuole (Zoöl.), a pulsating cavity in the interior of a protozoan, supposed to be excretory in function. There may be one, two, or more.
CONTRACTILITY Con`trac*til"i*ty, n.
1. The quality or property by which bodies shrink or contract.
2. (Physiol.)
Defn: The power possessed by the fibers of living muscle of contracting or shortening.
Note: When subject to the will, as in the muscles of locomotion, such power is called voluntary contractility; when not controlled by the will, as in the muscles of the heart, it is involuntary contractility.
CONTRACTION Con*trac"tion, n. Etym: [L. contractio: cf. F. contraction.]
1. The act or process of contracting, shortening, or shrinking; the state of being contracted; as, contraction of the heart, of the pupil of the eye, or of a tendion; the contraction produced by cold.
2. (Math.)
Defn: The process of shortening an operation.
3. The act of incurring or becoming subject to, as liabilities, obligation, debts, etc.; the process of becoming subject to; as, the contraction of a disease.
4. Something contracted or abbreviated, as a word or phrase; -- as, plenipo for plenipotentiary; crim. con. for criminal conversation, etc.
5. (Gram.)
Defn: The shortening of a word, or of two words, by the omission of a letter or letters, or by reducing two or more vowels or syllables to one; as, ne'er for never; can't for can not; don't for do not; it's for it is.
6. A marriage contract. [Obs.] Shak.
CONTRACTIVE Con*tract"ive, a.
Defn: Tending to contract; having the property or power or power of contracting.
CONTRACTOR Con*tract"or, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who contracts; one of the parties to a bargain; one who covenants to do anything for another; specifically, one who contracts to perform work on a rather large scale, at a certain price or rate, as in building houses or making a railroad.
CONTRACT SYSTEM Con"tract sys"tem.
1. The sweating system.
2. The system of employing convicts by selling their labor (to be performed inside the prison) at a fixed price per day to contractors who are allowed to have agents in the prison to superintend the work.
CONTRACT TABLET Con"tract tablet. (Babylonian & Assyrian Antiq.)
Defn: A clay tablet on which was inscribed a contract, for safe keeping. Such tablets were inclosed in an outer case (often called the envelope), on which was inscribed a duplicate of the inscription on the inclosed tablet.
CONTRACTURE Con*trac"ture, n. Etym: [L. contractura a drawing together.] (Med.)
Defn: A state of permanent rigidity or contraction of the muscles, generally of the flexor muscles.
CONTRADANCE Con"tra*dance`, n. Etym: [Pref. contra- + dance: cf. F. contrdance. Cf. Country-dance.]
Defn: A dance in which the partners are arranged face to face, or in opposite lines.
CONTRADICT Con`tra*dict", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contradicted; p.pr. & vb.n Contradicting.] Etym: [L. contradictus, p.p. of contradicere to speak against; contra + dicere to speak. See Diction.]
1. To assert the contrary of; to oppose in words; to take issue with; to gainsay; to deny the truth of, as of a statement or a speaker; to impugn. Dear Duff, I prithee, contradict thyself, And say it is not so. Shak. The future can not contradict the past. Wordsworth.
2. To be contrary to; to oppose; to resist. [Obs.] No truth can contradict another truth. Hooker. A greater power than we can contradict Hath thwarted our intents. Shak.
CONTRADICT Con`tra*dict, v. i.
Defn: To oppose in words; to gainsay; to deny, or assert the contrary of, something. They . . . spake against those things which were spoken by Paul, contradicting and blaspheming. Acts xiii. 45.
CONTRADICTABLE Con`tra*dict"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being contradicting.
CONTRADICTER Con`tra*dict"er, n.
Defn: one who contradicts. Swift.
CONTRADICTION Con`tra*dic"tion, n. Etym: [L. contradictio answer, objection: cf. F. contradiction.]
1. An assertion of the contrary to what has been said or affirmed; denial of the truth of a statement or assertion; contrary declaration; gainsaying. His fair demands Shall be accomplished without contradiction. Shak.
2. Direct opposition or repugnancy; inconsistency; incongruity or contrariety; one who, or that which, is inconsistent. can be make deathless death That were to make Strange contradiction. Milton. We state our experience and then we come to a manly resolution of acting in contradiction to it. Burke. Both parts of a contradiction can not possibly be true. Hobbes. Of contradictions infinite the slave. Wordsworth. Principle of contradiction (Logic), the axiom or law of thought that a thing cannot be and not be at the same time, or a thing must either be or not be, or the same attribute can not at the same time be affirmed and and denied of the same subject. It develops itself in three specific forms which have been called the "Three Logical Axioms." First. "A is A." Second, "A is not Not-A" Third, "Everything is either A or Not-A."
CONTRADICTIONAL Con`tra*dic"tion*al, a.
Defn: Contradictory; inconsistent; opposing. [R.] Milton.
CONTRADICTIOUS Con`tra*dic"tious, a.
1. Filled with contradictions; inconsistent. [Obs.]
2. Inclined to contradict or cavil [Obs.] Sharp. -- Con`tra*dic"tious*ness, n. Norris.
CONTRADICTIVE Con`tra*dict"ive, a.
Defn: Contradictory; inconsistent. -- Con`tra*dict"ive*ly, adv..
CONTRADICTOR Con`tra*dict"or, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: A contradicter.
CONTRADICTORILY Con`tra*dict"o*ri*ly, adv.
Defn: In a contradictory manner. Sharp.
CONTRADICTORINESS Con"tra*dict`o*ri*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being contradictory; opposition; inconsistency. J. Whitaker.
CONTRADICTORY Con`tra*dict"o*ry, a. Etym: [LL. contradictorius: cf. F. contradictoire.]
1. Affirming the contrary; implying a denial of what has been asserted; also, mutually contradicting; inconsistent. "Contradictory assertions." South.
2. Opposing or opposed; repugnant. Schemes . . . contradictory to common sense. Addisn.
CONTRADICTORY Con`tra*dict"o*ry, n.; pl. Contradictories (.
1. A proposition or thing which denies or opposes another; contrariety. It is common with princes to will contradictories. Bacon.
2. pl. (Logic)
Defn: propositions with the same terms, but opposed to each other both in quality and quantity.
CONTRADISTINCT Con`tra*dis*tinct", a.
Defn: Distinguished by opposite qualities. J. Goodwin.
CONTRADISTINCTION Con`tra*dis*tinc"tion, n.
Defn: Distinction by contrast. That there are such things as sins of infirmity in contradistinction to those of presumption is not to be questioned. South.
CONTRADISTINCTIVE Con`tra*dis*tinc"tive, a.
Defn: having the quality of contradistinction; distinguishing by contrast. -- Con`tra*dis*tinc"tive, n.
CONTRADISTINGUISH Con`tra*dis*tin"guish (; 144), v. t. [imp & p. p. Contradistinguished; p. pr. & vb. n. Contradistinguishing.]
Defn: To distinguish by a contrast of opposite qualities. These are our complex ideas of soul and body, as contradistinguished. Locke.
CONTRAFAGETTO Con`tra*fa*get"to, n. Etym: [It.] (Mus.)
Defn: The double bassoon, an octave deeper than the bassoon.
CONTRAFISSURE Con`tra*fis"sure, n. (Med.)
Defn: A fissure or fracture on the side opposite to that which received the blow, or at some distance from it. Coxe.
CONTRAHENT Con"tra*hent, a. Etym: [L. contrahens, p.pr. See Contract.]
Defn: Entering into covenant; contracting; as, contrahent parties. [Obs.] Mede.
CONTRAINDICANT Con"tra*in"di*cant, n. (Med.)
Defn: Something, as a symptom, indicating that the usual mode of treatment is not to be followed. Burke.
CONTRAINDICATE Con"tra*in*"di*cate, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contraindicated; p.pr. & vb.n. Contraindicating.] (Med.)
Defn: To indicate, as by a symptom, some method of treatment contrary to that which the general tenor of the case would seem to require. Contraindicating symptoms must be observed. Harvey.
CONTRAINDICATION Con"tra*in`di*ca"tion, n. (med.)
Defn: An indication or symptom which forbids the method of treatment usual in such cases.
CONTRALTO Con*tral"to ( or , n. Etym: [It., fr. contra + alto. See Alto.] (Mus.) (a) The part sung by the highest male or lowest female voices; the alto or counter tenor. (b) the voice or singer performing this part; as, her voice is a contralto; she is a contralto.
Note: The usual range of the contralto voice is from G, below middle C, to the C above that; though exceptionally it embraces two octaves.
CONTRALTO Con*tral"to ( or , a. (Mus.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to a contralto, or to the part in music called contralto; as, a contralto voice.
CONTRAMURE Con"tra*mure, n. Etym: [Cf. Countermure.] (fort.)
Defn: An outer wall. [Obs.] Chambers.
CONTRANATURAL Con"tra*nat"u*ral, a. Etym: [Cf. Counternatural.]
Defn: Opposed to or against nature; unnatural. [R.] Bp. Rust.
CONTRAPLEX Con"tra*plex, a. [Contra- + -plex as in duplex.] (Teleg.)
Defn: Pertaining to the sending of two messages in opposite directions at the same time.
CONTRAPOSITION Con"tra*po*si"tion, n. Etym: [Pref. contra- + position: cf. f. conterposition.]
1. A placing over against; opposite position. [Obs.] F. Potter.
2. (Logic)
Defn: A so-called immediate inference which consists in denying the original subject of the contradictory predicate; e.g.: Every S is P; therefore, no Not-P is S.
CONTRAPTION Con*trap"tion, n.
Defn: A contrivance; a new-fangled device; -- used scornfully. [Colloq. or Dial.] -- Con*trap"tious (#), a.
We all remember some of the extraordinary contraptions which have been thus evolved and put upon the market. F. M. Ware.
CONTRAPUNTAL Con`tra*pun"tal, a. Etym: [It. contrappunto counterpoint. See Counterpoint.] (Mus.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or according to the rules of, counterpoint.
CONTRAPUNTIST Con`tra*pun"tist, n. Etym: [It. contrappuntista.] (Mus.)
Defn: One skilled in counterpoint. L. Mason.
CONTRAREMONSTRANT Con"tra*re*mon"strant, n.
Defn: One who remonstrates in opposition or answer to a remonstraint. [R.] They did the synod wrong to make this distinction of contraremonstrants and remonstrants. Hales.
CONTRARIANT Con*tra"ri*ant, a. Etym: [LL. contrarians, p.pr. of contrariare to oppose, fr. L. contrarius: cf. F. contrariant, p.pr. of contrarier to contradict. See Contrary.]
Defn: Contrary; opposed; antagonistic; inconsistent; contradictory. [R.] The struggles of contrariant factions. Coleridge.
CONTRARIANTLY Con*tra"ri*ant*ly, adv.
Defn: Contrarily. [Obs.]
CONTRARIES Con"tra*ries ( or , n. pl. Etym: [Pl. of Contrary, n.] (Logic)
Defn: Propositions which directly and destructively contradict each other, but of which the falsehood of one does not establish the truth of the other. If two universals differ in quality, they are contraries; as, every vine is a tree; no vine is a tree. These can never be both true together; but they may be both false. I. Watts.
CONTRARIETY Con`tra*ri"e*ty n.; pl. Contrarieties. Etym: [L. contrarietas: cf. F. contrariété.]
1. The state or quality of being contrary; opposition; repugnance; disagreement; antagonism. There is a contrariety between those things that conscience inclines to, and those that entertain the senses. South.
2. Something which is contrary to, or inconsistent with, something else; an inconsistency. How can these contrarieties agree Shak.
Syn. -- Inconsistency; discrepancy; repugnance.
CONTRARILY Con"tra*ri*ly or
Defn: (adv. In a contrary manner; in opposition; on the other side; in opposite ways.
CONTRARINESS Con"tra*ri*ness, n.
Defn: state or quality of being contrary; opposition; inconsistency; contrariety; perverseness; obstinancy.
CONTRARIOUS Con*tra"ri*ous, a. Etym: [LL. contrariosus: cf. OF. contrarios contralius.]
Defn: Showing contrariety; repugnant; perverse. [Archaic] Milton. She flew contrarious in the face of God. Mrs. Browning.
CONTRARIOUSLY Con*tra"ri*ous*ly, adv.
Defn: Contrarily; oppositely. Shak.
CONTRARIWISE Con"tra*ri*wise ( or , adv.
1. On the contrary; oppositely; on the other hand. Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing; but contrariwise, blessing. 1 Pet. iii. 9.
2. In a contrary order; conversely. Everything that acts upon the fluids must, at the same time, act upon the solids, and contrariwise. Arbuthnot.
CONTRAROTATION Con`tra*ro*ta"tion, n.
Defn: Circular motion in a direction contrary to some other circular motion.
CONTRARY Con"tra*ry ( or ; 48), a. Etym: [OE. contrarie, contraire, F. contraire, fr. L. contrarius, fr. contra. See Contra-.]
1. Opposite; in an opposite direction; in opposition; adverse; as, contrary winds. And if ye walk contrary unto me, and will not hearken unto me. Lev. xxvi. 21. We have lost our labor; they are gone a contrary way. Shak.
2. Opposed; contradictory; repugnant; inconsistent. Fame, if not double-faced, is double mouthed, And with contrary blast proclaims most deeds. Milton. The doctrine of the earth's motion appeared to be contrary to the sacred Scripture. Whewell.
3. Given to opposition; perverse; forward; wayward; as, a contrary disposition; a contrary child.
4. (Logic)
Defn: Affirming the opposite; so opposed as to destroy each other; as, contrary propositions. Contrary motion (Mus.), the progression of parts in opposite directions, one ascending, the other descending.
Syn. -- Adverse; repugnant; hostile; inimical; discordant; inconsistent.
CONTRARY Con"tra*ry, n.; pl. Contraries (.
1. A thing that is of contrary or opposite qualities. No contraries hold more antipathy Than I and such a knave. Shak.
2. An opponent; an enemy. [Obs.] Chaucer.
3. the opposite; a proposition, fact, or condition incompatible with another; as, slender proofs which rather show the contrary. See Converse, n., 1. Locke.
4. (Logic)
Defn: See Contraries. On the contrary, in opposition; on the other hand. Swift. -- To the contrary, to an opposite purpose or intent; on the other side. "They did it, not for want of instruction to the contrary." Bp. Stillingfleet.
CONTRARY Con"tra*ry, v. t. Etym: [F. contrarier. See Contrary, a.]
Defn: To contradict or oppose; to thwart. [Obs.] I was advised not to contrary the king. Bp. Latimer.
CONTRAST Con*trast", v. i. [imp. & p.p. Contrasted; p.pr. & vb.n. Contrasting.] Etym: [F. contraster, LL. contrastare to resist, withstand, fr. L. contra + stare to stand. See Stand.]
Defn: To stand in opposition; to exhibit difference, unlikeness, or opposition of qualities. The joints which divide the sandstone contrast finely with the divisional planes which separate the basalt into pillars. Lyell.
CONTRAST Con*trast", v. t.
1. To set in opposition, or over against, in order to show the differences between, or the comparative excellences and defects of; to compare by difference or contrariety of qualities; as, to contrast the present with the past.
2. (Fine Arts)
Defn: To give greater effect to, as to a figure or other object, by putting it in some relation of opposition to another figure or object. the figures of the groups must not be all on side . . . but must contrast each other by their several position. Dryden.
CONTRAST Con"trast, n. Etym: [F. contraste: cf. It. contrasto.]
1. The act of contrasting, or the state of being contrasted; comparison by contrariety of qualities. place the prospect of the soul In sober contrast with reality. Wordsworth.
2. Opposition or dissimilitude of things or qualities; unlikeness, esp. as shown by juxtaposition or comparison. The contrasts and resemblances of the seasons. Whewell.
3. (Fine Arts)
Defn: The opposition of varied forms, colors, etc., which by such juxtaposition more vividly express each other's pecularities. Fairholt.
CONTRASTIMULANT Con`tra*stim"u*lant, a.
Defn: Counteracting the effects of stimulants; relating to a course of medical treatment based on a theory of contrastimulants. -- n. (Med.)
Defn: An agent which counteracts the effect of a stimulant.
CONTRATE Con"trate, a. Etym: [See Contra-.]
Defn: Having cogs or teeth projecting parallel to the axis, instead of radiating from it. [R.] Contrate wheel. See Crown wheel.
CONTRATENOR Con"tra*ten`or, n. Etym: [Cf. Counter tenor.] (Mus.)
Defn: Counter tenor; contralto.
CONTRAVALLATION Con`tra*val*la"tion, n. Etym: [Pref. contra- + vallation: cf. F. contrevallation. Cf. Countervallation.] (Fort.)
Defn: A trench guarded with a parapet, constructed by besiegers, to secure themselves and check sallies of the besieged.
CONTRAVENE Con`tra*vene", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contravened; p.pr. & vb.n. Contravening.] Etym: [LL. contravenire; L. contra + venire to come: cf. F. contrevenir. See Come.]
1. To meet in the way of opposition; to come into conflict with; to oppose; to contradict; to obstruct the operation of; to defeat. So plain a proposition . . . was not likely to be contravened. Southey.
2. To violate; to nullify; to be inconsistent with; as, to contravene a law. Laws that place the subjects in such a state contravene the first principles of the compact of authority. Johnson.
Syn. -- To contradict; set aside; nullify; defeat; cross; obstruct; baffle; thwart.
CONTRAVENER Con`tra*ven"er, n.
Defn: One who contravenes.
CONTRAVENTION Con`tra*ven"tion, n. Etym: [Cf.F. contravention.]
Defn: The act of contravening; opposition; obstruction; transgression; violation. Warrants in contravention of the acts of Parliament. Macaulay. In contravention of all his marriage stipulations. Motley.
CONTRAVERSION Con`tra*ver"sion, n.
Defn: A turning to the opposite side; antistrophe. Congreve.
CONTRAYERVA Con`tra*yer"va, n. Etym: [Sp. contrayerba, literally, a counter herb, hence, an antidote for poison, fr. l. contra + herba herb.] (Bot.)
Defn: A species of Dorstenia (D. Contrayerva), a South American plant, the aromatic root of which is sometimes used in medicine as a gentle stimulant and tonic.
CONTRECOUP Con`tre*coup", n. Etym: [F., fr. contre (L. contra) + coup a blow.] (med.)
Defn: A concussion or shock produced by a blow or other injury, in a part or region opposite to that at which the blow is received, often causing rupture or disorganisation of the parts affected.
CONTREDANSE Con"tre*danse`, n. [Cf. F. contredanse (fr. E. Country-dance). ]
1. (a) A dance in which the partners are arranged face to face, or in opposite lines. (b) The quadrille. [Obs.]
2. (Music) A piece of music in the rhythm of such a dance.
CONTRETEMPS Con`tre*temps", n. Etym: [F., fr. contre (L. conta) + temps time, fr. L. tempus.]
Defn: An unexpected and untoward accident; something inopportune or embarassing; a hitch. In this unhappy contretemps. De Quincey.
CONTRIBUTABLE Con*trib"u*ta*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being contributed.
CONTRIBUTARY Con*trib"u*ta*ry, a.
1. Contributory. [R.]
2. Tributary; contributing. [R.] It was situated on the Ganges, at the place where this river received a contributary stream. D'Anville (Trans. ).
CONTRIBUTE Con*trib"ute, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contributed; p.pr. & vb.n. Contributing.] Etym: [L. contributus, p.p. of contribuere to bring together, to add; con- + tribuere to grant, impart. See Tribute.]
Defn: To give or grant i common with others; to give to a common stock or for a common purpose; to furnish or suply in part; to give (money or other aid) for a specified object; as, to contribute food or fuel for the poor. England contributes much more than any other of the allies. Addison.
CONTRIBUTE Con*trib"ute, v. i.
1. To give a part to a common stock; to lend assistance or aid, or give something, to a common purpose; to have a share in any act or effect. We are engaged in war; the secretary of state calls upon the colonies to contribute. Burke.
2. To give or use one's power or influence for any object; to assist. These men also contributed to obstruct the progress of wisdom. Goldsmith.
CONTRIBUTION Con`tri*bu"tion, n. Etym: [L. contributio: cf. F. contribution.]
1. The act of contributing.
2. That which is contributed; -- either the portion which an individual furnishes to the common stock, or the whole which is formed by the gifts of individuals. A certain contribution for the poor saints which are at jerusalem. Rom. xv. 26. Aristotle's actual contributions to the physical sciences. Whewell.
3. (Mil.)
Defn: An irregular and arbitrary imposition or tax leved on the people of a town or country. These sums, . . . and the forced contributions paid by luckless peasants, enabled him to keep his straggling troops together. Motley.
4. (Law)
Defn: Payment, by each of several jointly liable, of a share in a loss suffered or an amount paid by one of their number for the common benefit.
CONTRIBUTIONAL Con`tri*bu"tion*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or furnishing, a contribution.
CONTRIBUTION PLAN Con`tri*bu"tion plan. (Life Insurance)
Defn: A plan of distributing surplus by giving to each policy the excess of premiums and interest earned thereon over the expenses of management, cost of insurance, and the policy value at the date of computation. This excess is called the contribution of the policy.
CONTRIBUTIVE Con*trib"u*tive, a.
Defn: Contributing, or tending to contribute. Fuller.
CONTRIBUTOR Con*trib"u*tor, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, contributes; specifically, one who writes articles for a newspaper or magazine.
CONTRIBUTORY Con*trib"u*to*ry, a.
Defn: Contributing to the same stock or purpose; promoting the same end; bringing assistance to some joint design, or increase to some common stock; contributive. Milton. Bonfires of contributory wood. Chapman. Contributory negligence (Law), negligence by an injured party, which combines with the negligence of the injurer in producing the injury, and which bars recovery when it is the proximate cause of the injury. Wharton.
CONTRIBUTORY Con*trib"u*to*ry, n.; pl. Contributories (.
Defn: One who contributes, or is liable to be called upon to contribute, as toward the discharge of a common indebtedness. Abbott.
CONTRIST Con*trist", v. t. Etym: [Cf. F. contrister. See Contristate.]
Defn: To make sad. [Obs.] To deject and contrist myself. Sterne.
CONTRISTATE Con*tris"tate, v. t. & i. Etym: [L. contristatus, p.p. of contristare to sadden; con- + tristis sad.]
Defn: To make sorrowful. [Obs.] Bacon.
CONTRITE Con"trite, a. Etym: [L. contritus bruised, p. p. of contrere to grind, bruise; con- + terere to rub, grind: cf. F. contrit See Trite.]
1. Thoroughly bruised or broken. [Obs.]
2. Broken down with grief and penitence; deeply sorrowful for sin because it is displeasing to God; humbly and thoroughly penitent. A contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Ps. li. 17. Be penitent, and for thy fault contrite. Milton.
Syn. -- Penitent; repentant; humble; sorrowful.
CONTRITE Con"trite, n.
Defn: A contrite person. Hooker.
CONTRITE Con"trite, v.
Defn: In a contrite manner.
CONTRITENESS Con"trite`ness, n.
Defn: Deep sorrow and penitence for sin; contrition.
CONTRITION Con*tri"tion, n. Etym: [F. contrition, L. contritio.]
1. The act of grinding or ribbing to powder; attrition; friction; rubbing. [Obs.] The breaking of their parts into less parts by contrition. Sir I. Newton.
2. The state of being contrite; deep sorrow and repentance for sin, because sin is displeasing to God; humble penitence; through repentance. My future days shall be one whole contrition. Dryden.
Syn. -- repentance; penitence; humiliation; compunction; self-reproach; remorse. -- Contrition, Attrition, repentance. -- Contrition is deep sorrow and self-condemnation, with through repetance for sin because it is displeasing to God, and implies a feeling of love toward God. Attrition is sorrow for sin, or imperfect repentance produced by fear of punishment or a sense of the baseness of sin. Repentance is a penitent renunciation of, and turning from, sin; thorough repentance produces a new life. Repentance is often used as synonymous with contrition. See Compunction.
CONTRITURATE Con*trit"u*rate, v. t.
Defn: To triturate; to pulverize. [R.]
CONTRIVABLE Con*triv"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being contrived, planned, invented, or devised. A perpetual motion may seem easily contrivable. Bp. Wilkins.
CONTRIVANCE Con*triv"ance, n.
1. The act or faculty of contriving, inventing, devising, or planning. The machine which we are inspecting demonstrates, by its construction, contrivance and design. Contrivance must have had a contriver. Paley.
2. The thing contrived, invented, or planned; disposition of parts or causes by design; a scheme; plan; atrifice; arrangement. Government is a contrivance of human wisdom to provide for human wants. Burke.
Syn. -- Device; plan; scheme; invention; machine; project; design; artifice; shift. See Device.
CONTRIVE Con*trive", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contrived; p.pr. & vb.n. Contriving.] Etym: [OE. contriven, contreven, controven, to invent, OF. controver, contruver; con- + trouver to find. See Troubadour, trover.]
Defn: To form by an exercise of ingenuity; to devise; to invent; to design; to plan. What more likely to contrive this admirable frame of the universe than infinite wisdom. Tillotson. neither do thou imagine that I shall contrive aught against his life. Hawthorne.
Syn. -- To invent; discover; plan; design; project; plot; concert; hatch.
CONTRIVE Con*trive", v. i.
Defn: To make devices; to form designs; to plan; to scheme; to plot. The Fates with traitors do contrive. Shak. Thou hast contrived against th very life Of the defendant. Shak.
CONTRIVEMENT Con*trive"ment, n.
Defn: Contrivance; invention; arrangement; design; plan. [Obs.] Consider the admirable contrivement and artifice of this great fabric. Glanvill. Active to meet their contrivements. Sir G. Buck.
CONTRIVER Con*triv"er, n.
Defn: One who contrives, devises, plans, or schemas. Swift.
CONTROL Con*trol", n. Etym: [F. contrôle a counter register, contr. fr. contr-rôle; contre (L. contra) + rôle roll, catalogue. See Counter and Roll, and cf. Counterroll.]
1. A duplicate book, register, or account, kept to correct or check another account or register; a counter register. [Obs.] Johnson.
2. That which serves to check, restrain, or hinder; restraint. "Speak without control." Dryden.
3. Power or authority to check or restrain; restraining or regulating influence; superintendence; government; as, children should be under parental control. The House of Commons should exercise a control over all the departments of the executive administration. Macaulay. Board of control. See under Board.
CONTROL Con*trol", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Controlled; p.pr. & vb.n. Controlling.] Etym: [F. contrôler, fr. contrôle.] [Formerly written comptrol and controul.]
1. To check by a counter register or duplicate account; to prove by counter statements; to confute. [Obs.] This report was controlled to be false. Fuller.
2. To exercise restraining or governing influence over; to check; to counteract; to restrain; to regulate; to govern; to overpower. Give me a staff of honor for mine age, But not a scepter to control the world. Shak. I feel my virtue struggling in my soul: But stronger passion does its power control. Dryden.
Syn. -- To restrain; rule; govern; manage; guide; regulate; hinder; direct; check; curb; counteract; subdue.
CONTROLLABILITY Con*trol`la*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: Capability of being controlled; controllableness.
CONTROLLABLE Con*trol"la*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being controlled, checked, or restrained; amenable to command. Passion is the drunkeness of the mind, and, therefore, . . . not always controllable by reason. South.
CONTROLLABLENESS Con*trol"la*ble*ness, n.
Defn: Capability of being controlled.
CONTROLLER Con*trol"ler, n. Etym: [From control, v.t.: cf. F. contrôleur.]
1. One who, or that which, controls or restraines; one who has power or authority to regulate or control; one who governs. The great controller of our fate Deigned to be man, and lived in low estate. Dryden.
2. An officer appointed to keep a counter register of accounts, or to examine, rectify, or verify accounts. [More commonly written controller.]
3. (Naut.)
Defn: An iron block, usually bolted to a ship's deck, for controlling the running out of a chain cable. The links of the cable tend to drop into hollows in the block, and thus hold fast until disengaged.
CONTROLLERSHIP Con*trol"ler*ship, n.
Defn: The office of a controller.
CONTROLMENT Con*trol"ment, n.
1. The power or act of controlling; the state of being rstrained; control; restraint; regulation; superintendence. You may do it without controlment. Shak.
2. Opposition; resistance; hostility. [Obs.] Here have we war for war, and blood for blood, Controlment for controlment. Shak.
CONTROVERSAL Con`tro*ver"sal, a.
1. Turning or looking opposite ways. [Obs.] The temple of Janus, with his two controversal faces. Milton.
2. Controversal. [Obs.] Boyle.
CONTROVERSARY Con`tro*ver"sa*ry, a.
Defn: Controversial. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
CONTROVERSE Con"tro*verse, n. Etym: [Cf. F. controverse.]
Defn: Controversy. [Obs.] Spenser.
CONTROVERSE Con"tro*verse, v. t. Etym: [L. controversari, fr. controversus turned against, disputed.]
Defn: To dispute; to controvert. [Obs.] "Controversed causes." Hooker.
CONTROVERSER Con"tro*ver`ser, n.
Defn: A disputant. [Obs.]
CONTROVERSIAL Con`tro*ver"sial, a. Etym: [Cf. LL. controversialis.]
Defn: Relating to, or consisting of, controversy; disputatious; polemical; as, controversial divinity. Whole libraries of controversial books. Macaulay.
CONTROVERSIALIST Con`tro*ver"sial*ist, n.
Defn: One who carries on a controversy; a disputant. He [Johnson] was both intellectually and morally of the stuff of which controversialists are made. Macaulay.
CONTROVERSIALLY Con`tro*ver"sial*ly, adv.
Defn: In a controversial manner.
CONTROVERSION Con`tro*ver"sion, n.
Defn: Act of controverting; controversy. [Obs.] Hooker.
CONTROVERSOR Con"tro*ver`sor, n.
Defn: A controverser. [Obs.]
CONTROVERSY Con"tro*ver`sy, n.; pl. Controversies. Etym: [L. controversia, fr. controversus turned against, disputed; contro- = contra + versus, p.p. of vertere to turn. See Verse.]
1. Contention; dispute; debate; discussion; agitation of contrary opinions. This left no room for controversy about the title. Locke. A dispute is commonly oral, and a controversy in writing. Johnson.
2. Quarrel; strife; cause of variance; difference. The Lord hath a controversy with the nations. Jer. xxv. 31.
3. A suit in law or equity; a question of right. [Obs.] When any man that had a controversy came to the king for judgment. 2 Sam. xv. 2.
Syn. -- Dispute; debate; disputation; disagreement; altercation; contention; wrangle; strife; quarrel.
CONTROVERT Con"tro*vert, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Controverted; p.pr. & vb.n. Controverting.] Etym: [See Controversy.]
Defn: To make matter of controversy; to dispute or oppose by reasoning; to contend against in words or writings; to contest; to debate. Some controverted points had decided according to the sense of the best jurists. Macaulay.
CONTROVERTER Con"tro*ver`ter, n.
Defn: One who controverts; a controversial writer; a controversialist. Some controverters in divinity are like swaggerers in a tavern. B. Jonson.
CONTROVERTIBLE Con`tro*ver"ti*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being controverted; disputable; admitting of question. -- Con`tro*ver"ti*bly, adv.
CONTROVERTIST Con"tro*ver`tist, n.
Defn: One skilled in or given to controversy; a controversialist. How unfriendly is the controvertist to the discernment of the critic! Campbell.
CONTUBERNAL; CONTUBERNIAL Con*tu"ber*nal, Con`tu*ber"ni*al, a. Etym: [L. contubernalis a tent companion, fr. contubernium tent companionship.]
Defn: Living or messing together; familiar; in companionship. Humble folk ben Christes friends: they ben contubernial with the Lord, thy King. Chaucer.
CONTUMACIOUS Con`tu*ma"cious, a. Etym: [L. contumax, -acis. See Contumacy.]
1. Exhibiting contumacy; contemning authority; obstinate; perverse; stubborn; disobedient. There is another very, efficacious method for subding the most obstinate, contumacious sinner. Hammond.
2. (Law)
Defn: Willfully disobedient to the summous or prders of a court. Blackstone.
Syn. -- Stubborn; obstinate; obdurate; disobedient; perverse; unyielding; headstrong. -- Con`tu*ma"cious*ly, adv. -- Con`tu*ma"cious*ness, n.
CONTUMACY Con"tu*ma*cy, n.; pl. Contumacies. Etym: [L. contumacia, fr. contumax, -acis, insolent; prob. akin to contemnere to despise: cf. F. contumace. Cf. Contemn.]
1. Stubborn perverseness; pertinacious resistance to authority. The bishop commanded him . . . to be thrust into the stocks for his manifest and manifold contumacy. Strype.
2. (Law)
Defn: A willful contempt of, and disobedience to, any lawful summons, or to the rules and orders of court, as a refusal to appear in court when legally summoned.
Syn. -- Stubbornness; perverseness; obstinacy.
CONTUMELIOUS Con`tu*me"li*ous (or ; 106), a. Etym: [L. contumeliosus.]
1. Exhibiting contumely; rudely contemptuous; insolent; disdainful. Scoffs, and scorns, and contumelious taunts. Shak. Curving a contumelious lip. Tennyson.
2. Shameful; disgraceful. [Obs.] Dr. H. More. -- Con`tu*me"li*ous*ly, adv. -- Con`tu*me"li*ous*ness, n.
CONTUMELY Con"tu*me*ly, n. Etym: [L. contumelia, prob. akin to contemnere to despise: cf. OF. contumelie. Cf. Contumacy.]
Defn: Rudeness compounded of haughtiness and contempt; scornful insolence; despiteful treatment; disdain; contemptuousness in act or speech; disgrace. The oppressor's wrong, the proud man's contumely. Shak. Nothing aggravates tyranny so much as contumely. Burke.
CONTUSE Con*tuse", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Contused; p.pr. & vb.n. Contusing.] Etym: [L. contusus, p.p. of contundere to beat, crush; con- + tundere to beat, akin to Skr. tud (for stud) to strike, Goth. stautan. See Stutter.]
1. To beat, pound, or together. Roots, barks, and seeds contused together. Bacon.
2. To bruise; to injure or disorganize a part without breaking the skin. Contused wound, a wound attended with bruising.
CONTUSION Con*tu"sion, n. Etym: [L. contusio: cf. F. contusion.]
1. The act or process of beating, bruising, or pounding; the state of being beaten or bruised.
2. (Med.)
Defn: A bruise; an injury attended with more or less disorganization of the subcutaneous tissue and effusion of blood beneath the skin, but without apparent wound.
CONUNDRUM Co*nun"drum, n. Etym: [Origin unknown.]
1. A kind of riddle based upon some fanciful or fantastic resemblance between things quite unlike; a puzzling question, of which the answer is or involves a pun. Or pun ambiguous, or conundrum quaint. J. Philips.
2. A question to which only a conjectural answer can be made. Do you think life is long enough to let me speculate on conundrums like that W. Black.
CONURE Co*nure", n. Etym: [NL. conurus, fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: An American parrakeet of the genus Conurus. Many species are known. See Parrakeet.
CONUS Co"nus, n. Etym: [L., a cone.]
1. A cone.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A Linnean genus of mollusks having a conical shell. See Cone, n., 4.
CONUSABLE Con"u*sa*ble, a.
Defn: Cognizable; liable to be tried or judged. [Obs.] Bp. Barlow.
CONUSANT Con"u*sant, a. (Law)
Defn: See Cognizant.
CONUSOR Con`u*sor", n. (Law)
Defn: See Cognizor.
CONVALESCE Con`va*lesce", v. i. [imp. & p.p. Convalesced; p.pr. & vb.n. Convalescing.] Etym: [L. convalscere; con- + valescere to grow strong, v. incho. of valere to be strong. See Vallant.]
Defn: To recover health and strength gradually, after sickness or weakness; as, a patient begins to convalesce.
CONVALESCED Con`va*lesced", a.
Defn: Convalescent. [R.] He found the queen somewhat convalesced. J. Knox.
CONVALESCENCE; CONVALESCENCY Con`va*les"cence, Con`va*les"cen*cy, n. Etym: [L. convalescentia: cf. F. convalescence.]
Defn: The recovery of heath and strength after disease; the state of a body renewing its vigor after sickness or weakness; the time between the subsidence of a disease and complete restoration to health.
CONVALESCENT Con`va*les"cent, a. Etym: [L. convalescens, -entis, p.pr.: cf. F. convalescent.]
1. Recovering from siclness or debility; partially restored to health or strength.
2. Of or pertaining to convalescence.
CONVALESCENT Con`va*les"cent, n.
Defn: One recovering from sickness.
CONVALESCENTLY Con`va*les"cent*ly, adv.
Defn: In the manner of a convalescent; with increasing strength or vigor.
CONVALLAMARIN Con*val"la*ma`rin, n. Etym: [Convalaria + L. amarus bitter.] (Chem.)
Defn: A white, crystalline, poisonous substance, regarded as a glucoside, extracted from the lily of the valley (Convallaria Majalis). Its taste is first bitter, then sweet.
CONVALLARIA Con`val*la"ri*a, n. Etym: [NL., from L. convallis a valley; con- + vallis valley.] (Bot. & Med.)
Defn: The lily of the valley.
CONVALLARIN Con`val*la"rin, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A white, crystalline glucoside, of an irritating taste, extracted from the convallaria or lily of the valley.
CONVECTION Con*vec"tion, n. Etym: [L. convectio, fr. convehere to bring together; con- + vehere to carry.]
1. The act or process of conveying or transmitting.
2. (Physics)
Defn: A process of transfer or transmission, as of heat or electricity, by means of currents in liquids or gases, resulting from changes of temperature and other causes. Liquids are generally heated by convection -- when heat is applied from bellow. Nichol.
CONVECTIVE Con*vec"tive, a.
Defn: Caused or accomplished by convection; as, a convective discharge of electricity. Faraday.
CONVECTIVELY Con*vec"tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In a convective manner. Hare.
CONVELLENT Con*vel"lent, a. Etym: [L. convellens, p.pr. of convellere. See Convulse.]
Defn: Tending to tear or pull up. [Obs.] The ends of the fragment . . . will not yield to the convellent force. Todd & Bowman.
CONVENABLE Con*ven"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being convened or assembled.
CONVENABLE Con"ve*na*ble, a. Etym: [F. convenable, fr. convenir. See Convene.]
Defn: Consistent; accordant; suitable; proper; as, convenable remedies. [Obs.] With his wod his work is convenable. Spenser.
CONVENANCE Con"ve*nance, n. Etym: [F., fitness, suitableness.]
Defn: That which is suitable, agreeable, or convenient. And they missed Their wonted convenance, cheerly hid the loss. Emerson.
CONVENE Con*vene", v. i. [imp. & p.p. Convened; p.pr. & vb.n. Convenong.] Etym: [L. convenire; con- + venire to come: cf. F. convenir to agree, to be fitting, OF. also, to assemble. See Come, and cf. Covenant.]
1. To come together; to meet; to unite. [R.] In shortsighted men . . . the rays converge and convene in the eyes before they come at the bottom. Sir I. Newton.
2. To come together, as in one body or for a public purpose; to meet; to assemble. Locke. The Parliament of Scotland now convened. Sir R. Baker. Faint, underneath, the household fowls convene. Thomson.
Syn. -- To meet; to assemble; to congregate; to collect; to unite.
CONVENE Con*vene", v. t.
1. To cause to assemble; to call together; to convoke. And now the almighty father of the gods Convenes a council in the blest abodes. Pope.
2. To summon judicially to meet or appear. By the papal canon law, clerks . . . can not be convened before any but an ecclesiastical judge. Ayliffe.
CONVENER Con*ven"er, n.
1. One who convenes or meets with others. [Obs.]
2. One who calls an assembly together or convenes a meeting; hence, the chairman of a committee or other organized body. [Scot.]
CONVENIENCE; CONVENIENCY Con*ven"ience, Con*ven"ien*cy, n. Etym: [L. convenientia agreement, fitness. See Convenient.]
1. The state or quality of being convenient; fitness or suitableness, as of place, time, etc.; propriety. Let's futher think of this; Weigh what convenience both of time and means May fit us to our shape. Shak. With all brief and plain conveniency, Let me have judgment. Shak.
2. Freedom from discomfort, difficulty, or trouble; commodiousness; ease; accommodation. Thus necessity invented stools, Convenience next suggested elbow chairs. Cowper. We are rather intent upon the end of God's glory than our own conveniency. Jer. Taylor.
3. That which is convenient; that which promotes comfort or advantage; that which is suited to one's wants; an accommodation. A pair of spectacles and several other little conveniences. Swift.
4. A convenient or fit time; opportunity; as, to do something at one's convenience.
CONVENIENT Con*ven"ient, a. Etym: [L. conveniens, -entis, suitable, p.pr. of convenire to be suitable, to come. See Convene, v. i.]
1. Fit or adapted; suitable; proper; becoming; appropriate. [Archaic] Feed me with food convenient for me. Prov. xxx. 8. Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient. Eph. v. 4.
2. Affording accommodation or advantage; well adapted to use; handly; as, a convenient house; convenient implements or tools.
3. Seasonable; timely; opportune; as, a convenient occasion; a convenient season. Acts xxiv. 25.
4. Near at hand; easy of access. [Colloq.] Hereties used to be brought thither, convenient for burning. Thackeray.
Syn. -- Fit; suitable; proper; adapted; fitted; suited; handly; commodious.
CONVENIENTLY Con*ven"ient*ly, adv.
Defn: In a convenient manner, form, or situation; without difficulty.
CONVENT Con"vent, n. Etym: [L. conventus a meeting, LL. also, a convent. See Convene, v. i.]
1. A coming together; a meeting. [Obs.] A usual ceremony at their [the witches] convents or meetings. B. Jonson.
2. An association or community of recluses devoted to a religious life; a body of monks or nuns. One of our convent, and his [the duke's] confessor. Shak.
3. A house occupied by a community of religious recluses; a monastery or nunnery. One seldom finds in Italy a spot of ground more agreeable than ordinary that is not covered with a convent. Addison.
Syn. -- Nunnery; monastery; abbey. See Cloister.
CONVENT Con*vent", v. i. Etym: [L. conventus, p.p. of convenire. See Convene, v. i.]
1. To meet together; to concur. [obs.] Beau. & Fl.
2. To be convenient; to serve. [Obs.] When that is known and golden time convents. Shak.
CONVENT Con*vent", v. t.
Defn: To call before a judge or judicature; to summon; to convene. [Obs.] Shak.
CONVENTICAL Con*vent"ic*al, a.
Defn: Of or from, or pertaining to, a convent. "Conventical wages." Sterne. Conventical prior. See Prior.
CONVENTICLE Con*ven"ti*cle, n. Etym: [L. conventiculum, dim. of conventus: cf. F. conventicule. See Convent, n.]
1. A small assembly or gathering; esp., a secret assembly. They are commanded to abstain from all conventicles of men whatsoever. Ayliffe.
2. An assembly for religious worship; esp., such an assembly held privately, as in times of persecution, by Nonconformists or Dissenters in England, or by Covenanters in Scotland; -- often used opprobriously, as if those assembled were heretics or schismatics. The first Christians could never have had recourse to nocturnal or clandestine conventicles till driven to them by the violence of persecution. Hammond. A sort of men who . . . attend its [the curch of England's] service in the morning, and go with their wives to a conventicle in the afternoon. Swift.
CONVENTICLER Con*ven"ti*cler, n.
Defn: One who supports or frequents conventicles. Dryden.
CONVENTICLING Con*ven"ti*cling, a.
Defn: Belonging or going to, or resembling, a conventicle. [Obs.] Conventicling schools . . . set up and taught secretly by fanatics. South.
CONVENTION Con*ven"tion, n. Etym: [L. conventio: cf. F. convention. See Convene, v. i.]
1. The act of coming together; the state of being together; union; coalition. The conventions or associations of several particles of matter into bodies of any certain denomination. Boyle.
2. General agreement or concurrence; arbitrary custom; usage; conventionality. There are thousands now Such women, but convention beats them down. Tennyson.
3. A meeting or an assembly of persons, esp. of delegates or representatives, to accomplish some specific object, -- civil, social, political, or ecclesiastical. He set himself to the making of good laws in a grand convention of his nobles. Sir R. Baker. A convention of delegates from all the States, to meet in Philadelphia, for the sole and express purpose of reserving the federal system, and correcting its defects. W. Irving.
4. (Eng. Hist)
Defn: An extraordinary assembly of the parkiament or estates of the realm, held without the king's writ, -- as the assembly which restored Charles II. to the throne, and that which declared the throne to be abdicated by James II. Our gratitude is due . . . to the Long Parliament, to the Convention, and to William of Orange. Macaulay.
5. An agreement or contract less formal than, or preliminary to, a traety; an informal compact, as between commanders of armies in respect to suspension of hostilities, or between states; also, a formal agreement between governments or sovereign powers; as, a postal convetion between two governments. This convention, I think from my soul, is nothing but a stipulation for national ignominy; a truce without a suspension of hostilities. Ld. Chatham. The convention with the State of georgia has been ratified by their Legislature. T. Jefferson.
CONVENTIONAL Con*ven"tion*al, a. Etym: [L. conventionalis: cf. F. conventionnel.]
1. Formed by agreement or compact; stipulated. Conventional services reserved by tenures upon grants, made out of the crown or knights' service. Sir M. Hale.
2. Growing out of, or depending on, custom or tacit agreement; sanctioned by general concurrence or usage; formal. "Conventional decorum." Whewell. The conventional language appropriated to monarchs. Motley. The ordinary salutations, and other points of social behavior, are conventional. Latham.
3. (Fine Arts) (a) Based upon tradition, whether religious and historical or of artistic rules. (b) Abstracted; removed from close representation of nature by the deliberate selection of what is to be represented and what is to be rejected; as, a conventional flower; a conventional shell. Cf. Conventionalize, v. t.
CONVENTIONALISM Con*ven"tion*al*ism, n.
1. That which is received or established by convention or arbitrary agreement; that which is in accordance with the fashion, tradition, or usage. All the artifice and conventionalism of life. Hawthorne. They gaze on all with dead, dim eyes, -- wrapped in conventionalisms, . . . simulating feelings according to a received standart. F. W. Robertson.
2. (Fine Arts)
Defn: The principles or practice of conventionalizing. See Conventionalize, v. t.
CONVENTIONALIST Con*ven"tion*al*ist, n.
1. One who adheres to a convention or treaty.
2. One who is governed by conventionalism.
CONVENTIONALITY Con*ven`tion*al"i*ty, n.; pl. Conventionalities (.
Defn: The state of being conventional; adherence to social formalities or usages; that which is established by conventional use; one of the customary usages of social life.
CONVENTIONALIZATION Con*ven`tion*al*i*za"tion, n. (Fine Arts) (a) The act of making conventional. (b) The state of being conventional.
CONVENTIONALIZE Con*ven"tion*al*ize, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Conventionalized; p.pr. & vb.n. Conventionalizing.]
1. To make conventional; to bring under the influence of, or cause to conform to, conventional rules; to establish by usage.
2. (Fine Arts) (a) To represent by selecting the important features and those which are expressible in the medium employed, and omitting the others. (b) To represent according to an established principle, whether religious or traditional, or based upon certain artistic rules of supposed importance.
CONVENTIONALIZE Con*ven"tion*al*ize, v. i. (Fine Arts)
Defn: To make designs in art, according to conventional principles. Cf. Conventionalize, v. t., 2.
CONVENTIONALLY Con*ven"tion*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In a conventional manner.
CONVENTIONARY Con*ven"tion*a*ry, a.
Defn: Acting under contract; settled by express agreement; as, conventionary tenants. [Obs.] R. Carew.
CONVENTIONER Con*ven"tion*er, n.
Defn: One who belongs to a convention or assembly.
CONVENTIONIST Con*ven"tion*ist, n.
Defn: One who enters into a convention, covenant, or contract.
CONVENTUAL Con*ven"tu*al, a. Etym: [LL. conventualis: cf. F. conventuel.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a convent; monastic. "A conventual garb." Macaulay. Conventual church, a church attached or belonging to a convent or monastery. Wordsworth.
CONVENTUAL Con*ven"tu*al, n.
Defn: One who lives in a convent; a monk or num; a recluse. Addison.
CONVERGE Con*verge", v. i. [imp. & p.p. Converged; p.pr. & vb.n. Converging.] Etym: [Pref. con- + L. vergere to turn, incline; cf. F. converger. See Verge, v. i.]
Defn: To tend to one point; to incline and approach nearer together; as, lines converge. The mountains converge into a single ridge. Jefferson.
CONVERGE Con*verge", v. t.
Defn: To cause to tend to one point; to cause to incline and approach nearer together. I converge its rays to a focus of dazzling brilliancy. Tyndall.
CONVERGENCE; CONVERGENCY Con*ver"gence, Con*ver"gen*cy, n. Etym: [Cf. F. convergence.]
Defn: The condition or quality of converging; tendency to one point. The convergence or divergence of the rays falling on the pupil. Berkeley.
CONVERGENT Con*ver"gent, a. Etym: [Cf. F. convergent.]
Defn: tending to one point of focus; tending to approach each other; converging. As many rays of light, as conveniently can be let in, and made convergent. Boyle. The vast dome of its cathedral . . . directing its convergent curves to heaven. Hallam.
CONVERGING Con*ver"ging, a.
Defn: Tending to one point; approaching each other; convergent; as, converging lines. Whewell. Converging rays(Opt.), rays of light, which, proceeding from different points of an object, tend toward a single point. -- Converging series (Math.), a series in which if an indefinitely great number of terms be taken, their sum will become indefinitely near in value to a fixed quantity, which is called the sum of the series; -- opposed to a diverging series.
CONVERSABLE Con*vers"a*ble, a. Etym: [Cf. F. conversable.]
Defn: Qualified for conversation; disposed to converse; sociable; free in discourse. While young, humane, conversable, and kind. Cowper.
CONVERSABLENESS Con*vers"a*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being conversable; disposition to converse; sociability.
CONVERSABLY Con*vers"a*bly, adv.
Defn: In a conversable manner.
CONVERSANCE Con"ver*sance, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being conversant; habit of familiarity; familiar acquaintance; intimacy. [R.]
CONVERSANCY Con"ver*san*cy, n.
Defn: Conversance [R.]
CONVERSANT Con"ver*sant, a. Etym: [L. conversans, p.pr. of conversari: cf. F. conversant.]
1. Having frequent or customary intercourse; familiary associated; intimately acquainted. I have been conversant with the first persons of the age. Dryden.
2. Familiar or acquainted by use or study; well-informed; versed; -- generally used with with, sometimes with in. Deeply conversant in the Platonic philosophy. Dryden. he uses the different dialects as one who had been conversant with them all. Pope. Conversant only with the ways of men. Cowper.
3. Concerned; occupied. Education . . . is conversant about children. W. Wotton.
CONVERSANT Con*vers"ant, n.
Defn: One who converses with another; a convenser. [R.]
CONVERSANTLY Con"ver*sant*ly, adv.
Defn: In a familiar manner.
CONVERSATION Con`ver*sa"tion, n. Etym: [OE. conversacio (in senses 1 & 2), OF. conversacion, F. conversation, fr. L. conversatio frequent abode in a place, intercourse, LL. also, manner of life.]
1. General course of conduct; behavior. [Archaic] Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel. Philip. i. 27.
2. Familiar intercourse; intimate fellowship or association; close acquaintance. "Conversation with the best company." Dryden. I set down, out of long experience in business and much conversation in books, what I thought pertinent to this business. Bacon.
3. Commerce; intercourse; traffic. [Obs.] All traffic and mutual conversation. Hakluyt.
4. Colloqual discourse; oral interchange of sentiments and observations; informal dialogue. The influence exercised by his [Johnson's] conversation was altogether without a parallel. Macaulay.
5. Sexual intercourse; as, criminal conversation.
Syn. -- Intercourse; communion; commerce; familiarity; discourse; dialogue; colloque; talk; chat. -- Conversation, Talk. There is a looser sense of these words, in which they are synonymous; there is a stricter sense, in which they differ. Talk is usually broken, familiar, and versatile. Conversation is more continuous and sustained, and turns ordinarily upon topics or higher interest. Children talk to their parents or to their companions; men converse together in mixed assemblies. Dr. Johnson once remarked, of an evening spent in society, that there had been a great deal of talk, but no conversation.
CONVERSATIONAL Con`ver*sa"tion*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to conversation; in the manner of one conversing; as, a conversational style. Thackeray.
CONVERSATIONALIST Con`ver*sa"tion*al*ist, n.
Defn: A conversationist.
CONVERSATIONED Conver*sa"tioned, a.
Defn: Acquainted with manners and deportment; behaved. [Obs.] Till she be better conversationed, . . . I'll keep As far from her as the gallows. Beau. & Fl.
CONVERSATIONISM Con`ver*sa"tion*ism, n.
Defn: A word or phrase used in conversation; a colloqualism.
CONVERSATIONIST Con`ver*sa"tion*ist, n.
Defn: One who converses much, or who excels in conversation. Byron.
CONVERSATIVE Con*ver"sa*tive, a.
Defn: Relating to intercourse with men; social; -- opposed to contemplative. She chose . . . to endue him with the conversative qualities of youth. Sir H. Wotton.
CONVERSAZIONE Con`ver*sa`zio"ne (or ), n.; pl. Conversazioni. Etym: [It. See Conversation.]
Defn: A meeting or assembly for conversation, particularly on literary or scientific subjects. Gray. These conversazioni [at Florence] resemble our card assemblies. A. Drummond.
CONVERSE Con*verse", v. i. [imp. & p.p. Conversed; p.pr. & vb.n. Conversing.] Etym: [F. converser, L. conversari to associate with; con- + versari to be turned, to live, remain, fr. versare to turn often, v. intens. of vertere to turn See Convert.]
1. To keep company; to hold intimate intercourse; to commune; -- followed by with. To seek the distant hills, and there converse With nature. Thomson. Conversing with the world, we use the world's fashions. Sir W. Scott. But to converse with heaven -This is not easy. Wordsworth.
2. To engage, in familiar colloqui; to interchange thoughts and opinions in a free, informal manner; to chat; -- followed by with before a person; by on, about, concerning, etc., before a thing. Companions That do converse and waste the time together. Shak. We had conversed so often on that subject. Dryden.
3. To have knowledge of, from long intercourse or study; -- said of things. According as the objects they converse with afford greater or less variety. Locke.
Syn. -- To associate; commune; discourse; talk; chat.
CONVERSE Con"verse, n.
1. Frequent intercourse; familiar communion; intimate association. Glanvill. "T is but to hold Converse with Nature's charms, and view her stores unrolled. Byron.
2. Familiar discourse; free interchange of thoughts or views; conversation; chat. Formed by thy converse happily to steer From grave to gay, from lively to severe. Pope.
CONVERSE Con"verse
Defn: , a. Etym: [L. conversus, p.p. of convertere. See Convert.] Turned about; reversed in order or relation; reciprocal; as, a converse proposition.
CONVERSE Con"verse, n.
1. (Logic)
Defn: A proposition which arises from interchanging the terms of another, as by putting the predicate for the subject, and the subject for the predicate; as, no virtue is vice, no vice is virtue.
Note: It should not (as is often done) be confounded with the contrary or opposite of a proposition, which is formed by introducing the negative not or no.
2. (Math.)
Defn: A proposition in which, after a conclusion from something supposed has been drawn, the order is inverted, making the conclusion the supposition or premises, what was first supposed becoming now the conclusion or inference. Thus, if two sides of a sides of a triangle are equal, the angles opposite the sides are equal; and the converse is true, i.e., if these angles are equal, the two sides are equal.
CONVERSELY Con"verse*ly ( or , adv.
Defn: In a converse manner; with change of order or relation; reciprocally. J. S. Mill.
CONVERSER Con*vers"er, n.
Defn: One who engages in conversation.
CONVERSIBLE Con*ver"si*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being converted or reversed. Hammond.
CONVERSION Con*ver"sion, n. Etym: [L. conversio: cf. F. conversion. See Convert.]
1. The act of turning or changing from one state or condition to another, or the state of being changed; transmutation; change. Artificial conversion of water into ice. Bacon. The conversion of the aliment into fat. Arbuthnot.
2. The act of changing one's views or course, as in passing from one side, party, or from of religion to another; also, the state of being so changed. "Conversion to Christianity." Prescott.
3. (Law)
Defn: An appropriation of, and dealing with the property of another as if it were one's own, without right; as, the conversion of a horse. Or bring my action of conversion And trover for my goods. Hudibras.
4. (Logic)
Defn: The act of interchanging the terms of a proposition, as by putting the subject in the place of the predicate, or the contrary.
5. (Math.)
Defn: A change or reduction of the form or value of a proposition; as, the conversion of equations; the conversion of proportions.
6. (Mil.) (a) A change of front, as a body of troops attacked in the flank. (b) A change of character or use, as of smoothbore guns into rifles.
7. (Theol.)
Defn: A spiritual and moral change attending a change of belief with conviction; a change of heart; a change from the service of the world to the service of God; a change of the ruling disposition of the soul, involving a transformation of the outward life. He oft Frequented their assemblies, . . . and to them preached Conversion and repentance, as to souls In prison under judgments imminent. Milton.
CONVERSIVE Con*ver"sive, a.
1. Capable of being converted or changed.
2. Ready to converse; social. [Archaic] Feltham.
CONVERT Con*vert", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Converted; p.pr. & vb.n. Converting.] Etym: [L. convertere, -versum; con- + vertere to turn: cf. F. convertir. See Verse.]
1. To cause to turn; to turn. [Obs.] O, which way shall I first convert myself B. Jonson.
2. To change or turn from one state or condition to another; to alter in form, substance, or quality; to transform; to transmute; as, to convert water into ice. If the whole atmosphere were converted into water. T. Burnet. That still lessens The sorrow, and converts it nigh to joy. Milton.
3. To change or turn from one belief or course to another, as from one religion to another or from one party or sect to another. No attempt was made to convert the Moslems. Prescott.
4. To produce the spiritual change called conversion in (any one); to turn from a bad life to a good one; to change the heart and moral character of (any one) from the controlling power of sin to that of holiness. He which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death. Lames v. 20.
5. To apply to any use by a diversion from the proper or intended use; to appropriate dishonestly or illegally. When a bystander took a coin to get it changed, and converted it, [it was] held no larceny. Cooley.
6. To exchange for some specified equivalent; as, to convert goods into money.
7. (Logic)
Defn: To change (one proposition) into another, so that what was the subject of the first becomes the predicate of the second.
8. To turn into another language; to translate. [Obs.] Which story . . . Catullus more elegantly converted. B. Jonson. Converted guns, cast-iron guns lined with wrought-iron or steel tubes. Farrow. -- Converting furnace (Steel Manuf.), a furnace in which wrought iron is converted into steel by cementation.
Syn. -- To change; turn; transmute; appropriate.
CONVERT Con*vert", v. i.
Defn: To be turned or changed in character or direction; to undergo a change, physically or morally. If Nebo had had the preaching that thou hast, they [the Neboites] would have converted. Latimer. A red dust which converth into worms. Sandys. The public hope And eye to thee converting. Thomson.
CONVERT Con"vert, n.
1. A person who is converted from one opinion or practice to another; a person who is won over to, or heartily embraces, a creed, religious system, or party, in which he has not previously believed; especially, one who turns from the controlling power of sin to that of holiness, or from unbelief to Christianity. The Jesuits did not persuade the converts to lay aside the use of images. Bp. Stillingfleet.
2. A lay friar or brother, permitted to enter a monastery for the service of the house, but without orders, and not allowed to sing in the choir.
Syn. -- Proselyte; neophyte. -- Convert, Proselyte, Pervert. A convert is one who turns from what he believes to have been a decided error of faith or practice. Such a change may relate to religion, politics, or other subjects. properly considered, it is not confined to speculation alone, but affects the whole current of one's feelings and the tenor of his actions. As such a change carries with it the appearance of sincerity, the term convert is usually taken in a good sense. Proselyte is a term of more ambiguous use and application. It was first applied to an adherent of one religious system who had transferred himself externally to some other religious system; and is also applied to one who makes a similar transfer in respect to systems of philosophy or speculation. The term has little or no reference to the state of the heart. Pervert is a term of recent origin, designed to express the contrary of convert, and to stigmatize a person as drawn off perverted from the true faith. It has been more particulary applied by members of the Church of England to those who have joined the Roman Catholic Church.
CONVERTEND Con`ver*tend", n. Etym: [L. convertenus to be converted.] (Logic)
Defn: Any proposition which is subject to the process of conversion; -- so called in its relation to itself as converted, after which process it is termed the conversae. See Converse, n. (Logic).
CONVERTER Con*vert"er, n.
1. One who converts; one who makes converts.
2. (Steel Manuf.)
Defn: A retort, used in the Bessemer process, in which molten cast iron is decarburized and converted into steel by a blast of air forced through the liquid metal.
CONVERTIBILITY Con*vert`i*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: The condition or quality of being convertible; capability of being exchanged; convertibleness. The mutual convertibility of land into money, and of money into land. Burke.
CONVERTIBLE Con*vert"i*ble, a. Etym: [L. convertibilis: cf. F. convertible.]
1. Capable of being converted; susceptible of change; transmutable; transformable. Minerals are not convertible into another species, though of the same genus. Harvey.
2. Capable of being exchanged or interchanged; reciprocal; interchangeable. So long as we are in the regions of nature, miraculous and improbable, miraculous and incredible, may be allowed to remain convertible terms. Trench.
CONVERTIBLENESS Con*vert"i*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being convertible; convertibility.
CONVERTIBLY Con*vert"i*bly, adv.
Defn: In a convertible manner.
CONVERTITE Con"vert*ite, n. Etym: [Cf. It. convertito, p.p. of convertire to convert.]
Defn: A convert. [Obs.] Shak.
CONVEX Con"vex, a. Etym: [L. convexus vaulted, arched, convex, concave, fr. convehere to bring together: cf. F. convexe. See Vehicle.]
Defn: Rising or swelling into a spherical or rounded form; regularly protuberant or bulging; -- said of a spherical surface or curved line when viewed from without, in opposition to concave. Drops of water naturally form themselves into figures with a convex surface. Whewell. Double convex, convex on both sides; convexo-convex.
CONVEX Con"vex, n.
Defn: A convex body or surface. Half heaven's convex glitters with the flame. Tickell.
Note: This word was often pronounced con-vex' by early writers, as by Milton, and occasionallyby later poets.
CONVEXED Con"vexed ( or ), a.
Defn: Made convex; protuberant in a spherical form. Sir T. Browne.
CONVEXEDLY Con*vex"ed*ly, dv.
Defn: In a convex form; convexly. Sir T. Browne.
CONVEXEDNESS Con*vex"ed*ness, n.
Defn: Convexity.
CONVEXITY Con*vex"i*ty, n.; pl. Convexities. Etym: [L. convexitas: cf. F. convexité.]
Defn: The state of being convex; the exterior surface of a convex body; roundness. A smooth, uniform convexity and rotundity of a globe. Bentley.
CONVEXLY Con"vex*ly, adv.
Defn: In a convex form; as, a body convexly shaped.
CONVEXNESS Con"vex*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being convex; convexity.
CONVEXO-CONCAVE Con*vex"o-con"cave (or ), a.
Defn: Convex on one side, and concave on the other. The curves of the convex and concave sides may be alike or may be different. See Meniscus.
CONVEXO-CONVEX Con*vex"o-con"vex, a.
Defn: Convex on botConvex, a.
CONVEXO-PLANE Con*vex"o-plane`, a.
Defn: Convex on one side, and flat on the other; plano-convex.
CONVEY Con*vey", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Conveyed; p.pr. & vb.n. Conveying.] Etym: [OF. conveir, convoier, to escort, convoy, F. convoyer, LL. conviare, fr. L. con- + via way. See Viaduct, Voyage, and cf. Convoy.]
1. To carry from one place to another; to bear or transport. I will convey them by sea in fleats. 1 Kings v. 9. Convey me to my bed, then to my grave. Shak.
2. To cause to pass from one place or person to another; to serve as a medium in carrying (anything) from one place or person to another; to transmit; as, air conveys sound; words convey ideas.
3. To transfer or deliver to another; to make over, as property; more strictly (Law), to transfer (real estate) or pass (a title to real estate) by a sealed writing. The Earl of Desmond . . . secretly conveyed all his lands to feoffees in trust. Spenser.
4. To impart or communicate; as, to convey an impression; to convey information. Men fill one another's heads with noise and sound, but convey not thereby their thoughts. Locke.
5. To manage with privacy; to carry out. [Obs.] I . . . will convey the business as I shall find means. Shak.
6. To carry or take away secretly; to steal; to thieve. [Obs.]
7. To accompany; to convoy. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Syn. -- To carry; transport; bear; transmit; trnsfer.
CONVEY Con*vey", v. i.
Defn: To play the thief; to steal. [Cant] But as I am Crack, I will convey, crossbite, and cheat upon Simplicius. Marston.
CONVEYABLE Con*vey"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being conveyed or transferred. Burke.
CONVEYANCE Con*vey"ance, n.
1. The act of conveying, carrying, or transporting; carriage. The long joirney was to be performed on horseback, -- the only sure mode of conveyamce. Prescott. Following th river downward, there is conveyance into the countries named in the text. Sir W. Raleigh.
2. The instrument or means of carrying or transporting anything from place to place; the vehicle in which, or means by which, anything is carried from one place to another; as, stagecoaches, omnibuses, etc., are conveyances; a canal or aqueduct is a conveyance for water. There pipes and these conveyances of our blood. Shak.
3. The act or process of transferring, transmitting, handing down, or communicating; transmission. Tradition is no infallible way of conveyance. Stillingfleet.
4. (Law)
Defn: The act by which the title to property, esp. real estate, is transferred; transfer of ownership; an instrument in writing (as a deed or mortgage), by which the title to property is conveyed from one person to another. [He] found the conveyances in law to be so firm, that in justice he must decree the land to the earl. Clarendon.
5. Dishonest management, or artifice. [Obs.] the very jesuits themselves . . . can not possibly devise any juggling conveyance how to shift it off. Hakewill.
CONVEYANCER Con*vey"an*cer, n. (Law)
Defn: One whose business is to draw up conveyances of property, as deeds, mortgages, leases, etc. Burrill.
CONVEYANCING Con*vey"an*cing, n. (Law)
Defn: The business of a conveyancer; the act or business of drawing deeds, leases, or other writings, for transferring the title to property from one person to another.
CONVEYER Con*vey"er, n.
1. One who, or that which, conveys or carries, transmits or transfers.
2. One given to artifices or secret practices; a juggler; a cheat; a thief. [Obs.] Shak.
CONVEYOR Con*vey"or, n. (Mach.)
Defn: A contrivance for carrying objects from place to place; esp., one for conveying grain, coal, etc., -- as a spiral or screw turning in a pipe or trough, an endless belt with buckets, or a truck running along a rope.
CONVICIATE Con*vi"ci*ate, v. i. Etym: [L. conviciatus, p.p. of conviciari to revile, fr. convicium loud reproach.]
Defn: To utter reproaches; to raise a clamor; to rail. [Obs.] To conviciate instead of accusing. Laud.
CONVICINITY Con`vi*cin"i*ty, n.; pl. Convicinities (.
Defn: Immediate vicinity; neighborhood. The convicinity and contiguity of the two parishes. T. Warton.
CONVICIOUS Con*vi"cious, a.
Defn: Expressing reproach; abusive; railing; taunting. [Obs.] "Convicious words." Queen Elizabeth (1559).
CONVICT Con*vict", p.a. Etym: [L. convictus, p.p. of convincere to convict, prove. See Convice.]
Defn: Proved or found guilty; convicted. [Obs.] Shak. Convict by flight, and rebel to all law. Milton.
CONVICT Con"vict, n.
1. A person proved guilty of a crime alleged against him; one legally convicted or sentenced to punishment for some crime.
2. A criminal sentenced to penal servitude.
Syn. -- Malefactor; culprit; felon; criminal.
CONVICT Con*vict", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Convicted; p.pr. & vb.n. Convicting.]
1. To prove or find guilty of an offense or crime charged; to pronounce guilty, as by legal decision, or by one's conscience. He [Baxter] . . . had been convicted by a jury. Macaulay. They which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one. John viii. 9.
2. To prove or show to be false; to confute; to refute. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
3. To demonstrate by proof or evidence; to prove. Imagining that these proofs will convict a testament, to have that in it which other men can nowhere by reading find. Hooker.
4. To defeat; to doom to destruction. [Obs.] A whole armado of convicted sail. Shak.
Syn. -- To confute; defect; convince; confound.
CONVICTIBLE Con*victi*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being convicted. [R.] Ash.
CONVICTION Con*vic"tion, n. Etym: [L. convictio proof: cf. F. conviction conviction (in sense 3 & 4). See Convict, Convince.]
1. The act of convicting; the act of proving, finding, or adjudging, guilty of an offense. The greater certainty of conviction and the greater certainty of punishment. Hallam.
2. (Law)
Defn: A judgment of condemnation entered by a court having jurisdiction; the act or process of finding guilty, or the state of being found guilty of any crime by a legal tribunal. Conviction may accrue two ways. Blackstone.
3. The act of convincing of error, or of compelling the admission of a truth; confutation. For all his tedious talk is but vain boast, Or subtle shifts conviction to evade. Milton.
4. The state of being convinced or convicted; strong persuasion or belief; especially, the state of being convicted of sin, or by one's conscience. To call good evil, and evil good, against the conviction of their own consciences. Swift. And did you presently fall under the power of this conviction Bunyan.
Syn. -- Conviction; persuasion. -- Conviction respects soley matters of belief or faith; persuasion respects matters of belief or practice. Conviction respects our most important duties; persuasion is frequently applied to matters of indifference. Crabb. -- Conviction is the result of the [operation of the] understanding; persuasion, of the will. Conviction is a necessity of the mind, persuasion an acquiescence of the inclination. C. J. Smith. -- Persuasion often induces men to act in opposition to their conviction of duty.
CONVICTISM Con"vict*ism, n.
Defn: The policy or practice of transporting convicts to penal settlements. "The evils of convictism." W. Howitt.
CONVICTIVE Con*vict"ive, a.
Defn: Convincing. [R.] The best and most convictive argument. Glanwill. -- Con*vict"ive*ly, adv. -- Con*vict"ive*ness, n.
CONVINCE Con*vince", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Convinced; p.pr. & vb.n. Convincing.] Etym: [L. convincere, -victum, to refute, prove; con- + vincere to conquer. See Victor, and cf. Convict.]
1. To overpower; to overcome; to subdue or master. [Obs.] His two chamberlains Will I with wine and wassail so convince That memory, the warder of the brain, Shall be a fume. Shak.
2. To overcome by argument; to force to yield assent to truth; to satisfy by proof. Such convincing proofs and assurances of it as might enable them to convince others. Atterbury.
3. To confute; to prove the fallacy of. [Obs.] God never wrought miracle to convince atheism, because his ordinary works convince it. Bacon.
4. To prove guilty; to convinct. [Obs.] Which of you convinceth me of sin John viii. 46. Seek not to convince me of a crime Which I can ne'er repent, nor you can pardon. Dryden.
Syn. -- To persuade; satisfy; convict. -- To Convince, persuade. To convince is an act of the understanding; to persuade, of the will or feelings. The one is effected by argument, the other by motives. There are cases, however, in which persuade may seem to be used in reference only to the assent of the understanding; as when we say, I am persuaded it is so; I can not persuade myself of the fact. But in such instances there is usually or always a degree of awakened feeling which has had its share in producing the assent of the understanding.
CONVINCEMENT Con*vince"ment, n.
Defn: Act of convincing, or state of being convinced; conviction. [R.] The fear of a convincement. Milton.
CONVINCER Con*vin"cer, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, convinces; one who wins over by proof.
CONVINCIBLE Con*vin"ci*ble, a.
1. Capable of being convinced or won over.
2. Capable of being confuted and disproved by argument; refutable. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
CONVINCINGLY Con*vin"cing*ly, adv.
Defn: in a convincing manner; in a manner to compel assent.
CONVINCINGNESS Con*vin"cing*ness, n.
Defn: The power of convincing, or the quality of being convincing.
CONVIVAL Con*viv"al, a. Etym: [L. convivalis. See Convive.]
Defn: pertaining to a feast or to festivity; convivial. [Obs.] "A convival dish." Sir T. Browne.
CONVIVE Con*vive", v. i. Etym: [L. convivari; akin to convivium a feast, convivere to live or feast together; con- + vivere to live.]
Defn: To feast together; to be convivial. [Obs.] "There, in the full, convive we." Shak.
CONVIVE Con"vive, n. Etym: [L. conviva: cf. F. convive.]
Defn: A quest at a banquet. [R.] Beaumont.
CONVIVIAL Con*viv"i*al, a. Etym: [From L. convivium a feast; con- + vivere to live. See Victuals, and cf. Convive.]
Defn: Of or relating to a feast or entertainment, or to eating and drinking, with accompanying festivity; festive; social; gay; jovial. Which feasts convivial meetings we did name. Denham.
CONVIVIALIST Con*viv"i*al*ist, n.
Defn: A person of convivial habits.
CONVIVIALITY Con*viv`i*al"i*ty, n.; pl. Convivialities (.
Defn: The good humor or mirth indulged in upon festive occasions; a convivial spirit or humor; festivity.
CONVIVIALLY Con*viv"i*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In a convivial manner.
CONVOCATE Con"vo*cate, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Convocated; p.pr. & vb.n. Convocating.] Etym: [L. convocatus, p.p. of convocare to convocate; con- + vocare to call. See Vocal, and cf. Convoce.]
Defn: To convoke; to call together. [Obs.] May (Lucan).
CONVOCATION Con`vo*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. convocatio: cf. F. convocation. See Convoke.]
1. The act of calling or assembling by summons.
2. An assembly or meeting. In the first day there shall be a holy convocation. Ex. xii. 16.
3. (Ch. of Eng.)
Defn: An assembly of the clergy, by their representatives, to consult on ecclesiastical affairs.
Note: In England, the provinces of Canterbury and York have each their convocation, but no session for business were allowed from 1717 to 1861. The Convocation of Canterbury consists of two houses. In the Convocation of York the business has been generally conducted in one assembly.
4. (Oxf. University)
Defn: An academical assembly, in which the business of the university is transacted.
Syn. -- meeting; assembly; congregation; congress; diet; convention; synod; council.
CONVOCATIONAL Con`vo*ca"tion*al, a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a convocation.
CONVOCATIONIST Con`vo*ca"tion*ist, n.
Defn: An advocate or defender of convocation.
CONVOKE Con*voke", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Convoked; p.pr. & vb.n. Convoking.] Etym: [L. convocare: cf. F. convoquer. See Convocate.]
Defn: To call together; to summon to meet; to assemble by summons. There remained no resource but the dreadful one of convoking a parliament. palfrey.
Syn. -- To summon; assemble; convene. See Call.
CONVOLUTE Con"vo*lute, a. Etym: [L. convolutus, p.p. of convolvere. See Convolve.] (Bot.)
Defn: Rolled or wound together, one part upon another; -- said of the leaves of plants in æstivation.
CONVOLUTED Con"vo*lu`ted, a.
1. Having convolutions. beaks recurved and convoluted like a ram's horn. Pennant.
2. Folded in tortuous windings. A highly convoluted brain. North Amer. Rev.
CONVOLUTION Con`vo*lu"tion, n.
1. The act of rolling anything upon itself, or one thing upon another; a winding motion. O'er the calm sea, in convolution swift, The feathered eddy floats. Thomson.
2. The state of being rolled upon itself, or rolled or doubled together; a tortuous or sinuous winding or fold, as of something rolled or folded upon itself. Blackmore.
3. (Anat.)
Defn: An irregular, tortuous folding of an organ or part; as, the convolutions of the intestines; the cerebral convolutions. See Brain.
CONVOLVE Con*volve", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Convolved; p.pr. & vb.n. Convolving.] Etym: [L. convolvere, -volutum; con- + volvere to roll. See Voluble.]
Defn: To roll or wind together; to roll or twist one part on another. Then Satan first knew pain, And writhed him to and fro convolved. Milton.
CONVOLVULACEOUS Con*vol`vu*la"ceous, a. Etym: [From Convolvus.] (Bot.)
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the family of plants of which the bindweed and the morning-glory are common examples.
CONVOLVULIN Con*vol"vu*lin, n. (Chem.)
Defn: A glucoside occurring in jalap (the root of a convolvulaceous plant), and extracted as a colorless, tasteless, gummy mass of powerful purgative properties.
CONVOLVULUS Con*vol"vu*lus, n.; pl. L.Convolvuli, E. Convoluluses. Etym: [L., bindweed, fr. convolvere to roll around. So named from its twining stems.] (Bot.)
Defn: A large genus of plants having monopetalous flowers, including the common bindweed (C. arwensis), and formerly the morning-glory, but this is now transferred to the genus Ipomæa. The luster of the long convolvuluses That coiled around the stately stems. Tennyson.
CONVOY Con*voy", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Convoyed; p.pr. & vb.n. Convoying.] Etym: [F. convoyer, OF. conveier, convoier. See Convey.]
Defn: To accompany for protection, either by sea or land; to attend for protection; to escort; as, a frigate convoys a merchantman. I know ye skillful to convoy The total freight of hope and joy. Emerson.
CONVOY Con"voy, n. Etym: [F. convoi.]
1. The act of attending for defense; the state of being so attended; protection; escort. To obtain the convoy of a man-of-war. Macaulay.
2. A vessel or fleet, or a train or trains of wagons, employed in the transportation of munitions of war, money, subsistence, clothing, etc., and having an armed escort.
3. A protection force accompanying ships, etc., on their way from place to place, by sea or land; an escort, for protection or guidance. When every morn my bosom glowed To watch the convoy on the road. Emerson.
4. Conveyance; means of transportation. [Obs.] Shak.
5. A drag or brake applied to the wheels of a carriage, to check their velocity in going down a hill. Knight.
CONVOY PENNANT Con"voy pen"nant. A white pennant with red border, carried : (a) Forward on all vessels on convoy duty. (b) Alone by a senior officer present during evolutions or drills, when it commands "Silence." (c) Over a signal number, when it refers to the signal number of an officer in the Annual Navy Register.
CONVULSE Con*vulse", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Convulsed; p.pr. & vb.n. Convulsing.] Etym: [L. convulsus, p.p. of convellere to tear up, to shake; con- + vellere to pluck, pull.]
1. To contract violently and irregulary, as the muscular parts of an animal body; to shake with irregular spasms, as in excessive laughter, or in agony from grief or pain. With emotions which checked his voice and convulsed his powerful frame. Macaulay.
2. To agitate greatly; to shake violently. The world is convulsed by the agonies of great nations. Macaulay.
Syn. -- To agitate; disturb; shake; tear; rend.
CONVULSION Con*vul"sion, n. Etym: [L. convulsio: cf. F. convulsion.]
1. (Med.)
Defn: An unnatural, violent, and unvoluntary contraction of the muscular parts of an animal body.
2. Any violent and irregular motion or agitation; a violent shaking; a tumult; a commotion. Those two massy pillars, With horrible convulsion, to and fro He tugged, he shook, till down they came. Milton. Times of violence and convulsion. Ames.
Syn. -- Agitation; commotion; tumult; disturbance.
CONVULSIONAL Con*vul"sion*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or having, convulsions; convulsionary. [R.] Lamb.
CONVULSIONARY Con*vul"sion*a*ry (, a. Etym: [Cf. F. convulsionnaire.]
Defn: Pertaining to convulsion; convulsive. "Convulsionary struggles." Sir W. Scott.
CONVULSIONARY Con*vul"sion*a*ry, n.
Defn: A convulsionist.
CONVULSIONIST Con*vul"sion*ist, n.
Defn: One who has convulsions; esp., one of a body of fanatics in France, early in the eighteenth century, who went into convulsions under the influence of religious emotion; as, the Convulsionists of St. Médard.
CONVULSIVE Con*vul"sive, a. Etym: [Cf. F. convulsif.]
Defn: Producing, or attended with, convulsions or spasms; characterized by convulsions; convulsionary. An irregular, convulsive movement may be necessary to throw off an irregular, convulsive disease. Burke.
CONVULSIVELY Con*vul"sive*ly, adv.
Defn: in a convulsive manner.
CONY Co"ny ( or ; 277), n. Etym: [OE. coning, conig, coni, OF. connin, conin, connil, fr. L. cuniculus a rabbit, cony, prob. an Hispanic word.] [Written also coney.]
1. (Zoöl.) (a) A rabbit, esp., the European rabbit (Lepus cuniculus). (b) The chief hare.
Note: The cony of Scripture is thought to be Hyrax Syriacus, called also daman, and cherogril. See Daman.
2. A simpleton. [Obs.] It is a most simple animal; whence are derived our usual phrases of cony and cony catcher. Diet's Dry Dinner (1599).
3. (Zoöl.) (a) An important edible West Indian fish (Epinephelus apua); the hind of Bermuda. (b) A local name of the burbot. [Eng.]
CONY-CATCH Co"ny-catch, v. t.
Defn: To deceive; to cheat; to trick. [Obs.] Take heed, Signor Baptista, lest you be cony-catched in the this business. Shak.
CONY-CATCHER Co"ny-catch`er, n.
Defn: A cheat; a sharper; a deceiver. [Obs.] Minsheu.
CONYLENE Con"y*lene, n. Etym: [Conine + acetylene.]
Defn: An oily substance, C8H14, obtained from several derivatives of conine.
CONYRINE Con"y*rine, n. Etym: [From Conine.] (Chem.)
Defn: A blue, fluorescent, oily base (regarded as a derivative of pyridine), obtained from conine.
COO Coo, v. i. [imp. & p.p. Cooed; p.pr. & vb.n. Cooing.]
1. To make a low repeated cry or sound, like the characteristic note of pigeons or doves. The stockdove only through the forest cooes, Mournfully hoarse. Thomson.
2. To show affection; to act in a loving way. See under Bill, v. i. "Billing or cooing." Byron.
COOEY; COOEE Coo"ey, Coo"ee, n. Etym: [Of imitative origin.]
Defn: A peculiar whistling sound made by the Australian aborigenes as a call or signal. [Written also cooie.]
COOK Cook, v. i. Etym: [Of imitative origin.]
Defn: To make the noise of the cuckoo. [Obs. or R.] Constant cuckoos cook on every side. The Silkworms (1599).
COOK Cook, v. t. Etym: [Etymol. unknown.]
Defn: To throw. [Prov.Eng.] "Cook me that ball." Grose.
COOK Cook, n. Etym: [AS. coc, fr. l. cocus, coquus, coquus, fr. coquere to cook; akin to Gr. pac, and to E. apricot, biscuit, concoct, dyspepsia, precocious. Cf. Pumpkin.]
1. One whose occupation is to prepare food for the table; one who dresses or cooks meat or vegetables for eating.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish, the European striped wrasse.
COOK Cook, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cooked; p.pr & vb.n. Cooking.]
1. To prepare, as food, by boiling, roasting, baking, broiling, etc.; to make suitable for eating, by the agency of fire or heat.
2. To concoct or prepare; hence, to tamper with or alter; to garble; -- often with up; as, to cook up a story; to cook an account. [Colloq.] They all of them receive the same advices from abroad, and very often in the same words; but their way of cooking it is so different. Addison.
COOK Cook, v. i.
Defn: To prepare food for the table.
COOKBOOK Cook"book`, n.
Defn: A book of directions and receipts for cooking; a cookery book. [U.S.] "Just How": a key to the cookbooks. Mrs. A. D. T. Whitney.
COOKEE Cook*ee", n.
Defn: A female cook. [R.]
COOKERY Cook"er*y, n.
1. The art or process of preparing food for the table, by dressing, compounding, and the application of heat.
2. A delicacy; a dainty. [Obs.] R. North.
COOKEY; COOKIE Cook"ey, Cook"ie, n.
Defn: See Cooky.
COOKMAID Cook"maid`, n.
Defn: A female servant or maid who dresses provisions and assists the cook.
COOKROOM Cook"room`, n.
Defn: A room for cookery; a kitchen; the galley or caboose of a ship. Sir W. Raleigh.
COOKSHOP Cook`shop, n.
Defn: An eating house. "A subterranean cookshop." Macaulay.
COOKY Cook"y, n.; pl. Cookies. Etym: [Cf. D. koek cake, dim. koekje; akin to G. kuchen, E. cake; or cf. OE. coket, prob., a sort of cake, and prob. of French origin.]
Defn: A small, flat, sweetened cake of various kinds.
COOL Cool, a. [Compar. Cooler; superl. Coolest.] Etym: [AS. col; akin to D. koel, G. kühl, OHG. chouli, Dan. kölig, Sw. kylig, also to AS. calan to be cold, Icel. kala. See Cold, and cf. Chill.]
1. Moderately cold; between warm and cold; lacking in warmth; producing or promoting coolness. Fanned with cool winds. Milton.
2. Not ardent, warm, fond, or passionate; not hasty; deliberate; exercising self-control; self-possessed; dispassionate; indifferent; as, a cool lover; a cool debater. For a patriot, too cool. Goldsmith.
3. Not retaining heat; light; as, a cool dress.
4. Manifesting coldness or dislike; chilling; apathetic; as, a cool manner.
5. Quietly impudent; negligent of propriety in matters of minor importance, either ignorantly or willfully; presuming and selfish; audacious; as, cool behavior. Its cool stare of familiarity was intolerable. Hawthorne.
6. Applied facetiously, in a vague sense, to a sum of money, commonly as if to give emphasis to the largeness of the amount. He had lost a cool hundred. Fielding. Leaving a cool thousand to Mr.Matthew Pocket. Dickens.
Syn. -- Calm; dispassionate; self-possessed; composed; repulsive; frigid; alienated; impudent.
COOL Cool, n.
Defn: A moderate state of cold; coolness; -- said of the temperature of the air between hot and cold; as, the cool of the day; the cool of the morning or evening.
COOL Cool, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cooled; p.pr. & vb.n. Cooling.]
1. To make cool or cold; to reduce the temperature of; as, ice cools water. Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue. Luke xvi. 24.
2. To moderate the heat or excitement of; to allay, as passion of any kind; to calm; to moderate. We have reason to cool our raging motions, our carnal stings, our unbitted lusts. Shak. To cool the heels, to dance attendance; to wait, as for admission to a patron's house. [Colloq.] Dryden.
COOL Cool, v. i.
1. To become less hot; to lose heat. I saw a smith stand with his hammer, thus, the whilst his iron did on the anvil cool. Shak.
2. To lose the heat of excitement or passion; to become more moderate. I will not give myself liberty to think, lest I should cool. Congreve.
COOLER Cool"er, n.
Defn: That which cools, or abates heat or excitement. if acid things were used only as coolers, they would not be so proper in this case. Arbuthnot.
2. Anything in or by which liquids or other things are cooled, as an ice chest, a vessel for ice water, etc.
COOL-HEADED Cool"-head`ed, a.
Defn: Having a temper not easily excited; free from passion. -- Cool"-head`ed*ness, n.
COOLIE Coo"lie, n.
Defn: Same as Cooly.
COOLING Cool"ing, p.a.
Defn: Adapted to cool and refresh; allaying heat. "The cooling brook." Goldsmith. Cooling card, something that dashes hopes. [Obs.] -- Cooling time (Law), such a lapse of time as ought, taking all the circumstances of the case in view, to produce a subsiding of passion previously provoked. Wharton.
COOLISH Cool"ish, a.
Defn: Somewhat cool. The nights began to grow a little coolish. Goldsmith.
COOLLY Cool"ly, a.
Defn: Coolish; cool. [Obs.] Spenser.
COOLLY Cool"ly, adv.
Defn: In a cool manner; without heat or excessive cold; without passion or ardor; calmly; deliberately; with indifference; impudently.
COOLNESS Cool"ness, n.
1. The state of being cool; a moderate degree of cold; a moderate degree, or a want, of passion; want of ardor, zeal, or affection; calmness.
2. Calm impudence; self-possession. [Colloq.]
COOLUNG Coo"lung, n. Etym: [From the native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The great gray crane of India (Grus cinerea). [Also written coolen and cullum.]
COOLY; COOLIE Coo"ly, Coo"lie, n.; pl. Coolies. Etym: [Hind. k a laborer, porter: cf. Turk. k, ky, slave.]
Defn: An East Indian porter or carrier; a laborer transported from the East Indies, China, or Japan, for service in some other country.
COOM Coom, n. Etym: [Cf. G. kahm mold gathered on liquids, D. kam, Sw. kimrök pine soot, smoke black, Icel. kam grime, film of dirt.]
Defn: Soot; coal dust; refuse matter, as the dirty grease which comes from axle boxes, or the refuse at the mouth of an oven. Phillips. Bailey.
COOMB Coomb, n. Etym: [AS. cumb a liquid measure, perh. from LL. cumba boat, tomb of stone, fr. Gr. kumpf bowl.]
Defn: A dry measure of four bushels, or half a quarter. [Written also comb.]
COOMB; COOMBE Coomb, Coombe, n. Etym: [See Comb, Combe, in this sense.]
Defn: A hollow in a hillside. [Prov. Eng.] See Comb, Combe.
COON Coon, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A raccoon. See Raccoon.
COONCAN Coon"can, n. [Corrupt of conquian.]
Defn: A game of cards derived from conquian, played by two or more players with one or two full packs of cards.
COONTIE Coon"tie, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A cycadaceous plant of Florida and the West Indies, the Zamia integrifolia, from the stems of which a kind of sago is prepared.
COOP Coop, n. Etym: [Cf. AS. cypa a measure, D. kuip tub, Icel. kupa bowl, G. kufe coop tub; all fr. L. cupa vat, tub, LL. cupa, copa, cup. See Cup, and cf. Keeve.]
1. A barrel or cask for liquor. [Obs.] Johnson.
2. An inclosure for keeping small animals; a pen; especially, a grated box for confining poultry.
3. A cart made close with boarde; a tumbrel. [Scotch]
COOP Coop, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Cooped; p.pr. & vb.n. Cooping.]
Defn: To confine in a coop; hence, to shut up or confine in a narrow compass; to cramp; -- usually followed by up, sometimes by in. The Trojans coopet within their walls so long. Dryden. The contempt of all other knowledge . . . coops the understanding up within narrow bounds. Locke.
2. To work upon in the manner of a cooper. [Obs.] "Shaken tubs . . . be new cooped." Holland.
Syn. -- To crowd; confine; imprison.
COOPEE Coo*pee", n.
Defn: See Coupe. [Obs.] Johnson.
COOPER Coop"er, n. Etym: [From Coop.]
Defn: One who makes barrels, hogsheads, casks, etc.
COOPER Coop"er, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Coopered; p.pr. & vb.n. Coopering.]
Defn: To do the work of a cooper upon; as, to cooper a cask or barrel.
COOPERAGE Coop"er*age, n.
1. Work done by a cooper.
2. The price paid for coopers; work.
3. A place where coopers' work is done.
COOPERANT Co*öp"er*ant, a. Etym: [Cf. F. coopérant.]
Defn: Operating together; as, coöperant forces.
COOPERATE Co*öp"er*ate, v. i. [imp. & p.p. Coöperated; p.pr. & vb.n. Coöperating.] Etym: [L. coöperatus, p.p. of coöperari to coöperate; co + operari to work, opus work. See Operate.]
Defn: To act or operate jointly with another or others; to concur in action, effort, or effect. Whate'er coöperates to the common mirth. Crashaw.
COOPERATION Co*öp`er*a"tion, n. Etym: [L. coöperatio: cf. F. coopération.]
1. The act of coöperating, or of operating together to one end; joint operation; concurrent effort or labor. Not holpen by the coöperation of angels. Bacon.
2. (Polit. Econ.)
Defn: The association of a number of persons for their benefit.
COOPERATIVE Co*öp"er*a*tive, a.
Defn: Operating jointly to the same end. Coöperative society, a society established on the principle of a joint-stock association, for the production of commodities, or their purchase and distribution for consumption, or for the borrowing and lending of capital among its members. -- Coöperative store, a store established by a coöperative society, where the members make their purchases and share in the profits or losses.
COOPERATOR Co*öp"er*a`tor, n. Etym: [L.: cf. F. coopérateur.]
Defn: One who labors jointly with others to promote the same end. "Coöperators with the truth." Boyle.
COOPERING Coop"er*ing, n.
Defn: Work done by a cooper in making or repairing barrels, casks, etc.; the business of a cooper.
COOPERY Coop"er*y, a.
Defn: Relating to a cooper; coopered. [Obs.] Coopery vessels made of wood. Holland.
COOPERY Coop"er*y, n.
Defn: The occupation of a cooper. Crabb.
COOPT Co*öpt", v. t. Etym: [See Coöptate. Cf. F. coopter.]
Defn: To choose or elect in concert with another. [R.] Each of the hundred was to coöpt three others. Jowett (Thysyd. ).
COOPTATE Co*öp"tate, v. t. Etym: [L. coöptatus, p.p. of coötare to elect to something; co- + optare to choose.]
Defn: To choose; to elect; to coöpt. [Obs.] Cockeram.
COOPTATION Co`öp*ta"tion, n. Etym: [L. coöptatio.]
Defn: The act of choosing; selection; choice. [Obs.] The first election and coöptation of a friend. Howell.
COORDAIN Co`ör*dain, v. t.
Defn: To ordain or appoint for some purpose along with another.
COORDINANCE Co*ör"di*nance, n.
Defn: Joint ordinance.
COORDINATE Co*ör"di*nate, a. Etym: [Pref. co- + L. ordinatus, p.p. of ordinare to regulate. See Ordain.]
Defn: Equal in rank or order; not subordinate. Whether there was one Supreme Governor of the world, or many coördinate powers presiding over each country. Law. Conjunctions joint sentences and coördinate terms. Rev. R. Morris. Coördinate adjectives, adjectives disconnected as regards ane another, but referring equally to the same subject. -- Coördinate conjunctions, conjunctions joining independent propositions. Rev. R. Morris.
COORDINATE Co*ör"di*nate , v. t. [imp. & p.p. Coördinated; p.pr. & vb.n. Coördinating.]
1. To make coördinate; to put in the same order or rank; as, to coördinate ideas in classification.
2. To give a common action, movement, or condition to; to regulate and combine so as to produce harmonious action; to adjust; to harmonize; as, to coördinate muscular movements.
COORDINATE Co*ör"di*nate, n.
1. A thing of the same rank with another thing; one two or more persons or things of equal rank, authority, or importance. It has neither coördinate nor analogon; it is absolutely one. Coleridge.
2. pl. (Math.)
Defn: Lines, or other elements of reference, by means of which the position of any point, as of a curve, is defined with respect to certain fixed lines, or planes, called coördinate axes and coördinate planes. See Abscissa.
Note: Coördinates are of several kinds, consisting in some of the different cases, of the following elements, namely: (a) (Geom. of Two Dimensions) The abscissa and ordinate of any point, taken together; as the abscissa PY and ordinate PX of the point P (Fig. 2, referred to the coördinate axes AY and AX. (b) Any radius vector PA (Fig. 1), together with its angle of inclination to a fixed line, APX, by which any point A in the same plane is referred to that fixed line, and a fixed point in it, called the pole, P. (c) (Geom. of Three Dimensions) Any three lines, or distances, PB, PC, PD (Fig. 3), taken parallel to three coördinate axes, AX, AY, AZ, and measured from the corresponding coördinate fixed planes, YAZ, XAZ, XAY, to any point in space, P, whose position is thereby determined with respect to these planes and axes. (d) A radius vector, the angle which it makes with a fixed plane, and the angle which its projection on the plane makes with a fixed line line in the plane, by which means any point in space at the free extremity of the radius vector is referred to that fixed plane and fixed line, and a fixed point in that line, the pole of the radius vector. Cartesian coördinates. See under Cartesian. -- Geographical coördinates, the latitude and longitude of a place, by which its relative situation on the globe is known. The height of the above the sea level constitutes a third coördinate. -- Polar coördinates, coördinates made up of a radius vector and its angle of inclination to another line, or a line and plane; as those defined in (b) and (d) above. -- Rectangular coördinates, coördinates the axes of which intersect at right angles. -- Rectilinear coördinates, coördinates made up of right lines. Those defined in (a) and (c) above are called also Cartesian coördinates. -- Trigonometrical or Spherical coördinates, elements of reference, by means of which the position of a point on the surface of a sphere may be determined with respect to two great circles of the sphere. -- Trilinear coördinates, coördinates of a point in a plane, consisting of the three ratios which the three distances of the point from three fixed lines have one to another.
COORDINATELY Co*ör"di*nate*ly, adv.
Defn: In a coördinate manner.
COORDINATENESS Co*ör"di*nate*ness, n.
Defn: The state of being coördinate; equality of rank or authority.
COORDINATION Co*ör`di*na"tion, n.
1. The act of coördinating; the act of putting in the same order, class, rank, dignity, etc.; as, the coördination of the executive, the legislative, and the judicial authority in forming a government; the act of regulating and combining so as to produce harmonious results; harmonious adjustment; as, a coördination of functions. "Coördination of muscular movement by the cerebellum." Carpenter.
2. The state of being coördinate, or of equal rank, dignity, power, etc. In this high court of parliament, there is a rare coördination of power. Howell.
COORDINATIVE Co*ör"di*na*tive, a. (Gram.)
Defn: Expressing coördination. J. W. Gibbs.
COOT Coot, n. Etym: [Cf. D. koet, W. cwtair; cwta short, bodtailed + iar hen; cf. cwtau ro dock. Cf. Cut.]
1. (Zoöl.) (a) A wading bird with lobate toes, of the genus Fulica. The common European or bald coot is F. atra (see under bald); the American is F. Americana. (b) The surf duck or scoter. In the United States all the species of (Edemia are called coots. See Scoter. "As simple as a coot." Halliwell.
2. A stupid fellow; a simpleton; as, a silly coot. [Colloq.]
COOTER Coot"er, n. (Zoöl.) (a) A fresh-water tortoise (Pseudemus concinna) of Florida. (b) The box tortoise.
COOTFOOT Coot`foot, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The pharalope; -- so called because its toes are like the coot's.
COOTHAY Coo*thay", n.
Defn: A striped satin made in India. McElrath.
COP Cop, n. Etym: [AS. cop; cf. G. kopf head. Cf. Cup, Cob.]
1. The top of a thing; the head; a crest. [Obs.] Cop they used to call The tops of many hills. Dra
2. A conical or conical-ended mass of coiled thread, yarn, or roving, wound upon a spindle, etc.
3. A tube or quill upon which silk is wound.
4. (Mil. Arch.)
Defn: same as Merlon.
5. A policeman. [Slang] Cop waste, a kind of cotton waste, composed chiefly
COPAIBA; COPAIVA Co*pai"ba, Co*pai"va, n. Etym: [Sp. & Pg., fr. Brazil. cupaúba.] (Med.)
Defn: A more or less viscid, vellowish liquid, the bitter oleoresin of several species of Copaifera, a genus of trees growing in South America and the West Indies. It is stimulant and diuretic, and is much used in affections of the mucous membranes; -- called also balsam of copaiba. [Written also capivi.]
COPAL Co"pal, Etym: [Sp., fr. Mexican copalli, Clavigero.]
Defn: A resinous substance flowing spontaneously from trees of Zanzibar, Madagascar, and South America (Trachylobium Hornemannianum, T. verrocosum, and Hymenæa Courbaril), and dug from earth where forests have stood in Africa; -- used chiefly in making varnishes. Ur
COPALM Co"palm`, n.
Defn: The yellowish, fragrant balsam yielded by the sweet gum; also, the tree itself.
COPARCENARY Co*par"ce*na*ry, n.; pl. Coparcenaries. Etym: [Pref. co- + parcenary] (Law)
Defn: Partnership in inheritance; joint heirship; joint right of sucession to an inheritance.
COPARCENER Co*par"ce*ner, n. Etym: [Pref. co- + parcener.] (Law)
Defn: One who has an equal portion with others of an inheritance. All the coparceners together make but one heir, and have but one estate among them. blackstone.
COPARCENY Co*par"ce*ny, n. Etym: [Abbrev. of Coparcenary.] (Law)
Defn: An equal share of an inheritance.
COPART Co*part, v. t. Etym: [Cf. Compart]
Defn: To share. [Obs.] For, of all miserias, I hold that chief Wretched to be, when none coparts our grief. Webster (1661).
COPARTMENT Co*part"ment, n.
Defn: A compartment. [Obs.] T. Warton.
COPARTNER Co*part"ner, n.
Defn: One who is jointly concerned with one or more persons in business, etc.; a partner; an associate; a partaker; a sharer. the associates and copartners of our loss. Milton.
COPARTNERSHIP Co*part"ner*ship, n.
1. The state of being a copartner or of having a joint interest in any matter.
2. A partnership or firm; as, A. and B. have this day formed a copartnership.
COPARTNERY Co*part"ner*y, n.; pl. Copartneries (.
Defn: the state of being copartners in any undertaking. [R.]
COPATAIN Cop"a*tain, a. Etym: [Formed fr. cop, in imitation of captain. See Cop, Captain.]
Defn: Having a high crown, or a point or peak at top. [Obs.] A copatain hat made on a Flemish block. Gascoigne.
COPATRIOT Co*pa"tri*ot, n.
Defn: A joint patriot.
COPE Cope, n. Etym: [A doublet of cape. See Cape, Cap.]
1. A covering for the head. [Obs.] Johnson.
2. Anything regarded as extended over the head, as the arch or concave of the sky, the roof of a house, the arch over a door. "The starry cope of heaven." Milton.
3. An ecclesiastical vestment or cloak, semicircular in form, reaching from the shoulders nearly to the feet, and open in front except at the top, whereit is united by a band or clasp. It is worn in processions and on some other occasions. Piers plowman. A hundred and sixty priests all in their copes. Bp. Burnet.
4. An ancient tribute due to the lord of the soil, out of the lead mines in derbyshire, England.
5. (Founding)
Defn: The top part of a flask or mold; the outer part of a loam mold. Knight. De Colange.
COPE Cope, v. i.
Defn: To form a cope or arch; to bend or arch; to bow. [Obs.] Some bending down and coping to ward the earth. Holland.
COPE Cope, v. t. (Falconry)
Defn: To pare the beak or talons of (a hawk). J. H. Walsh.
COPE Cope, v. i. [imp. & p.p. Coped; p.pr. & vb.n. Coping.] Etym: [OE. copen, coupen, to buy, bargain, prob. from D. koopen to buy, orig., to bargain. See Chear.]
1. To exchange or barter. [Obs.] Spenser.
2. To encounter; to meet; to have to do with. Horatio, thou art e'en as just a man As e'er my conversation coped withal. Shak.
3. To enter into or maintain a hostile contest; to struggle; to combat; especially, to strive or contend on equal terms or with success; to match; to equal; -- usually followed by with. Host coped with host, dire was the din of war. Philips. Their generals have not been able to cope with the troops of Athens. Addison.
COPE Cope, v. t.
1. To bargain for; to buy. [Obs.]
2. To make return for; to requite; to repay. [Obs.] three thousand ducats due unto the Jew, We freely cope your courteous pains withal. Shak.
3. To match one's self against; to meet; to encounter. I love to cope him in these sullen fits. Shak. They say he yesterday coped Hector in the battle, and struck him down. Shak.
COPE-CHISEL Cope"-chis`el, n.
Defn: A narrow chisel adapted for cutting a groove. Knight.
COPECK Co"peck, n. Etym: [Russ. kopeika]
Defn: A Russian copper coin. See Kopeck.
COPED Coped, a.
Defn: Clad in a cope.
COPELATA Cop`e*la"ta, n.; pl. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: See Larvalla.
COPEMAN Cope"man, n. Etym: [D. koopman, fr. koopen to buy. See Cope, v. i. Chapman.]
Defn: A chapman; a dealer; a merchant. [Obs.] He would have sold his part of paradise For ready money, had he met a copeman. B. Jonson.
COPENHAGEN Co`pen*ha"gen, n. [From Copenhagen, Denmark.]
1.
Defn: A sweetened hot drink of spirit and beaten eggs.
2. A children's game in which one player is inclosed by a circle of others holding a rope.
COPEPOD Cop"e*pod, a. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Copepoda. -- n.
Defn: One of the Copepoda.
COPEPODA Co*pep"o*da, n.; pl. Etym: [NL., from Gr. -poda.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An order of Entomastraca, including many minute Crustacea, both freshwater and marine.
Note: They have a distinct carapace. The eggs are carried in a pair of external pouches. Some are parasites of fishes.
COPERNICAN Co*per"ni*can, a.
Defn: Pertaining to Copernicus, a Prussian by birth (b. 1473, d. 1543), who taught the world the solar system now received, called the Copernican system.
COPESMATE Copes"mate`, n.
Defn: An associate or companion; a friend; a partner. [Obs.] Misshapen time, copesmate of ugly Night. Shak.
COPESTONE Cope"stone`, n. (Arch.)
Defn: A stone for coping. See Coping.
COPIER Cop"i*er, n. Etym: [From. Copy.]
1. One who copies; one who writes or transcribes from an original; a transcriber.
2. An imitator; one who imitates an example; hence, a plagiarist.
COPING Cop"ing, n. Etym: [See Cope, n.] (Arch.)
Defn: The highest or covering course of masonry in a wall, often with sloping edges to carry off water; -- sometimes called capping. Gwill.
COPIOUS Co"pi*ous, a. Etym: [L. copiosus, fr. copia abundance: cf. F. copieux. See Copy, Opulent.]
Defn: Large in quantity or amount; plentiful; abundant; fruitful. Kindly pours its copious treasures forth. Thomson. Hail, Son of God, Savior of men! thy name Shall be the copious matter of my song. Milton.
Syn. -- Ample; abundant; plentiful; plenteous; rich; full; exuberant; overflowing; full. See Ample.
COPIOUSLY Co"pi*ous*ly, adv.
Defn: In a copious manner.
COPIOUSNESS Co"pi*ous*ness, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being copious; abudance; plenty; also, diffuseness in style. To imitatethe copiousness of Homer. Dryden.
Syn. -- Abudance; plenty; richness; exuberance.
COPIST Cop"ist, n. Etym: [F. copiste. See Copy.]
Defn: A copier. [Obs.] "A copist after nature." Shaftesbury.
COPLANAR Co*plan"ar, a. Etym: [Pref. co- + plane.] (Math.)
Defn: Situated in one plane.
COPLAND Cop"land`, n. Etym: [Cop + land.]
Defn: A piece of ground terminating in a point or acute angle. [Obs.]
COPORTION Co*por"tion, n.
Defn: Equal share. [Obs.] Myself will bear . . . coportion of your pack. Spenser.
COPPED Copped, a. Etym: [From Cop.]
Defn: Rising to a point or head; conical; pointed; crested. Wiseman.
COPPEL Cop"pel, n. & v.
Defn: See Cupel.
COPPER Cop"per, n. Etym: [OE. coper (cf. D. koper, Sw. koppar, Dan. kobber, G. kupfer), LL. cuper, fr. L. cuprum for earlier Cyprium, Cyprium aes, i.e., Cyprian brass, fr. Gr. Cypreous.]
1. A common metal of a reddish color, both ductile and malleable, and very tenacious. It is one of the best conductors of heat and electricity. Symbol Cu. Atomic weight 63.3. It is one of the most useful metals in itself, and also in its alloys, brass and bronze.
Note: Copper is the only metal which occurs native abundantly in large masses; it is found also in various ores, of which the most important are chalcopyrite, chalcocite, cuprite, and malachite. Copper mixed with tin forms bell metal; with a smaller proportion, bronze; and with zinc, it forms brass, pinchbeck, and other alloys.
2. A coin made of copper; a penny, cent, or other minor coin of copper. [Colloq.] My friends filled my pockets with coppers. Franklin.
3. A vessel, especially a large boiler, made of copper.
4. pl. Specifically (Naut.),
Defn: the boilers in the galley for cooking; as, a ship's coppers.
Note: Copper is often used adjectively, commonly in the sense of made or consisting of copper, or resembling copper; as, a copper boiler, tube, etc. All in a hot and copper sky. Coleridge.
Note: It is sometimes written in combination; as, copperplate, coppersmith, copper-colored. Copper finch. (Zoöl.) See Chaffinch. -- Copper glance, or Vitreous copper. (Min.) See Chalcocite. -- Indigo copper. (Min.) See Covelline.
COPPER Cop"per, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Coppered; p.pr. & vb.n. Coppering.]
Defn: To cover or coat with copper; to sheathe with sheets of copper; as, to copper a ship.
COPPERAS Cop"per*as, n. Etym: [OE. coperose, F. couperose, fr. (assumed) L. cuprirosa, equiv. to G. cha`lkanqos, i. e. copper flower, vitriol. See Copper and Rose.]
Defn: Green vitriol, or sulphate of iron; a green crystalline substance, of an astringent taste, used in making ink, in dyeing black, as a tonic in medicine, etc. It is made on a large scale by the oxidation of iron pyrites. Called also ferrous sulphate.
Note: The term copperas was formerly synonymous with vitriol, and included the green, blue, and white vitriols, or the sulphates of iron, copper, and zinc.
COPPER-BOTTOMED Cop"per-bot`tomed, a.
Defn: Having a bottom made of copper, as a tin boiler or other vessel, or sheathed with copper, as a ship.
COPPER-FACED Cop"per-faced`, a.
Defn: Faced or covered with copper; as, copper-faced type.
COPPER-FASTENED Cop"per-fas`tened, a.
Defn: Fastened with copper bolts, as the planks of ships, etc.; as, a copper-fastened ship.
COPPERHEAD Cop"per*head`, n. Etym: [From its color.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A poisonous American serpent (Ancistrodon conotortrix), closely allied to the rattlesnake, but without rattles; -- called also copper-belly, and red viper.
2. A nickname applied to a person in the Northern States who sympathized with the South during the Civil War. [U.S.]
COPPERING Cop"per*ing, n.
1. The act of covering with copper.
2. An envelope or covering of copper.
COPPERISH Cop"per*ish, a.
Defn: Containing, or partaking of the nature of, copper; like copper; as, a copperish taste.
COPPER-NICKEL Cop"per-nick`el, n. (Min.)
Defn: Nicolite.
COPPER-NOSE Cop"per-nose, n.
Defn: A red nose. Shak.
COPPERPLATE Cop"per*plate, n. (a) A plate of polished copper on which a design or writing is engraved. (b) An impression on paper taken from such a plate.
Note: In printing from a copper- or steel plate the lines are filled with ink, the surface of the plate is wiped clean, the paper laid upon it, and the impression taken by pressing it under the roller of a plate press. Copperplate press. See Plate press, under Plate.
COPPERSMITH Cop"per*smith, n.
Defn: One whose occupation is to manufacture copper utensils; a worker in copper.
COPPER WORKS Cop"per works.
Defn: A place where copper is wrought or manufactured. Woodward.
COPPERWORM Cop"per*worm, n. (Zoöl.) (a) The teredo; -- so called because it injures the bottoms of vessels, where not protected by copper. (b) The ringworm.
COPPERY Cop"per*y, a.
Defn: Mixed with copper; containing copper, or made of copper; like copper.
COPPICE Cop"pice, n. Etym: [OF. copeiz, fr. coper, couper, to cut, F. couper, fr. cop, coup, colp, a blow, F. coup, L. colaphus, fr. G. Copse, and cf. Coup, Coupee.]
Defn: A grove of small growth; a thicket of brushwood; a wood cut at certain times for fuel or other purposes. See Copse. The rate of coppice lands will fall, upon the discovery of coal mines. Locke.
COPPIN Cop"pin, n.Etym: [See Cop.]
Defn: A cop of thread.
COPPLE Cop"ple, n. Etym: [A dim. of Cop.]
Defn: Something rising in a conical shape; specifically, a hill rising to a point. A low cape, and upon it a copple not very high. Hakluyt.
COPPLE-CROWN Cop"ple-crown, n.
Defn: A created or high-topped crown or head. "Like the copple-crown the lapwing has." T. Randolph. -- Cop"ple-crowned`, a.
COPPLED Cop"pled, a. Etym: [From Copple.]
Defn: Rising to a point; conical; copped. [Obs.] Woodward.
COPPLE DUST Cop"ple dust`.
Defn: Cupel dust. [Obs.] Powder of steel, or copple dust. Bacon.
COPPLESTONE Cop"ple*stone`, n.
Defn: A cobblestone. [Obs.]
COPPS Copps, n.
Defn: See Copse. [Obs.]
COPRA Co"pra, n. Etym: [Malayálam koppara or Hind. khopra.] (Com.)
Defn: The dried meat of the cocoanut, from which cocoanut oil is expressed. [Written also cobra, copperah, coppra.]
COPROLITE Cop"ro*lite, n. Etym: [Gr. ko`pros dung + -lite.] (Paleon.)
Defn: A piece of petrified dung; a fossil excrement.
COPROLITIC Cop`ro*lit"ic, a.
Defn: Containing, pertaining to, or of the nature of, coprolites.
COPROPHAGAN Co*proph"a*gan, n. Etym: [See Coprophagous.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A kind of beetle which feeds upon dung.
COPROPHAGOUS Co*proph"a*gous, a. Etym: [Gr. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Feeding upon dung, as certain insects.
COP-ROSE Cop-rose`, n. Etym: [F. coprose, of uncertain origin; cf. D. klaproos, klapperroos.]
Defn: The red, or corn, poppy. [Written also cup-rose.]
COPS Cops, n. Etym: [AS. cops, cosp, fetter.]
Defn: The connecting crook of a harrow. [Prov. Eng.]
COPSE Copse, n. Etym: [Contr. from coppice.]
Defn: A wood of small growth; a thicket of brushwood. See Coppice. Near yonder copse where once the garden smiled. Goldsmith.
COPSE Copse, v. t.
1. To trim or cut; -- said of small trees, brushwood, tufts of grass, etc. Halliwell.
2. To plant and preserve, as a copse. Swift.
COPSEWOOD Copse"wood, n.
Defn: Brushwood; coppice. Macaulay.
COPSY Cops"y, a.
Defn: Characterized by copses. "Copsy villages." "Copsy banks." J. Dyer.
COPTIC Cop"tic, a. Etym: [Abbrev. from L. Aegyptius an Egyprian, Gr. kibti, pl. kibt.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Copts. -- n.
Defn: The language of the Copts.
COPTIC CHURCH Coptic Church.
Defn: The native church of Egypt or church of Alexandria, which in general organization and doctrines resembles the Roman Catholic Church, except that it holds to the Monophysitic doctrine which was condemned (a. d. 451) by the council of Chalcedon, and allows its priests to marry. The "pope and patriarch" has jurisdiction over the Abyssinian Church. Since the 7th century the Coptic Church has been so isolated from modifying influences that in many respects it is the most ancient monument of primitive Christian rites and ceremonies. But centuries of subjection to Moslem rule have weakened and degraded it.
COPTS Copts, n. pl.; sing. Copt. Etym: [See Coptic.] (Etnol.)
1. An Egyptian race thought to be descendants of the ancient Egyptians.
2. The principal sect of Christians in Egypt and the valley of the Nile.
Note: they belong to the Jacobite sect of Monophysite Christians, and for eleven centuries have had possession of the patriarchal chair of Alexandria.
COPULA Cop"u*la, n. Etym: [L., bond, band. See Couple.]
1. (Logic & Gram.)
Defn: The word which unites the subject and predicate.
2. (Mus.)
Defn: The stop which connects the manuals, or the manuals with the pedals; -- called also coupler.
COPULATE Cop"u*late, a. Etym: [L. copulatus, p.p. of copulare to couple, fr. copula. See Copula.]
1. Joined; associated; coupled. [Obs.] Bacon.
2. (Gram.)
Defn: Joining subject and predicate; copulative. F. A. March.
COPULATE Cop"u*late, v. i. [imp. & p.p. Copulated; p.pr. & vb.n. Copulating.]
Defn: To unite in sexual intercourse; to come together in the act of generation.
COPULATION Cop`u*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. copulatio: cf. F. copulation.]
1. The act of coupling or joining; union; conjunction. Wit, you know, is the unexpected copulation of ideas. Johnson.
2. The coming together of male and female in the act of generation; sexual union; coition.
COPULATIVE Cop"u*la"tive, a. Etym: [L. copulativus: cf. F. copulatif.]
Defn: Serving to couple, unite, or connect; as, a copulative conjunction like "and".
COPULATIVE Cop"u*la*tive, n.
1. Connection. [Obs.] Rycaut.
2. (Gram.)
Defn: A copulative conjunction.
COPULATIVELY Cop"u*la"tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In a copulative manner.
COPULATORY Cop"u*la*tory, a.
1. Pertaining to copulation; tending or serving to unite; copulative.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Used in sexual union; as, the copulatory organs of insects.
COPY Cop"y, n.; pl. Copies. Etym: [F. copie, fr. L. copia abundance, number, LL. also, a transcript; co- + the root of opes riches. See Opulent, and cf. Copious.]
1. An abundance or plenty of anything. [Obs.] She was blessed with no more copy of wit, but to serve his humor thus. B. Jonson.
2. An imitation, transcript, or reproduction of an original work; as, a copy of a letter, an engraving, a painting, or a statue. I have not the vanity to think my copy equal to the original. Denham.
3. An individual book, or a single set of books containing the works of an author; as, a copy of the Bible; a copy of the works of Addison.
4. That which is to be imitated, transcribed, or reproduced; a pattern, model, or example; as, his virtues are an excellent copy for imitation. Let him first learn to write, after a copy, all the letters. Holder.
5. (print.)
Defn: Manuscript or printed matter to be set up in type; as, the printers are calling for more copy.
6. A writing paper Bastard. See under Paper.
7. Copyhold; tenure; lease. [Obs.] Shak. Copy book, a book in which copies are written or printed for learners to imitate. -- Examined copies (Law), those which have been compared with the originals. -- Exemplified copies, those which are attested under seal of a court. -- Certified or Office copies, those which are made or attested by officers having charge of the originals, and authorized to give copies officially. Abbot.
Syn. -- Imitation; transcript; duplicate; counterfeit.
COPY Cop"y, v. t. [imp. & p.p. Copied; p.pr. & vb.n. Copying.] Etym: [Cf. F. copir, fr. LL. copiare. See Copy, n.]
1. To make a copy or copies of; to write; print, engrave, or paint after an original; to duplicate; to reproduce; to transcribe; as, to copy a manuscript, inscription, design, painting, etc.; -- often with out, sometimes with off. I like the work well; ere it be demanded (As like enough it will), I'd have it copied. Shak. Let this be copied out, And keep it safe for our remembrance. Shak.
2. To imitate; to attempt to resemble, as in manners or course of life. We copy instinctively the voices of our companions, their accents, and their modes of pronunciation. Stewart.
COPY Cop"y, v. i.
1. To make a copy or copies; to imitate.
2. To yield a duplicate or transcript; as, the letter did not copy well. Some . . . never fail, when they copy, to follow the bad as well as the good things. Dryden.
COPYER Cop"y*er, n.
Defn: See Copier.
COPYGRAPH Cop"y*graph, n.
Defn: A contrivance for producing manifold copies of a writing or drawing.
Note: The writing or drawing is made with aniline ink on paper, and a reverse copy transferred by pressure to a slab of gelatin softened with glycerin. A large number of transcripts can be taken while the ink is fresh. Various names have been given to the process [the gelatin copying process], some of them acceptable and others absurd; hectograph, polygraph, copygraph, lithogram, etc. Knight.
COPYHOLD Cop"y*hold`, n. (Eng. Law) (a) A tenure of estate by copy of court roll; or a tenure for which the tenant has nothing to show, except the rolls made by the steward of the lord's court. Blackstone. (b) Land held in copyhold. Milton.
Note: Copyholds do not exist in the United States.
COPYHOLDER Cop"y*hold`er, n.
1. (Eng. Law)
Defn: One possessed of land in copyhold.
2. (print.) (a) A device for holding copy for a compositor. (b) One who reads copy to a proof reader.
COPYING Cop"y*ing, a. & n.
Defn: From Copy, v. Copying ink. See under Ink. -- Copying paper, thin unsized paper used for taking copies of letters, etc., in a copying press. -- Copying press, a machine for taking by pressure, an exact copy of letters, etc., written in copying ink.
COPYIST Cop"y*ist, n.
Defn: A copier; a transcriber; an imitator; a plagiarist.
COPYRIGHT Cop"y*right, n.
Defn: The right of an author or his assignee, under statute, to print and publish his literary or artistic work, exclusively of all other persons. This right may be had in maps, charts, engravings, plays, and musical compositions, as well as in books.
Note: In the United States a copyright runs for the term of twenty- eight years, with right of renewal for fourteen years on certain conditions. International copyright, an author's right in his productions as secured by treaty between nations.
COPYRIGHT Cop"y*right`, v. t.
Defn: To secure a copyright on.
COQUE Coque, n. [F., prop., a shell.]
Defn: A small loop or bow of ribbon used in making hats, boas, etc.
COQUELICOT Coque"li*cot`, n. Etym: [F.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: The wild poppy, or red corn rose.
2. The color of the wild poppy; a color nearly red, like orange mixed with scarlet.
COQUET Co*quet", v. t. [imp. & p.p. Coquetted; p.pr. & vb.n. Coquetting.]
Defn: To attempt to attract the notice, admiration, or love of; to treat with a show of tenderness or regard, with a view to deceive and disappoint. You are coquetting a maid of honor. Swift.
COQUET Co*quet", v. i.
Defn: To trifle in love; to stimulate affection or interest; to play the coquette; to deal playfully instead of seriously; to play (with); as, we have coquetted with political crime.
COQUETRY Co*quet"ry, n.; pl. Coquetries. Etym: [F. coquetterie.]
Defn: Attempts to attract admoration, notice, or love, for the mere gratification of vanity; trifling in love. "Little affectations of coquetry." Addison.
COQUETTE Co*quette", n. Etym: [F., fr. coquet, coquette, coquettish, orig., cocklike, strutting like a cock, fr. coq a cock. Cf. Cock, Cocket, Cocky, Cockade.]
1. A vain, trifling woman, who endeavors to attract admiration from a desire to grafity vanity; a flirt; -- formerly sometimes applied also to men.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A tropical humming bird of the genus Lophornis, with very elegant neck plumes. Several species are known. See Illustration under Spangle, v. t.
COQUETTISH Co*quet"tish, a.
Defn: Practicing or exhibiting coquetry; alluring; enticing. A pretty, coquettish housemaid. W. Irving.
COQUETTISHLY Co*quet"tish*ly, adv.
Defn: In a coquettish manner.
COQUILLA NUT Co*quil"la nut. Etym: [Pg. coquilho, Sp. coquillo, dim. of coco a cocoanut.] (Bot.)
Defn: The fruit of a Brazilian tree (Attalea funifera of Martius.).
Note: Its shell is hazel-brown in color, very hard and close in texture, and much used by turners in forming ornamental articles, such as knobs for umbrella handles.
COQUILLE Co*quille" (ko*kel"; F. ko`ke"y'), n. [F.] Lit., a shell; hence: (a) A shell or shell-like dish or mold in which viands are served. (b) The expansion of the guard of a sword, dagger, etc. (c) A form of ruching used as a dress trimming or for neckwear, and named from the manner in which it is gathered or fulled. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]
COQUIMBITE Co*quim"bite, n.
Defn: A mineral consisting principally of sulphate of iron; white copperas; -- so called because found in the province of Coquimbo, Chili.
COQUINA Co*qui"na, n. Etym: [Sp., shellfish, cockle.]
Defn: A soft, whitish, coral-like stone, formed of broken shells and corals, found in the southern United States, and used for roadbeds and for building material, as in the fort at St. Augustine, Florida.
COR- Cor-.
Defn: A prefix signifying with, together, etc. See Com-.
COR Cor, n. Etym: [Heb. k.]
Defn: A Hebrew measure of capacity; a homer. [Written also core.]
CORA Co"ra, n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The Arabian gazelle (Gazella Arabica), found from persia to North Africa.
CORACLE Cor"a*cle, n. Etym: [W. corwgl, cwrwgl, fr. corwg, cwrwg, any round body or vessel, the trunk of the body, carcass.]
Defn: A boat made by covering a wicker frame with leather or oilcloth. It was used by the ancient Britons, and is still used by fisherman in Wales and some parts of Ireland. Also, a similar boat used in Thibet and in Egypt.
CORACOID Cor"a*coid, a.Etym: [Gr. ko`rax crow + e'i^dos form.]
1. Shaped like a crow's beak.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining to a bone of the shoulder girdle in most birds, reptiles, and amphibians, which is reduced to a process of the scapula in most mammals.
CORACOID Cor"a*coid, n.
Defn: The coracoid bone or process.
CORAGE Cor"age (; OF. , n.
Defn: See Courage [Obs.] To Canterbury with full devout corage. Chaucer.
CORAH Co"rah, n. [Hind. kora virgin, plain.]
Defn: Plain; undyed; -- applied to Indian silk. -- n.
Defn: Corah silk.
CORAL Cor"al, n. Etym: [Of. coral, F, corail, L. corallum, coralium, fr. Gr. kora`llion.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The hard parts or skeleton of various Anthozoa, and of a few Hydrozoa. Similar structures are also formed by some Bryozoa.
Note: The large stony corals forming coral reefs belong to various genera of Madreporaria, and to the hydroid genus, Millepora. The red coral, used in jewelry, is the stony axis of the stem of a gorgonian (Corallium rubrum) found chiefly in the Mediterranean. The fan corals, plume corals, and sea feathers are species of Gorgoniacea, in which the axis is horny. Organ-pipe coral is formed by the genus Tubipora, an Alcyonarian, and black coral is in part the axis of species of the genus Antipathes. See Anthozoa, Madrepora.
2. The ovaries of a cooked lobster; -- so called from their color.
3. A piece of coral, usually fitted with small bells and other appurtenances, used by children as a plaything. Brain coral, or Brain stone coral. See under Brain. -- Chain coral. See under Chain. -- Coral animal (Zoöl.), one of the polyps by which corals are formed. They are often very erroneously called coral insects. -- Coral fish. See in the Vocabulary. -- Coral reefs (Phys. Geog.), reefs, often of great extent, made up chiefly of fragments of corals, coral sands, and the solid limestone resulting from their consolidation. They are classed as fringing reefs, when they border the land; barrier reefs, when separated from the shore by a broad belt of water; atolls, when they constitute separate islands, usually inclosing a lagoon. See Atoll. -- Coral root (Bot.), a genus (Corallorhiza) of orchideous plants, of a yellowish or brownish red color, parasitic on roots of other plants, and having curious jointed or knotted roots not unlike some kinds of coral. See Illust. under Coralloid. -- Coral snake. (Zo) (a) A small, venomous, Brazilian snake (Elaps corallinus), coral-red, with black bands. (b) A small, harmless, South American snake (Tortrix scytale). -- Coral tree (Bot.), a tropical, leguminous plant, of several species, with showy, scarlet blossoms and coral-red seeds. The best known is Erythrina Corallodendron. -- Coral wood, a hard, red cabinet wood. McElrath.
CORALED Cor"aled, a.
Defn: Having coral; covered with coral.
CORAL FISH Cor"al fish`. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any bright-colored fish of the genera Chætodon, Pomacentrus, Apogon, and related genera, which live among reef corals.
CORALLACEOUS Cor`al*la"ceous, a.
Defn: Like coral, or partaking of its qualities.
CORALLIAN Co*ral"li*an, n. (Geol.)
Defn: A deposit of coralliferous limestone forming a portion of the middle division of the oölite; -- called also coral-rag.
CORALLIFEROUS Cor`al*lif"er*ous, a. Etym: [L. corallum coral + -ferous.]
Defn: Containing or producing coral.
CORALLIFORM Cor"al*li*form, a. Etym: [L. corallum coral + -form.]
Defn: resembling coral in form.
CORALLIGENA Cor`al*lig"e*na, n.; pl. Etym: [NL., fr. L. corallum coral + root of gignere to produce.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Same as Anthozoa.
CORALLIGENOUS Cor`al*lig"e*nous, a.
Defn: producing coral; coraligerous; coralliferous. Humble.
CORALLIGEROUS Cor`al*lig"er*ous, a Etym: [L. corallum coral + -gerous.]
Defn: Producing coral; coraliferous.
CORALLIN Cor"al*lin, n. Etym: [So named in allusion to the color of red corallin, fr. L. corallum coral.] (Chem.)
Defn: A yellow coal-tar dyestuff which probably consists chiefly of rosolic acid. See Aurin, and Rosolic acid under Rosolic. Red corallin, a red dyestuff which is obtained by treating aurin or rosolic acid with ammonia; -- called also pæonin. -- Yellow corallin. See Aurin.
CORALLINE Cor"al*line ( or ), a. Etym: [Cf. L. corallinus coralred.]
Defn: Composed of corallines; as, coralline limestone.
CORALLINE Cor"al*line, n. Etym: [Cf. F. coralline.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A submarine, semicalcareous or calcareous plant, consisting of many jointed branches.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Formerly any slender coral-like animal; -- sometimes applied more particulary to bryozoan corals.
CORALLINITE Cor"al*lin*ite, n. (Paleon.)
Defn: A fossil coralline.
CORALLITE Cor"al*lite, n. Etym: [L. corallum coral.]
1. (Min.)
Defn: A mineral substance or petrifaction, in the form of coral.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the individual members of a compound coral; or that part formed by a single coral animal. [Written also corallet.]
CORALLOID Cor"al*loid, a. Etym: [L. corallum coral + -oid: cf. F. coralloïde.]
Defn: Having the form of coral; branching like coral.
CORALLOIDAL Cor`al*loid"al, a.
Defn: resembling coral; coralloid. Sir T. browne.
CORALLUM Co*ral"lum, n. Etym: [L.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The coral or skeleton of a zoöphyte, whether calcareous of horny, simple or compound. See Coral.
CORAL-RAG Cor"al-rag`, n. (geol.)
Defn: Same as Corallian.
CORALWORT Cor"al*wort`, n. (Bot.)
Defn: A cruciferous herb of certain species of Dentaria; -- called also toothwort, tooth violet, or pepper root.
CORANACH Cor"a*nach, n. Etym: [Gael. coranach, or corranach, a crying, the Irish funeral cry (the keen), a dirge; comh with + ranaich a roaring, ran to roar, shriek.]
Defn: A lamentation for the dead; a dirge. [Written also coranich, corrinoch, coronach, cronach, etc.] [Scot.]
CORANT; CORANTO Co*rant, Co*ran"to, n. Etym: [See Courant.]
Defn: A sprightly but somewhat stately dance, now out of fashion. It is harder to dance a corant well, than a jig. Sir W. temple. Dancing a coranto with him upon the heath. Macaulay.
CORB Corb, n. Etym: [L. corbis basket. Cf. Corbeil, Corp.]
1. A basket used in coal mines, etc. see Corf.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: An ornament in a building; a corbel.
CORBAN Cor"ban, n. Etym: [Heb. qorban, akin to Ar. qurban.]
1. (Jewish Antiq.) An offering of any kind, devoted to God and therefore not be appropriated to any other use; esp., an offering in fulfillment of a vow.
Note: In the old Testament the hebrew word is usually translated "oblation" as in Numb. xviii. 9, xxxi. 50.
Note: The traditionists laid down that a man might interdict himself by vow, not only from using for himself, but from giving to another, or receiving from him, some particular object, whether of food or any other kind. A person might thus exempt himself from assisting parents in distress, under plea of corban. Dr. W. Smith.
2. An alms basket; a vessel to receive gifts of charity; a treasury of the church, where offerings are deposited.
CORBE Corbe, a. Etym: [OF. corbe, fr. L. curvus. See Cuve.]
Defn: Crooked. [Obs.] "Corbe shoulder." Spenser.
CORBEIL Cor"beil, n. Etym: [F. corbeile, fr. L. corbicula a little basket, dim. of corbis basket. Cf. Corbel, Corb, Corvette.]
1. (Arch.)
Defn: A sculptured basket of flowers; a corbel. [Obs.]
2. pl. (Fort.)
Defn: Small gabions. Brande & C.
CORBEL Cor"bel, n. Etym: [F. corbeau, for older corbel, dim. of L. corbis basket. (Corbels were often in the form of a basket.) See Corbeil.] (Arch.)
Defn: A bracket supporting a superincumbent object, or receiving the spring of an arch. Corbels were employed largely in Gothic architecture.
Note: A common form of corbel consists of courses of stones or bricks, each projecting slightly beyond the next below it.
CORBEL Cor"bel, v. t.
Defn: To furnish with a corbel or corbels; to support by a corbel; to make in the form of a corbel. To corbel out, to furnish with a corbel of courses, each projecting beyond the one next below it.
CORBELING; CORBELLING Cor"bel*ing, Cor"bel*ling, n.
Defn: Corbel work or the construction of corbels; a series of corbels or piece of continuous corbeled masonry, sometimes of decorative purpose, as in the stalactite ornament of the Moslems.
CORBEL-TABLE Cor"bel-ta`ble, n. (Arch.)
Defn: A horizontal row of corbels, with the panels or filling between them; also, less properly used to include the stringcourse on them.
CORBIE; CORBY Cor"bie or Cor"by, n.; pl. Corbies. Etym: [F. corbeau, OF. corbel, dim. fr. L. corvus raven.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The raven. [Scot.]
2. (her.)
Defn: A raven, crow, or chough, used as a charge. Corbie crow, the carrion crow. [Scot.]
CORBIESTEP Cor"bie*step`, n. (Arch.)
Defn: One of the steps in which a gable wall is often finished in place of a continuous slope; -- also called crowstep.
CORCHORUS Cor"cho*rus, n. Etym: [Nl., fr. L. corchorus a poor kind of pulse, Gr. ko`rchoros a wild plant of bitter taste.] (Bot.)
Defn: The common name of the kerria Japonica or Japan globeflower, a yellow-flowered, perennial, rosaceous plant, seen in old-fashioned gardens.
CORCLE; CORCULE Cor"cle, Cor"cule, n. Etym: [L. corculum a little heart, dim. of cor heart.] (Bot.)
Defn: The heart of the seed; the embryo or germ. [Obs.]
CORD Cord, n. Etym: [F. corde, L. chorda catgut, chord, cord, fr. Gr. haruspex soothsayer (inspector of entrails), Icel. görn, pl. garnir gut, and E. yarn. Cf. Chord, Yarn.]
1. A string, or small rope, composed of several strands twisted together.
2. A solid measure, equivalent to 128 cubic feet; a pile of wood, or other coarse material, eight feet long, four feet high, and four feet broad; -- originally measured with a cord or line.
3. Fig.: Any moral influence by which persons are caught, held, or drawn, as if by a cord; an enticement; as, the cords of the wicked; the cords of sin; the cords of vanity. The knots that tangle human creeds, The wounding cords that bind and strain The heart until it bleeds. Tennyson.
4. (Anat.)
Defn: Any structure having the appearance of a cord, esp. a tendon or a nerve. See under Spermatic, Spinal, Umbilical, Vocal.
5. (Mus.)
Defn: See Chord. [Obs.] Cord wood, wood for fuel cut to the length of four feet (when of full measure).
CORD Cord (krd), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Corded; p. pr. & vb. n. Cording.]
1. To bind with a cord; to fasten with cords; to connect with cords; to ornament or finish with a cord or cords, as a garment.
2. To arrange (wood, etc.) in a pile for measurement by the cord.
CORDAGE Cord"age (krd"j), n. Etym: [F. cordage. See Cord.]
Defn: Ropes or cords, collectively; hence, anything made of rope or cord, as those parts of the rigging of a ship which consist of ropes.
CORDAL Cord"al (krd"al), n.
Defn: Same as Cordelle.
CORDATE Cordate (kr"dt), a. Etym: [L. cor, cordis, heart.] (Bot.)
Defn: Heart-shaped; as, a cordate leaf.
CORDATELY Cor"date*ly, adv.
Defn: In a cordate form.
CORDED Cord"ed (krd"d), a.
1. Bound or fastened with cords.
2. Piled in a form for measurement by the cord.
3. Made of cords. [Obs.] "A corded ladder." Shak.
4. Striped or ribbed with cords; as, cloth with a corded surface.
5. (Her.)
Defn: Bound about, or wound, with cords.
CORDELIER Cor`de*lier" (kr`dlr"), n. Etym: [F., fr. OF. cordel, F. cordeau, dim. fr. corde string, rope. See Cord.]
1. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: A Franciscan; -- so called in France from the girdle of knotted cord worn by all Franciscans.
2. (Fr. Hist.)
Defn: A member of a French political club of the time of the first Revolution, of which Danton and Marat were members, and which met in an old Cordelier convent in Paris.
CORDELING Cor"del*ing (kr"dlng), a. Etym: [F. cordeler to twist, fr. OF. cordel. See Cordelier.]
Defn: Twisting.
CORDELLE Cor*delle" (kr-dl"), n. Etym: [F., dim. of corde cord.]
Defn: A twisted cord; a tassel. Halliwell.
CORDIAL Cor"dial (kr"jal, formally krd"yal; 106, 277), a. Etym: [LL. cordialis, fr. L. cor heart: cf. F. cordial. See Heart.]
1. Proceeding from the heart. [Obs.] A rib with cordial spirits warm. Milton.
2. Hearty; sincere; warm; affectionate. He . . . with looks of cordial love Hung over her enamored. Milton.
3. Tending to revive, cheer, or invigorate; giving strength or spirits. Behold this cordial julep here That flames and dances in his crystal bounds. Milton.
Syn. -- Hearty; sincere; heartfelt; warm; affectionate; cheering; invigorating. See Hearty.
CORDIAL Cor"dial, n.
1. Anything that comforts, gladdens, and exhilarates. Charms to my sight, and cordials to my mind. Dryden.
2. (Med)
Defn: Any invigorating and stimulating preparation; as, a peppermint cordial.
3. (Com.)
Defn: Aromatized and sweetened spirit, used as a beverage; a liqueur.
CORDIALITY Cor*dial"i*ty (k, n.; pl. Cordialities (-t. Etym: [LL. cordialitas, fr. cordialis sincere: cf. F. cordialité.]
1. Relation to the heart. [Obs.] That the ancients had any respect of cordiality or reference unto the heart, will much be doubted. Sir T. Browne.
2. Sincere affection and kindness; warmth of regard; heartiness. Motley.
CORDIALIZE Cor"dial*ize (kr"jal-z or krd"yal-z; 106), v. t.
1. To make into a cordial.
2. To render cordial; to reconcile.
CORDIALIZE Cor"dial*ize, v. i.
Defn: To grow cordial; to feel or express cordiality. [R.]
CORDIALLY Cor"dial*ly, adv.
Defn: In a cordial manner. Dr. H. More.
CORDIALNESS Cor"dial*ness, n.
Defn: Cordiality. Cotgrave.
CORDIERITE Cor"di*er*ite (k, n. Etym: [Named after the geologist Cordier.] (Min.)
Defn: See Iolite.
CORDIFORM Cor"di*form (kr"d-frm), a. Etym: [L. cor, cordis, heart + -form, cf. F. cordiforme.]
Defn: Heart-shaped. Gray.
CORDILLERA Cor*dil"ler*a (kr-dl"lr-; Sp. kr`d-ly"r), n. Etym: [Sp., fr. OSp. cordilla, cordiella, dim. of cuerda a rope, string. See Cord.] (Geol.)
Defn: A mountain ridge or chain.
Note: Cordillera is sometimes applied, in geology, to the system of mountain chains near the border of a continent; thus, the western cordillera of North America in the United States includes the Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, Coast and Cascade ranges.
CORDINER Cor"di*ner (kr"d-nr), n.
Defn: A cordwainer. [Obs.]
CORDITE Cord"ite, n. [From Cord, n.] (Mil.)
Defn: A smokeless powder composed of nitroglycerin, guncotton, and mineral jelly, and used by the British army and in other services. In making it the ingredients are mixed into a paste with the addition of acetone and pressed out into cords (of various diameters) resembling brown twine, which are dried and cut to length. A variety containing less nitroglycerin than the original is known as cordite M. D.
CORDON Cor"don (kr"dn; F. kr"dn"), n. Etym: [F., fr. corde. See Cord.]
1. A cord or ribbon bestowed or borne as a badge of honor; a broad ribbon, usually worn after the manner of a baldric, constituting a mark of a very high grade in an honorary order. Cf. Grand cordon.
2. The cord worn by a Franciscan friar. Sir E. Sandys.
3. (Fort.)
Defn: The coping of the scarp wall, which projects beyong the face of the wall a few inches.
4. (Mil.)
Defn: A line or series of sentinels, or of military posts, inclosing or guarding any place or thing.
5. A rich and ornamental lace or string, used to secure a mantle in some costumes of state. Cordon bleu (kd" bl Etym: [F., blue cordon], a first-rate cook, or one worthy to be the cook of the cordons bleus, or Knights of the Holy Ghost, famous for their good dinners. -- Cordon sanitaire (kd" s Etym: [F., sanitary cordon], a line of troops or military posts around a district infected with disease, to cut off communication, and thus prevent the disease from spreading.
CORDONNET Cor`don`net" (kr`dn`n"), n. Etym: [F., dim. of cordon. See Cardon.]
Defn: Doubled and twisted thread, made of coarse silk, and used for tassels, fringes, etc. McElrath.
CORDOVAN Cor"do*van (kr"d-vn), n. Etym: [Sp. cordoban, fr. Cordova, or Cordoba, in Spain. Cf. Cordwain.]
Defn: Same as Cordwain. in England the name is applied to leather made from horsehide.
CORDUROY Cor"du*roy` (kr"d-roi` or kr"d-roi"), n. Etym: [Prob. for F. corde du roi king's cord.]
1. A sort of cotton velveteen, having the surface raised in ridges.
2. pl.
Defn: Trousers or breeches of corduroy. Corduroy road, a roadway formed of logs laid side by side across it, as in marshy places; -- so called from its rough or ribbed surface, resembling corduroy. [U.S.]
CORDUROY Cor"du*roy`, v. t.
Defn: To form of logs laid side by side. "Roads were corduroyed." Gemn. W.T. Sherman.
CORDWAIN Cord"wain (krd"wn), n. Etym: [OE. cordewan, cordian, OF. cordoan, cordouan, fr. Sp. cordoban. See Cordovan.]
Defn: A term used in the Middle Ages for Spanish leather (goatskin tanned and dressed), and hence, any leather handsomely finished, colored, gilded, or the like. Buskins he wore of costliest cordwain. Spenser.
CORDWAINER Cord"wain*er (-r), n. Etym: [OE. cordwaner, cordiner, fr. OF. cordoanier, cordouanier, F. cordonnier.]
Defn: A worker in cordwain, or cordovan leather; a shoemaker. [Archaic.]
CORDY Cord"y (kôr"dy), a. [Compar. Cordier; superl. Cordiest.]
Defn: Of, or like, cord; having cords or cordlike parts.
CORE Core (kr), n. Etym: [F. corps. See Corps.]
Defn: A body of individuals; an assemblage. [Obs.] He was in a core of people. Bacon.
CORE Core, n. Etym: [Cf. Chore.] (Mining.)
Defn: A miner's underground working time or shift. Raymond.
Note: The twenty-four hours are divided into three or four cores.
CORE Core, n. Etym: [Heb. k: cf. Gr.
Defn: A Hebrew dry measure; a cor or homer. Num. xi. 32 (Douay version).
CORE Core, n. Etym: [OF. cor, coer, cuer, F. c, fr. L. cor heart. See Heart.]
1. The heart or inner part of a thing, as of a column, wall, rope, of a boil, etc.; especially, the central part of fruit, containing the kernels or seeds; as, the core of an apple or quince. A fever at the core, Fatal to him who bears, to all who ever bore. Byron.
2. The center or inner part, as of an open space; as, the core of a ssquare. [Obs.] Sir W. Raleigh.
3. The most important part of a thing; the essence; as, the core of a subject.
4. (Founding)
Defn: The prtion of a mold which shapes the interior of a cylinder, tube, or other hollow casting, or which makes a hole in or through a casting; a part of the mold, made separate from and inserted in it, for shaping some part of the casting, the form of which is not determined by that of the pattern.
5. A disorder of sheep occasioned by worms in the liver. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
6. (Anat.)
Defn: The bony process which forms the central axis of the horns in many animals. Core box (Founding), a box or mold, usually divisible, in which cores are molded. -- Core print (Founding), a projecting piece on a pattern which forms, in the mold, an impression for holding in place or steadying a core.
CORE Core, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cord (krd); p. pr. & vb. n. Coring.]
1. To take out the core or inward parts of; as, to core an apple. He's likee a corn upon my great toe . . . he must be cored out. Marston.
2. To form by means of a core, as a hole in a casting.
CO-REGENT Co-re"gent (k-r"jent), n.
Defn: A joint regent or ruler.
CO-RELATION Co`-re*la"tion (k`r-l"shn), n.
Defn: Corresponding relation.
CO-RELIGIONIST Co`-re*li"gion*ist (-lj"n-st), n.
Defn: One of the same religion with another.
CORE LOSS Core loss. (Elec.)
Defn: Energy wasted by hysteresis or eddy currents in the core of an armature, transformer, etc.
COREOPSIS Co`re*op"sis (k`r-p"ss), n. Etym: [NL., fr. GR. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of herbaceous composite plants, having the achenes two- horned and remotely resembling some insect; tickseed. C. tinctoria, of the Western plains, the commonest plant of the genus, has been used in dyeing.
COREPLASTY Cor"e*plas`ty (kor"e*plas`ty), n. [Gr. ko`rh pupil + -plasty.] (Med.)
Defn: A plastic operation on the pupil, as for forming an artificial pupil. -- Cor`e*plas"tic (-plas"tik), a.
CORER Cor"er (krr"rr), n.
Defn: That which cores; an instrument for coring fruit; as, an apple corer.
CO-RESPONDENT Co`-re*spond"ent (k`rr-spnd"ent), n. (Law)
Defn: One who is called upon to answer a summons or other proceeding jointly with another.
CORF Corf (krrf), n.; pl. Corves (k. Etym: [Cf.LG. & D. korf basket, G. korb, fr. L. corbis.]
1. A basket.
2. (Mining) (a) A large basket used in carrying or hoisting coal or ore. (b) A wooden frame, sled, or low-wheeled wagon, to convey coal or ore in the mines.
CORFIOTE; CORFUTE Cor"fi*ote (kr"f-t), Cor"fute (kr"ft), n.
Defn: A native or inhabitant of Corfu, an island in the Mediterranean Sea.
CORIACEOUS Co`ri*a"ceous (k`r-"shs), a. Etym: [L. coriaceous, fr. corium leather. See Cuirass.]
1. Consisting of or resembling, leather; leatherlike; tough.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Stiff, like leather or parchment.
CORIANDER Co`ri*an"der (k`r-n"dr), n Etym: [L. coriandrum, fr. Gr. coriandre.] (Bot.)
Defn: An umbelliferous plant, the Coriandrum sativum, the fruit or seeds of which have a strong smell and a spicy taste, and in medicine are considered as stomachic and carminative.
CORIDINE Co"ri*dine (k"r-dn; 104), n. Etym: [From L. cortium leather.]
Defn: A colorless or yellowish oil, C10H15N, of a leathery odor, occuring in coal tar, Dippel's oil, tobacco smoke, etc., regarded as an organic base, homologous with pyridine. Also, one of a series of metameric compounds of which coridine is a type. [Written also corindine.]
CORINDON Co*rin"don (k-rn"dn), n. (Min.)
Defn: See Corrundum.
CORINNE Co`rinne" (k`rn"), n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The common gazelle (Gazella dorcas). See Gazelle. [Written also korin.]
CORINTH Cor"inth (kr"nth), n. Etym: [L. Corinthus, Gr. Currant.]
1. A city of Greece, famed for its luxury and extravagance.
2. A small fruit; a currant. [Obs.] Broome.
CORINTHIAC Co*rin"thi*ac (k-rn"th-k), a. Etym: [L. Corinthiacus.]
Defn: Pertaining to Corinth.
CORINTHIAN Co*rin"thi*an (-an), a.
1. Of or relating to Corinth.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the Corinthian order of architecture, invented by the Greeks, but more commonly used by the Romans. This is the lightest and most ornamental of the three orders used by the Greeks. Parker.
3. Debauched in character or practice; impure. Milton.
4. Of or pertaining to an amateur sailor or yachtsman; as, a corinthian race (one in which the contesting yachts must be manned by amateurs.)
CORINTHIAN Co*rin"thi*an, n.
1. A native or inhabitant of Corinth.
2. A gay, licentious person. [Obs.]
CORIUM Co"ri*um (k"r-m), n. Etym: [L. corium leather.]
1. Armor made of leather, particularly that used by the Romans; used also by Enlish soldiers till the reign of Edward I. Fosbroke.
2. (Anat.) (a) Same as Dermis. (b) The deep layer of mucous membranes beneath the epithelium.
CORIVAL Co*ri"val (k-r"val), n.
Defn: A rival; a corrival.
CORIVAL Co*ri"val, v. t.
Defn: To rival; to pretend to equal. Shak.
CORIVALRY; CORIVALSHIP Co*ri"val*ry, Co*ri"val*ship, n.
Defn: Joint rivalry.
CORK Cork (krk), n. Etym: [Cf. G., Dan., & Sw. kork, D. kurk; all fr. Sp. corcho, fr. L. cortex, corticis, bark, rind. Cf. Cortex.]
1. The outer layer of the bark of the cork tree (Quercus Suber), of which stoppers for bottles and casks are made. See Cutose.
2. A stopper for a bottle or cask, cut out of cork.
3. A mass of tabular cells formed in any kind of bark, in greater or less abundance.
Note: Cork is sometimes used wrongly for calk, calker; calkin, a sharp piece of iron on the shoe of a horse or ox. Cork jackets, a jacket having thin pieces of cork inclosed within canvas, and used to aid in swimming. -- Cork tree (Bot.), the species of oak (Quercus Suber of Southern Europe) whose bark furnishes the cork of commerce.
CORK Cork, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Corked (krkt); p. pr. & vb. n. Corking.]
1. To stop with a cork, as a bottle.
2. To furnish or fit with cork; to raise on cork. Tread on corked stilts a prisoner's pace. Bp. Hall.
Note: To cork is sometimes used erroneously for to calk, to furnish the shoe of a horse or ox with sharp points, and also in the meaning of cutting with a calk.
CORKAGE Cork"age (-j), n.
Defn: The charge made by innkeepers for drawing the cork and taking care of bottles of wine bought elsewhere by a guest.
CORKED Corked (krkt), a.
Defn: having acquired an unpleasant taste from the cork; as, a bottle of wine is corked.
CORK FOSSIL Cork" fos`sil (krk" fs`sl). (Min.)
Defn: A variety of amianthus which is very light, like cork.
CORKINESS Cork"i*ness (--ns), n.
Defn: The quality of being corky.
CORKING PIN Cork"ing pin` (krk"ng pn`).
Defn: A pin of a large size, formerly used attaching a woman's headdress to a cork mold. [Obs.] Swift.
CORKSCREW Cork"screw` (-skr"), n.
Defn: An instrument with a screw or a steel spiral for drawing corks from bottles. Corkscrew starts, a spiral staircase around a solid newel.
CORKSCREW Cork"screw`, v. t.
Defn: To press forward in a winding way; as, to corksrew one's way through a crowd. [Colloq.] Dickens.
CORKWING Cork"wing` (-wng`), n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish; the goldsinny.
CORKWOOD Cork"wood` (kôrk"wood`), n.
1. The wood of the cork oak. [Obs.]
2. Any one of several trees or shrubs having light or corky wood; esp.: (a) In the United States, the tree Leitneria floridana. (b) In the West Indies: (1) Either of the cotton trees Ochroma lagopus and Pariti tiliaceum. (2)
Defn: The tree producing the aligator apple. (3)
Defn: The blolly.
CORKY Cork"y (-), a.
1. Consisting of, or like, cork; dry shriveled up. Bind fast hiss corky arms. Shak.
2. Tasting of cork.
CORM Corm (krm), n. Etym: [See Cormus.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: A solid bulb-shaped root, as of the crocus. See Bulb.
2. (Biol.)
Defn: Same as Cormus, 2.
CORMOGENY Cor*mog"e*ny (kr-mj"-n), n. Etym: [Gr. (Biol.)
Defn: The embryological history of groups or families of individuals.
CORMOPHYLOGENY Cor`mo*phy*log"e*ny (kr`m-f-lj"-n), n. Etym: [Gr. phylogeny.] (Biol.)
Defn: The phylogeny of groups or families of individuals. Haeckel.
CORMOPHYTES; CORMOPHYTA Cor"mo*phytes (kr"m-fts), Cor*moph"y*ta (kr-mf"-t), n. pl. Etym: [NL. cormophyta, fr. Gr. trunk of a tree + (Bot.)
Defn: A term proposed by Endlicher to include all plants with an axis containing vascular tissue and with foliage.
CORMORANT Cor`mo*rant (kr"m-rant), n. Etym: [F. cormoran, fr. Armor. m a sea raven; m sea + bran raven, with cor, equiv. to L. corvus raven, pleonastically prefixed; or perh. fr. L. corvus marinus sea raven.]
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Any species of Phalacrocorax, a genus of sea birds having a sac under the beak; the shag. Cormorants devour fish voraciously, and have become the emblem of gluttony. They are generally black, and hence are called sea ravens, and coalgeese. [Written also corvorant.]
2. A voracious eater; a glutton, or gluttonous servant. B. Jonson.
CORMORAUT Cor"mo*raut, a.
Defn: Ravenous; voracious. Cormorant, devouring time. Shak.
CORMUS Cor"mus (kr"ms), n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr.
1. (Bot.)
Defn: See Corm.
2. (Biol.)
Defn: A vegetable or animal made up of a number of individuals, such as, for example, would be formed by a process of budding from a parent stalk wherre the buds remain attached.
CORN Corn (krn), n. Etym: [L. cornu horn: cf. F. corne horn, hornlike excrescence. See Horn.]
Defn: A thickening of the epidermis at some point, esp. on the toees, by friction or pressure. It is usually painful and troublesome. Welkome, gentlemen! Ladies that have their toes Unplagued with corns, will have a bout with you. Shak.
Note: The substance of a corn usually resembles horn, but where moisture is present, as between the toes, it is white and sodden, and is called a soft corn.
CORN Corn, n. Etym: [AS. corn; akin to OS. korn, D. koren, G., Dan., Sw., & Icel. korn, Goth. ka, L. granum, Russ. zerno. Cf. Grain, Kernel.]
1. A single seed of certain plants, as wheat, rye, barley, and maize; a grain.
2. The various farinaceous grains of the cereal grasses used for food, as wheat, rye, barley, maize, oats.
Note: In Scotland, corn is generally restricted to oats, in the United States, to maize, or Indian corn, of which there are several kinds; as, yellow corn, which grows chiefly in the Northern States, and is yellow when ripe; white or southern corn, which grows to a great height, and has long white kernels; sweet corn, comprising a number of sweet and tender varieties, grown chiefly at the North, some of which have kernels that wrinkle when ripe and dry; pop corn, any small variety, used for popping.
3. The plants which produce corn, when growing in the field; the stalks and ears, or the stalks, ears, and seeds, after reaping and before thrashing. In one night, ere glimpse of morn, His shadowy flail had thrashed the corn. Milton.
4. A small, hard particle; a grain. "Corn of sand." Bp. Hall. "A corn of powder." Beau & Fl. Corn ball, a ball of popped corn stuck together with soft candy from molasses or sugar. -- Corn bread, bread made of Indian meal. -- Corn cake, a kind of corn bread; johnny cake; hoecake. -- Corn cockle (Bot.), a weed (Agrostemma or Lychnis Githago), having bright flowers, common in grain fields. -- Corn flag (Bot.), a plant of the genus Gladiolus; -- called also sword lily. -- Corn fly. (Zoöl.) (a) A small fly which, in the larval state, is injurious to grain, living in the stalk, and causing the disease called "gout," on account of the swelled joints. The common European species is Chlorops tæniopus. (b) A small fly (Anthomyia ze) whose larva or maggot destroys seed corn after it has been planted. -- Corn fritter, a fritter having green Indian corn mixed through its batter. [U. S.] -- Corn laws, laws regulating trade in corn, especially those in force in Great Britain till 1846, prohibiting the importation of foreign grain for home consumption, except when the price rose above a certain rate. -- Corn marigold. (Bot.) See under Marigold. -- Corn oyster, a fritter containing grated green Indian corn and butter, the combined taste resembling that of oysters. [U.S.] -- Corn parsley (Bot.), a plant of the parsley genus (Petroselinum ssegetum), a weed in parts of Europe and Asia. -- Corn popper, a utensil used in popping corn. -- Corn poppy (Bot.), the red poppy (Papaver Rhoeas), common in European cornfields; -- also called corn rose. -- Corn rent, rent paid in corn. -- Corn rose. See Corn poppy. -- Corn salad (Bot.), a name given to several species of Valerianella, annual herbs sometimes used for salad. V. olitoria is also called lamb's lettuce. -- Corn stone, red limestone. [Prov. Eng.] -- Corn violet (Bot.), a species of Campanula. -- Corn weevil. (Zoöl.) (a) A small weevil which causes great injury to grain. (b) In America, a weevil (Sphenophorus zeæ) which attacks the stalk of maize near the root, often doing great damage. See Grain weevil, under Weevil.
CORN Corn, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Corned (krnd); p. pr. & vb. n. Corning.]
1. To preserve and season with salt in grains; to sprinkle with salt; to cure by salting; now, specifically, to salt slightly in brine or otherwise; as, to corn beef; to corn a tongue.
2. To form into small grains; to granulate; as, to corn gunpowder.
3. To feed with corn or (in Sctland) oats; as, to corn horses. Jamieson.
4. To render intoxicated; as, ale strong enough to corn one. [Colloq.] Corning house, a house or place where powder is corned or granulated.
CORNAGE Cor"nage (kr"nj), n. Etym: [OF.,, horn-blowing, tax on horned cattle, fr. F. corne a horn, L. cornu.] (Law)
Defn: Anancient tenure of land, which obliged the tenant to give notice of an invasion by blowing a horn.
CORNAMUTE Cor"na*mute (kr"n-mt), n.
Defn: A cornemuse. [Obs.]
CORNBIND Corn"bind` (krn"bnd`), n. (Bot.)
Defn: A weed that binds stalks of corn, as Convolvulus arvensis, Polygonum Convolvulus. [Prov. Eng.]
CORNCOB Corn"cob` (krn"kb`), n.
Defn: The cob or axis on which the kernels of Indian corn grow. [U.S.]
CORNCRAKE Corn"crake` (-krk`), n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A bird (Crex crex or C. pratensis) which frequents grain fields; the European crake or land rail; -- called also corn bird.
CORNCRIB Corn"crib` (krn"krb`), n.
Defn: A crib for storing corn.
CORNCUTTER Corn"cut`ter (-kt`tr), n.
1. A machine for cutting up stalks of corn for food of cattle.
2. An implement consisting of a long blade, attached to a handle at nearly a right angle, used for cutting down the stalks of Indian corn.
CORNDODGER Corn"dodg`er (-dj`r), n.
Defn: A cake made of the meal of Indian corn, wrapped in a covering of husks or paper, and baked under the embers. [U.S.] Bartlett.
CORNEA Cor"ne*a (kr"n-), n.; pl. Corneas (-. Etym: [Fem. sing., fr. L. corneus horny, fr. cornu a horn. See Horn.] (Anat.)
Defn: The transparent part of the coat of the eyeball which covers the iris and pupil and admits light to the interior. See Eye.
CORNEAL Cor"ne*al (-al), a. (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining to the cornea.
CORNEL Cor"nel (-nl), n. Etym: [OF. cornille, cornoille, F. cornouille, cornel berry, LL. cornolium cornel tree, fr. L. cornus, fr. cornu horn, in allusion to the hardness of the wood. See Horn.]
1. (Bot.)
Defn: The cornelian cherry (Cornus Mas), a European shrub with clusters of small, greenish flowers, followed by very acid but edible drupes resembling cherries.
2. Any species of the genus Cornus, as C. florida, the flowering cornel; C. stolonifera, the osier cornel; C. Canadensis, the dwarf cornel, or bunchberry.
CORNELIAN Cor*nel"ian (kr-nlyan), n. Etym: [F. cornaline, OF. corneline, fr. L. cornu horn. So called from its horny appearance when broken. See Horn, and cf. Carnelian.] (Min.)
Defn: Same as Carnelian.
CORNEMUSE Corne"muse (krn"mz), n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A wind instrument nearly identical with the bagpipe. Drayton.
CORNEOCALCAREOUS Cor"ne*o*cal*ca"re*ous (krn--kl-k"r-s), a.
1. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Formed of a mixture of horny and calcareous materials, as some shells and corals.
2. Horny on one side and calcareous on the other.
CORNEOUS Cor"ne*ous, a. Etym: [L. corneus, fr. cornu horn.]
Defn: Of a texture resembling horn; horny; hard. Sir T. Browne.
CORNER Cor"ner (kr"nr), n. Etym: [OF. corniere, cornier, LL. cornerium, corneria, fr. L. cornu horn, end, point. See Horn.]
1. The point where two converging lines meet; an angle, either external or internal.
2. The space in the angle between converging lines or walls which meet in a point; as, the chimney corner.
3. An edge or extremity; the part farthest from the center; hence, any quarter or part. From the four corners of the earth they come. Shak.
4. A secret or secluded place; a remote or out of the way place; a nook. This thing was not done in a corner. Acts xxvi. 26.
5. Direction; quarter. Sits the wind in that corner! Shak.
6. The state of things produced by a combination of persons, who buy up the whole or the available part of any stock or species of property, which compels those who need such stock or property to buy of them at their own price; as, a corner in a railway stock. [Broker's Cant] Corner stone, the stone which lies at the corner of two walls, and unites them; the principal stone; especially, the stone which forms the corner of the foundation of an edifice; hence, that which is fundamental importance or indispensable. "A prince who regarded uniformity of faith as the corner stone of his government." Prescott. -- Corner tooth, one of the four teeth which come in a horse's mouth at the age of four years and a half, one on each side of the upper and of the lower jaw, between the middle teeth and the tushes.
CORNER Cor"ner, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cornered (-nrd);p. pr. & vb. n. Cornering.]
1. To drive into a corner.
2. To drive into a position of great difficaulty or hopeless embarrassment; as, to corner a person in argument.
3. To get command of (a stock, commodity, etc.), so as to be able to put one's own price on it; as, to corner the shares of a railroad stock; to corner petroleum.
CORNERCAP Cor"ner*cap` (-kp`), n.
Defn: The chief ornament. [Obs.] Thou makest the triumviry the cornercap of society. Shak.
CORNERED Cor"nered (-nrd), p. a.
Defn: 1 Having corners or angles.
2. In a possition of great difficulty; brought to bay.
CORNERWISE Cor"ner*wise` (-wz`), adv.
Defn: With the corner in front; diagonally; not square.
CORNET Cor"net (kr"nt), n. Etym: [F. cornet, m. (for senses 1 & 2), cornette, f. & m. (for senses 3 & 4), dim. of corne horn, L. cornu. See Horn.]
1. (Mus.) (a) An obsolete rude reed instrument (Ger. Zinken), of the oboe family. (b) A brass instrument, with cupped mouthpiece, and furnished with valves or pistons, now used in bands, and, in place of the trumpet, in orchestras. See Cornet-à-piston. (c) A certain organ stop or register.
2. A cap of paper twisted at the end, used by retailers to inclose small wares. Cotgrave.
3. (Mil.) (a) A troop of cavalry; -- so called from its being accompanied by a cornet player. [Obs.] "A body of five cornets of horse." Clarendon. (b) The standard of such a troop. [Obs.] (c) The lowest grade of commissioned officer in a British cavalry troop, who carried the standard. The office was abolished in 1871.
4. A headdress: (a) A square cap anciently worn as a mark of certain professions. (b) A part of a woman's headdress, in the 16th century.
5. Etym: [Cf. Coronet.] (Far.)
Defn: See Coronet, 2.
CORNET-A-PISTON Cor"net-à-pis`ton (kr"nt--ps"tn; F. kr`n`ps`tn"), n.; pl. Cornets-à- piston. Etym: [F.] (Mus.)
Defn: A brass wind instrument, like the trumpet, furnished with valves moved by small pistons or sliding rods; a cornopean; a cornet.
CORNETCY Cor"net*cy (kr"nt-s), n.
Defn: The commission or rank of a cornet.
CORNETER Cor"net*er (kr"nt-r), n.
Defn: One who blows a cornet.
CORNEULE Cor"neule (kr"nl), n. Etym: [F., dim. of corn the cornea.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the corneas of a compound eye in the invertebrates. Carpenter.
CORNFIELD Corn"field` (krn"fld`), n.
Defn: A field where corn is or has been growing; -- in England, a field of wheat, rye, barley, or oats; in America, a field of Indian corn.
CORNFLOOR Corn"floor` (-flr`), n.
Defn: A thrashing floor. Hos. ix. 1.
CORNFLOWER Corn"flow`er (-flou`r), n. (Bot.)
Defn: A conspicuous wild flower (Centaurea Cyanus), growing in grainfields.
CORNIC Cor"nic (kr"nk), a.
Defn: Pertaining to, derived from, or resembling, the dogwood (Cornus florida).
CORNICE Cor"nice (kr"ns), n. Etym: [F. corniche, It. cornice, LL. coronix, cornix, fr. L. coronis a curved line, a flourish with the pen at the end of a book or chapter, Gr. corona crown. sEE Crown, and cf. Coronis.] (Arch.)
Defn: Any horizontal, molded or otherwise decorated projection which crowns or finishes the part to which it is affixed; as, the cornice of an order, pedestal, door, window, or house. Gwilt. Cornice ring, the ring on a cannon next behind the muzzle ring.
CORNICED Cor"niced (kr"nst), a.
Defn: Having a cornice.
CORNICLE Cor"ni*cle (kr"n-k'l), n. Etym: [L. corniculum, dim. of cornu horn.]
Defn: A little horn. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
CORNICULAR Cor*nic"u*lar (-lr), n. Etym: [L. cornicularius.]
Defn: A secretary or clerk. [Obs.] Chaucer.
CORNICULATE Cor/nic"u*late (kr-nk"-lt), a. Etym: [L. corniculatus.]
1. Horned; having horns. Dr. H. More.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Having processes resembling small horns.
CORNICULUM Cor*nic"u*lum (kr-nk"-lm), n.; pl. Cornicula (-l. Etym: [L. corniculum little horn.] (Anat.)
Defn: A small hornlike part or process.
CORNIFEROUS Cor*nif"er*ous (kr-nf"r-s), a. Etym: [L. cornu horn + -ferous.] (Geol.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the lowest period of the Devonian age.(See the Diagram, under Geology.) The Corniferous period has been so called from the numerous seams of hornstone which characterize the later part of the period, as developed in the State of New York.
CORNIFIC Cor*nif"ic (kr-nf"k), a. Etym: [L. cornu horn + facere to make.]
Defn: Producing horns; forming horn.
CORNIFICATION Cor`ni*fi*ca"tion (kr`n-f-k"shn), n.
Defn: Conversion into, or formation of, horn; a becoming like horn.
CORNIFIED Cor"ni*fied (kr"n-fd), a. Etym: [L. cornu horn + -fy.] (Anat.)
Defn: Converted into horn; horny.
CORNIFORM Cor"ni*form (-frm), a. Etym: [L. cornu horn + -form.]
Defn: Having the shape of a horn; horn-shaped.
CORNIGEROUS Cor*nig"er*ous (kr-nj"r-s), a. Etym: [L. corniger; cornu horn + gerere to bear.]
Defn: Horned; having horns; as, cornigerous animals. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
CORNIN Cor"nin (kr"nn), n. (Chem.) (a) A bitter principle obtained from dogwood (Cornus florida), as a white crystalline substance; -- called also cornic acid. (b) An extract from dogwood used as a febrifuge.
CORNIPLUME Cor"ni*plume (kr"n-plm), n. Etym: [L. cornu horn + pluma feather.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A hornlike tuft of feathers on the head of some birds.
CORNISH Cor"nish (kr"nsh), a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to Cornwall, in England. Cornish chough. See Chough. -- Cornish engine, a single-acting pumping engine, used in mines, in Cornwall and elsewhere, and for water works. A heavy pump rod or plunger, raised by the steam, forces up the water by its weight, in descending.
CORNISH Cor"nish, n.
Defn: The dialect, or the people, of Cornwall.
CORNIST Cor"nist, n.
Defn: A performer on the cornet or horn.
CORNLOFT Corn"loft` (krn"lft`), n.
Defn: A loft for corn; a granary.
CORNMUSE Corn"muse (-mz), n.
Defn: A cornemuse.
CORNO DI BASSETTO Cor"no di bas*set"to (kr"n d bs-st"t or bs-st"t); pl. Corni (-n di basseto. Etym: [It.] (Mus.)
Defn: A tenor clarinet; -- called also basset horn, and sometimes confounded with the English horn, which is a tenor oboe.
CORNO INGLESE Cor"no In*gle"se (n-gl"z); pl. Corni Inglesi (-z. Etym: [It.] (Mus.)
Defn: A reed instrument, related to the oboe, but deeper in pitch; the English horn.
CORNOPEAN Cor*no"pe*an (kr-n"p-an), n. (Mus.)
Defn: An obsolete name for the cornet-à-piston.
CORNSHELLER Corn"shell`er (krn"shl`r), n.
Defn: A machine that separates the kernels of corn from the cob.
CORNSHUCK Corn"shuck` (-shk`), n.
Defn: The husk covering an ear of Indian corn. [Colloq. U.S.]
CORNSTALK Corn"stalk` (-stk`), n.
Defn: A stalk of Indian corn.
CORNSTARCH Corn"starch` (-strch`), n.
Defn: Starch made from Indian corn, esp. a fine white flour used for puddings, etc.
CORNU Cor"nu (kr"n), n; pl. Cornua (-n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: A horn, or anything shaped like or resembling a horn.
CORNU AMMONIS Cor"nu Am*mo"nis (m-m"ns); pl. Cornua Ammonis. Etym: [L., horn of Ammon. See Ammonite.] (Paleon.)
Defn: A fossil shell, curved like a ram's horn; an obsolete name for an ammonite.
CORNUCOPIA Cor`nu*co"pi*a (kr`n-k"p-), n.; pl. Cornucopias (-. Etym: [L. cornu copiae horn of plenty. See Horn, and Copious.]
1. The horn of plenty, from which fruits and flowers are represented as issuing. It is an emblem of abundance.
2. pl. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of grasses bearing spikes of flowers resembling the cornucopia in form.
Note: Some writers maintain that this word should be written, in the singular, cornu copiæ, and in the plural, cornua copiæ.
CORNUTE; CORNUTED Cor"nute (kr"nt or kr-nt"), Cor*nut"ed (kr-n"td), a. Etym: [L. cornutus horned, from cornu horn.]
1. Bearing horns; horned; horn-shaped.
2. Cuckolded. [R.] "My being cornuted." LEstrange.
CORNUTE Cor*nute" (kr-nt"), v. t.
Defn: To bestow horns upon; to make a cuckold of; to cuckold. [Obs.] Burton.
CORNUTO Cor*nu"to (kr-n"t), n. Etym: [It., fr. L. cornutus horned.]
Defn: A man that wears the horns; a cuckold. [R.] Shak.
CORNUTOR Cor*nu"tor (-tr), n.
Defn: A cuckold maker. [R.] Jordan.
CORNY Cor"ny (kr"n), a. Etym: [L. cornu horn.]
Defn: Strong, stiff, or hard, like a horn; resembling horn. Up stood the cornu reed. Milton.
CORNY Corn"y, a.
1. Producing corn or grain; furnished with grains of corn. [R.] "The corny ear." Prior.
2. Containing corn; tasting well of malt. [R.] A draught of moist and corny ale. Chaucer.
3. Tipsy. [Vulgar, Eng.] Forby.
COROCORE Cor"o*core (kr"-kr), n.
Defn: A kind of boat of various forms, used in the Indian Archipelago.
CORODY Cor"o*dy (kr"-d), n. Etym: [LL. corrodium, corredium, conredium, furniture, provision: cf. OF. conroi. See Curry.] (Old Law)
Defn: An allowance of meat, drink, or clothing due from an abbey or other religious house for the sustenance of such of the king's servants as he may designate to receive it. [Written also corrody.]
COROL Cor"ol (kr"l), n. (Bot.)
Defn: A corolla.
COROLLA Co*rol"la (k-rl"l), n. Etym: [L. corolla a little crown or garland, dim. of corona. See Crown.] (Bot.)
Defn: The inner envelope of a flower; the part which surrounds the organs of fructification, consisting of one or more leaves, called petals. It is usually distinguished from the calyx by the fineness of its texture and the gayness of its colors. See the Note under Blossom.
COROLLACEOUS Cor`ol*la"ceous (kr`l-l"shs), a.
Defn: Pertaining to, or resembling, a corolla; having the form or texture of a corolla.
COROLLARY Cor"ol*la*ry (kr"l-l-r; 277), n.; pl. Corollaries (-r. Etym: [L. corollarium gift, corollary, fr. corolla. See Corolla.]
1. That which is given beyond what is actually due, as a garland of flowers in addition to wages; surplus; something added or superfluous. [Obs.] Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary, Rather than want a spirit. Shak.
2. Something which follows from the demonstration of a proposition; an additional inference or deduction from a demonstrated proposition; a consequence.
COROLLATE; COROLLATED Cor"ol*late (kr"l-lt), Cor"ol*la`ted (-l`td), a.
Defn: Having a corolla or corollas; like a corolla.
COROLLET Cor"ol*let (kr"l-lt), n. Etym: [Dim. fr. corolla.] (Bot.)
Defn: A floret in an aggregate flower. [Obs.] Martyn.
COROLLIFLORAL; COROLLIFLOROUS Co*rol`li*flo"ral (k-rl`l-fl"ral), Co*rol`li*flo"rous (-fl"rs), a. Etym: [Corolla + L. flos, floris, flower.] (Bot.)
Defn: Having the stamens borne on the petals, and the latter free from the calyx. Compare Calycifloral and Thalamifloral.
COROLLINE Cor"ol*line (-ln), a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a corolla.
COROMANDEL Cor`o*man"del (kr`-mn"del), n. (Geol.)
Defn: The west coast, or a portion of the west coast, of the Bay of Bengal. Coromandel gooseberry. See Carambola. -- Coromandel wood, Calamander wood.
CORONA Co*ro"na (k-r"n), n.; pl. L. Coronæ (-nCoronas (-n. Etym: [L. corona crown. See Crown.]
1. A crown or garland bestowed among the Romans as a reward for distinguished services.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: The projecting part of a Classic cornice, the under side of which is cut with a recess or channel so as to form a drip. See Illust. of Column.
3. (Anat.)
Defn: The upper surface of some part, as of a tooth or the skull; a crown.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The shelly skeleton of a sea urchin.
5. (Astrol.)
Defn: A peculiar luminous apearance, or aureola, which surrounds the sun, and which is seen only when the sun is totally eclipsed by the moon.
6. (Bot.) (a) An inner appendage to a petal or a corolla, often forming a special cup, as in the daffodil and jonquil. (b) Any crownlike appendage at the top of an organ.
7. (Meteorol.) (a) A circle, usually colored, seen in peculiar states of the atmosphere around and close to a luminous body, as the sun or moon. (b) A peculiar phase of the aurora borealis, formed by the concentration or convergence of luminous beams around the point in the heavens indicated by the direction of the dipping needle.
8. A crown or circlet suspended from the roof or vaulting of churches, to hold tapers lighted on solemn occasions. It is sometimes formed of double or triple circlets, arranged pyramidically. Called also corona lucis. Fairholt.
9. (Mus.)
Defn: A character [] called the pause or hold.
CORONACH Cor"o*nach (kr"-nk), n.
Defn: See Coranach.
CORONAL Cor"o*nal (kr"-nal or, esp. in science, k-r"nal; 277), a. Etym: [L. coronalis: cf. F. coronal.]
1. Of or pertaining to a corona (in any of the senses). The coronal light during the eclipse is faint. Abney.
2. Of or pertaining to a king's crown, or coronation. The law and his coronal oath require his undeniable assent to what laws the Parliament agree upon. Milton.
3. Of or pertaining to the top of the head or skull.
4. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Of or pertaining to the shell of a sea urchin. Coronal suture (Anat.), a suture extending across the skull between the parietal and frontal bones; the frontoparietal suture.
CORONAL Cor"o*nal, n.
1. A crown; wreath; garland. Spenser.
2. The frontal bone, over which the ancients wore their coronæ or garlands. Hooper.
CORONAMEN Cor`o*na"men (kr`-n"mn), n. Etym: [L., a crowning.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: The upper margin of a hoof; a coronet.
CORONARY Cor"o*na*ry (kr"-n-r), a. Etym: [L. coronarius: cf. F. coronaire.]
1. Of or pertaining to a crown; ferming, or adapted to form, a crown or garland. "Coronary thorns." Bp. Pearson. The catalogue of coronary plants is not large in Theophrastus. Sir T. Browne.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: Resembling, or situated like, a crown or circlet; as, the coronary arteries and veins of the heart.
CORONARY Cor"o*na*ry, n.
Defn: A small bone in the foot of a horse.
CORONARY BONE Cor"o*na*ry bone.
Defn: The small pastern bone of the horse and allied animals.
CORONARY CUSHION Coronary cushion.
Defn: A cushionlike band of vascular tissue at the upper border of the wall of the hoof of the horse and allied animals. It takes an important part in the secretion of the horny walls.
CORONATE; CORONATED Cor"o*nate (kr"-nt), Cor"o*na`ted (-n`ted), a. Etym: [L. coronatus, p. p. of coronare to crown, fr. corona. See Crown.]
1. Having or wearing a crown.
2. (Zoöl.) (a) Having the coronal feathers lengthened or otherwise distinguished; -- said of birds. (b) Girt about the spire with a row of tubercles or spines; -- said of spiral shells.
3. (Biol.)
Defn: Having a crest or a crownlike appendage.
CORONATION Cor`o*na"tion (kr`-n"shn), n. Etym: [See Coronate.]
1. The act or solemnity of crowning a sovereign; the act of investing a prince with the insignia of royalty, on his succeeding to the sovereignty.
2. The pomp or assembly at a coronation. Pope.
CORONEL Coro"nel (kr"nel), n. Etym: [See Colonel.]
Defn: A colonel. [Obs.] Spenser.
CORONEL Cor"o*nel (kr"-nl or kr"nl), n. Etym: [Cf. Cronel, Crown.] (Anc. Armor)
Defn: The iron head of a tilting spear, divided into two, three, or four blunt points. [Written also cronel.] Grose.
CORONER Cor"o*ner (kr"-nr), n. Etym: [From OE. coronen to crown, OF. coroner, fr. L. coronare, fr. corona crown. Formed as a translation of LL. coronator coroner, fr. L. corona crown, the coroner having been originally a prosecuting officer of the crown. See Crown.]
Defn: An officer of the peace whose principal duty is to inquire, with the help of a jury, into the cause of any violent, sudden or mysterious death, or death in prison, usually on sight of the body and at the place where the death occurred. [In England formerly also written and pronounced crowner.]
Note: In some of the United States the office of coroner is abolished, that of medical examiner taking its place. Coroner's inquest. See under Inquest.
CORONET Cor"o*net (kr"-nt), n. Etym: [Dim. of OE. corone crown; cf. OF. coronete. See Crown, and cf. Crownet, Cronet.]
1. An ornamental or honorary headdress, having the shape and character of a crown; particularly, a crown worn as the mark of high rank lower than sovereignty. The word is used by Shakespeare to denote also a kingly crown. Without a star, a coronet, or garter. Goldsmith.
Note: The coronet of the Prince of Wales consist of a circlet of gold with four crosses pattée around the edge between as many fleurs-de- lis. The center crosses are connected by an arch which is surmounted by a globe or cross. The coronet of a British duke is adorned with strawberry leaves; that of a marquis has leaves with pearls interposed; that of an earl raises the pearls above the leaves; that of a viscount is surrounded with pearls only; that of a baron has only four pearls.
2. (Far.)
Defn: The upper part of a horse's hoof, where the horn terminates in skin. James White.
3. (Anc. Armor)
Defn: The iron head of a tilting spear; a coronel. Crose.
CORONETED Cor"o*net*ed (-nt-d), a.
Defn: Wearing, or entitled to wear, a coronet; of noble birth or rank.
CORONIFORM Co*ron"i*form (k-rn"-frm or k-r"n-), a. Etym: [L. corona crown + - form.]
Defn: Having the form of a crown or coronet; resembling a crown.
CORONILLA Cor`o*nil"la (kr`-nl"l), n. Etym: [NL., fr. L. corona crown: cf. F. coronille.] (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of plants related to the clover, having their flowers arranged in little heads or tufts resembling coronets.
CORONIS Co*ro"nis (k-r"ns), n. Etym: [Gr. Cornice.]
1. In Greek grammar, a sign ['] sometimes placed over a contracted syllable. W. W. Goodwin.
2. The curved line or flourish at the end of a book or chapter; hence, the end. [R.] Bp. Hacket.
CORONIUM Co*ro"ni*um, n. [NL. See Corona.] (Chem. & Astron.)
Defn: The principal gaseous substance forming the solar corona, characterized by a green line in the coronal spectrum.
CORONOID Cor"o*noid (kr"-noid), a. Etym: [Gr. -oid: cf. F. corono.] (Anat.)
Defn: Resembling the beak of a crow; as, the coronoid process of the jaw, or of the ulna.
CORONULE Cor"o*nule (kr"-nl), n. Etym: [L. coronula, dim. of corona crown.] (Bot.)
Defn: A coronet or little crown of a seed; the downy tuft on seeds. See Pappus. Martyn.
COROUN Co*roun" (k-roun"), v. & n.
Defn: Crown. [Obs.] Chaucer.
COROZO; COROSSO Co*ro"zo Co*ros"so (k-r"th or -s), n. Etym: [Cf. Sp. cerozo a kind of palm tree.]
Defn: The name in Central America for the seed of a true palm; also, a commercial name for the true ivory nut. See Ivory nut.
CORPORACE Cor"po*race (kr"p-rs), n.
Defn: See Corporas.
CORPORAL Cor"po*ral (kr"p-ral), n. Etym: [Corrupted fr. F. caporal, It. caporale, fr. capo head, chief, L. caput. See Chief, and cf. Caporal.] (Mil.)
Defn: A noncommissioned officer, next below a sergeant. In the United States army he is the lowest noncomissioned officer in a company of infantry. He places and relieves sentinels. Corporal's guard, a detachment such as would be in charge of a corporal for guard duty, etc.; hence, derisively, a very small number of persons. -- Lance corporal, an assistant corporal on private's pay. Farrow. -- Ship's corporal (Naut.), a petty officer who assists the master at arms in his various duties.
CORPORAL Cor"po*ral, a. Etym: [L. corporalis, fr. corpus body. See Corpse.]
1. Belonging or relating to the body; bodily. "Past corporal toil." Shak. Pillories and other corporal infections. Milton. Corporal punishment (law), punishment applied to the body of the offender, including the death penalty, whipping, and imprisonment.
2. Having a body or substance; not spiritual; material. In this sense now usually written corporeal. Milton. A corporal heaven . . . .where the stare are. Latimer. What seemed corporal melted As breath into the wind. Shak.
Syn. -- Corporal, Bodily, Corporeal. Bodily is opposed to mental; as, bodily affections. Corporeal refers to the whole physical structure or nature, of the body; as, corporeal substance or frame. Corporal, as now used, refers more to punishment or some infliction; as, corporal punishment. To speak of corporeal punishment is an error. Bodily austerities; the corporeal mold.
CORPORAL; CORPORALE Cor"po*ral (kr"p-ral), Cor`po*ra"le (-r"l), n. Etym: [LL. corporale: cf.F. corporal. See Corporal,a.]
Defn: A fine linen cloth, on which the sacred elements are consecrated in the eucharist, or with which they are covered; a communion cloth. Corporal oath, a solemn oath; -- so called from the fact that it was the ancient usage for the party taking it to touch the corporal, or cloth that covered the consecrated elements.
CORPORALITY Cor`po*ral"i*ty (kr`p-rl"l-t), n.: pl. Corporalities (-t. Etym: [L. corporalitas: cf. F.corporalit.]
1. The state of being or having a body; bodily existence; corporeality; -- opposed to spirituality. Dr. H. More.
2. A confraternity; a guild. [Obs.] Milton.
CORPORALLY Cor"po*ral*ly (kr"p-ral-ly), adv.
Defn: In or with the body; bodily; as, to be corporally present. Sharp.
CORPORALSHIP Cor"po*ral*ship, n. (Mil.)
Defn: A corporal's office.
CORPORAS Cor"po*ras (kr"p-rs), n. Etym: [Prop. pl. of corporal.]
Defn: The corporal, or communion cloth. [Obs.] Fuller.
CORPORATE Cor"po*rate (kr"p-rt), a. Etym: [L. corporatus, p. p. of corporare to shape into a body, fr. corpus body. See Corpse.]
1. Formed into a body by legal enactment; united in an association, and endowed by law with the rights and liabilities of an individual; incorporated; as, a corporate town.
2. Belonging to a corporation or incorporated body. "Corporate property." Hallam.
3. United; general; collectively one. They answer in a joint and corporate voice. Shak. Corporate member, an actual or voting member of a corporation, as distinguished from an associate or an honorary member; as, a corporate member of the American Board.
CORPORATE Cor"po*rate (-rt), v. t.
Defn: To incorporate. [Obs.] Stow.
CORPORATE Cor"po*rate, v. i.
Defn: To become incorporated. [Obs.]
CORPORATELY Cor"po*rate*ly (-rt-l), adv.
1. In a corporate capacity; acting as a coprporate body.
2. In, or as regarda, the body. Fabyan.
CORPORATION Cor`po*ra"tion (kr`p-r"shn), n. Etym: [L. corporatio incarnation: cf. F. corporation corporation.]
Defn: A body politic or corporate, formed and authorized by law to act as a single person, and endowed by law with the capacity of succession; a society having the capacity of transacting business as an individual.
Note: Corporations are aggregate or sole. Corporations aggregate consist of two or more persons united in a society, which is preserved by a succession of members, either forever or till the corporation is dissolved by the power that formed it, by the death of all its members, by surrender of its charter or franchises, or by forfeiture. Such corporations are the mayor and aldermen of cities, the head and fellows of a college, the dean and chapter of a cathedral church, the stockholders of a bank or insurance company, etc. A corporation sole consists of a single person, who is made a body corporate and politic, in order to give him some legal capacities, and especially that of succession, which as a natural person he can not have. Kings, bishops, deans, parsons, and vicars, are in England sole corporations. A fee will not pass to a corporation sole without the word "successors" in the grant. There are instances in the United States of a minister of a parish seized of parsonage lands in the right of his parish, being a corporation sole, as in Massachusetts. Corporations are sometimes classified as public and private; public being convertible with municipal, and private corporations being all corporations not municipal. Close corporation. See under Close.
CORPORATOR Cor"po*ra`tor (kr"p-r`tr), n.
Defn: A member of a corporation, esp. one of the original members.
CORPORATURE Cor"po*ra*ture (kr"p-r-tr), n.
Defn: The state of being embodied; bodily existence. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
CORPOREAL Cor*po"re*al (kr-p"r-al), a. Etym: [L. corporeus, fr. corpus body.]
Defn: Having a body; consisting of, or pertaining to, a material body or substance; material; -- opposed to spiritual or immaterial. His omnipotence That to corporeal substance could add Speed almost spiritual. Milton. Corporeal property, such as may be seen and handled (as opposed to incorporeal, which can not be seen or handled, and exists only in contemplation). Mozley & W.
Syn. -- Corporal; bodily. See Corporal.
CORPOREALISM Cor*po"re*al*ism (-z'm), n.
Defn: Materialism. Cudworth.
CORPOREALIST Cor*po"re*al*ist (kr-p"r-al-st), n.
Defn: One who denies the reality of spiritual existences; a materialist. Some corporealists pretended . . . to make a world without a God. Bp. Berkeley.
CORPOREALITY Cor*po`re*al"i*ty (-l"-t), n.: pl. Corporealities (-t.
Defn: The state of being corporeal; corporeal existence.
CORPOREALLY Cor*po"re*al*ly (kr-p"r-al-l), adv.
Defn: In the body; in a bodily form or manner.
CORPOREALNESS Cor*po"re*al*ness (-ns), n.
Defn: Corporeality; corporeity.
CORPOREITY Cor`po*re"i*ty (kr`p-r"-t), n. Etym: [LL. corporeitas: cf. F. corpor.]
Defn: The state of having a body; the state of being corporeal; materiality. The one attributed corporeity to God. Bp. Stillingfleet. Those who deny light to be matter, do not therefore deny its corporeity. Coleridge.
CORPORIFY Cor*por"i*fy (kr-pr"-f), v. t. Etym: [L. corpus body + -fy: cf. F. corporifier.]
Defn: To embody; to form into a body. [Obs.] Boyle.
CORPOSANT Cor"po*sant (kr"p-znt), n. Etym: [It. corpo santo holy body.]
Defn: St. Elmo's fire. See under Saint.
CORPS Corps (kr, pl. krz), n. sing. & pl. Etym: [F., fr. L. corpus body. See Corpse.]
1. The human body, whether living or dead. [Obs.] See Corpse, 1. By what craft in my corps, it cometh [commences] and where. Piers Plowman.
2. A body of men; esp., an organized division of the military establishment; as, the marine corps; the corps of topographical engineers; specifically, an army corps. A corps operating with an army should consist of three divisions of the line, a brigade of artillery, and a regiment of cavalry. Gen. Upton (U. S. Tactics. )
3. A body or code of laws. [Obs.] The whole corps of the law. Bacon.
4. (Eccl.)
Defn: The land with which a prebend or other ecclesiastical office is endowed. [Obs.] The prebendaries over and above their reserved rents have a corps. Bacon. Army corps, or (French) Corps d'armée (k, a body containing two or more divisions of a large army, organized as a complete army in itself. -- Corps de logis (ke l Etym: [F., body of the house], the principal mass of a building, considered apart from its wings. -- Corps diplomatique (k Etym: [F., diplomatic body], the body of ministers or envoys accredited to a government.
CORPSE Corpse (krps), n. Etym: [OF. cors (sometimes written corps), F. corps, L. corpus; akin to AS. hrif womb. See Midriff, and cf. Corse, Corselet, Corps, Cuerpo.]
1. A human body in general, whether living or dead; -- sometimes contemptuosly. [Obs.]
Note: Formerly written (after the French form) corps. See Corps, n., 1.
2. The dead body of a human being; -- used also Fig. He touched the dead corpse of Public Credit, and it sprung upon its feet. D. Webster. Corpse candle. (a) A thick candle formerly used at a lich wake, or the customary watching with a corpse on the night before its interment. (b) A luminous appearance, resembling the flame of a candle, sometimes seen in churchyards and other damp places, superstitiously regarded as portending death. -- Corpse gate, the gate of a burial place through which the dead are carried, often having a covered porch; -- called also lich gate.
CORPULENCE; CORPULENCY Cor"pu*lence (kr"p-lens), Cor"pu*len*cy (kr"p-len-s), n. Etym: [L. corpulentia: cf. F. corpulence.]
1. Excessive fatness; fleshiness; obesity.
2. Thickness; density; compactness. [Obs.] The heaviness and corpulency of water requiring a great force to divide it. Ray.
CORPULENT Cor"pu*lent (-p-lent), a. Etym: [L. corpulentus, fr. corpus: cf. F. corpulent. See Corpse.]
1. Very fat; obese.
2. Solid; gross; opaque. [Obs.] Holland.
Syn. -- Stout; fleshy; bulky; obese. See Stout.
CORPULENTLY Cor"pu*lent*ly, adv.
Defn: In a corpulent manner.
CORPUS Cor"pus (-ps), n.; pl. Corpora (-p. Etym: [L.]
Defn: A body, living or dead; the corporeal substance of a thing. Corpus callosum (k; pl. Corpora callosa (-s Etym: [NL., callous body] (Anat.), the great band of commissural fibers uniting the cerebral hemispheries. See Brain. -- Corpus Christi (kr Etym: [L., body of Christ] (R. C. Ch.), a festival in honor of the eucharist, observed on the Thursday after Trinity Sunday. -- Corpus Christi cloth. Same as Pyx cloth, under Pyx. -- Corpus delicti (d Etym: [L., the body of the crime] (Law), the substantial and fundamental fact of the comission of a crime; the proofs essential to establish a crime. -- Corpus luteum (l; pl. Corpora lutea (-. Etym: [NL., luteous body] (Anat.), the reddish yellow mass which fills a ruptured Grafian follicle in the mammalian ovary. -- Corpus striatum (str; pl. Corpora striata (-t. Etym: [NL., striate body] (Anat.), a ridge in the wall of each lateral ventricle of the brain.
CORPUSCLE Cor"pus*cle (-ps-s'l), n. Etym: [L. corpusculum, dim. of corpus.]
1. A minute particle; an atom; a molecule.
2. (Anat.)
Defn: A protoplasmic animal cell; esp., such as float free, like blood, lymph, and pus corpuscles; or such as are imbedded in an intercellular matrix, like connective tissue and cartilage corpuscles. See Blood. Virchow showed that the corpuscles of bone are homologous with those of connective tissue. Quain's Anat. Red blood corpuscles (Physiol.), in man, yellowish, biconcave, circular discs varying from 1/3500 to 1/3200 of an inch in diameter and about 1/12400 of an inch thick. They are composed of a colorless stroma filled in with semifluid hæmoglobin and other matters. In most mammals the red corpuscles are circular, but in the camels, birds, reptiles, and the lower vertebrates generally, they are oval, and sometimes more or less spherical in form. In Amphioxus, and most invertebrates, the blood corpuscles are all white or colorless. -- White blood corpuscles (Physiol.), rounded, slightly flattened, nucleated cells, mainly protoplasmic in composition, and possessed of contractile power. In man, the average size is about 1/2500 of an inch, and they are present in blood in much smaller numbers than the red corpuscles.
CORPUSCULAR Cor*pus"cu*lar (kr-ps"k-lr), a. Etym: [Cf. F. corpusculaire.]
Defn: Pertaining to, or composed of, corpuscles, or small particles. Corpuscular philosophy, that which attempts to account for the phenomena of nature, by the motion, figure, rest, position, etc., of the minute particles of matter. -- Corpuscular theory (Opt.), the theory enunciated by Sir Isaac Newton, that light consists in the emission and rapid progression of minute particles or corpuscles. The theory is now generally rejected, and supplanted by the undulatory theory.
CORPUSCULARIAN Cor*pus`cu*la"ri*an (-l"r-an), a.
Defn: Corpuscular. [Obs.]
CORPUSCULARIAN Cor*pus`cu*la"ri*an, n.
Defn: An adherent of the corpuscular philosophy. Bentley.
CORPUSCULE Cor*pus"cule (kr-ps"kl), n.
Defn: A corpuscle. [Obs.]
CORPUSCULOUS Cor*pus"cu*lous (-k-ls), a.
Defn: Corpuscular. Tyndall.
CORRADE Cor*rade" (kr-rd"), v. t. Etym: [L. corradere, -rasum; cor- + radere to rub.]
1. To gnaw into; to wear away; to fret; to consume. [Obs.] Dr. R. Clerke.
2. (Geol.)
Defn: To erode, as the bed of a stream. See Corrosion.
CORRADIAL Cor*ra"di*al (kr-r"d-al), a.
Defn: Radiating to or from the same point. [R.] Coleridge.
CORRADIATE Cor*ra"di*ate (kr-r"d-t), v. t.
Defn: To converge to one point or focus, as light or rays.
CORRADIATION Cor*ra`di*a"tion (kr-r`d-"shn), n.
Defn: A conjunction or concentration of rays in one point. Bacom
CORRAL Cor*ral" (kr-rl"; Sp. kr-rl"), n. Etym: [Sp., a yard, a yard for cattle, fr. corro a circle or ring, fr. L. currere to run. Cf. Kraal.]
Defn: A pen for animals; esp., an inclosure made with wagons, by emigrants in the vicinity of hostile Indians, as a place of security for horses, cattle, etc.
CORRAL Cor*ral", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Corraled (-rld" or -rld"); p. pr. & vb. n. Corralling.]
Defn: To surround and inclose; to coop up; to put into an inclosed space; -- primarily used with reference to securing horses and cattle in an inclosure of wagons while traversing the plains, but in the Southwestern United States now colloquially applied to the capturing, securing, or penning of anything. Bartlett.
CORRASION Cor*ra"sion (kr-r"zhn), n. Etym: [See Corrade.] (Geol.)
Defn: The erosion of the bed of a stream by running water, principally by attrition of the detritus carried along by the stream, but also by the solvent action of the water.
CORRASIVE Cor*ra"sive (-sv), a.
Defn: Corrosive. [Obs.] Corrasive sores which eat into the flesh. Holland.
CORRECT Cor*rect" (kr-rkt"), a. Etym: [L. correctus, p. p. of corrigere to make straight, to correct; cor- + regere to lead straight: cf. F. correct. See Regular, Right, and cf. Escort.]
Defn: Set right, or made straight; hence, conformable to truth, rectitude, or propriety, or to a just standard; nnot faulty or imperfect; free from error; as, correct behavior; correct views. Always use the most correct editions. Felton.
Syn. -- Accurate; right, exact; precise; regular; faultless. See Accurate.
CORRECT Cor*rect", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Corrected; p. pr. & vb. n. Correcting.]
1. To make right; to bring to the standard of truth, justice, or propriety; to rectify; as, to correct manners or principles. This is a defect in the first make of same men's minds which can scarce ever be corrected afterwards. T. Burnet.
2. To remove or retrench the faults or errors of; to amend; to set right; as, to correct the proof (that is, to mark upon the margin the changes to be made, or to make in the type the changes so marked).
3. To bring back, or attempt to bring back, to propriety in morals; to reprove or punish for faults or deviations from moral rectitude; to chastise; to discipline; as, a child should be corrected for lying. My accuser is my 'prentice; and when I did correct him for his fault the other day, he did vow upon his knees he would be even with me. Shak.
4. To counteract the qualities of one thing by those of another; -- said of whatever is wrong or injurious; as, to correct the acidity of the stomach by alkaline preparations.
Syn. -- To amend; rectify; emend; reform; improve; chastise; punish; discipline; chasten. See Amend.
CORRECTIBLE; CORRECTABLE Cor*rect"i*ble (-rk"t-b'l), Cor*rect"a*ble (-rk"t-b'l), a.
Defn: Capable of being corrected.
CORRECTIFY Cor*rect"i*fy (kr-rk"t-f), v. t.
Defn: To correct. [Obs.] When your worship's plassed to correctify a lady. Beau & Fl.
CORRECTION Cor*rec"tion (kr-rk"shn), n. Etym: [L. correctio: cf. F. correction.]
1. The act of correcting, or making that right which was wrong; change for the better; amendment; rectification, as of an erroneous statement. The due correction of swearing, rioting, neglect of God's word, and other scandalouss vices. Strype.
2. The act of reproving or punishing, or that which is intended to rectify or to cure faults; punishment; discipline; chastisement. Correction and instruction must both work Ere this rude beast will profit. Shak.
3. That which is substituted in the place of what is wrong; an emendation; as, the corrections on a proof sheet should be set in the margin.
4. Abatement of noxious qualities; the counteraction of what is inconvenient or hurtful in its effects; as, the correction of acidity in the stomach.
5. An allowance made for inaccuracy in an instrument; as, chronometer correction; compass correction. Correction line (Surv.), a parallel used as a new base line in laying out township in the government lands of the United States. The adoption at certain intervals of a correction line is necessitated by the convergence of of meridians, and the statute requirement that the townships must be squares. -- House of correction, a house where disorderly persons are confined; a bridewell. -- Under correction, subject to correction; admitting the possibility of error.
CORRECTIONAL Cor*rec"tion*al (kr-rk"shn-al), a. Etym: [Cf. F. correctionnel.]
Defn: Tending to, or intended for, correction; used for correction; as, a correctional institution.
CORRECTIONER Cor*rec"tion*er (-r), n.
Defn: One who is, or who has been, in the house of correction. [Obs.] Shak.
CORRECTIVE Cor*rect"ive (krr-rk"tv), a. Etym: [Cf. F. correctif.]
1. Having the power to correct; tending to rectify; as, corrective penalties. Mulberries are pectoral, corrective of billious alkali. Arbuthnot.
2. Qualifying; limiting. "The Psalmist interposeth . . . this corrective particle." Holdsworth.
CORRECTIVE Cor*rect"ive, n.
1. That which has the power of correcting, altering, or counteracting what is wrong or injurious; as, alkalies are correctives of acids; penalties are correctives of immoral conduct. Burke.
2. Limitation; restriction. [Obs.] Sir M. Hale.
CORRECTLY Cor*rect"ly (kr-rkt"l), adv.
Defn: In a correct manner; exactly; acurately; without fault or error.
CORRECTNESS Cor*rect"ness, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being correct; as, the correctness of opinions or of manners; correctness of taste; correctness in writing or speaking; the correctness of a text or copy.
Syn. -- Accuracy; exactness; precision; propriety.
CORRECTOR Cor*rect"or (kr-rkt"r), n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: One who, or that which, corrects; as, a corrector of abuses; a corrector of the press; an alkali is a corrector of acids.
CORRECTORY Cor*rect"o*ry (--r), a.
Defn: Containing or making correction; corrective.
CORRECTRESS Cor*rect"ress (-rs), n.
Defn: A woman who corrects.
CORREGIDOR Cor*reg"i*dor (kr-rj"-dr; Sp. kr-r`h-dr"), n. Etym: [Sp., orig., a corrector.]
Defn: The chief magistrate of a Spanish town.
CORREI Cor"rei (kr"r), n. Etym: [Scot., perh. fr. Celt. cor a corner.]
Defn: A hollow in the side of a hill, where game usually lies. "Fleet foot on the correi." Sir W. Scott.
CORRELATABLE Cor`re*lat"a*ble (k3r`r-lt"-b'l), a.
Defn: Such as can be correlated; as, correlatable phenomena.
CORRELATE Cor`re*late" (kr`r-lt" or kr"r-lt`), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Correlated; p. pr. & vb. n. Correlating.] Etym: [Pref. cor- + relate.]
Defn: To have reciprocal or mutual relations; to be mutually related. Doctrine and worship correlate as theory and practice. Tylor.
CORRELATE Cor`re*late", v. t.
Defn: To put in relation with each other; to connect together by the disclosure of a mutual relation; as, to correlate natural phenomens. Darwin.
CORRELATE Cor"re*late (kr"r-lt), n.
Defn: One who, or that which, stands in a reciprocal relation to something else, as father to son; a correlative. South.
CORRELATION Cor`re*la"tion (-l"shn), n. Etym: [LL. correlatio; L. cor- + relatio: cf. F. corrélation. Cf. Correlation.]
Defn: Reciprocal relation; corresponding similarity or parallelism of relation or law; capacity of being converted into, or of giving place to, one another, under certain conditions; as, the correlation of forces, or of zymotic diseases. Correlation of energy, the relation to one another of different forms of energy; -- usually having some reference to the principle of conservation of energy. See Conservation of energy, under Conservation. -- Correlation of forces, the relation between the forces which matter, endowed with various forms of energy, may exert.
CORRELATIVE Cor*rel"a*tive (kr-rl"-tv), a. Etym: [Cf. F. corrélatif.]
Defn: Having or indicating a reciprocal relation. Father and son, prince and subject, stranger and citizen, are correlative terms. Hume.
CORRELATIVE Cor*rel"a*tive, n.
1. One who, or that which, stands in a reciprocal relation, or is correlated, to some other person or thing. Locke. Spiritual things and spiritual men are correlatives. Spelman.
2. (Gram.)
Defn: The antecedent of a pronoun.
CORRELATIVELY Cor*rel"a*tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In a correlative relation.
CORRELATIVENESS Cor*rel"a*tive*ness, n.
Defn: Quality of being correlative.
CORRELIGIONIST Cor`re*li"gion*ist (kr`r-lj"n-st), n.
Defn: A co-religion
CORREPTION Cor*rep"tion (kr-rp"shn), n. Etym: [L. correptio, fr. corripere to seize.]
Defn: Chiding; reproof; reproach. [Obs.] Angry, passionate correption being rather apt to provoke, than to amend. Hammond.
CORRESPOND Cor`re*spond" (kr`r-spnd"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Corresponded; p. pr. & vb. n. Corresponding.] Etym: [Pref. cor- + respond: cf. f. correspondre.]
1. To be like something else in the dimensions and arrangement of its parts; -- followed by with or to; as, concurring figures correspond with each other throughout. None of them [the forms of Sidney's sonnets] correspond to the Shakespearean type. J. A. Symonds.
2. To be adapted; to be congruous; to suit; to agree; to fit; to answer; -- followed by to. Words being but empty sounds, any farther than they are signs of our ideas, we can not but assent to them as they correspond to those ideas we have, but no farther. Locke.
3. To have intercourse or communion; especially, to hold intercourse or to communicate by sending and receiving letters; -- followed by with. After having been long in indirect communication with the exiled family, he [Atterbury] began to correspond directly with the Pretender. Macualay.
Syn. -- To agree; fit; answer; suit; write; address.
CORRESPONDENCE Cor`re*spond"ence (-spnd"ens), n. Etym: [Cf. F. correspondance.]
1. Friendly intercourse; reciprocal exchange of civilities; especially, intercourse between persons by means of letters. Holding also good correspondence with the other great men in the state. Bacon. To facilitate correspondence between one part of London and another, was not originally one of the objects of the post office. Macualay.
2. The letters which pass between correspondents.
3. Mutual adaptation, relation, or agreement, of one thing to another; agreement; congruity; fitness; relation.
CORRESPONDENCE SCHOOL Cor`res*pond"ence school.
Defn: A school that teaches by correspondence, the instruction being based on printed instruction sheets and the recitation papers written by the student in answer to the questions or requirements of these sheets. In the broadest sense of the term correspondence school may be used to include any educational institution or department for instruction by correspondence, as in a university or other educational bodies, but the term is commonly applied to various educational institutions organized on a commercial basis, some of which offer a large variety of courses in general and technical subjects, conducted by specialists.
CORRESPONDENCY Cor`re*spond"en*cy (k$r`r--spnd"en-s), n.; pl. Correspondencies (-s.
Defn: Same as Correspondence, 3. The correspondencies of types and antitypes . . . may be very reasonable confirmations. S. Clarke.
CORRESPONDENT Cor`re*spond"ent (-ent), a. Etym: [Cf. F. correspondant.]
Defn: Suitable; adapted; fit; corresponding; congruous; conformable; in accord or agreement; obedient; willing. Action correspondent or repugnant unto the law. Hooker. As fast the correspondent passions rise. Thomson. I will be correspondent to command. Shak.
CORRESPONDENT Cor`re*spond"ent, n.
1. One with whom intercourse is carried on by letter. Macualay.
2. One who communicates information, etc., by letter or telegram to a newspaper or periodical.
3. (Com.)
Defn: One who carries on commercial intercourse by letter or telegram with a person or firm at a distance.
CORRESPONDENTLY Cor`re*spond"ent*ly, adv.
Defn: In a a corresponding manner; conformably; suitably.
CORRESPONDING Cor`re*spond"ing, a.
1. Answering; conformable; agreeing; suiting; as, corresponding numbers.
2. Carrying on intercourse by letters. Corresponding member of a society, one residing at a distance, who has been invited to correspond with the society, and aid in carrying out its designs without taking part in its management.
CORRESPONDINGLY Cor`re*spond"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a corresponding manner; conformably.
CORRESPONSIVE Cor`re*spon"sive (-r-spn"sv), a.
Defn: Corresponding; conformable; adapted. Shak. -- Cor`re*spon"sive*ly, adv.
CORRIDOR Cor"ri*dor (kr"r-dr or -dr), n. Etym: [F., fr. Itt. corridpore, or Sp. corredor; prop., a runner, hence, a running or long line, a gallery, fr. L. currere to run. See Course.]
1. (Arch.)
Defn: A gallery or passageway leading to several apartments of a house.
2. (Fort.)
Defn: The covered way lying round the whole compass of the fortifications of a place. [R.]
CORRIDOR TRAIN Cor"ri*dor train.
Defn: A train whose coaches are connected so as to have through its entire length a continuous corridor, into which the compartments open. [Eng.]
CORRIE Cor"rie (kr"r), n.
Defn: Same as Correi. [Scot.] Geikie.
CORRIGENDUM Cor`ri*gen"dum (kr`r-jn"dm), n.; pl. Corrigenda (-d. Etym: [L.]
Defn: A fault or error to be corrected.
CORRIGENT Cor"ri*gent (kr"r--jent), n. Etym: [L. corrigens, p. pr. of corrigere to correct.] (Med.)
Defn: A substance added to a medicine to mollify or modify its action. Dunglison.
CORRIGIBILITY Cor`ri*gi*bil"i*ty (-j-bl"-t), n.
Defn: Quality of being corrigible; capability of being corrected; corrigibleness.
CORRIGIBLE Cor"ri*gi*ble (kr"r-j-b'l), a. Etym: [LL. corribilis, fr. L. corrigere to correct: cf. F. corrigible. See Correrct.]
1. Capable of being set right, amended, or reformed; as, a corrigible fault.
2. Submissive to correction; docile. "Bending down his corrigible neck." Shak.
3. Deserving chastisement; punishable. [Obs.] He was taken up very short, and adjudged corrigible for such presumptuous language. Howell.
4. Having power to correct; corrective. [Obs.] The . . . .corrigible authority of this lies in our wills. Shak.
CORRIGIBLENESS Cor"ri*gi*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The state or quality of being corrigible; corrigibility.
CORRIVAL Cor*ri"val (kr-r"val), n.
Defn: A fellow rival; a competitor; a rival; also, a companion. [R.] Shak.
CORRIVAL Cor*ri"val, a.
Defn: Having rivaling claims; emulous; in rivalry. [R.] Bp. Fleetwood.
CORRIVAL Cor*ri"val, v. i. & t.
Defn: To compete with; to rival. [R.]
CORRIVALRY Cor*ri"val*ry (kr-r"val-r), n.
Defn: Corivalry. [R.]
CORRIVALSHIP Cor*ri"val*ship, n.
Defn: Corivalry. [R.] By the corrivalship of Shager his false friend. Sir T. Herbert.
CORRIVATE Cor"ri*vate (kr"r-vt), v. t. Etym: [L. corrivatus, p. p. of corrivare to corrivate.]
Defn: To cause to flow together, as water drawn from several streams. [Obs.] Burton.
CORRIVATION Cor`ri*va"tion (-v"shn), n. Etym: [L. corrivatio.]
Defn: The flowing of different streams into one. [Obs.] Burton.
CORROBORANT Cor*rob"o*rant (kr-rb"-rant), a. Etym: [L. corroborans, p. pr. See Corroborate.]
Defn: Strengthening; supporting; corroborating. Bacon. -- n.
Defn: Anything which gives strength or support; a tonic. The brain, with its proper corroborants, especially with sweet odors and with music. Southey.
CORROBORATE Cor*rob"o*rate (kr-rb"-rt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Corroborated (-r`td); p. pr. & vb. n. Corroborating (-r`tng). ] Etym: [L. corroboratus, p. p. of corroborare to corroborate; cor- + roborare to strengthen, robur strength. See Robust.]
1. To make strong, or to give additional strength to; to strengthen. [Obs.] As any limb well and duly exercised, grows stronger, the nerves of the body are corroborated thereby. I. Watts.
2. To make more certain; to confirm; to establish. The concurrence of all corroborates the same truth. I. Taylor.
CORROBORATE Cor*rob"o*rate (-rt), a.
Defn: Corroborated. [Obs.] Bacon.
CORROBORATION Cor*rob`o*ra"tion (kr-rb`-r"shn), n. Etym: [Cf. F. corroboration.]
1. The act of corroborating, strengthening, or confirming; addition of strength; confirmation; as, the corroboration of an argument, or of information.
2. That which corroborates.
CORROBORATIVE Cor*rob"o*ra*tive (kr-rb"-r-tv), a. Etym: [Cf. F. corroboratif.]
Defn: Tending to strengthen of confirm.
CORROBORATIVE Cor*rob"o*ra*tive, n.
Defn: A medicine that strengthens; a corroborant. Wiseman.
CORROBORATORY Cor*rob"o*ra*to*ry (-t-r), a.
Defn: Tending to strengthen; corroborative; as, corroboratory facts.
CORROBOREE Cor*rob"o*ree`, n. [Also corrobboree, corrobori, etc.] [Native name.]
1. A nocturnal festivity with which the Australian aborigines celebrate tribal events of importance. Symbolic dances are given by the young men of the tribe, while the women act as musicians.
2. A song or chant made for such a festivity.
3. A festivity or social gathering, esp. one of a noisy or uproarious character; hence, tumult; uproar. [Australia]
CORROBORY Cor*rob"o*ry, n. & v.
Defn: See Corroboree.
CORRODE Cor*rode" (kr-rd") v. t. [imp. & p. p. Corroded; p. pr. & vb. n. Corroding.] Etym: [L. corrodere, -rosum; cor + rodere to gnaw: cf. F. corroder. See Rodent.]
1. To eat away by degrees; to wear away or diminish by gradually separating or destroying small particles of, as by action of a strong acid or a caustic alkali. Aqua fortis corroding copper . . . is wont to reduce it to a green- blue solution. Boyle.
2. To consume; to wear away; to prey upon; to impair.
CORRODE Cor*rode", v. i.
Defn: To have corrosive action; to be subject to corrosion. Corroding lead, lead sufficiently pure to be used in making white lead by a process of corroding.
Syn. -- To canker; gnaw; rust; waste; wear away.
CORRODENT Cor*rod"ent (kr-r"dent), a. Etym: [L. corrodens, p. pr. of corrodere.]
Defn: Corrosive. [R.] Bp. King.
CORRODENT Cor*rod"ent, n.
Defn: Anything that corrodes. Bp. King.
CORRODIATE Cor*ro"di*ate (kr-r"d-t), v. t. Etym: [See Corrode.]
Defn: To eat away by degrees; to corrode. [Obs.] Sandys.
CORRODIBILITY Cor*ro`di*bil"i*ty (kr-r`d-bl"-t), n.
Defn: The qualityof being corrodible. [R.] Johnson.
CORRODIBLE Cor*rod"i*ble (kr-r"d-b'l), a.
Defn: Capable of being corroded; corrosible. Sir T. Browne.
CORROSIBILITY Cor*ro`si*bil"i*ty (kr-r`s-bl"-t), n.
Defn: Corrodibility. "Corrosibility . . . answers corrosiveness." Boyle.
CORROSIBLE Cor*ro"si*ble (kr-r"s-b'l), a.
Defn: Corrodible. Bailey.
CORROSIBLENESS Cor*ro"si*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The quality or state of being corrosible. Bailey.
CORROSION Cor*ro"sion (kr-r"zhn), n. Etym: [LL. corrosio: cf. F. corrosion. See Corrode.]
Defn: The action or effect of corrosive agents, or the process of corrosive change; as, the rusting of iron is a variety of corrosion. Corrosion is a particular species of dissolution of bodies, either by an acid or a saline menstruum. John Quincy.
CORROSIVE Cor*ro"sive (kr-r"sv), a. Etym: [Cf. F. corrosif.]
1. Eating away; having the power of gradually wearing, changing, or destroying the texture or substance of a body; as, the corrosive action of an acid. "Corrosive liquors." Grew. "Corrosive famine."Thomson.
2. Having the quality of fretting or vexing. Care is no cure, but corrosive. Shak. Corrosive sublimate (Chem.), mercuric chloride, HgCl2; so called because obtained by sublimation, and because of its harsh irritating action on the body tissue. Usually it is in the form of a heavy, transparent, crystalline substance, easily soluble, and of an acrid, burning taste. It is a virulent poison, a powerful antiseptic, and an exellent antisyphilitic; called also mercuric bichloride. It is to be carefully distinguished from calomel, the mild chloride of mercury.
CORROSIVE Cor*ro"sive, n.
1. That which has the quality of eating or wearing away gradually. [Corrosives] act either directly, by chemically destroying the part, or indirectly by causing inflammation and gangrene. Dunglison.
2. That which has the power of fretting or irritating. Such speeches . . . are grievous corrosives. Hooker. -- Cor*ro"sive*ly, adv. -- Cor*ro"sive*ness, n.
CORROVAL Cor*ro"val (kr-r"val), n.
Defn: A dark brown substance of vegetable origin, allied to curare, and used by the natives of New Granada as an arrow poison.
CORROVALINE Cor*ro"va*line (-v-ln or -ln), n. (Chem.)
Defn: A poisonous alkaloid extracted from corroval, and characterized by its immediate action in paralyzing the heart.
CORRUGANT Cor"ru*gant (kr"r-gant), a. Etym: [L. corrugans, p. pr. See Corrugate.]
Defn: Having the power of contracting into wrinkles. Johnson.
CORRUGATE Cor"ru*gate (kr"r-gt), a. Etym: [L. corrugatus, p. p. of corrugare; cor-+ rugare to wrinkle, ruga wrinkle; of uncertain origin.]
Defn: Wrinkled; crumpled; furrowed; contracted into ridges and furrows.
CORRUGATE Cor"ru*gate (-gt), v. t. [imp. & p.p. Corrugated (-g`td); p. pr. & vb. n. Corrugating (-g`tng).]
Defn: To form or shape into wrinkles or folds, or alternate ridges and grooves, as by drawing, contraction, pressure, bending, or otherwise; to wrinkle; to purse up; as, to corrugate plates of iron; to corrugate the forehead. Corrugated iron, sheet iron bent into a series of alternate ridges and grooves in parallel lines, giving it greater stiffness. -- Corrugated paper, a thick, coarse paper corrugated in order to give it elasticity. It is used as a wrapping material for fragile articles, as bottles.
CORRUGATION Cor`ru*ga"tion (kr`r-g"shn), n. Etym: [Cf. F. corrugation.]
Defn: The act corrugating; contraction into wrinkles or alternate ridges and grooves.
CORRUGATOR Cor"ru*ga`tor (kr"r-g`tr), n. Etym: [NL.; cf. F. corrugateur.] (Anat.)
Defn: A muscle which contracts the skin of the forehead into wrinkles.
CORRUGENT Cor*ru"gent (kr-r"jent), a. (Anat.)
Defn: Drawing together; contracting; -- said of the corrugator. [Obs.]
CORRUMP Cor*rump" (kr-rmp"), v. t. Etym: [L. corrumpere.]
Defn: To corrupt. See Corrupt. [Obs.] Chauser.
CORRUMPABLE Cor*rump"a*ble (--b'l), a.
Defn: Corruptible. [Obs.]
CORRUPT Cor*rupt` (kr-rpt"), a. Etym: [L. corruptus, p. p. of corrumpere to corrupt; cor- + rumpere to break. See Rupture.]
1. Changed from a sound to a putrid state; spoiled; tainted; vitiated; unsound. Who with such corrupt and pestilent bread would feed them. Knolles.
2. Changed from a state of uprightness, correctness, truth, etc., to a worse state; vitiated; depraved; debased; perverted; as, corrupt language; corrupt judges. At what ease Might corrupt minds procure knaves as corrupt To swear against you. Shak.
3. Abounding in errors; not genuine or correct; as, the text of the manuscript is corrupt.
CORRUPT Cor*rupt", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Corrupted; p. pr. & vb. n. Corrupting.]
1. To change from a sound to a putrid or putrescent state; to make putrid; to putrefy.
2. To change from good to bad; to vitiate; to deprave; to pervert; to debase; to defile. Evil communications corrupt good manners. 1. Cor. xv. 33.
3. To draw aside from the path of rectitude and duty; as, to corrupt a judge by a bribe. Heaven is above all yet; there sits a Judge That no king can corrupt. Shak.
4. To debase or render impure by alterations or innovations; to falsify; as, to corrupt language; to corrupt the sacred text. He that makes an ill use of it [language], though he does not corrupt the fountains of knowledge, . . . yet he stops the pines. Locke.
5. To waste, spoil, or consume; to make worthless. Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt. Matt. vi. 19.
CORRUPT Cor*rupt" (kr-rpt"), v. i.
1. To become putrid or tainted; to putrefy; to rot. Bacon.
2. To become vitiated; to lose putity or goodness.
CORRUPTER Cor*rupt"er (kr-rp"tr), n.
Defn: One who corrupts; one who vitiates or taints; as, a corrupter of morals.
CORRUPTFUL Cor*rupt"ful (-fl), a.
Defn: Tending to corrupt; full of corruption. [Obs.] "Corruptful bribes." Spenser.
CORRUPTIBILITY Cor*rupt`i*bil"i*ty (kr-rp`t-bl"-t), n. Etym: [L. corruptibilitas: cf. F. corruptibilité.]
Defn: The quality of being corruptible; the possibility or liability of being corrupted; corruptibleness. Burke.
CORRUPTIBLE Cor*rupt"i*ble (kr-rp"t-b'l), a. Etym: [L. corruptibilis: cf. F. corruptible.]
1. Capable of being made corrupt; subject to decay. "Our corruptible bodies." Hooker. Ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold. 1 Pet. i. 18.
2. Capable of being corrupted, or morally vitiated; susceptible of depravation. They systematically corrupt very corruptible race. Burke. -- Cor*rupt"i*ble*ness, n. -- Cor*rupt"i*bly, adv.
CORRUPTIBLE Cor*rupt"i*ble, n.
Defn: That which may decay and perish; the human body. [Archaic] 1 Cor. xv. 53.
CORRUPTINGLY Cor*rupt"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: In a manner that corrupts.
CORRUPTION Cor*rup"tion (kr-rp"shn), n. Etym: [F. corruption, L. corruptio.]
1. The act of corrupting or making putrid, or state of being corrupt or putrid; decomposition or disorganization, in the process of putrefaction; putrefaction; deterioration. The inducing and accelerating of putrefaction is a subject of very universal inquiry; for corruption is a reciprocal to "generation". Bacon.
2. The product of corruption; putrid matter.
3. The act of corrupting or of impairing integrity, virtue, or moral principle; the state of being corrupted or debased; loss of purity or integrity; depravity; wickedness; impurity; bribery. It was necessary, by exposing the gross corruptions of monasteries, . . . to exite popular indignation against them. Hallam. They abstained from some of the worst methods of corruption usual to their party in its earlier days. Bancroft.
Note: Corruption, when applied to officers, trustees, etc., signifies the inducing a violation of duty by means of pecuniary considerations. Abbott.
4. The act of changing, or of being changed, for the worse; departure from what is pure, simple, or correct; as, a corruption of style; corruption in language. Corruption of blood (Law), taint or impurity of blood, in consequence of an act of attainder of treason or felony, by which a person is disabled from inheriting any estate or from transmitting it to others. Corruption of blood can be removed only by act of Parliament. Blackstone.
Syn. -- Putrescence; putrefaction; defilement; contamination; deprivation; debasement; adulteration; depravity; taint. See Depravity.
CORRUPTIONIST Cor*rup"tion*ist, n.
Defn: One who corrupts, or who upholds corruption. Sydney Smith.
CORRUPTIVE Cor*rupt"ive (kr-rp"tv), a. Etym: [L. corruptivus: cf. F. corruptif.]
Defn: Having the quality of taining or vitiating; tending to produce corruption. It should be endued with some corruptive quality for so speedy a dissolution of the meat. Ray.
CORRUPTLESS Cor*rupt"less (kr-rpt"ls), a.
Defn: Not susceptible of corruption or decay; incorruptible. Dryden.
CORRUPTLY Cor*rupt"ly, adv.
Defn: In a corrupt manner; by means of corruption or corrupting influences; wronfully.
CORRUPTNESS Cor*rupt"ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being corrupt.
CORRUPTRESS Cor*rupt"ress (-rs), n.
Defn: A woman who corrupts. Thou studied old corruptress. Beau & Fl.
CORSAC Cor"sac (kr"sk), n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The corsak.
CORSAGE Cor"sage (kr"sj), n. Etym: [F. See Corset.]
Defn: The waist or bodice of a lady's dress; as. a low corsage.
CORSAIR Cor"sair (kr"sr), n. Etym: [F. corsaire (cf. It. corsare, corsale, Pr. corsari), LL. corsarius, fr. L. cursus a running, course, whence Sp. corso cruise, corsa cruise, coasting voyage, corsear to cruise against the enemy, to pirate, corsario cruising, a privateer authorized to cruise against the enemy. See Course.]
1. A pirate; one who cruises about without authorization from any government, to seize booty on sea or land.
2. A piratical vessel. Barbary corsairs . . . infested the coast of the Mediterranean. Prescott.
CORSAK Cor"sak (kr"sk), n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A small foxlike mammal (Cynalopex corsac), found in Central Asia. [Written also corsac.]
CORSE Corse (krs or krs; 277), n. Etym: [OF. cors, F. corps. See Corpse.]
1. A living body or its bulk. [Obs.] For he was strong, and of so mighty corse As ever wielded spear in warlike hand. Spenser.
2. A corpse; the dead body of a human being. [Archaic or Poetic] Set down the corse; or, by Saint Paul, I'll make a corse of him that disobeys. Shak.
CORSELET Corse"let (krs"lt), n. Etym: [F., dim. of OF. cors. F. corps, body. See Corse.]
1. Armor for the body, as, the body breastplate and backpiece taken together; -- also, used for the entire suit of the day, including breastplate and backpiece, tasset and headpiece.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The thorax of an insect.
CORSEPRESENT Corse"pres`ent (krs"prz`ent or krs"-), n. (Engl.Law)
Defn: An offering made to the church at the interment of a dead body. Blackstone.
CORSET Cor"set (kr"st), n. Etym: [F., dim. of OF. cors, F. corps, body. See Corse.]
1. In the Middle Ages, a gown or basque of which the body was close fitting, worn by both men and women.
2. An article of dress inclosing the chest and waist worn (chiefly by women) to support the body or to modify its shape; stays.
CORSET Cor"set (kr"st), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Corseted; p. pr. & vb. n. Corseting.]
Defn: To inclose in corsets.
CORSLET Cors"let (krs"lt), n.
Defn: A corselet. [Obs.] Hakluyt.
CORSNED Cors"ned (krs"nd), n. Etym: [AS. corsn.] (AS. Laws)
Defn: The morsel of execration; a species of ordeal consisting in the eating of a piece of bread consecrated by imprecation. If the suspected person ate it freely, he was pronounced innocent; but if it stuck in his throat, it was considered as a proof of his guilt. Burril.
CORTEGE Cor`tége" (kr`tzh"), n. Etym: [F., fr. It. corteggio train, fr. corte court. See Court.]
Defn: A train of attendants; a procession.
CORTES Cor"tes (kr"ts), n. pl. Etym: [Sp. & Pg., fr. corte court.]
Defn: The legislative assembly, composed of nobility, clergy, and representatives of cities, which in Spain and in Portugal answers, in some measure, to the Parliament of Great Britain.
CORTES GERAES Cor"tes Ge*ra"es. [Pg.]
Defn: See Legislature, Portugal.
CORTEX Cor"tex (kr"tks), n.; pl. Cortices (-t. Etym: [L., bark. Cf. Cork.]
1. Bark, as of a tree; hence, an outer covering.
2. (Med.)
Defn: Bark; rind; specifically, cinchona bark.
3. (Anat.)
Defn: The outer or superficial part of an organ; as, the cortex or gray exterior substance of the brain.
CORTICAL Cor"ti*cal (kr"t-kal), a. Etym: [L. cortex bark: cf. F. cortical.]
Defn: Belonging to, or consisting of, bark or rind; resembling bark or rind; external; outer; superficial; as, the cortical substance of the kidney.
CORTICATE; CORTICATED Cor"ti*cate (kr"t-kt), Cor"ti*ca`ted (-k`td), a. Etym: [L. corticatus.]
Defn: Having a special outer covering of a nature unlike the interior part.
CORTICIFER Cor*tic"i*fer (kr-ts"-fr), n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: One of the Gorgoniacea; -- so called because the fleshy part surrounds a solid axis, like a bark.
CORTICIFEROUS Cor`ti*cif"er*ous (kr`t-sf"r-s), a. Etym: [L. cortex, corticis, bark -- -ferous: cf. F. corticif.]
1. Producing bark or something that resembling that resembles bark.
2. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having a barklike c
CORTICIFORM Cor*tic"i*form (kr-ts"-frm), a. Etym: [L. cortex, corticis, bark + - form: cf. F. corticiforme.]
Defn: Resembling, or having the form of, bark or rind.
CORTICINE Cor"ti*cine (kr"t-sn), n. Etym: [F., fr. L. cortex, corticis, bark.]
Defn: A material for carpeting or floor covering, made of ground cork and caoutchouc or India rubber.
CORTICOSE Cor"ti*cose` (-ks`), a. Etym: [L. corticosus.]
Defn: Abounding in bark; resembling bark; barky.
CORTICOUS Cor"ti*cous (-ks), a.
Defn: Relating to, or resembling, bark; corticose.
CORTILE Cor"tile (kr"tl; It. kr-t"l), n. Etym: [It., fr. corte court.]
Defn: An open internal courtyard inclosed by the walls of a large dwelling house or other large and stately building.
CORUNDUM Co*run"dum (k-rn"dm), n.; pl. Corundums (-d. [Also corindon.] Etym: [From Hind. kurand corundum stone.] (Min.)
Defn: The earth alumina, as found native in a crystalline state, including sapphire, which is the fine blue variety; the oriental ruby, or red sapphire; the oriental amethyst, or purple sapphire; and adamantine spar, the hair-brown variety. It is the hardest substance found native, next to the diamond.
Note: The name corundum is sometimes restricted to the non- transparent or coarser kinds. Emery is a dark-colored granular variety, usually admixed with magnetic iron ore.
CORUSCANT Co*rus"cant (k-rs"kant), a. Etym: [L. coruscans, p. pr. See Coruscate.]
Defn: Glittering in flashes; flashing. Howell.
CORUSCATE Cor"us*cate (kr"s-kt or k-rs"kr), v. i. Etym: [L. coruscare to flash, vibrate.]
Defn: To glitter in flashes; to flash.
Syn. -- To glisten; gleam; sparkle; radiate.
CORUSCATION Cor`us*ca"tion (kr`s-k"shn), n. Etym: [L. coruscatio: cf. F. coruscattion.]
1. A sudden flash or play of light. A very vivid but exceeding short-lived splender, not to call coruscation. Boyle.
2. A flash of intellectual brilliancy. He might have illuminated his times with the incessant cor of his genius. I. Taylor.
Syn. -- Flash; glitter; blaze; gleam; sparkle.
CORVE Corve (krv), n.
Defn: See Corf.
CORVEE Cor`vee" (kr`v" or -v"), n. Etym: [F. corvée, fr. LL. corvada, corrogata, fr. L. corrogare to entreat togetther; cor- + rogare to ask.] (Feudal Law)
Defn: An obligation to perform certain services, as the repair of roads, for the lord or sovereign.
CORVEN Cor"ven (kr"ven), obs.
Defn: p. p. of Carve. Chaucer.
CORVET; CORVETTE Cor"vet (kr"vt), Cor*vette" (kr-vr"), n. Etym: [F. corvette, fr. Pg. corveta or Sp. corbeta, fr. L. corbita a slow-sailing ship of burden, fr, corbis basket. Cf. Corbeil.] (Naut.)
Defn: A war vessel, ranking next below a frigate, and having usually only one tier of guns; -- called in the United States navy a sloop of war.
CORVETTO Cor*vet"to (-vt"t), n. (Min.)
Defn: A curvet. Peacham.
CORVINE Cor"vine (kr"vn), a. Etym: [L. corvinus, fr. corvus crow.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to the crow; crowlike.
CORVORANT Cor"vo*rant (kr"v-rant), n.
Defn: See Cormorant.
CORYBANT Cor"y*bant (kr"-bnt), n.; pl. E. Corybants (-bCorybantes (-b. Etym: [L. Corybas, Gr.
Defn: One of the priests of Cybele in Phrygia. The rites of the Corybants were accompanied by wild music, dancing, etc.
CORYBANTIASM Cor`y*ban"ti*asm (-bn"t-z'm), n. Etym: [Gr. (Med.)
Defn: A kind of frenzy in which the patient is tormented by fantastic visions and want of sleep. Dunglison.
CORYBANTIC Cor`y*ban"tic (kr`-bn"tk), a. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the Corybantes or their rites; frantic; frenzied; as, a corybantic dance.
CORYMB Cor"ymb (kr"mb or -m; 220), n. Etym: [L. corymbus cluster of flowers, Gr. (Bot.) (a) A flat-topped or convex cluster of flowers, each on its own footstalk, and arising from different points of a common axis, the outermost blossoms expanding first, as in the hawthorn. (b) Any flattish flower cluster, whatever be the order of blooming, or a similar shaped cluster of fruit.
CORYMBED Cor"ymbed (kr"mbd), a. (Bot.)
Defn: Corymbose.
CORYMBIFEROUS Cor`ym*bif"er*ous (kr`m-bf"r-s), a. Etym: [L. corymbifer; corymbus a cluster of flowers + ferre to bearcorimbif.] (Bot.)
Defn: Bearing corymbs of flowers or fruit.
CORYMBOSE Co*rym"bose (k-rm"bs or kr"m-bs`), a. (Bot.)
Defn: Consisting of corymbs, or resembling them in form. [Written also corymbous.]
CORYMBOSELY Co*rym"bose*ly, adv.
Defn: In corymbs.
CORYPHAENOID Cor`y*phæ"noid (kr`-f"noid), a. Etym: [NL. coruphaena + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Belonging to, or like, the genus Coryphæna. See Dolphin.
CORYPHEE Co`ry`phee (k`r`f"), n. Etym: [F.] (Drama)
Defn: A ballet dancer.
CORYPHENE Cor"y*phene` (kr"-fn`), n. Etym: [NL. coryphena, fr. Gr. coryph.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A fish of the genus Coryphæna. See Dolphin. (2)
CORYPHEUS Cor`y*phe"us (kr`-f"s), n.; pl. E. Corypheuses (-Coryphei (-f. Etym: [L. coryphaeus, fr. Gr. (Gr. Antiq.)
Defn: The conductor, chief, or leader of the dramatic chorus; hence, the chief or leader of a party or interest. That noted corypheus [Dr. John Owen] of the Independent faction. South.
CORYPHODON Co*ryph"o*don (k-rf"-dn), n. Etym: [Gr. (Palen.)
Defn: A genus of extinct mammals from the eocene tertiary of Europe and America. Its species varied in size between the tapir and rhinoceros, and were allied to those animals, but had short, plantigrade, five-toed feet, like the elephant.
CORYPHODONT Co*ryph"o*dont (-dnt), a. (Paleon.)
Defn: Pertaining to, or resembling, the genus Coryphodon.
CORYZA Co*ry"za (k-r"z), n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. (Med.)
Defn: Nasal catarrh.
COSCINOMANCY Cos*cin"o*man`cy (ks-sn"-mn`s or ks"s-n-), n. Etym: [Gr. -mancy.]
Defn: Divination by means of a suspended sieve.
COSCOROBA Cos`co*ro"ba (ks`k-r"b), n. Etym: [Native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large, white, South American duck, of the genus Cascoroba, resembling a swan.
COSECANT Co*se"cant (k-s"knt), n. Etym: [For co. secans, an abbrev. of L. complementi secans.] (Trig.)
Defn: The secant of the complement of an arc or angle. See Illust. of Functions.
COSEN Cos"en (kz"'n), v. t.
Defn: See Cozen.
COSENAGE Cos"en*age (kz"'n-j), n.
Defn: See Cozenage.
COSENING Cos"en*ing, n. (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: Anything done deceitfully, and which could not be properly designated by any special name, whether belonging to contracts or not. Burrill.
COSENTIENT Co*sen"tient (k-sn"shent), a.
Defn: Perceiving together.
COSEY Co"sey (k"z), a.
Defn: See Cozy. Dickens.
COSHER Cosh"er (ksh"r), v. t. Etym: [Ir. cosair a feast, a banquet or cf. F. coucher to lie. Cf. Couch, Coshering.]
1. (Old Law)
Defn: To levy certain exactions or tribute upon; to lodge and eat at the expense of. See Coshering.
2. To treat with hospitality; to pet. [Ireland]
COSHERER Cosh"er*er (ksh"r-r), n.
Defn: One who coshers.
COSHERING Cosh"er*ing, n. (Old Law)
Defn: A feudal prerogative of the lord of the soil entitling him to lodging and food at his tenant's house. Burrill. Sometimes he contrived, in deflance of the law, to live by coshering, that is to say, by quartering himself on the old tentants of his family, who, wretched as was their own condition, could not refuse a portion of their pittance to one whom they still regarded as their rightful lord. Macaulay.
COSIER Co"sier (k"zhr), n. Etym: [Cf. OF. coussier maker of mattresses; or couseor tailor, fr. OF. & F. coudre, p. p. cousu to sew, fr. L. consuere to sew together; con- + seure to sew. See Sew to stitch.]
Defn: A tailor who botches his work. [Obs.] Shak.
COSIGNIFICATIVE Co`sig*nif"i*ca*tive (k`s"), a.
Defn: Having the same signification. Cockerham.
COSIGNITARY Co*sig"ni*ta*ry (k-sg"n-t-r), a. Etym: [Pref. co- + sign. Cf. Signatory.]
Defn: Signing some important public document with another or with others; as, a treaty violated by one of the cosignitary powers.
COSIGNITARY Co*sig"ni*ta*ry, n.; pl. Cosignitaries (-r.
Defn: One who signs a treaty or public document along with others or another; as, the cosignitaries of the treaty of Berlin.
COSILY Co"si*ly (k"z-l), adv.
Defn: See Cozily.
COSINAGE Cos"in*age (ks"'n-j), n. Etym: [See Cousinage.] (Law) (a) Collateral relationship or kindred by blood; consanguinity. Burrill. (b) A writ to recover possession of an estate in lands, when a stranger has entered, after the death of the grandfather's grandfather, or other distant collateral relation. Blackstone.
COSINE Co"sine (k"sn), n. Etym: [For co. sinus, an abbrev. of L. complementi sinus.] (Trig.)
Defn: The sine of the complement of an arc or angle. See Illust. of Functions.
COSMETIC; COSMETICAL Cos*met"ic (kz-mt"k), Cos*met"ic*al (--kal), a. Etym: [Gr. kosmitiko`s skilled in decorating, fr. ko`smos order, ornament: cf. F. cosmétique. See Cosmos.]
Defn: Imparting or improving beauty, particularly the beauty of the complexion; as, a cosmetical preparation. First, robed in white, the nymph intent adores, With head uncovered, the cosmetic powers. Pope.
COSMETIC Cos*met"ic, n.
Defn: Any external application intended to beautify and improve the complexion.
COSMIC; COSMICAL Cos"mic (kz"mk), Cos"mic*al (-m-kal), a. Etym: [Gr. kosmiko`s of the world, fr. ko`smos: cf. F. cosmique. See Cosmos.]
1. Pertaining to the universe, and having special reference to universal law or order, or to the one grand harmonious system of things; hence; harmonious; orderly.
2. Pertaining to the solar system as a whole, and not to the earth alone.
3. Characteristic of the cosmos or universe; inconceivably great; vast; as, cosmic speed. "Cosmic ranges of time." Tyndall.
4. (Astron.)
Defn: Rising or setting with the sun; -- the opposite of acronycal.
COSMICALLY Cos"mic*al*ly, adv.
1. With the sun at rising or setting; as, a star is said to rise or set cosmically when it rises or sets with the sun.
2. Universally. [R.] Emerson.
COSMOGONAL; COSMOGONIC; COSMOGONICAL Cos*mog"o*nal (kz-mg"-nal), Cos`mo*gon"ic (kz`m-gn"k), Cos`mo*gon"ic*al (-gn"-kal), a.
Defn: Belonging to cosmogony. B. Powell. Gladstone.
COSMOGONIST Cos*mog"o*nist (kz-mg"-nst), n.
Defn: One who treats of the origin of the universe; one versed in cosmogony.
COSMOGONY Cos*mog"o*ny (-n), n.; pl. Cosmogonies (-n. Etym: [Gr. kosmogoni`a; ko`smos the world + root of gi`gnesthai to be born: cf. F. cosmogonie.]
Defn: The creation of the world or universe; a theory or account of such creation; as, the poetical cosmogony of Hesoid; the cosmogonies of Thales, Anaxagoras, and Plato. The cosmogony or creation of the world has puzzled philosophers of all ages. Goldsmith.
COSMOGRAPHER Cos*mog"ra*pher (-r-fr), n.
Defn: One who describes the world or universe, including the heavens and the earth. The name of this island is nowhere found among the old and ancient cosmographers. Robynson (More's Utopia).
COSMOGRAPHIC; COSMOGRAPHICAL Cos`mo*graph"ic (kz`m-grf"k), Cos`mo*graph"ic*al (--kal), a. Etym: [Cf. F. cosmographique.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to cosmography.
COSMOGRAPHICALLY Cos`mo*graph"ic*al*ly, adv.
Defn: In a cosmographic manner; in accordance with cosmography.
COSMOGRAPHY Cos*mog"ra*phy (kz-mg"r-f), n.; pl. Cosmographies (-f. Etym: [Gr. cosmographie.]
Defn: A description of the world or of the universe; or the science which teaches the constitution of the whole system of worlds, or the figure, disposition, and relation of all its parts.
COSMOLABE Cos"mo*labe (kz"m-lb), n. Etym: [Gr. cosmolade.]
Defn: An instrument resembling the astrolabe, formerly used for measuring the angles between heavenly bodies; -- called also pantacosm.
COSMOLATRY Cos*mol"a*try (kz-ml"-tr), n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Worship paid to the world. Cudworth.
COSMOLINE Cos"mo*line (kz"m-ln), n. Etym: [Prob. fr. cosmetic + L. oleum oil.] (Chem.)
Defn: A substance obtained from the residues of the distillation of petroleum, essentially the same as vaseline, but of somewhat stiffer consistency, and consisting of a mixture of the higher paraffines; a kind of petroleum jelly.
COSMOLOGICAL Cos`mo*log"ic*al (kz`m-lj"-kal), a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to cosmology.
COSMOLOGIST Cos*mol"o*gist (kz-ml"-jst), n.
Defn: One who describes the universe; one skilled in cosmology.
COSMOLOGY Cos*mol"o*gy (kz-ml"-j), n. Etym: [Gr. ko`smos the world + -logy: cf. F. cosmologie.]
Defn: The science of the world or universe; or a treatise relating to the structure and parts of the system of creation, the elements of bodies, the modifications of material things, the laws of motion, and the order and course of nature.
COSMOMETRY Cos*mom"e*try (kz-mm"-tr), n. Etym: [Gr. ko`smos the world + -metry.]
Defn: The art of measuring the world or the universe. Blount.
COSMOPLASTIC Cos`mo*plas"tic (kz`m-pls"tk), a. Etym: [Gr. ko`smos the world + pla`ssein to form.]
Defn: Pertaining to a plastic force as operative in the formation of the world independently of God; world-forming. "Cosmoplastic and hylozoic atheisms." Gudworth.
COSMOPOLITAN; COSMOPOLITE Cos`mo*pol"i*tan (-pl"-tan), Cos*mop"o*lite (kz-mp"-lt), n. Etym: [Gr. cosmopolitain, cosmopolite.]
Defn: One who has no fixed residence, or who is at home in every place; a citizen of the world.
COSMOPOLITAN; COSMOPOLITE Cos`mo*pol"i*tan, Cos*mop"o*lite, a.
1. Having no fixed residence; at home in any place; free from local attachments or prejudices; not provincial; liberal. In other countries taste is perphaps too exclusively national, in Germany it is certainly too cosmopolite. Sir W. Hamilton.
2. Common everywhere; widely spread; found in all parts of the world. The Cheiroptera are cosmopolitan. R. Owen.
COSMOPOLITANISM Cos`mo*pol"i*tan*ism (kz`m-pl"-tan-z'm), n.
Defn: The quality of being cosmopolitan; cosmopolitism.
COSMOPOLITE Cos*mop"o*lite (-mp"-lt), a. & n.
Defn: See Cosmopolitan.
COSMOPOLITICAL Cos`mo*po*lit"ic*al (kz`m-p-lt"-kal), a.
Defn: Having the character of a cosmopolite. [R.] Hackluyt.
COSMOPOLITISM Cos*mop"o*li*tism (kz-mp"-l-tz'm), n.
Defn: The condition or character of a cosmopolite; disregard of national or local peculiarities and prejudices.
COSMORAMA Cos`mo*ra"ma (kz`m-r"m or -r"m), n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr.
Defn: An exhibition in which a series of views in various parts of the world is seen reflected by mirrors through a series of lenses, with such illumination, etc., as will make the views most closely represent reality.
COSMORAMIC Cos`mo*ram"ic (kz`m-rm"k), a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a cosmorama.
COSMOS Cos"mos (kz"ms), n. Etym: [NL., fr. Gr. ko`smos order, harmony, the world (from its perfect order and arrangement); akin to Skr. to distinguish one's self.]
1. The universe or universality of created things; -- so called from the order and harmony displayed in it.
2. The theory or description of the universe, as a system displaying order and harmony. Humboldt.
COSMOSPHERE Cos"mo*sphere (kz"m-sfr), n. Etym: [Gr. sphere.]
Defn: An apparattus for showing the position of the earth, at any given time, with respect to the fixed stars. It consist of a hollow glass globe, on which are depicted the stars and constellations, and within which is a terrestrial globe.
COSMOTHEISM Cos"mo*the`ism (kz"m-th`z'm), n. Etym: [Gr.
Defn: Same as Pantheism. [R.]
COSMOTHETIC Cos`mo*thet"ic (kz`m-tht"k), a. Etym: [Gr. (Metaph.)
Defn: Assuming or positing the actual existence or reality of the physical or external world. Cosmothetic idealists (Metaph.), those who assume, without attempting to prove, the reality of external objects as corresponding to, and being the ground of, the ideas of which only the mind has direct cognizance. The cosmothetic idealists . . . deny that mind is immediately conscious of matter. Sir W. Hamilton.
COSOVEREIGN Co*sov"er*eign (k-sv"r-n or k-sv"-), n.
Defn: A joint sovereign.
COSS Coss (ks), n. Etym: [Cf. Pers. k a road measure of about two miles; or Skr. kr.]
Defn: A Hindoo measure of distance, varying from one and a half to two English miles. Whitworth.
COSS Coss, n. Etym: [It. cosa.]
Defn: A thing (only in phrase below). Rule of Coss, an old name for Algebra. Etym: [It. regola di cosa rule of thing, the unknown quantity being called the cosa, or the thing.]
COSSACK Cos"sack (ks"sk), n. Etym: [Russ. kozak', kazak': cf. Turk. kaz.]
Defn: One of a warlike, pastoral people, skillful as horsemen, inhabiting different parts of the Russian empire and furnishing valuable contingents of irregular cavalry to its armies, those of Little Russia and those of the Don forming the principal divisions.
COSSACK POST Cos"sack post. (Mil.)
Defn: An outpost consisting of four men, forming one of a single line of posts substituted for the more formal line of sentinels and line of pickets.
COSSAS Cos"sas (ks"ss), n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Plain India muslin, of various qualities and widths.
COSSET Cos"set (ks"st), n. Etym: [Cf. AS. cotsetla cottager, G. kossat, kothsasse, fr. kot, koth E. (cot) hut, and cf. also E. cade, a., cot a cade lamb.]
Defn: A lamb reared without the aid of the dam. Hence: A pet, in general.
COSSET Cos"set, v. t.
Defn: To treat as a pet; to fondle. She was cosseted and posseted and prayed over and made much of. O. W. Holmes.
COSSETTE Cos*sette", n. [F.]
Defn: One of the small chips or slices into which beets are cut in sugar making.
COSSIC; COSSICAL Cos"sic (ks"sk), Cos"sic*al (-s-kal), a. Etym: [It. cossico. See 2d Coss.]
Defn: Of or relating to algebra; as, cossic numbers, or the cossic art. [Obs.] "Art of numbers cossical." Digges (1579).
COST Cost (kst; 115), n. Etym: [L. costa rib. See Coast.]
1. A rib; a side; a region or coast. [Obs.] Piers Plowman. Betwixt the costs of a ship. B. Jonson.
2. (Her.)
Defn: See Cottise.
COST Cost (kst; 115), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cost; p. pr. & vb. n. Costing.] Etym: [OF. coster, couster, F. co, fr. L. constare to stand at, to cost; con- + stare to stand. See Stand, and cf. Constant.]
1. To require to be given, expended, or laid out therefor, as in barter, purchase, acquisition, etc.; to cause the cost, expenditure, relinquishment, or loss of; as, the ticket cost a dollar; the effort cost his life. A d'amond gone, cost me two thousand ducats. Shak. Though it cost me ten nights' watchings. Shak.
2. To require to be borne or suffered; to cause. To do him wanton rites, whichcost them woe. Milton. To cost dear, to require or occasion a large outlay of money, or much labor, self-denial, suffering, etc.
COST Cost, n. Etym: [OF. cost, F. co. See Cost, v. t. ]
1. The amount paid, charged, or engaged to be paid, for anything bought or taken in barter; charge; expense; hence, whatever, as labor, self-denial, suffering, etc., is requisite to secure benefitt. One day shall crown the alliance on 't so please you, Here at my house, and at my proper cost. Shak. At less cost of life than is often expended in a skirmish, [Charles V.] saved Europe from invasion. Prescott.
2. Loss of any kind; detriment; pain; suffering. I know thy trains, Though dearly to my cost, thy gins and toils. Milton.
3. pl. (Law)
Defn: Expenses incurred in litigation.
Note: Costs in actions or suits are either between attorney and client, being what are payable in every case to the attorney or counsel by his client whether he ultimately succeed or not, or between party and party, being those which the law gives, or the court in its discretion decrees, to the prevailing, against the losing, party. Bill of costs. See under Bill. -- Cost free, without outlay or expense. "Her duties being to talk French, and her privileges to live cost free and to gather scraps of knowledge." Thackeray.
COSTA Cos"ta (ks"t), n. Etym: [L., rib. See Coast.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: A rib of an animal or a human being.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: A rib or vein of a leaf, especially the midrib.
3. (Zoöl.) (a) The anterior rib in the wing of an insect. (b) One of the riblike longitudinal ridges on the exterior of many corals.
COSTAGE Cost"age (kst"j; 115), n. Etym: [OF. coustage.]
Defn: Expense; cost. [Obs.] Chaucer.
COSTAL Cos"tal (ks"tal), a. Etym: [Cf. F. costal. See Costa.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: Pertaining to the ribs or the sides of the body; as, costal nerves.
2. (Bot. & Zoöl.)
Defn: Relating to a costa, or rib. Costal cartilage. See Cartilage, and Illust. of Thorax.
COSTAL-NERVED Cos"tal-nerved` (ks"tal-nrvd`), a. (Bot.)
Defn: Having the nerves spring from the midrib.
COSTARD Cos"tard (ks"trd), n. Etym: [Prob. fr. OF. coste rib, side, F. côte, and meaning orig., a ribbed apple, from the ribs or angles on its sides. See Coast.]
1. An apple, large and round like the head. Some [apples] consist more of air than water . . . ; others more of water than wind, as your costards and pomewaters. Muffett.
2. The head; -- used contemptuously. Try whether your costard or my bat be the harder. Shak.
COSTARDMONGER Cos"tard*mon`ger (-mn`gr), n.
Defn: A costermonger.
COSTATE; COSTATED Cos"tate (ks"tt), Cos"ta*ted (-t-td), a. Etym: [L. costatus, fr. costa rib.]
Defn: Having ribs, or the appearance of ribs; (Bot.) having one or more longitudinal ribs.
COSTEAN Cos"tean` (ks"tn`), v. i. Etym: [Cornish cothas dropped + stean tin.]
Defn: To search after lodes. See Costeaning.
COSTEANING Cos"tean`ing, n.
Defn: The process by which miners seek to discover metallic lodes. It consist in sinking small pits through the superficial deposits to the solid rock, and then driving from one pit to another across the direction of the vein, in such manner as to cross all the veins between the two pits.
COSTELLATE Cos*tel"late (ks-tl"lt), a. Etym: [L. costa rib.]
Defn: Finely ribbed or costated.
COSTER Cos"ter (ks"tr), n.Etym: [Abbrev. of costermonger.]
Defn: One who hawks about fruit, green vegetables, fish, etc.
COSTERMONGER Cos"ter*mon`ger (ks"tr-mn`gr), n. Etym: [See Costard.]
Defn: An apple seller; a hawker of, or dealer in, any kind of fruit or vegetables; a fruiterer. [Written also costardmonger.]
COSTIFEROUS Cos*tif"er*ous (ks-tf"r-s), a. Etym: [Costa + -ferous.] (Anat.)
Defn: Rib-bearing, as the dorsal vertebræ.
COSTIVE Cos"tive (ks"tv), a. Etym: [OF. costev, p. p. of costever, F. constiper, L. constipare to press closely together, to cram; con- + stipare to press together, cram. See Stipulate, Stiff, and cf. Constipate.]
1. Retaining fecal matter in the bowels; having too slow a motion of the bowels; constipated.
2. Reserved; formal; close; cold. [Obs.] "A costive brain." Prior. "Costive of laughter." B. Jonson. You must be frank, but without indiscretion; and close, but without being costive. Lord Chesterfield.
3. Dry and hard; impermeable; unyielding. [Obs.] Clay in dry seasons is costive, hardening with the sun and wind. Mortimer.
COSTIVELY Cos"tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In a costive manner.
COSTIVENESS Cos"tive*ness, n.
1. An unnatural retention of the fecal matter of the bowels; constipation.
2. Inability to express one's self; stiffness. [Obs.] A reverend disputant of the same costiveness in public elocution with myself. Wakefield.
COSTLESS Cost"less (kst"ls; 115), a.
Defn: Costing nothing.
COSTLEWE Cost"lewe (-l), a.
Defn: Costly. [Obs.] Chaucer.
COSTLINESS Cost"li*ness (-l-ns), n.
Defn: The quality of being costy; expensiveness; sumptuousness.
COSTLY Cost"ly (kst"l; 115), a. Etym: [From Cost expense.]
1. Of great cost; expensive; dear. He had fitted up his palace in the most costly and sumptuous style, for the accomodation of the princess. Prescott.
2. Gorgeous; sumptuous. [Poetic.] To show how costly summer was at hand. Shak.
COSTMARY Cost"ma*ry (kst"m-r), n. Etym: [L. costum an Oriental aromatic plant (Gr. kost, kust) + Maria Mary. Cf.Alecost.] (Bot.)
Defn: A garden plant (Chrysanthemum Balsamita) having a strong balsamic smell, and nearly allied to tansy. It is used as a pot herb and salad plant and in flavoring ale and beer. Called also alecost.
COSTON LIGHTS Cos"ton lights.
Defn: Signals made by burning lights of different colors and used by vessels at sea, and in the life-saving service; -- named after their inventor.
COSTOTOME Cos"to*tome (ks"t-tm), n. Etym: [Costa + Gr.
Defn: An instrument (chisel or shears) to cut the ribs and open the thoracic cavity, in post-mortem examinations and dissections. Knight.
COSTREL Cos"trel (ks"trl), n. Etym: [CF.W. costrel, OF. costrel, LL. costrellum, a liquid measure, costrellus a wine cup.]
Defn: A bottle of leather, earthenware, or wood, having ears by which it was suspended at the side. [Archaic] A youth, that, following with a costrel, bore The means of goodly welcome, flesh and wine. Tennyson.
COSTUME Cos"tume` (ks"tm` or ks-tm"), n. Etym: [F. costume, It. costume custom, dress, fr. L. consuetumen (not found), for consuetudo custom. See Custom, and cf. Consuetude.]
1. Dress in general; esp., the distinctive style of dress of a people, class, or period.
2. Such an arrangement of accessories, as in a picture, statue, poem, or play, as is appropriate to the time, place, or other circumstances represented or described. I began last night to read Walter Scott's Lay of the Last Minstrel . . . .I was extremely delighted with the poetical beauty of some parts . . . .The costume, too, is admirable. Sir J. Mackintosh.
3. A character dress, used at fancy balls or for dramatic purposes.
COSTUMER Cos"tum`er (-tm`r), n.
Defn: One who makes or deals in costumes, as for theaters, fancy balls, etc.
CO-SUFFERER Co-suf"fer*er (k-sf"fr-r), n.
Defn: One who suffers with another. Wycherley.
COSUPREME Co`su*preme" (k`s-prm"), n.
Defn: A partaker of supremacy; one jointly supreme. Shak.
COSURETY Co*sure"ty (k-shr"t; 136), n.; pl. Cosureties (-t.
Defn: One who is surety with another.
COSY Co"sy (k"z), a.
Defn: See Cozy.
COT Cot (kt), n. Etym: [OE. cot, cote, AS. cot, cote, cottage; akin to D. & Icel. kot, G. koth, kot, kothe. Cf. Coat.]
1. A small house; a cottage or hut. The sheltered cot, the cultivated farm. Goldsmith.
2. A pen, coop, or like shelter for small domestic animals, as for sheep or pigeons; a cote.
3. A cover or sheath; as, a roller cot (the clothing of a drawing roller in a spinning frame); a cot for a sore finger.
4. Etym: [Cf. Ir. cot.]
Defn: A small, rudely-formed boat. Bell cot. (Arch.) See under Bell.
COT Cot (kt), n. Etym: [AS. cot cottage, bedchamber; or cf. OF. coite, F. couette (E. quilt), LL. cottum, cottus, mattress. See Cot a cottage.]
Defn: A sleeping place of limited size; a little bed; a cradle; a piece of canvas extended by a frame, used as a bed. [Written also cott.]
COTANGENT Co*tan"gent (k-tn"jent), n. Etym: [For co. tangens, an abbrev. of L. complementi tangens. See Tangent.] (Trig.)
Defn: The tangent of the complement of an arc or angle. See Illust. of Functions.
COTARNINE Co*tar"nine (k-tr"nn or -nn), n. Etym: [F., fr. narcotine, by transposition of letters.] (Chem.)
Defn: A white, crystalline substance, C12H13NO3, obtained as a product of the decomposition of narcotine. It has weak basic properties, and is usually regarded as an alkaloid.
COTE Cote (kt), n. Etym: [See 1st Cot.]
1. A cottage or hut. [Obs.]
2. A shed, shelter, or inclosure for small domestic animals, as for sheep or doves. Watching where shepherds pen their flocks, at eve, In hurdled cotes. Milton.
COTE Cote, v. t. Etym: [Prob. from F. c sode, OF. costet, LL. costatus, costatum, fr. L. costu rib, side: cf. F. c to go or keep at the side of. See Coast.]
Defn: To go side by side with; hence, to pass by; to outrun and get before; as, a dog cotes a hare. [Obs.] Drayton. We coted them on the way, and hither are they coming. Shak.
COTE Cote, v. t. Etym: [See Quote.]
Defn: To quote. [Obs.] Udall.
COTEAU Co`teau", n.; pl. Coteaux (#). [F., a hill.] [Canada & U. S.]
1. A hilly upland including the divide between two valleys; a divide.
2. The side of a valley.
COTEMPORANEOUS Co*tem`po*ra"ne*ous (k-tm`p-r"n-s), a. Etym: [See Contemporaneous.]
Defn: Living or being at the same time; contemporaneous. -- Co*tem`po*ra"ne*ous*ly, adv. -- Co*tem`po*ra"ne*ous*ness, n.
COTEMPORARY Co*tem"po*ra*ry (k-tm"p-r-r), a.
Defn: Living or being at the same time; contemporary.
COTEMPORARY Co*tem"po*ra*ry, n.; pl. Cotemporaries (-r.
Defn: One who lives at the same time with another; a contemporary.
COTENANT Co*ten"ant (k-tn"ant), n.
Defn: A tenant in common, or a joint tenant.
COTERIE Co`te*rie" (k`Te-r"; 277), n. Etym: [F., prob. from OF. coterie servile tenure, fr. colier cotter; of German origin. See 1st Cot.]
Defn: A set or circle of persons who meet familiarly, as for social, literary, or other purposes; a clique. "The queen of your coterie." Thackeray.
COTERMINOUS Co*ter"mi*nous (k-tr"m-ns), a. Etym: [Cf. Conterminous.]
Defn: Bordering; conterminous; -- followed by with.
COTGARE Cot"gare` (kt"gr`), n.
Defn: Refuse wool. [Obs. or Prov.]
COTHURN Co"thurn (k"thrn), n. Etym: [L. cothurnus, Gr. Cothurnus.]
Defn: A buskin anciently used by tragic actors on the stage; hence, tragedy in general. The moment had arrived when it was thought that the mask and the cothurn might be assumed with effect. Motley.
COTHURNATE; COTHURNATED Co*thur"nate (k-thr"nt), Co*thur"na*ted (-n-td), a.
1. Wearing a cothurn.
2. Relating to tragedy; solemn; grave.
COTHURNUS Co*thur"nus (-ns), n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: Same as Cothurn.
COTICULAR Co*tic"u*lar (k-tk"-lr), a. Etym: [L. coticula a small touchstone, dim. cos, cotis, whetstone.]
Defn: Pertaining to whetstones; like or suitable for whetstones.
COTIDAL Co*tid"al (k-td"al), a.
Defn: Marking an equality in the tides; having high tide at the same time. Cotidal lines (Phys. Geog.), lines on a map passing through places that have high tide at the same time.
COTILLON; COTILLION Co`til`lon" (k`t`yn" or k`tl`-;277), Co*til"lion (k-tl"yn), n. Etym: [F. cotillon, fr. OF. cote coat, LL. cotta tunic. See Coat.]
1. A brisk dance, performed by eight persons; a quadrille.
2. A tune which regulates the dance.
3. A kind of woolen material for women's skrits.
COTINGA Co*tin"ga (k-tn"g), n. Etym: [Native South American name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A bird of the family Cotingidæ, including numerous bright- colored South American species; -- called also chatterers.
COTISE Cot"ise (kt"s), n. (Her.)
Defn: See Cottise.
COTISED Cot"ised (-st), a. (Her.)
Defn: See Cottised.
COTLAND Cot"land (kt"lnd), n.
Defn: Land appendant to a cot or cottage, or held by a cottager or cotter.
COTQUEAN Cot"quean` (kt"kwn`), n. Etym: [Cot a cottage + quean.]
1. A man who busies himself with affairs which properly belong to women. Addison.
2. A she-cuckold; a cucquean; a henhussy. [Obs.] What, shall a husband be afraid of his wife's face We are a king, cotquean, and we will reign in our pleasures. B. Jonson.
COTQUEANITY Cot*quean"i*ty (kt-kwn"-t), n.
Defn: The condition, character, or conduct of a cotquean. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
COTRUSTEE Co`trus*tee" (k`trs-t"), n.
Defn: A joint trustee.
COTSWOLD Cots"wold` (kts"wld`), n. Etym: [Cot a cottage or hut + wold an open country.]
Defn: An open country abounding in sheepcotes, as in the Cotswold hills, in Gloucestershire, England. Cotswold sheep, a long-wooled breed of sheep, formerly common in the counties of Gloucester, Hereford, and Worcester, Eng.; -- so called from the Cotswold Hills. The breed is now chiefly amalgamated with others.
COTTA Cot"ta, n. [LL. See Coat.]
1. (Eccl.)
Defn: A surplice, in England and America usually one shorter and less full than the ordinary surplice and with short sleeves, or sometimes none.
2. A kind of very coarse woolen blanket.
COTTAGE Cot"tage (kt"tj; 48), n. Etym: [From Cot a cotttage.]
Defn: A small house; a cot; a hut.
Note: The term was formerly limited to a habitation for the poor, but is now applied to any small tasteful dwelling; and at places of summer resort, to any residence or lodging house of rustic architecture, irrespective of size. Cottage allotment. See under Alloment. [Eng.] -- Cottage cheese, the thick part of clabbered milk strained, salted, and pressed into a ball.
COTTAGED Cot"taged (-tjd), a.
Defn: Set or covered with cottages. Even humble Harting's cottaged vale. Collins.
COTTAGELY Cot"tage*ly (-tj-l), a.
Defn: Cottagelike; suitable for a cottage; rustic. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.
COTTAGER Cot"ta*ger (kt"t-jr), n.
1. One who lives in a cottage.
2. (Law)
Defn: One who lives on the common, without paying any rent, or having land of his own.
COTTER; COTTAR Cot"ter, Cot"tar (kt"tr), n. Etym: [LL. cotarius, cottarius, coterius. See Cot.]
Defn: A cottager; a cottier. Burns. Through Sandwich Notch the West Wind sang Good morrow to the cotter. Whittier.
COTTER Cot"ter (kt"tr), n.
1. A piece of wood or metal, commonly wedge-shaped, used for fastening together parts of a machine or structure. It is driven into an opening through one or all of the parts.
Note: [See Illust.] In the United States a cotter is commonly called a key.
2. A toggle.
COTTER Cot"ter, v. t.
Defn: To fasten with a cotter.
COTTIER Cot"ti*er (-t-r), n. Etym: [OF. cotier. See Coterie, and cf. Cotter.]
Defn: In Great Britain and Ireland, a person who hires a small cottage, with or without a plot of land. Cottiers commonly aid in the work of the landlord's farm. [Written also cottar and cotter.]
COTTISE Cot"tise (kt"ts), n. Etym: [Cf. F. c side, L. costa rib.] (Her.)
Defn: A diminutive of the bendlet, containing one half its area or one quarter the area of the bend. When a single cottise is used alone it is often called a cost. See also Couple-close.
COTTISED Cot"tised (-tst), a. (Her.)
Defn: Set between two cottises, -- said of a bend; or between two barrulets, -- said of a bar or fess.
COTTOID Cot"toid (kt"toid), a. Etym: [NL. cottus sculpin + -oid.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Like a fish of the genus Cottus. -- n.
Defn: A fish belonging to, or resembling, the genus Cottus. See Sculpin.
COTTOLENE Cot"to*lene`, n.
Defn: A product from cottonseed, used as lard.
COTTON Cot"ton (kt"t'n), n. Etym: [F. coton, Sp. algodon the cotton plant and its wool, coton printed cotton, cloth, fr. Ar. qutun, alqutun, cotton wool. Cf. Acton, Hacqueton.]
1. A soft, downy substance, resembling fine wool, consisting of the unicellular twisted hairs which grow on the seeds of the cotton plant. Long-staple cotton has a fiber sometimes almost two inches long; short-staple, from two thirds of an inch to an inch and a half.
2. The cotton plant. See Cotten plant, below.
3. Cloth made of cotton.
Note: Cotton is used as an adjective before many nouns in a sense which commonly needs no explanation; as, cottton bagging; cotton clotch; cotton goods; cotton industry; cotton mill; cotton spinning; cotton tick. Cotton cambric. See Cambric, n., 2. -- Cotton flannel, the manufactures' name for a heavy cotton fabric, twilled, and with a long plush nap. In England it is called swan's- down cotton, or Canton flannel. -- Cotton gin, a machine to separate the seeds from cotton, invented by Eli Whitney. -- Cotton grass (Bot.), a genus of plants (Eriphorum) of the Sedge family, having delicate capillary bristles surrounding the fruit (seedlike achenia), which elongate at maturity and resemble tufts of cotton. -- Cotton mouse (Zool.), a field mouse (Hesperomys gossypinus), injurious to cotton crops. -- Cotton plant (Bot.), a plant of the genus Gossypium, of several species, all growing in warm climates, and bearing the cotton of commerce. The common species, originally Asiatic, is G. herbaceum. -- Cotton press, a building and machinery in which cotton bales are compressed into smaller bulk for shipment; a press for baling cotton. -- Cotton rose (Bot.), a genus of composite herbs (Filago), covered with a white substance resembling cotton. -- Cotton scale (Zoöl.), a species of bark louse (Pulvinaria innumerabilis), which does great damage to the cotton plant. -- Cotton shrub. Same as Cotton plant. -- Cotton stainer (Zoöl.), a species of hemipterous insect (Dysdercus suturellus), which seriously damages growing cotton by staining it; -- called also redbug. -- Cotton thistle (Bot.), the Scotch thistle. See under Thistle. -- Cotton velvet, velvet in which the warp and woof are both of cotton, and the pile is of silk; also, velvet made wholly of cotton. -- Cotton waste, the refuse of cotton mills. -- Cotton wool, cotton in its raw or woolly state. -- Cotton worm (Zool.), a lepidopterous insect (Aletia argillacea), which in the larval state does great damage to the cotton plant by eating the leaves. It also feeds on corn, etc., and hence is often called corn worm, and Southern army worm.
COTTON Cot"ton, v. i.
1. To rise with a regular nap, as cloth does. [Obs.] It cottons well; it can not choose but bear A pretty nap. Family of Love.
2. To go on prosperously; to succeed. [Obs.] New, Hephestion, does not this matter cotton as I would Lyly.
3. To unite; to agree; to make friends; -- usually followed by with. [Colloq.] A quarrel will end in one of you being turned off, in which case it will not be easy to cotton with another. Swift. Didst see, Frank, how the old goldsmith cottoned in with his beggarly companion Sir W. Scott.
4. To take a liking to; to stick to one as cotton; -- used with to. [Slang]
COTTONADE Cot"ton*ade` (kt"t'n-d`), n. Etym: [F. cottonade.]
Defn: A somewhat stoun and thick fabric of cotton.
COTTONARY Cot"ton*a*ry (--r), a.
Defn: Relating to, or composed of, cotton; cottony. [Obs.] Cottomary and woolly pillows. Sir T. Browne.
COTTON BATTING Cot"ton bat"ting.
Defn: Cotton prepared in sheets or rolls for quilting, upholstering, and similar purposes.
COTTONOUS Cot"ton*ous (-s), a.
Defn: Resembling cotton. [R.] Evelyn.
COTTON SEED; COTTONSEED Cotton seed, or, usually collectively, Cot"ton*seed`, n.
Defn: The seed of the cotton plant.
COTTONSEED MEAL Cottonseed meal.
Defn: A meal made from hulled cotton seeds after the oil has been expressed.
COTTONSEED OIL Cottonseed oil.
Defn: A fixed, semidrying oil extracted from cottonseed. It is pale yellow when pure (sp. gr., .92-.93). and is extensively used in soap making, in cookery, and as an adulterant of other oils.
COTTON STATE Cotton State.
Defn: Alabama; -- a nickname.
COTTONTAIL Cot"ton*tail` (kt"t'n-tl`), n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The American wood rabbit (Lepus sylvaticus); -- also called Molly cottontail.
COTTONWEED Cot"ton*weed` (-wd`), n. (Bot.)
Defn: See Cudweed.
COTTONWOOD Cot"ton*wood` (-wd`), n. (Bot.)
Defn: An American tree of the genus Populus or polar, having the seeds covered with abundant cottonlike hairs; esp., the P. monilifera and P. angustifolia of the Western United States.
COTTONY Cot"ton*y (-), a.
1. Covered with hairs or pubescence, like cotton; downy; nappy; woolly.
2. Of or pertaining to cotton; resembling cotton in appearance or character; soft, like cotton.
COTTREL Cot"trel (kt"trl), n.
Defn: A trammel, or hook to support a pot over a fire. Knight.
COTYLA; COTYLE Cot"y*la (kt"-l), Cot"y*le (kt"-l), n. Etym: [Gr. cotyla a measure.] (Anat.)
Defn: A cuplike cavity or organ. Same as Acetabulum.
COTYLEDON Cot`y*le"don (kt`-l"dn), n. Etym: [Gr.Cotyle.]
1. (Anat.)
Defn: One of the patches of villi found in some forms of placenta.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: A leaf borne by the caulicle or radicle of an embryo; a seed leaf.
Note: Many plants, as the bean and the maple, have two cotyledons, the grasses only one, and pines have several. In one African plant (Welwitschia) the cotyledons are permanent and grow to immense proportions.
COTYLEDONAL Cot`y*led"on*al (kt`-ld"n-al), a.
Defn: Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a cotyledon.
COTYLEDONARY Cot`y*led"on*a*ry (--r), a.
Defn: Having a cotyledon; tufted; as, the cotyledonary placenta of the cow.
COTYLEDONOUS Cot`y*led"on*ous (-s; 277), a.
Defn: Of or pertaining to a cotyledon or cotyledons; having a seed lobe.
COTYLIFORM Co*tyl"i*form (k-tl"-frm), a. Etym: [Cotyle + -form.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Shaped like a cotyle or a cup.
COTYLIGEROUS Cot`y*lig"er*ous (kt`-lj"r-s), a. Etym: [Cotyle + -gerous.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: Having cotyles.
COTYLOID Cot"y*loid (kt"-loid), a. Etym: [Cotyle + -oid] (Anat.) (a) Shaped like a cup; as, the cotyloid cavity, which receives the head of the thigh bone. (b) Pertaining to a cotyloid cavity; as, the cotyloid ligament, or notch.
COUCAL Cou"cal (k"kl), n. Etym: [Prob. native name.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: A large, Old World, ground cuckoo of the genus Centropus, of several species.
COUCH Couch (kouch), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Couched (koucht); p. pr. & vb. n. Couching.] Etym: [F. coucher to lay down, lie down, OF. colchier, fr. L. collocare to lay, put, place; col- + locare to place, fr. locus place. See Locus.]
1. To lay upon a bed or other resting place. Where unbruised youth, with unstuffed brain, Does couch his limbs, there golden sleep doth reign. Shak.
2. To arrauge or dispose as in a bed; -- sometimes followed by the reflexive pronoun. The waters couch themselves as may be to the center of this globe, in a spherical convexity. T. Burnet.
3. To lay or deposit in a bed or layer; to bed. It is at this day in use at Gaza, to couch potsherds, or vessels of earth, in their walls. Bacon.
4. (Paper Making)
Defn: To transfer (as sheets of partly dried pulp) from the wire clotch mold to a felt blanket, for further drying.
5. To conceal; to include or involve darkly. There is all this, and more, that lies naturally couched under this allegory. L'Estrange.
6. To arrange; to place; to inlay. [Obs.] Chaucer.
7. To put into some form of language; to express; to phrase; -- used with in and under. A well-couched invective. Milton. I had received a letter from Flora couched in rather cool terms. Blackw. Mag.
8. (Med.)
Defn: To treat by pushing down or displacing the opaque lens with a needle; as, to couch a cataract. To couch a spear or lance, to lower to the position of attack; to place in rest. He stooped his head, and couched his spear, And spurred his steed to full career. Sir W. Scott. To couch malt, to spread malt on a floor. Mortimer.
COUCH Couch, v. i.
1. To lie down or recline, as on a bed or other place of rest; to repose; to lie. Where souls do couch on flowers, we 'll hand in hand. Shak. If I court moe women, you 'll couch with moe men. Shak.
2. To lie down for concealment; to hide; to be concealed; to be included or involved darkly. We 'll couch in the castle ditch, till we see the light of our fairies. Shak. The half-hidden, hallf-revealed wonders, that yet couch beneath the words of the Scripture. I. Taylor.
3. To bend the body, as in reverence, pain, labor, etc.; to stoop; to crouch. [Obs.] An aged squire That seemed to couch under his shield three-square. Spenser.
COUCH Couch, n. Etym: [F. couche, OF. colche, culche, fr. colchier. See Couch, v. t. ]
1. A bed or place for repose or sleep; particularly, in the United States, a lounge. Gentle sleep . . . why liest thou with the vile In loathsome beds, and leavest the kingly couch Shak. Like one that wraps the drapery of his couch About him, and lies down to pleasant dreams. Bryant.
2. Any place for repose, as the lair of a beast, etc.
3. A mass of steeped barley spread upon a floor to germinate, in malting; or the floor occupied by the barley; as, couch of malt.
4. (Painting & Gilding)
Defn: A preliminary layer, as of color, size, etc.
COUCHANCY Couch"an*cy (kouch"an-s), n.
Defn: State of lying down for repose. [R.]
COUCHANT Couch"ant (kouch"ant), a. Etym: [F., p. pr. of coucher. See Couch, v. t.]
1. Lying down with head erect; squatting.
2. (Her.)
Defn: Lying down with the head raised, which distinguishes the posture of couchant from that of dormant, or sleeping; -- said of a lion or other beast. Couchant and levant (Law), rising up and lying down; -- said of beasts, and indicating that they have been long enough on land, not belonging to their owner, to lie down and rise up to feed, -- such time being held to include a day and night at the least. Blackstone.
COUCHE Cou`ché" (k`sh"), a. Etym: [F., p. p. of coucher. See Couch, v. t. ] (Her.) (a) Not erect; inclined; -- said of anything that is usually erect, as an escutcheon. (b) Lying on its side; thus, a chevron couché is one which emerges from one side of the escutcheon and has its apex on the opposite side, or at the fess point.
COUCHED Couched (koucht), a. (Her.)
Defn: Same as Couch.
COUCHEE Cou"chee (k"sh; F. k"sh"), n. Etym: [F. couch a sleeping place from coucher. See Couch, v. t. ]
Defn: A reception held at the time of going to bed, as by a sovereign or great prince. [Obs.] Dryden. The duke's levees and couchees were so crowded that the antechambers were full. Bp. Burnet.
COUCHER Couch"er (kouch"r), n.
1. One who couches.
2. (Paper Manuf.)
Defn: One who couches paper.
3. Etym: [Cf. L. collectarius.] (O. Eng. Law) (a) A factor or agent resident in a country for traffic. Blount. (b) The book in which a corporation or other body registers its particular acts. [Obs.] Cowell.
COUCH GRASS Couch" grass` (grs`). (Bot.)
Defn: See Quitch grass.
COUCHING Couch"ing, n.
1. (Med.)
Defn: The operation of putting down or displacing the opaque lens in cataract.
2. Embroidering by laying the materials upon the surface of the foundation, instead of drawing them through.
COUCHLESS Couch"less (kouch"ls), a.
Defn: Having no couch or bed.
COUDEE Cou"dee (k"d; F. k`d"), n. Etym: [F. coud, from coude elbow.]
Defn: A measure of length; the distance from the elbow to the end of the middle finger; a cubit.
COUGAR Cou"gar (k"gr), n. Etym: [F. couguar, from the native name in the South American dialects, cuguacuara, cuguacuarana.] (Zoöl.)
Defn: An American feline quadruped (Felis concolor), resembling the African panther in size and habits. Its color is tawny, without spots; hence writers often called it the American lion. Called also puma, panther, mountain lion, and catamount. See Puma.
COUGH Cough (kf), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Coughed (kft); p. pr. & vb. n. Coughing.] Etym: [Cf. D. kuchen, MHG. k to breathe, G. keuchen to pant, and E. chincough, the first part of which is prob. akin to cough; cf. also E. choke.]
Defn: To expel air, or obstructing or irritating matter, from the lungs or air passages, in a noisy and violent manner.
COUGH Cough, v. t.
1. To expel from the lungs or air passages by coughing; -- followed by up; as, to cough up phlegm.
2. To bring to a specified state by coughing; as, he coughed himself hoarse. To cough down, to silence or put down (an objectionable speaker) by simulated coughing.
COUGH Cough, n. Etym: [Cg. D. kuch. See Cough, v. i. ]
1. A sudden, noisy, and violent expulsion of air from the chest, caused by irritation in the air passages, or by the reflex action of nervous or gastric disorder, etc.
2. The more or less frequent repetition of coughing, constituting a symptom of disease. Stomach cough, Ear cough, cough due to irritation in the stomach or ear.
COUGHER Cough"er (kf"r), n.
Defn: One who coughs.
COUHAGE Cou"hage (kou"j), n. (Bot.)
Defn: See Cowhage.
COULD Could (kd), imp. of Can. Etym: [OF. coude. The l was inserted by mistake, under the influence of should and would.]
Defn: Was, should be, or would be, able, capable, or susceptible. Used as an auxiliary, in the past tense or in the conditional present.
COULEE Cou`lee" (k`l"), n. Etym: [F. coulée, fr. couler to run or flow.]
Defn: A stream; (Geol.)
Defn: a stream of lava. Also, in the Western United States, the bed of a stream, even if dry, when deep and having inclined sides; distinguished from a cañon, which has precipitous sides.
COULEUR Cou`leur", n. [F.]
1. Color; -- chiefly used in a few French phrases, as couler de rose, color of rose; and hence, adjectively, rose-colored; roseate.
2. A suit of cards, as hearts or clubs; --used in some French games.
COULISSE Cou*lisse" (k-ls"; F. k`ls"), n. Etym: [F., fr. couler to flow, glide.]
1. A piece of timber having a groove in which something glides.
2. One of the side scenes of the stage in a theater, or the space included between the side scenes.
COULOIR Cou`loir" (k`lwr"), n. Etym: [F., a strainer.]
1. A deep gorge; a gully.
2. (Hydraul. Engin.)
Defn: A dredging machine for excavating canals, etc.
COULOMB Cou`lomb" (k`ln"), n. Etym: [From Coulomb, a French physicist and electrican.] (Physics)
Defn: The standard unit of quantity in electrical measurements. It is the quantity of electricity conveyed in one second by the current produced by an electro-motive force of one volt acting in a circuit having a resistance of one ohm, or the quantitty transferred by one ampère in one second. Formerly called weber.
COULOMB METER Cou`lomb" me"ter. (Elec.)
Defn: Any instrument by which electricity can be measured in coulombs.
COULOMB'S LAW Cou`lomb's" law. (Physics)
Defn: The law that the force exerted between two electric or magnetic charges is directly proportional to the product of the charges and inversely to the square of the distance between them.
COULTER Coul"ter (kl"tr), n.
Defn: Same as Colter.
COULTERNEB Coul"ter*neb` (-nb`), n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: The puffin.
COULURE Cou*lure", n. [F., prop., a dropping.] (Hort.)
Defn: A disease affecting grapes, esp. in California, manifested by the premature dropping of the fruit.
COUMARIC Cou*mar"ic (k-mr"k), a.
Defn: Relating to, derived from, or like, the Dipterix odorata, a tree of Guiana. Coumaric acid (Chem.), one of a series of aromatic acids, related to cinnamic acid, the most important of which is a white crystalline substance, HO.C6H4.C2H2.CO2H, obtained from the tonka bean, sweet clover, etc., and also produced artifically.
COUMARIN Cou"ma*rin (k"m-rn), n. Etym: [F., fr. coumarou, a tree of Guiana.] (Chem.)
Defn: The concrete essence of the tonka bean, the fruit of Dipterix (formerly Coumarouna) odorata and consisting essentially of coumarin proper, which is a white crystalline substance, C9H6O2, of vanilla- like odor, regarded as an anhydride of coumaric acid, and used in flavoring. Coumarin in also made artificially.
COUMAROU Cou"ma*rou, n. [See Coumarin.] (Bot.)
Defn: The tree (Dipteryx odorata) which bears the tonka bean; also, the bean itself.
COUNCIL Coun"cil (koun"sl), n. Etym: [F. concile, fr. L. concilium; con- + calare to call, akin to Gr. hale, v., haul. Cf. Conciliate. This word is often confounded with counsel, with which it has no connection.]
1. An assembly of men summoned or convened for consultation, deliberation, or advice; as, a council of physicians for consultation in a critical case.
2. A body of man elected or appointed to constitute an advisory or a legislative assembly; as, a governor's council; a city council. An old lord of the council rated me the other day. Shak.
3. Act of deliberating; deliberation; consultation. Satan . . . void of rest, His potentates to council called by night. Milton. O great in action and in council wise. Pope. Aulic council. See under Aulic. -- Cabinet council. See under Cabinet. -- City council, the legislative branch of a city government, usually consisting of a board of aldermen and common council, but sometimes otherwise constituted. -- Common council. See under Common. -- Council board, Council table, the table round which a council holds consultation; also, the council itself in deliberation. -- Council chamber, the room or apartment in which a council meets. -- Council fire, the ceremonial fire kept burning while the Indians hold their councils. [U.S.] Barilett. -- Council of war, an assembly of officers of high rank, called to consult with the commander in chief in regard to measures or importance or nesessity. -- Ecumenical council (Eccl.), an assembly of prelates or divines convened from the whole body of the church to regulate matters of doctrine or discipline. -- Executive council, a body of men elected as advisers of the chief magistrate, whether of a State or the nation. [U.S.] -- Legislative council, the upper house of a legislature, usually called the senate. -- Privy council. See under Privy. [Eng.]
Syn. -- Assembly; meeting; congress; diet; parliament; convention; convocation; synod.
COUNCILIST Coun"cil*ist (koun"sl-st), n.
Defn: One who belong to a council; one who gives an opinion. [Obs.] I will in three months be an expert counsilist. Milton.
COUNCILMAN Coun"cil*man (koun`sl-man), n.; pl. Councilmen (-men).
Defn: A member of a council, especially of the common council of a city; a councilor.
COUNCILOR Coun"cil*or (koun"sl-r), n.
Defn: A member of a council. [Written also councillor.]
Note: The distinction between councilor, a member of a council, and counselor, one who gives councel, was not formerly made, but is now very generally recognized and observed.
CO-UNE Co`-une" (k`n"), v. t. Etym: [L. co- + unus one.]
Defn: To combine or unite. [Obs.] "Co-uned together." Feltham.
CO-UNITE Co`-u*nite" (k`-nt"), v. t.
Defn: To unite. [Obs.]
CO-UNITE Co`-u*nite", a.
Defn: United closely with another. [Obs.]
COUNSEL Coun"sel (koun"sl), n. Etym: [OE. conc, F. conseil, fr. L. consilium, fr. the root of consulere to consult, of uncertain origin. Cf. Consult, Consul.]
1. Interchange of opinions; mutual advising; consultation. All the chief priest and elders of the people took counsel against Jesus, to put him to death. Matt. xxvii. 1.
2. Examination of consequences; exercise of deliberate judgment; prudence. They all confess, therefore, in the working of that first cause, that counsel is used. Hooker.
3. Result of consultation; advice; instruction. I like thy counsel; well hast thou advised. Shak. It was ill counsel had misled the girl. Tennyson.
4. Deliberate purpose; design; intent; scheme; plan. The counsel of the Lord standeth forever. Ps. xxxiii. 11. The counsels of the wicked are deceit. Prov. xii. 5.
5. A secret opinion or purpose; a private matter. Thilke lord . . . to whom no counsel may be hid. Gower.
6. One who gives advice, especially in legal matters; one professionally engaged in the trial or management of a cause in court; also, collectively, the legal advocates united in the management of a case; as, the defendant has able counsel. The King found his counsel as refractory as his judges. Macaulay.
Note: The some courts a distinction is observed between the attorney and the counsel in a cause, the former being employed in the management iof the more mechanical parts of the suit, the latter in attending to the pleadings, managing the cause at the trial, and in applying the law to the exigencies of the case during the whole progress of the suit. In other courts the same person can exercise the powers of each. See Attorney. Kent. In counsel, in secret. [Obs.] Chaucer. -- To keep counsel, or To keep one's own counsel, to keep one's thoughts, purposes, etc., undisclosed. The players can not keep counsel: they 'll tell all. Shak.
Syn. -- Advice; consideration; consultation; purpose; scheme; opinion.
COUNSEL Coun"sel, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Counseled (-sld) or Counselled; p. pr. & vb. n. Counseling or Counselling.] Etym: [OE. conseilen, counseilen, F. conseiller, fr. L. consiliari, fr. consilium counsel.]
1. To give advice to; to advice, admonish, or instruct, as a person. Good sir, I do in friendship counsel you To leave this place. Shak.
2. To advise or recommend, as an act or course. They who counsel war. Milton. Thus Belial, with words clothed in reson's garb, Counseled ignoble ease and peaceful sloth. Milton.
COUNSELABLE Coun"sel*a*ble (--b'l), a. Etym: [Written also counsellable.]
1. Willing to receive counsel or follow advice. [R.] Few men of so great parts were upon all occasions more counselable than he. Clarendon.
2. Suitable to be advised; advisable, wise. [Obs.] He did not believe it counselable. Clarendon.
COUNSELOR Coun"sel*or (koun"sl-r), n. [Written also counsellor.] Etym: [OE. conseiler, F. conseiller, fr. L. consiliarius, fr. consilium counsel.]
1. One who counsels; an adviser. Can he that speaks with the tongue of an enemy be a good counselor, or no Shak.
2. A member of council; one appointed to advise a sovereign or chief magistrate.
Note: [See under Consilor.]
3. One whose profession is to give advice in law, and manage causes for clients in court; a barrister. Good counselors lack no clients. Shak.
COUNSELORSHIP Coun"sel*or*ship (koun"sl-r-shp), n.
Defn: The function and rank or office of a counselor. Bacon.
COUNT Count (kount), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Counted; p. pr. & vb. n. Counting.] Etym: [OF. conter, and later (etymological spelling) compter, in modern French thus distinguished; conter to relate (cf. Recount, Account), compter to count; fr. L. computuare to reckon, compute; com- + putare to reckon, settle, order, prune, orig., to clean. See Pure, and cf. Compute.]
1. To tell or name one by one, or by groups, for the purpose of ascertaining the whole number of units in a collection; to number; to enumerate; to compute; to reckon. Who can count the dust of Jacob Num. xxiii. 10. In a journey of forty miles, Avaux counted only three miserable cabins. Macaulay.
2. To place to an account; to ascribe or impute; to consider or esteem as belonging. Abracham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Rom. iv. 3.
3. To esteem; to account; to reckon; to think, judge, or consider. I count myself in nothing else so happy As in a soul remembering my good friends. Shak. To count out. (a) To exclude (one) will not particapate or cannot be depended upon. (b) (House of Commons) To declare adjourned, as a sitting of the House, when it is ascertained that a quorum is not present. (c) To prevent the accession of (a person) to office, by a fraudulent return or count of the votes cast; -- said of a candidate really elected. [Colloq.]
Syn. -- To calculate; number; reckon; compute; enumerate. See Calculate.
COUNT Count, v. i.
1. To number or be counted; to possess value or carry weight; hence, to increase or add to the strength or influence of some party or interest; as, every vote counts; accidents count for nothing. This excellent man . . . counted among the best and wisest of English statesmen. J. A. Symonds.
2. To reckon; to rely; to depend; -- with on or upon. He was brewer to the palace; and it was apprehended that the government counted on his voice. Macaulay. I think it a great error to count upon the genius of a nation as a standing argument in all ages. Swift.
3. To take account or note; -- with of. [Obs.] "No man counts of her beauty." Shak.
4. (Eng. Law)
Defn: To plead orally; to argue a matter in court; to recite a count. Burrill.
COUNT Count, n. Etym: [F. conte and compte, with different meanings, fr. L. computus a computation, fr. computare. See Count, v. t.]
1. The act of numbering; reckoning; also, the number ascertained by counting. Of blessed saints for to increase the count. Spenser. By this count, I shall be much in years. Shak.
2. An object of interest or account; value; estimation. [Obs.] "All his care and count." Spenser.
3. (Law)
Defn: A formal statement of the plaintiff's case in court; in a more technical and correct sense, a particular allegation or charge in a declaration or indictment, separately setting forth the cause of action or prosecution. Wharton.
Note: In the old law books, count was used synonymously with declaration. When the plaintiff has but a single cause of action, and makes but one statement of it, that statement is called indifferently count or declaration, most generally, however, the latter. But where the suit embraces several causes, or the plaintiff makes several different statements of the same cause of action, each statement is called a count, and all of them combined, a declaration. Bouvier. Wharton.
COUNT Count, n. Etym: [F. conte, fr. L. comes, comitis, associate, companion, one of the imperial court or train, properly, one who goes with another; com- + ire to go, akin to Skr. i to go.]
Defn: A nobleman on the continent of Europe, equal in rank to an English earl.
Note: Though the tittle Count has never been introduced into Britain, the wives of Earls have, from the earliest period of its history, been designated as Countesses. Brande & C. Count palatine. (a) Formerly, the proprietor of a county who possessed royal prerogatives within his county, as did the Earl of Chester, the Bishop of Durham, and the Duke of Lancaster. [Eng.] See County palatine, under County. (b) Originally, a high judicial officer of the German emperors; afterward, the holder of a fief, to whom was granted the right to exercise certain imperial powers within his own domains. [Germany]
COUNTABLE Count"a*ble (--b'l), a.
Defn: Capable of being numbered.
COUNTENANCE Coun"te*nance (koun"t-nans), n. Etym: [OE. contenance, countenaunce, demeanor, composure, F. contenance demeanor, fr. L. continentia continence, LL. also, demeanor, fr. L. continere to hold together, repress, contain. See Contain, and cf. Continence.]
1. Appearance or expression of the face; look; aspect; mien. So spake the Son, and into terror changed His countenance. Milton.
2. The face; the features. In countenance somewhat doth resemble you. Shak.
3. Approving or encouraging aspect of face; hence, favor, good will, support; aid; encouragement. Thou hast made him . . . glad with thy countenance. Ps. xxi. 6. This is the magistrate's peculiar province, to give countenance to piety and virtue, and to rebuke vice. Atterbury.
4. Superficial appearance; show; pretense. [Obs.] The election being done, he made countenance of great discontent thereat. Ascham. In countenance, in an assured condition or aspect; free from shame or dismay. "It puts the learned in countenance, and gives them a place among the fashionable part of mankind." Addison. -- Out of countenance, not bold or assured; confounded; abashed. "Their best friends were out of countenance, because they found that the imputations . . . were well grounded." Clarendon. -- To keep the countenance, to preserve a composed or natural look, undisturbed by passion or emotion. Swift.
COUNTENANCE Coun"te*nance (koun"t-nans), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Countenanced (- nanst); p. pr. & vb. n. Countenancing.]
1. To encourage; to favor; to approve; to aid; to abet. This conceit, though countenanced by learned men, is not made out either by experience or reason. Sir T. Browne. Error supports custom, custom countenances error. Milton.
2. To make a show of; to pretend. [Obs.] Which to these ladies love did countenance. Spenser.
COUNTENANCER Coun"te*nan*cer (-nan-sr), n.
Defn: One who countenances, favors, or supports.
COUNTER Coun"ter (koun"tr-).
Note: [See Counter, adv. ]
Defn: A prefix meaning contrary, opposite, in opposition; as, counteract, counterbalance, countercheck. See Counter, adv. & a.
COUNTER Count"er (koun"tr), n. Etym: [OE. countere, countour, a counter (in sense 1), OF. contere, conteor, fr. conter to count. See Count, v. t. ]
1. One who counts, or reckons up; a calculator; a reckoner.
2. A piece of metal, ivory, wood, or bone, used in reckoning, in keeping account of games, etc. The old gods of our own race whose names . . . serve as counters reckon the days of the week. E. B. Tylor. What comes the wool to . . . I can not do it witthout counters. Shak.
3. Money; coin; -- used in contempt. [Obs.] To lock such rascal counters from his friends. Shak.
4. A prison; either of two prisons formerly in London. Anne Aysavugh . . . imprisoned in the Counter. Fuller.
5. A telltale; a contrivance attached to an engine, printing press, or other machine, for the purpose of counting the revolutions or the pulsations. Knight.
COUNTER Coun"ter, n. Etym: [OE. countour, OF. contouer, comptouer, F. comptoir, LL. computatorium, prop., a computing place, place of accounts, fr. L. computare. See Count, v. t.]
Defn: A table or board on which money is counted and over which business is transacted; a long, narrow table or bench, on which goods are laid for examination by purchasers, or on which they are weighed or measured.
COUNTER Coun"ter, adv. Etym: [F. contre, fr. L. contra against. Cf. Contra-.]
1. Contrary; in opposition; in an opposite direction; contrariwise; - - used chiefly with run or go. Running counter to all the rules of virtue. Locks.
2. In the wrong way; contrary to the right course; as, a hound that runs counter. This is counter, you false Danish dogs! Shak.
3. At or against the front or face. [R.] Which [darts] they never throw counter, but at the back of the flier. Sandys.
COUNTER Coun"ter, a.
Defn: Contrary; opposite; contrasted; opposed; adverse; antagonistic; as, a counter current; a counter revolution; a counter poison; a counter agent; counter fugue. "Innumerable facts attesting the counter principle." I. Taylor. Counter approach (Fort.), a trench or work pushed forward from defensive works to meet the approaches of besiegers. See Approach. -- Counter bond (Law), in old practice, a bond to secure one who has given bond for another. -- Counter brace. See Counter brace, in Vocabulary. -- Counter deed (Law), a secret writing which destroys, invalidates, or alters, a public deed. -- Counter distinction, contradistinction. [Obs.] -- Counter drain, a drain at the foot of the embankment of a canal or watercourse, for carrying off the water that may soak through. -- Counter extension (Surg.), the fixation of the upper part of a limb, while extension is practiced on the lower part, as in cases of luxation or fracture. -- Counter fissure (Surg.) Same as Contrafissure. -- Counter indication. (Med.) Same as Contraindication. -- Counter irritant (Med.), an irritant to produce a blister, a pustular eruption, or other irritation in some part of the body, in order to relieve an existing irritation in some other part. "Counter irritants are of as great use in moral as in physical diseases." Macaulay. -- Counter irritation (Med.), the act or the result of applying a counter irritant. -- Counter opening, an aperture or vent on the opposite side, or in a different place. -Counter parole (Mil.), a word in addition to the password, given in time of alarm as a signal. -- Counter plea (Law), a replication to a plea. Cowell. -- Counter pressure, force or pressure that acts in a contrary direction to some other opposing pressure. -- Counter project, a project, scheme, or proposal brought forward in opposition to another, as in the negotiation of a treaty. Swift. -- Counter proof, in engraving, a print taken off from another just printed, which, by being passed through the press, gives a copy in reverse, and of course in the same position as that of plate from which the first was printed, the object being to enable the engraver to inspect the state of the plate. -- Counter revolution, a revolution opposed to a former one, and restoring a former state of things. -- Counter revolutionist, one engaged in, or befriending, a counter revolution. -- Counter round (Mil.), a body of officers whose duty it is to visit and inspect the rounds and sentinels. -- Counter sea (Naut.), a sea running in an opposite direction from the wind. -- Counter sense, opposite meaning. -- Counter signal, a signal to answer or correspond to another. -- Counter signature, the name of a secretary or other officer countersigned to a writing. . Tooke. -- Counter slope, an overhanging slope; as, a wall with a counter slope. Mahan. -- Counter statement, a statement made in opposition to, or denial of, another statement. -- Counter surety, a counter bond, or a surety to secure one who has given security. -- Counter tally, a tally corresponding to another. -- Counter tide, contrary tide.
COUNTER Coun"ter, n. Etym: [See Counter, adv., Contra.]
1. (Naut.)
Defn: The after part of a vessel's body, from the water line to the stern, -- below and somewhat forward of the stern proper.
2. (Mus.)
Defn: Same as Contra. Formerly used to designate any under part which served for contrast to a principal part, but now used as equivalent to counter tenor.
3. (Far.)
Defn: The breast, or thet part of a horse between the shoulders and under the neck.
4. The back leather or heel part of a boot.
COUNTER Coun"ter (koun"tr), n.
Defn: An encounter. [Obs.] With kindly counter under mimic shade. Spenser.
COUNTER Coun"ter, v. i. (Boxing)
Defn: To return a blow while receiving one, as in boxing. His left hand countered provokingly. C. Kingsley.
COUNTERACT Coun`ter*act" (koun`tr-kt"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Counteracted; p. pr. & vb. n. Counteracting.]
Defn: To act in opposition to; to hinder, defeat, or frustrate, by contrary agency or influence; as, to counteract the effect of medicines; to counteract good advice.
COUNTERACTION Coun`ter*ac"tion (koun`tr-k"shn), n.
Defn: Action in opposition; hindrance resistance. [They] do not . . . overcome the counteraction of a false principle or of stubborn partiality. Johnson.
COUNTERACTIVE Coun`ter*act"ive (-kt"v), a.
Defn: Tending to counteract.
COUNTERACTIVE Coun`ter*act"ive, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, counteracts.
COUNTERACTIVELY Coun`ter*act"ive*ly, adv.
Defn: By counteraction.
COUNTERBALANCE Coun`ter*bal"ance (-bl"ans), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Counterbalanced (- anst); p. pr. & vb. n. Counterbalancing.]
Defn: To oppose with an equal weight or power; to counteract the power or effect of; to countervail; to equiponderate; to balance. The remaining air was not able to counterbalance the mercurial cylinder. Boyle. The cstudy of mind is necessary to counterbalance and correct the influence of the study of nature. Sir W. Hamilton.
COUNTERBALANCE Coun"ter*bal`ance (koun"tr-bl`ans), n.
Defn: A weight, power, or agency, acting against or balancing another; as: (a) A mass of metal in one side of a driving wheel or fly wheel, to balance the weight of a crank pin, etc., on the opposite side of the wheel. (b) A counterpoise to balance the weight of anything, as of a drawbridge or a scale beam. Money is the counterbalance to all other things purchasable by it. Locke.
COUNTERBORE Coun"ter*bore` (-br`), n.
1. A flat-bottomed cylindrical enlargement of the mouth of a hole, usually of slight depth, as for receiving a cylindrical screw head.
2. A kind of pin drill with the cutting edge or edges normal to the axis; -- used for enlarging a hole, or for forming a flat-bottomed recess at its mouth.
COUNTERBORE Coun`ter*bore" (koun`tr-br"), v. t.
Defn: To form a counterbore in, by boring, turning, or drilling; to enlarge, as a hole, by means of a counterbore.
COUNTER BRACE Coun"ter brace` (brs`).
1. (Naut.)
Defn: The brace of the fore-topsail on the leeward side of a vessel.
2. (Engin.)
Defn: A brace, in a framed structure, which resists a strain of a character opposite to that which a main brace is designed to receive.
Note: In a quadrilateral system of bracing, the main brace is usually in the direction of one diagonal, and the counter brace in the direction of the other. Strains in counter braces are occasioned by the live load only, as, in a roof, by the wind, or, in a bridge, by a moving train.
COUNTERBRACE Coun"ter*brace`, v. t.
1. (Naut.)
Defn: To brace in opposite directions; as, to counterbrace the yards, i. e., to brace the head yards one way and the after yards another.
2. (Engin.)
Defn: To brace in such a way that opposite strains are resisted; to apply counter braces to.
COUNTERBUFF Coun`ter*buff" (koun`tr-bf"), v. t.
Defn: To strike or drive back or in an opposite direction; to stop by a blow or impulse in front. Dryden.
COUNTERBUFF Coun"ter*buff` (koun"tr-bf`), n.
Defn: A blow in an opposite direction; a stroke that stops motion or cause a recoil.
COUNTERCAST Coun"ter*cast` (koun"tr-kst`), n.
Defn: A trick; a delusive contrivance. [Obs.] Spenser.
COUNTERCASTER Coun"ter*cast`er (-r), n.
Defn: A caster of accounts; a reckoner; a bookkeeper; -- used conteptuously.
COUNTERCHANGE Coun`ter*change" (koun`tr-chnj), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Counterchanged (-chnjd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Counterchanging.]
1. To give and receive; to cause to change places; to exchange.
2. To checker; to diversify, as in heraldic counterchanging. See Counterchaged, a., 2. With-elms, that counterchange the floor Of this flat lawn with dusk and bright. Tennyson.
COUNTERCHANGE Coun"ter*change` (koun"tr-chnj`), n.
Defn: Exchange; reciprocation.
COUNTERCHANGED Coun`ter*changed" (-chnjd"), a.
1. Exchanged.
2. (Her.)
Defn: Having the tinctures exchanged mutually; thus, if the field is divided palewise, or and azure, and cross is borne counterchanged, that part of the cross which comes on the azure side will be or, and that on the or side will be azure.
COUNTERCHARGE Coun"ter*charge` (koun"tr-chrj`), n.
Defn: An opposing charge.
COUNTERCHARM Coun`ter*charm" (koun`tr-chrm"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Countercharmed (-chrmd`); p. pr. & vb. n. Countercharming.]
Defn: To destroy the effect of a charm upon.
COUNTERCHARM Coun"ter*charm` (koun"tr-chrm`), n.
Defn: That which has the power of destroying the effect of a charm.
COUNTERCHECK Coun`ter*check" (koun`tr-chk"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Counterchecked (- chckt"); p. pr. & vb. n. Counterchecking.]
Defn: To oppose or check by some obstacle; to check by a return check.
COUNTERCHECK Coun"ter*check` (koun"tr-chk`), n.
1. A check; a stop; a rebuke, or censure to check a reprover.
2. Any force or device designed to restrain another restraining force; a check upon a check. The system of checks and counterchecks. J. H. Newton.
COUNTERCLAIM Coun"ter*claim` (-klm`), n. (Law)
Defn: A claim made by a person as an offset to a claim made on him.
COUNTER-COMPONY Coun"ter-com*po`ny (-km-p`n), a. (Her.)
Defn: See Compony.
COUNTER-COUCHANT Coun"ter-couch`ant (koun"tr-kouch"ant), a. (Her.)
Defn: Lying down, with their heads in opposite directions; -- said of animals borne in a coat of arms.
COUNTER-COURANT Coun"ter-cou*rant" (-k-rnt"), a. (Her.)
Defn: Running in opposite directions; -- said of animals borne in a coast of arms.
COUNTERCURRENT Coun"ter*cur`rent (koun"tr-kr`-rent), a.
Defn: Running in an opposite direction.
COUNTERCURRENT Coun"ter*cur`rent, n.
Defn: A current running in an opposite direction to the main current.
COUNTERDRAW Coun`ter*draw" (koun`tr-dr"), v. t. [imp. Counterdrew (-dr"); p. p. Counterdrawn (-drn"); p. pr. & vb. n. Counterdrawing.]
Defn: To copy, as a design or painting, by tracing with a pencil on oiled paper, or other transparent substance.
COUNTERFAISANCE Coun"ter*fai"sance (koun"tr-f"zans), n.
Defn: See Counterfesance. [Obs.]
COUNTERFEIT Coun"ter*feit (koun"tr-ft), a. Etym: [F. contrefait, p. p. of contrefaire to counterfeit; contre (L. contra) + faire to make, fr. L. facere. See Counter, adv., and Fact.]
1. Representing by imitation or likeness; having a resemblance to something else; portrayed. Look here upon this picture, and on this-The counterfeit presentment of two brothers. Shak.
2. Fabricated in imitation of something else, with a view to defraud by passing the false copy for genuine or original; as, counterfeit antiques; counterfeit coin. "No counterfeit gem." Robinson (More's Utopia).
3. Assuming the appearance of something; false; spurious; deceitful; hypocritical; as, a counterfeit philanthropist. "An arrant counterfeit rascal." Shak.
Syn. -- Forged; fictitious; spurious; false.
COUNTERFEIT Coun"ter*feit, n.
1. That which resembles or is like another thing; a likeness; a portrait; a counterpart. Thou drawest a counterfeit Best in all Athens. Shak. Even Nature's self envied the same, And grudged to see the counterfeit should shame The thing itself. Spenser.
2. That which is made in imitation of something, with a view to deceive by passing the false for the true; as, the bank note was a counterfeit. Never call a true piece of gold a counterfeit. Shak. Some of these counterfeits are fabricated with such exquisite taste and skill, that it is the achievement of criticism to distinguish them from originals. Macaulay.
3. One who pretends to be what he is not; one who personates another; an impostor; a cheat. I fear thou art another counterfeit; And yet, in faith, thou bears'st thee like a king. Shak.
COUNTERFEIT Coun"ter*feit, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Counterfeited; p. pr. & vb. n. Counterfeiting.]
1. To imitate, or put on a semblance of; to mimic; as, to counterfeit the voice of another person. Full well they laughed with counterfeited glee At all his jokes, for many a joke had he. Goldsmith.
2. To imitate with a view to deceiving, by passing the copy for that which is original or genuine; to forge; as, to counterfeit the signature of another, coins, notes, etc.
COUNTERFEIT Coun"ter*feit, v. i.
1. To carry on a deception; to dissemble; to feign; to pretend. The knave counterfeits well; a good knave. Shak.
2. To make counterfeits.
COUNTERFEITER Coun"ter*feit`er (-ft`r), n.
1. One who counterfeits; one who copies or imitates; especially, one who copies or forges bank notes or coin; a forger. The coin which was corrupted by counterfeiters. Camden.
2. One who assumes a false appearance or semblance; one who makes false pretenses. Counterfeiters of devotion. Sherwood.
COUNTERFEITLY Coun"ter*feit`ly, adv.
Defn: By forgery; falsely.
COUNTERFESANCE Coun"ter*fe`sance (-f"zans), n. Etym: [OF. contrefaisance, fr. contrefaire. See Counterfeit, a.]
Defn: The act of forging; forgery. [Obs.] [Written also counterfaisance.]
COUNTERFLEURY Coun"ter*fleu`ry (koun"tr-fl`r), a. Etym: [F. contrefleuri.] (Her.)
Defn: Counterflory.
COUNTERFLORY Coun"ter*flo`ry (-fl`r), a. Etym: [See Counterfleury.] (Her.)
Defn: Adorned with flowers (usually fleurs-de-lis) so divided that the tops appear on one side and the bottoms on the others; -- said of any ordinary.
COUNTERFOIL Coun"ter*foil` (-foil), n. Etym: [Counter- + foil a leaf.]
1. That part of a tally, formerly in the exchequer, which was kept by an officer in that court, the other, called the stock, being delivered to the person who had lent the king money on the account; - - called also counterstock. [Eng.]
2. The part of a writing (as the stub of a bank check) in which are noted the main particulars contained in the corresponding part, which has been issued.
COUNTERFORCE Coun"ter*force` (-frs`), n.
Defn: An opposing force.
COUNTERFORT Coun"ter*fort` (-frt`), n.
1. (Fort.)
Defn: A kind of buttress of masonry to strengthen a revetment wall.
2. A spur or projection of a mountain. Imp. Dict.
COUNTERGAGE Coun"ter*gage` (-gj`), n. (Carp.)
Defn: An adjustable gage, with double points for transferring measurements from one timber to another, as the breadth of a mortise to the place where the tenon is to be made. Knight.
COUNTERGLOW Coun"ter*glow`, n. (Astron.)
Defn: An exceedingly faint roundish or somewhat oblong nebulous light near the ecliptic and opposite the sun, best seen during September and October, when in the constellations Sagittarius and Pisces. Its cause is not yet understood. Called also Gegenschein.
COUNTERGUARD Coun"ter*guard` (koun"tr-grd`), n. (Fort.)
Defn: A low outwork before a bastion or ravelin, consisting of two lines of rampart parallel to the faces of the bastion, and protecting them from a breaching fire.
COUNTERIRRITANT; COUNTERIRRITATION Coun"ter*ir`ri*tant (-r"r-tant), n., Coun"ter*ir`ri*ta"tion, n.
Defn: See Counter irritant, etc., under Counter, a.
COUNTERIRRITATE Coun"ter*ir"ri*tate (koun"tr-r"r-tt), v. t. (Med.)
Defn: To produce counter irritation in; to treat with one morbid process for the purpose of curing another.
COUNTERJUMPER Coun"ter*jump`er (koun"tr-jmp`r), n.
Defn: A salesman in a shop; a shopman; -- used contemtuously. [Slang]
COUNTERLATH Coun"ter*lath`, n. (Building) (a) A batten laid lengthwise between two rafters to afford a bearing for laths laid crosswise. (b) Any lath laid without actual measurement between two gauged laths. (c) Any of a series of laths nailed to the timbers to raise the sheet lathing above their surface to afford a key for plastering. (d) One of many laths used in preparing one side of a partition or framed wall, when the other side has been covered in and finished.
COUNTERMAN Coun"ter*man (koun"tr-man), n.; pl. Countermen (-men).
Defn: A man who attends at the counter of a shop to sell goods. [Eng.]
COUNTERMAND Coun`ter*mand" (koun`tr-mnd"), v. t. [imp & p. p. Countermanded; p. pr. & vb. n. Countermanding.] Etym: [F. contremander; contre (L. contra) + mander to command, fr. L. mandare. Cf. Mandate.]
1. To revoke (a former command); to cancel or rescind by giving an order contrary to one previously given; as, to countermand an order for goods.
2. To prohibit; to forbid. [Obs.] Avicen countermands letting blood in choleric bodles. Harvey.
3. To oppose; to revoke the command of. For us to alter anuthing, is to lift ourselves against God; and, as it were, to countermand him. Hooker.
COUNTERMAND Coun"ter*mand (koun"tr-mnd), n.
Defn: A contrary order; revocation of a former order or command. Have you no countermand for Claudio yet, But he must die to-morrow Shak.
COUNTERMANDABLE Coun`ter*mand"a*ble (-mnd"-b'l), a.
Defn: Capable of being countermanded; revocable. Bacon.
COUNTERMARCH Coun`ter*march" (koun`tr-mrch"), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Countermarched (-mrcht"); p. pr. & vb. n. Countermarching.] (Mil.)
Defn: To march back, or to march in reversed order. The two armies marched and countermarched, drew near and receded. Macaulay.
COUNTERMARCH Coun"ter*march` (koun"tr-mrch`), n.
1. A marching back; retrocession.
2. (Mil.)
Defn: An evolution by which a body of troops change front or reverse the direction of march while retaining the same men in the front rank; also, a movement by which the rear rank becomes the front one, either with or without changing the right to the left.
3. A change of measures; alteration of conduct. Such countermarches and retractions as we do not willingly impute to wisdom. T. Burnet.
COUNTERMARK Coun"ter*mark` (-mrk`), n.
1. A mark or token added to those already existing, in order to afford security or proof; as, an additional or special mark put upon a package of goods belonging to several persons, that it may not be opened except in the presence of all; a mark added to that of an artificer of gold or silver work by the Goldsmiths' Company of London, to attest the standard quality of the gold or silver; a mark added to an ancient coin or medal, to show either its change of value or that it was taken from an enemy.
2. (Far.)
Defn: An artificial cavity made in the teeth of horses that have outgrown their natural mark, to disguise their age.
COUNTERMARK Coun`ter*mark" (koun`tr-mrk"), v. t.
Defn: To apply a countenmark to; as, to countermark silverware; to countermark a horse's teeth.
COUNTERMINE Coun"ter*mine` (koun"tr-mn`), n. Etym: [Counter- + mine underground gallery: cf. F. contermine.]
1. (Mil.)
Defn: An underground gallery excavated to intercept and destroy the mining of an enemy.
2. A stratagem or plot by which another sratagem or project is defeated. Thinking himself contemned, knowing no countermine against contempt but terror. Sir P. Sidney.
COUNTERMINE Coun`ter*mine" (koun`tr-mn"), v. t. Etym: [Cf. F. contreminer.] [imp. & p. p. Countermined; p. pr. & vb. n. Countermining.]
1. (Mil.)
Defn: To oppose by means or a countermine; to intercept with a countermine.
2. To frustrate or counteract by secret measures.
COUNTERMINE Coun`ter*mine", v. i.
Defn: To make a countermine or counterplot; to plot secretly. 'Tis hard for man to countermine with God. Chapman.
COUNTERMOVE Coun`ter*move" (koun`tr-mv"), v. t. & i.
Defn: To move in a contrary direction to.
COUNTERMOVE; COUNTERMOVEMENT Coun"ter*move` (-mv`), n. Coun"ter*move`ment (-ment).
Defn: A movement in opposition to another.
COUNTERMURE Coun"ter*mure` (-mr`), n. Etym: [Counter- + mure: cf. F. contremur.] (Fort.)
Defn: A wall raised behind another, to supply its place when breached or destroyed. [R.] Cf. Contramure. Knolles.
COUNTERMURE Coun`ter*mure" (koun`tr-mr"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Countermured (- mrd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Countermuring.] Etym: [Cf. F. contremurer.]
Defn: To fortify with a wall behind another wall. [R.] Kyd.
COUNTERNATURAL Coun"ter*nat`u*ral (koun"tr-nt`-ral; 135), a.
Defn: Contrary to nature. [R.] Harvey.
COUNTER-PALY Coun"ter-pa`ly (-p`l), a. Etym: [F. contre-palé.] (Her.)
Defn: Paly, and then divided fesswise, so that each vertical piece is cut into two, having the colors used alternately or counterchanged. Thus the escutcheon in the illustration may also be blazoned paly of six per fess counterchanged argent and azure.
COUNTERPANE Coun"ter*pane` (koun"tr-pn`), n. Etym: [See Counterpoint, corrupted into counterpane, from the employment of pane-shaped figures in these coverlets. ]
Defn: A coverlet for a bed, -- originally stitched or woven in squares or figures. On which a tissue counterpane was cast. Drayton.
COUNTERPANE Coun"ter*pane`, n. Etym: [OF. contrepan a pledge, security; contre + pan a skirt, also, a pawn or gage, F. pan a skirt. See Pane, and cf. Pawn.] (O. Law)
Defn: A duplicate part or copy of an indenture, deed, etc., corresponding with the original; -- now called counterpart. Read, scribe; give me the counterpane. B. Jonson.
COUNTERPART Coun"ter*part` (koun"tr-prt`), n.
1. A part corresponding to another part; anything which answers, or corresponds, to another; a copy; a duplicate; a facsimile. In same things the laws of Normandy agreed with the laws of England, so that they seem to be, as it were, copies or counterparts one of another. Sir M. Hale.
2. (Law)
Defn: One of two corresponding copies of an instrument; a duplicate.
3. A person who closely resembles another.
4. A thing may be applied to another thing so as to fit perfectly, as a seal to its impression; hence, a thing which is adapted to another thing, or which suplements it; that which serves to complete or complement anything; hence, a person or thing having qualities lacking in another; an opposite. O counterpart Of our soft sex, well are you made our lords. Dryden.
COUNTERPASSANT Coun"ter*pas`sant (-ps"sant), a. Etym: [Counter- + passant:cf. F. contrepassant.] (Her.)
Defn: Passant in opposite directions; -- said of two animals.
COUNTERPLEAD Coun`ter*plead" (koun`tr-pld"), v. t.
Defn: To plead the contrary of; to plead against; to deny.
COUNTERPLOT Coun`ter*plot" (koun`tr-plt"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Counterplotted;p. pr. & vb. n. Counterplotting.]
Defn: To oppose, as another plot, by plotting; to attempt to frustrate, as a stratagem, by stratagem. Every wile had proved abortive, every plot had been counterplotted. De Quinsey.
COUNTERPLOT Coun"ter*plot` (koun"tr-plt`), n.
Defn: A plot or artifice opposed to another. L'Estrange.
COUNTERPOINT Coun"ter*point` (koun"tr-point`), n. Etym: [Counter- + point.]
Defn: An opposite point [Obs.] Sir E. Sandys.
COUNTERPOINT Coun"ter*point`, n. Etym: [F. contrepoint; cf. It. contrappunto. Cf. Contrapuntal.] (Mus.) (a) The setting of note against note in harmony; the adding of one or more parts to a given canto fermo or melody. (b) The art of polyphony, or composite melody, i. e., melody not single, but moving attended by one or more related melodies. (c) Music in parts; part writing; harmony; polyphonic music. See Polyphony. Counterpoint, an invention equivalent to a new creation of music. Whewell.
COUNTERPOINT Coun"ter*point`, n. Etym: [OF. contrepoincte, corruption of earlier counstepointe, countepointe, F. courtepointe, fr. L. culcita cushion, mattress (see Quilt, and cf. Cushion) + puncta, fem. p. p. of pungere to prick (see Point). The word properly meant a stitched quilt, with the colors broken one into another.]
Defn: A coverlet; a cover for a bed, often stitched or broken into squares; a counterpane. See 1st Counterpane. Embroidered coverlets or counterpoints of purple silk. Sir T. North.
COUNTERPOISE Coun"ter*poise` (koun"tr-poiz`; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Counterpoised (-poizd`); p. pr. & vb. n. Counterpoising.] Etym: [OE. countrepesen, counterpeisen, F. contrepeser. See Counter, adv., and Poise, v. t. ]
1. To act against with equal weight; to equal in weght; to balance the weight of; to counterbalance. Weigts, counterpoising one another. Sir K. Digby.
2. To act against with equal power; to balance. So many freeholders of English will be able to beard and counterpoise the rest. Spenser.
COUNTERPOISE Coun"ter*poise` (koun"tr-poiz`), n. Etym: [OE. countrepese, OF. contrepois, F. contrepods. See Counter, adv., and Poise, n.]
1. A weight sufficient to balance another, as in the opposite scale of a balance; an equal weight. Fastening that to our exact balance, we put a metalline counterpoise into the opposite scale. Boyle.
2. An equal power or force acting in opposition; a force sufficient to balance another force. The second nobles are a counterpoise to the higher nobility, that they grow not too potent. Bacon.
3. The relation of two weights or forces which balance each other; equilibrum; equiponderance. The pendulous round eart, with balanced air, In counterpoise. Milton.
COUNTERPOLE Coun"ter*pole` (-pl`), n.
Defn: The exact opposite. The German prose offers the counterpole to the French style. De Quincey.
COUNTERPONDERATE Coun`ter*pon"der*ate (-pn"dr-t), v. t.
Defn: TO equal in weight; to counterpoise; to equiponderate.
COUNTERPROVE Coun`ter*prove" (koun`tr-prv"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Counterproved (- prvd"); p. pr. & vb. n. Counterproving.]
Defn: To take a counter proof of, or a copy in reverse, by taking an impression directly from the face of an original. See Counter proof, under Counter.
COUNTERREVOLUTIONARY; COUNTER-REVOLUTIONARY counterrevolutionary counter-revolutionary adj.
Defn: marked by opposition or antipathy to revolution; as, ostracized for his counterrevolutionary tendencies. Opposite of revolutionary. [WordNet 1.5]
COUNTER-ROLL Coun"ter-roll` (-rl`), n. Etym: [Cf. Control.] (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: A duplicate roll (record or account) kept by an officer as a check upon another officer's roll. Burrill.
Note: As a verb this word is contracted into control. See Control.
COUNTERROLMENT Coun`ter*rol"ment (koun`tr-rl"ment), n.
Defn: A counter account. See Control. [Obs.] Bacon.
COUNTER-SALIENT Coun`ter-sa"li*ent (-s"l-ent or -sl"yent; 106), a. (Her.)
Defn: Leaping from each other; -- said of two figures on a coast of arms.
COUNTERSCALE Coun"ter*scale` (koun"tr-skl`), n.
Defn: Counterbalance; balance, as of one scale against another. [Obs.] Howell.
COUNTERSCARF Coun"ter*scarf` (-skrf`), n. Etym: [Counter- + scarp: cf. F. contrescarpe.] (Fort.)
Defn: The exterior slope or wall of the ditch; -- sometimes, the whole covered way, beyond the ditch, with its parapet and glacis; as, the enemy have lodged themselves on the counterscarp.
COUNTERSEAL Coun`ter*seal" (koun`tr-sl"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Countersealed (- sld"); p. pr. & vb. n. Countersealing.]
Defn: To seal or ratify with another or others. Shak.
COUNTERSECURE Coun`ter*se*cure" (-s-kr"), v. t.
Defn: To give additional security to or for. Burke.
COUNTERSHAFT Coun"ter*shaft` (koun"tr-shft`), n. (Mach.)
Defn: An intermediate shaft; esp., one which receives motion from a line shaft in a factory and transmits it to a machine.
COUNTERSIGN Coun`ter*sign" (-sn`; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Countersigned (- snd`); p. pr. & vb. n. Countersigning.] Etym: [Counter- + sign: cf. F. contresigner.]
Defn: To sign on the opposite side of (an instrument or writing); hence, to sign in addition to the signature of a principal or superior, in order to attest the authenticity of a writing.
COUNTERSIGN Coun"ter*sign`, a.
1. The signature of a secretary or other officer to a writing signed by a principal or superior, to attest its authenticity.
2. (Mil.)
Defn: A private signal, word, or phrase, which must be given in order to pass a sentry; a watchword.
COUNTERSINK Coun"ter*sink` (koun"tr-sk`; 277), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Countersunk (- s; p. pr. & vb. n. Countersinking.]
1. To chamfer or form a depression around the top of (a hole in wood, metal, etc.) for the reception of the head of a screw or bolt below the surface, either wholly or in part; as, to countersink a hole for a screw.
2. To cause to sink even with or below the surface; as, to countersink a screw or bolt into woodwork.
COUNTERSINK Coun"ter*sink`, n.
1. An enlargement of the upper part of a hole, forming a cavity or depression for receiving the head of a screw or bolt.
Note: In the United States a flaring cavity formed by chamfering the edges of a round hole is called a countersink, while a cylindrical flat-bottomed enlargement of the mouth of the hole is usually called a conterbore.
2. A drill or cutting tool for countersinking holes.
COUNTERSTAND Coun"ter*stand` (-st, n.
Defn: Resistance; opposition; a stand against. Making counterstand to Robert Guiscard. Longfellow.
COUNTERSTEP Coun"ter*step` (koun"tr-stp`), n.
Defn: A contrary method of procedure; opposite course of action.
COUNTERSTOCK Coun"ter*stock` (-stk`), n.
Defn: See Counterfoil.
COUNTERSTROKE Coun"ter*stroke` (-strk`), n.
Defn: A stroke or blow in return. Spenser.
COUNTERSUNK Coun"ter*sunk` (-snk`), p. p. & a. from Countersink.
1. Chamfered at the top; -- said of a hole.
2. Sunk into a chamfer; as, a countersunk bolt.
3. Beveled on the lower side, so as to fit a chamfered countersink; as, a countersunk nailhead.
COUNTERSWAY Coun"ter*sway` (-sw`), n.
Defn: A swaying in a contrary direction; an opposing influence. [Obs.] A countersway of restraint, curbing their wild exorbitance. Milton.
COUNTER TENOR Coun"ter ten`or (tn`r). Etym: [OF. contreteneur. Cf. Contratenor, and see Tenor a part in music.] (Mus.)
Defn: One of the middle parts in music, between the tenor and the treble; high tenor. Counter-tenor clef (Mus.), the C clef when placed on the third line; -- also called alto clef.
COUNTERTERM Coun"ter*term` (-trm`), n.
Defn: A term or word which is the opposite of, or antithesis to, another; an antonym; -- the opposite of synonym; as, "foe" is the counterterm of "friend". C. J. Smith.
COUNTERTIME Coun"ter*time` (-tm`), n.
1. (Man.)
Defn: The resistance of a horse, that interrupts his cadence and the measure of his manege, occasioned by a bad horseman, or the bad temper of the horse.
2. Resistance; opposition. [Obs.] Give not shus the countertime to fate. Dryden.
COUNTERTRIPPANT Coun"ter*trip`pant (-trp`pant), a. (Her.)
Defn: Trippant in opposite directions. See Trippant.
COUNTERTRIPPING Coun"ter*trip`ping (-trp`png), a. (Her.)
Defn: Same as Countertrippant.
COUNTERTURN Coun"ter*turn` (-t, n.
Defn: The critical moment in a play, when, contrary to expectation, the action is embroiled in new difficulties. Dryden.
COUNTERVAIL Coun`ter*vail" (koun`tr-vl"), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Countervailed (- vld); p. pr. & vb. n. Countervailing.] Etym: [OF. contrevaloir; contre (L. contra) + valoir to avail, fr. L. valere to be strong, avail. See Vallant.]
Defn: To act against with equal force, power, or effect; to thwart or overcome by such action; to furnish an equivalent to or for; to counterbalance; to compensate. Upon balancing the account, the profit at last will hardly countervail the inconveniences that go allong with it. L'Estrange.
COUNTERVAIL Coun"ter*vail` (koun"tr-vl`), n.
Defn: Power or value sufficient to obviate any effect; equal weight, strength, or value; equivalent; compensation; requital. [Obs.] Surely, the present pleasure of a sinful act is a poor countervail for the bitterness of the review. South.
COUNTERVALLATION Coun`ter*val*la"tion (-vl-l"sn), n. (Fort.)
Defn: See Contravallation.
COUNTERVIEW Coun"ter*view` (koun"tr-v`), n.
1. An opposite or opposing view; opposition; a posture in which two persons front each other. Within the gates of hell sat Death and Sin, In counterview. Milton M. Peisse has ably advocated the counterview in his preface and appendixx. Sir W. Hamilton.
2. A position in which two dissimilar things illustrate each other by opposition; contrast. I have drawn some lines of Linger's character, on purpose to place it in counterview, or contrast with that of the other company. Swift.
COUNTERVOTE Coun`ter*vote" (koun`tr-vt"), v. t.
Defn: To vote in opposition ti; to balance or overcome by viting; to outvote. Dr. J. Scott.
COUNTERWAIT Coun`ter*wait", v. t.
Defn: To wait or watch for; to be on guard against. [Obs.] Chaucer.
COUNTERWEIGH Coun`ter*weigh" (-w"), v. t.
Defn: To weigh against; to counterbalance.
COUNTER WEIGHT Coun"ter *weight` (-wt`), n.
Defn: A counterpoise.
COUNTERWHEEL Coun`ter*wheel" (-hwl"), v. t. (Mil.)
Defn: To cause to wheel or turn in an opposite direction.
COUNTERWORK Coun`ter*work" (-wrk"), v. t.
Defn: To work in oppositeion to; to counteract. That counterworksh folly and caprice. Pope.
COUNTESS Count"ess (kount"s), n.; pl. Countesses (-. Etym: [F. comtesse. See Count a nobleman.]
Defn: The wife of an earl in the British peerage, or of a count in the Continental nobility; also, a lady possessed of the same dignity in her own right. See the Note under Count.
COUNTINGHOUSE; COUNTINGROOM Count"ing*house` (kount"ng-hous`), Count"ing*room` (kount"ng-rm`), n. Etym: [See Count, v. ]
Defn: The house or room in which a merchant, trader, or manufacturer keeps his books and transacts business.
COUNTLESS Count"less (-ls), a.
Defn: Incapable of being counted; not ascertainable; innumerable.
COUNTOR Count"or (kount"r), n. Etym: [From Count, v. t. (in sense 4).] (O. Eng. Law)
Defn: An advocate or professional pleader; one who counted for his client, that is, orally pleaded his cause. [Obs.] Burrill.
COUNTOUR; COUNTOURHOUSE Coun*tour" (kn-tr"), Coun*tour"house` (-hous`), n. Etym: [See 2d Counter.]
Defn: A merchant's office; a countinghouse. [Obs.] Chaucer.
COUNTRE- Coun"tre- (koun"ter-).
Defn: Same as prefix Counter-. [Obs.]
COUNTREPLETE Coun`tre*plete" (-plt"), v. t. Etym: [Countre- + plete to plead.]
Defn: To counterplead. [Obs.] Chaucer.
COUNTRETAILLE Coun"tre*taille` (koun"tr-tl`), n. Etym: [F. contretaille; contre (L. contra) + taille cut. See Tally.]
Defn: A counter tally; correspondence (in sound). [Obs.] At the countretaille, in return. Chaucer.
COUNTRIFIED Coun"tri*fied (kn"tr-fld), p. a.
Defn: Having the appearance and manners of a rustic; rude. As being one who took no pride, And was a deal too countrified. Lloyd.
COUNTRIFY Coun"tri*fy (kn"tr-f), v. t.
Defn: To give a rural appearance to; to cause to appear rustic. Lamb.
COUNTRY Coun"try (kn"tr), n.; pl. Countries (-tr. Etym: [F. contr, LL. contrata, fr. L. contra over against, on the opposite side. Cf. Counter, adv., Contra.]
1. A tract of land; a region; the territory of an independent nation; (as distinguished from any other region, and with a personal pronoun) the region of one's birth, permanent residence, or citizenship. Return unto thy country, and to thy kindred. Gen. xxxxii. 9. I might have learned this by my last exile, that change of countries cannot change my state. Stirling. Many a famous realm And country, whereof here needs no account Milton.
2. Rural regions, as opposed to a city or town. As they walked, on their way into the country. Mark xvi. 12 (Rev. Ver. ). God made the covatry, and man made the town. Cowper. Only very great men were in the habit of dividing the year between town and country. Macualay.
3. The inhabitants or people of a state or a region; the populace; the public. Hence: (a) One's constituents. (b) The whole body of the electors of state; as, to dissolve Parliament and appeal to the country. All the country in a general voice Cried hate upon him. Shak.
4. (Law) (a) A jury, as representing the citizens of a country. (b) The inhabitants of the district from which a jury is drawn.
5. (Mining.)
Defn: The rock through which a vein runs. Conclusion to the country. See under Conclusion. -- To put, or throw, one's self upon the country, to appeal to one's constituents; to stand trial before a jury.
COUNTRY Coun"try, a.
1. Pertaining to the regions remote from a city; rural; rustic; as, a country life; a country town; the country party, as opposed to city.
2. Destitute of refinement; rude; unpolished; rustic; not urbane; as, country manners.
3. Pertaining, or peculiar, to one's own country. She, bowing herself towards him, laughing the cruel tyrant to scorn, spake in her country language. 2 Macc. vii. 27.
COUNTRY BANK Coun"try bank. (Banking)
Defn: A national bank not in a reserve city. [Colloq., U. S.]
COUNTRY-BASE Coun"try-base` (-bs`), n.
Defn: Same as Prison base.
COUNTRY CLUB Coun"try club.
Defn: A club usually located in the suburbs or vicinity of a city or town and devoted mainly to outdoor sports.
COUNTRY COUSIN Coun"try cousin.
Defn: A relative from the country visiting the city and unfamiliar with city manners and sights.
COUNTRY-DANCE Coun"try-dance` (-dns`), n. Etym: [Prob. an adaptation of contradance.]
Defn: See Contradance. He had introduced the English country-dance to the knowledge of the Dutch ladies. Macualay.
COUNTRYMAN Coun"try*man (kn"tr-man), n.; pl. Countrymen (-men).
1. An inhabitant or native of a region. Shak.
2. One born in the same country with another; a compatriot; -- used with a possessive pronoun. In perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen. 2 Cor. xi. 26.
3. One who dwells in the country, as distinguished from a townsman or an inhabitant of a city; a rustic; a husbandman or farmer. A simple countryman that brought her figs. Shak.
COUNTRY SEAT Coun"try seat` (kn"tr st`).
Defn: A dwelling in the country, used as a place of retirement from the city.
COUNTRYSIDE Coun"try*side` (-sd`), n.
Defn: A particular rural district; a country neighborhood. [Eng.] W. Black. Blackmore.
COUNTRYWOMAN Coun"try*wom`an (-wm`an), n.; pl. Countrywomen (-w.
Defn: A woman born, or dwelling, in the country, as opposed to the city; a woman born or dwelling in the same country with another native or inhabitant. Shak.
COUNT-WHEEL Count"-wheel` (kount"hwl`), n.
Defn: The wheel in a clock which regulates the number of strokes.
COUNTY Coun"ty (koun"t), n.; pl. Counties (-t. Etym: [F. comt, fr. LL. comitatus. See Count.]
1. An earldom; the domain of a count or earl. [Obs.]
2. A circuit or particular portion of a state or kingdom, separated from the rest of the territory, for certain purposes in the administration of justice and public affairs; -- called also a shire. See Shire. Every county, every town, every family, was in agitation. Macaulay.
3. A count; an earl or lord. [Obs.] Shak. County commissioners. See Commissioner. -- County corporate, a city or town having the privilege to be a county by itself, and to be governed by its own sheriffs and other magistrates, irrespective of the officers of the county in which it is situated; as London, York, Bristol, etc. [Eng.] Mozley & W. -- County court, a court whose jurisdiction is limited to county. -- County palatine, a county distingushed by particular privileges; -- so called a palatio (from the palace), because the owner had originally royal powers, or the same powers, in the administration of justice, as the king had in his palace; but these powers are now abridged. The counties palatine, in England, are Lancaster, Chester, and Durham. -- County rates, rates levied upon the county, and collected by the boards of guardians, for the purpose of defraying the expenses to which counties are liable, such as repairing bridges, jails, etc. [Eng.] -- County seat, a county town. [U.S.] -- County sessions, the general quarter sessions of the peace for each county, held four times a year. [Eng.] -- County town, the town of a county, where the county business is transacted; a shire town.
COUP Coup (k), n. Etym: [F., fr.L. colaphus a cuff, Gr.
Defn: A sudden stroke; an unexpected device or stratagem; -- a term used in various ways to convey the idea of promptness and force. Coup de grace (ke gr Etym: [F.], the stroke of mercy with which an executioner ends by death the sufferings of the condemned; hence, a decisive, finishing stroke. -- Coup de main (ke m Etym: [F.] (Mil.), a sudden and unexpected movement or attack. -- Coup de soleil (k Etym: [F.] (Med.), a sunstroke. See Sunstroke. -- Coup d'état (k Etym: [F.] (Politics), a sudden, decisive exercise of power whereby the existing government is subverted without the consent of the people; an unexpected measure of state, more or less violent; a stroke of policy. -- Coup d'oeil (k. Etym: [F.] (a) A single view; a rapid glance of the eye; a comprehensive view of a scene; as much as can be seen at one view. (b) The general effect of a picture. (c) (Mil.) The faculty or the act of comprehending at a glance the weakness or strength of a military position, of a certain arrangement of troops, the most advantageous position for a battlefield, etc.
COUPABLE Cou (k"p-b'l), a. Etym: [F.]
Defn: Culpable. [Obs.]
COUPE Cou`pé" (k`p"), n. Etym: [F., fr. coupé, p. p. of couper to cut. See Coppice.]
1. The front compartment of a French diligence; also, the front compartment (usually for three persons) of a car or carriage on British railways.
2. A four-wheeled close carriage for two persons inside, with an outside seat for the driver; -- so called because giving the appearance of a larger carriage cut off.
COUPED Couped (kpt), a. Etym: [F. couper to cut.] (Her.)
Defn: Cut off smoothly, as distinguished from erased; -- used especially for the head or limb of an animal. See Erased.
COUPEE Cou*pee" (k-p"; F. k`p), n. Etym: [F. coupé, n., properly p. p. of couper to cut. Cf. Coupé, Coopee.]
Defn: A motion in dancing, when one leg is a little bent, and raised from the floor, and with the other a forward motion is made. Chambers.
COUPE-GORGE Coupe`-gorge" (kp`grzh"), n. Etym: [F., cut throat.] (Mil.)
Defn: Any position giving the enemy such advantage that the troops occupying it must either surrender or be cut to pieces. Farrow.
COUPLE Cou"ple (kp"'l), n. Etym: [F. couple, fr. L. copula a bond, band; co- + apere, aptum, ti join. See Art, a., and cf.Copula.]
1. That which joins or links two things together; a bond or tie; a coupler. [Obs.] It is in some sort with friends as it is with dogs in couples; they should be of the same size and humor. L'Estrange. I'll go in couples with her. Shak.
2. Two of the same kind connected or considered together; a pair; a brace. "A couple of shepherds." Sir P. Sidney. "A couple of drops" Adduson. "A couple of miles." Dickens. "A couple of weeks." Carlyle. Adding one to one we have the complex idea of a couple. Locke. [Ziba] met him with a couple of asses saddled. 2 Sam. xvi. 1.
3. A male and female associated together; esp., a man and woman who are married or betrothed. Such were our couple, man and wife. Lloyd. Fair couple linked in happy, nuptial league. Milton.
4. (Arch.)
Defn: See Couple-close.
5. (Elec.)
Defn: One of the pairs of plates of two metals which compose a voltaic battery; -- called a voltaic couple or galvanic couple.
6. (Mech.)
Defn: Two rotations, movements, etc., which are equal in amount but opposite in direction, and acting along parallel lines or around parallel axes.
Note: The effect of a couple of forces is to produce a rotation. A couple of rotations is equivalent to a motion of translation.
COUPLE Cou"ple, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coupled (kp"'ld); p. pr. & vb. n. Coupling (-lng).] Etym: [F. coupler, fr. L. copulare. See Couple, n., and cf. Copulate, Cobble, v. ]
1. To link or tie, as one thing to another; to connect or fasten together; to join. Huntsman, I charge thee, tender well my hounds, . . . And couple Clowder with the deep-mouthed brach. Shak.
2. To join in wedlock; to marry. [Colloq.] A parson who couples all our beggars. Swift.
COUPLE Cou"ple, v. i.
Defn: To come together as male and female; to copulate. [Obs.] Milton. Bacon.
COUPLE-BEGGAR Cou"ple-beg`gar (-bg`gr), n.
Defn: One who makes it his business to marry beggars to each other. Swift.
COUPLE-CLOSE Cou"ple-close` (kp"-kls`), n.; pl. Couple-closes (-kl
1. (Her.)
Defn: A diminutive of the chevron, containing one fourth of its surface. Couple-closes are generally borne one on each side of a chevron, and the blazoning may then be either a chevron between two couple-closes or chevron cottised.
2. (Arch.)
Defn: A pair of rafters framed together with a tie fixed at their feet, or with a collar beam. [Engl.]
COUPLEMENT Cou"ple*ment (kp"'l-ment), n. Etym: [Cf. OF. couplement.]
Defn: Union; combination; a coupling; a pair. [Obs.] Shak. And forth together rode, a goodly couplement. Spenser.
COUPLER Coup"ler (kp"lr), n.
Defn: One who couples; that which couples, as a link, ring, or shackle, to connect cars. Coupler of an organ, a contrivance by which any two or more of the ranks of keys, or keys and pedals, are connected so as to act together when the organ is played.
COUPLET Coup"let (-lt), n. Etym: [F. couplet, dim. of couple. See Couple, n. ]
Defn: Two taken together; a pair or couple; especially two lines of verse that rhyme with each other. A sudden couplet rushes on your mind. Crabbe.
COUPLING Coup"ling (-lng), n.
1. The act of bringing or coming together; connection; sexual union.
2. (Mach.)
Defn: A device or contrivance which serves to couple or connect adjacent parts or objects; as, a belt coupling, which connects the ends of a belt; a car coupling, which connects the cars in a train; a shaft coupling, which connects the ends of shafts. Box coupling, Chain coupling. See under Box, Chain. -- Coupling box, a coupling shaped like a journal box, for clamping together the ends of two shafts, so that they may revolve together. -- Coupling pin, a pin or bolt used in coupling or joining together railroad cars, etc.
COUPON Cou"pon (k"pn; F. k`pn"), n. Etym: [F., fr. couper to cut, cut off. See Coppice.]
1. (Com.)
Defn: A certificate of interest due, printed at the bottom of transferable bonds (state, railroad, etc.), given for a term of years, designed to be cut off and presented for payment when the interest is due; an interest warrant.
2. A section of a ticket, showing the holder to be entitled to some specified accomodation or service, as to a passage over a designated line of travel, a particular seat in a theater, or the like.
COUPSTICK Coup"stick` (koo"stik`), n. [Coup + stick.]
Defn: A stick or switch used among some American Indians in making or counting a coup.
COUPURE Cou*pure" (k-pr"), n. Etym: [F., fr. couper to cut.] (Fort.)
Defn: A passage cut through the glacis to facilitate sallies by the besieged. Wilhelm.
COURAGE Cour"age (kr"j;48), n. Etym: [OE. corage heart, mind, will, courage, OF. corage, F. courage, fr. a LL. derivative of L. cor heart. See Heart.]
1. The heart; spirit; temper; disposition. [Obs.] So priketh hem nature in here corages. Chaucer. My lord, cheer up your spirits; our foes are nigh, and this soft courage makes your followers faint. Shak.
2. Heart; inclination; desire; will. [Obs.] Chaucer. I'd such a courage to do him good. Shak.
3. That quality of mind which enables one to encounter danger and difficulties with firmness, or without fear, or fainting of heart; valor; boldness; resolution. The king-becoming graces . . . Devotion, patience, courage, fortitude, I have no relish of them. Shak. Courage that grows from constitution often forsakes a man when he has occasion for it. Addison.
Syn. -- Heroism; bravery; intrepidity; valor; gallantry; daring; firmness; hardihood; boldness; dauntlessness; resolution. See Heroism. -- Courage, Bravery, Fortitude, Intrepidity, Gallantry, Valor. Courage is that firmness of spirit and swell of soul which meets danger without fear. Bravery is daring and impetuous courage, like that of one who has the reward continually in view, and displays his courage in daring acts. Fortitude has often been styled "passive courage," and consist in the habit of encountering danger and enduring pain with a steadfast and unbroken spirit. Valor is courage exhibited in war, and can not be applied to single combats; it is never used figuratively. Intrepidity is firm, unshaken courage. Gallantry is adventurous courage, which courts danger with a high and cheerful spirit. A man may show courage, fortitude, or intrepidity in the common pursuits of life, as well as in war. Valor, bravery, and gallantry are displayed in the contest of arms. Valor belongs only to battle; bravery may be shown in single combat; gallantry may be manifested either in attack or defense; but in the latter ease, the defense is usually turned into an attack.
COURAGE Cour"age, v. t.
Defn: To inspire with courage. [Obs.] Paul writeth unto Timothy . . . to courage him. Tyndale.
COURAGEOUS Cour*a"geous (kr-"js), a. Etym: [F. courageux.]
Defn: Possessing, or characterized by, courage; brave; bold. With this victory, the women became most courageous and proud, and the men waxed . . . fearful and desperate. Stow.
Syn. -- Gallant; brave; bold; daring; valiant; valorous; heroic; intrepid; fearless; hardy; stout; adventurous; enterprising. See Gallant.
COURAGEOUSLY Cour*a"geous*ly, adv.
Defn: In a courageous manner.
COURAGEOUSNESS Cour*a"geous*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being courageous; courage.
COURANT Cou*rant" (k-rnt"), a. Etym: [F., p. pr. of courir to run, L. currere. Cf. Current.] (Her.)
Defn: Represented as running; -- said of a beast borne in a coat of arms.
COURANT Cou*rant" (k-rnt"), n. Etym: [F. courante, fr. courant, p. pr.]
1. A piece of music in triple time; also, a lively dance; a coranto.
2. A circulating gazette of news; a newspaper.
COURANTO Cou*ran"to (-rn"t), n.
Defn: A sprightly dance; a coranto; a courant.
COURAP Cou*rap" (k-rp), n. (Med.)
Defn: A skin disease, common in India, in which there is perpetual itching and eruption, esp. of the groin, breast, armpits, and face.
COURB Courb (krb), a. Etym: [F. courbe, fr. L. curvus. See Curve, a.]
Defn: Curved; rounded. [Obs.] Her neck is short, her shoulders courb. Gower.
COURB Courb (krb), v. i. Etym: [F. courber. See Curs.]
Defn: To bend; to stop; to bow. [Obs.] Then I courbed on my knees. Piers Plowman.
COURBARIL Cour"ba*ril (kr"b-rl), n. Etym: [F. courbaril, from a South American word.]
Defn: See Animé, n.
COURCHE Courche (krsh), n. Etym: [Cf. Kerchief.]
Defn: A square piece of linen used formerly by women instead of a cap; a kerchief. [Scot.] [Written also curch.] Jamieson.
COURIER Cou"ri*er (k"r-r), n. Etym: [F. courrier, fr. courre, courir, to run, L. currere. See Course, Current.]
1. A messenger sent with haste to convey letters or dispatches, usually on public busuness. The wary Bassa . . . by speedy couriers, advertised Solyman of the enemy's purpose. Knolles.
2. An attendant on travelers, whose business it is to make arrangements for their convenience at hotels and on the way.
COURLAN Cour"lan (kr"ln), n. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A South American bird, of the genus Aramus, allied to the rails.
COURSE Course (krs), n. Etym: [F. cours, course, L. cursus, fr. currere to run. See Current.]
1. The act of moving from one point to another; progress; passage. And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to Ptolemais. Acts xxi. 7.
2. THe ground or path traversed; track; way. The same horse also run the round course at Newmarket. Pennant.
3. Motion, considered as to its general or resultant direction or to its goal; line progress or advance. A light by which the Argive squadron steers Their silent course to Ilium's well known shore. Dennham. Westward the course of empire takes its way. Berkeley.
4. Progress from point to point without change of direction; any part of a progress from one place to another, which is in a straight line, or on one direction; as, a ship in a long voyage makes many courses; a course measured by a surveyor between two stations; also, a progress without interruption or rest; a heat; as, one course of a race.
5. Motion considered with reference to manner; or derly progress; procedure in a certain line of thought or action; as, the course of an argument. The course of true love never did run smooth. Shak.
6. Customary or established sequence of evants; re currence of events according to natural laws. By course of nature and of law. Davies. Day and night, Seedtime and harvest, heat and hoary frost, Shall hold their course. Milton.
7. Method of procedure; manner or way of conducting; conduct; behavior. My lord of York commends the plot and the general course of the action. Shak. By perseverance in the course prescribed. Wodsworth. You hold your course without remorse. Tennyson.
8. A series of motions or acts arranged in order; a succession of acts or practices connectedly followed; as, a course of medicine; a course of lectures on chemistry.
9. The succession of one to another in office or duty; order; turn. He appointed . . . the courses of the priests 2 Chron. viii. 14.
10. That part of a meal served at one time, with its accompaniments. He [Goldsmith] wore fine clothes, gave dinners of several courses, paid court to venal beauties. Macualay.
11. (Arch.)
Defn: A continuous level range of brick or stones of the same height throughout the face or faces of a building. Gwilt.
12. (Naut.)
Defn: The lowest sail on any mast of a square-rigged vessel; as, the fore course, main course, etc.
13. pl. (Physiol.)
Defn: The menses. In course, in regular succession. -- Of course, by consequence; as a matter of course; in regular or natural order. -- In the course of, at same time or times during. "In the course of human events." T. Jefferson.
Syn. -- Way; road; route; passage; race; series; succession; manner; method; mode; career; progress.
COURSE Course, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coursed (krst)); p. pr. & vb. n. Coursing.]
1. To run, hunt, or chase after; to follow hard upon; to pursue. We coursed him at the heels. Shak.
2. To cause to chase after or pursue game; as, to course greyhounds after deer.
3. To run through or over. The bounding steed courses the dusty plain. Pope.
COURSE Course, v. i.
1. To run as in a race, or in hunting; to pursue the sport of coursing; as, the sportsmen coursed over the flats of Lancashire.
2. To move with speed; to race; as, the blood courses through the veins. Shak.
COURSED Coursed (krst), a.
1. Hunted; as, a coursed hare.
2. Arranged in courses; as, coursed masonry.
COURSER Cours"er (krs"r), n. Etym: [F. coursier.]
1. One who courses or hunts. leash is a leathern thong by which . . . a courser leads his greyhound. Hanmer.
2. A swift or spirited horse; a racer or a war horse; a charger. [Poetic.] Pope.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A grallatorial bird of Europe (Cursorius cursor), remarkable for its speed in running. Sometimes, in a wider sense, applied to running birds of the Ostrich family.
COURSEY Cour"sey (kr"s), n. Etym: [Cf. OF. corsie, coursie, passage way to the stern. See Course, n. ] (Naut.)
Defn: A space in the galley; a part of the hatches. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
COURSING Cours"ing (krs"ng), n.
Defn: The pursuit or running game with dogs that follow by sight instead of by scent. In coursing of a deer, or hart, with greyhounds. Bacon
COURT Court (krt), n. Etym: [OF. court, curt, cort, F. co, LL. cortis, fr. L. cohors, cors, chors, gen. cohortis, cortis, chortis, an inclosure, court, thing inclosed, crowd, throng; co- + a root akin to Gr. garden, yard, orchard. See Yard, and cf. Cohort, Curtain.]
1. An inclosed space; a courtyard; an uncovered area shut in by the walls of a building, or by different building; also, a space opening from a street and nearly surrounded by houses; a blind alley. The courts the house of our God. Ps. cxxxv. 2. And round the cool green courts there ran a row Cf cloisters. Tennyson. Goldsmith took a garret in a miserable court. Macualay.
2. The residence of a sovereign, prince, nobleman, or ether dignitary; a palace. Attends the emperor in his royal court. Shak. This our court, infected with their manners, Shows like a riotous inn. Shak.
3. The collective body of persons composing the retinue of a sovereign or person high in aithority; all the surroundings of a sovereign in his regal state. My lord, there is a nobleman of the court at door would speak with you. Shak. Love rules the court, the camp, the grove. Sir. W. Scott.
4. Any formal assembling of the retinue of a sovereign; as, to hold a court. The princesses held their court within the fortres. Macualay.
5. Attention directed to a person in power; conduct or address designed to gain favor; courtliness of manners; civility; compliment; flattery. No solace could her paramour intreat Her once to show, ne court, nor dalliance. Spenser. I went to make my court to the Dike and Duches of Newcastle. Evelyn.
6. (Law) (a) The hall, chamber, or place, where justice is administered. (b) The persons officially assembled under authority of law, at the appropriate time and place, for the administration of justice; an official assembly, legally met together for the transaction of judicial business; a judge or judges sitting for the hearing or trial of causes. (c) A tribunal established for the administration of justice. (d) The judge or judges; as distinguished from the counsel or jury, or both. Most heartily I do beseech the court To give the judgment. Shak.
7. The session of a judicial assembly.
8. Any jurisdiction, civil, military, or ecclesiastical.
9. A place arranged for playing the game of tennis; also, one of the divisions of a tennis court. Christian court, the English ecclesiastical courts in the aggregate, or any one of them. -- Court breeding, education acquired at court. -- Court card. Same as Coat card. -- Court circular, one or more paragraphs of news respecting the sovereign and the royal family, together with the proceedings or movements of the court generally, supplied to the newspapers by an officer specially charged with such duty. [Eng.] Edwards. -- Court day, a day on which a court sits to administer justice. -- Court dress, the dress prescribed for appearance at the court of a sovereign. -- Court fool, a buffoon or jester, formerly kept by princes and nobles for their amusement. -- Court guide, a directory of the names and adresses of the nobility and gentry in a town. -- Court hand, the hand or manner of writing used in records and judicial proceedings. Shak. -- Court lands (Eng. Law), lands kept in demesne, -- that is, for the use of the lord and his family. -- Court marshal, one who acts as marshal for a court. -- Court party, a party attached to the court. -- Court rolls, the records of a court. SeeRoll. -- Court in banc, or Court in bank, The full court sitting at its regular terms for the hearing of arguments upon questions of law, as distinguished from a sitting at nisi prius. -- Court of Arches, audience, etc. See under Arches, Audience, etc. -- Court of Chancery. See Chancery, n. -- Court of Common pleas. (Law) See Common pleas, under Common. -- Court of Equity. See under Equity, and Chancery. -- Court of Inquiry (Mil.) , a court appointed to inquire into and report on some military matter, as the conduct of an officer. -- Court of St. James, the usual designation of the British Court; - - so called from the old palace of St. James, which is used for the royal receptions, levees, and drawing-rooms. -- The court of the Lord, the temple at Jerusalem; hence, a church, or Christian house of worship. -- General Court, the legislature of a State; -- so called from having had, in the colonial days, judical power; as, the General Court of Massachusetts. [U.S.] -- To pay one's court, to seek to gain favor by attentions. "Alcibiades was assiduous in paying his court to Tissaphernes." Jowett. -- To put out of court, to refuse further judicial hearing.
COURT Court, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Courted; p. pr. & vb. n. Courting.]
1. To endeavor to gain the favor of by attention or flattery; to try to ingratiate one's self with. By one person, hovever, Portland was still assiduously courted. Macualay.
2. To endeavor to gain the affections of; to seek in marriage; to woo. If either of you both love Katharina . . . leave shall you have to court her at your pleasure. Shak.
3. To attempt to gain; to solicit; to seek. They might almost seem to have courted the crown of martyrdem. Prescott. Guilt and misery . . . court privacy and silitude. De Quincey.
4. To invite by attractions; to allure; to attract. A well-worn pathway courted us To one green wicket in a privet hedge. Tennyson.
COURT Court, v. i.
1. To play the lover; to woo; as, to go courting.
COURT-BARON Court"-bar`on (-br`n), n. (Law)
Defn: An inferior court of civil jurisdiction, attached to a manor, and held by the steward; a baron's court; -- now fallen into disuse.
COURTBRED Court"bred` (-brd`), a.
Defn: Bred, or educated, at court; polished; courtly.
COURT-CRAFT Court"-craft` (krt"krft`), n.
Defn: The artifices, intrigues, and plottings, at courts.
COURT-CUPBOARD Court"-cup`board (-kb`brd), n.
Defn: A movable sideboard or buffet, on which plate and other articles of luxury were displayed on special ocasions. [Obs.] A way with the joint stools, remove the court-cupboard, look to the plate. Shak.
COURTELLE Courtelle n.
Defn: a wool-like fabric. [WordNet 1.5]
COURTEOUS Cour"te*ous (kr"t-s; 277), a. Etym: [OE. cortais, corteis, cortois, rarely corteous, OF. corties, corteis, F. courtois. See Court.]
Defn: Of courtlike manners; pertaining to, or exxpressive of, courtesy; characterized by courtesy; civil; obliging; well bred; polite; affable; complaisant. A patient and courteous bearing. Prescott. His behavior toward his people is grave and courteous. Fuller.
COURTEOUSLY Cour"te*ous*ly, adv.
Defn: In a courteous manner.
COURTEOUSNESS Cour"te*ous*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being courteous; politeness; courtesy.
COURTEPY Cour"te*py (kr"t-p), n. Etym: [D. kort short + pije a coarse cloth.]
Defn: A short coat of coarse cloth. [Obs.] Full threadbare was his overeste courtepy. Chaucer.
COURTER Court"er (krt"r), n.
Defn: One who courts; one who plays the lover, or who solicits in marriage; one who flatters and cajoles. Sherwood.
COURTESAN Cour"te*san (kr"t-zn; 277), n. Etym: [F. courtisane, fr. courtisan courtier, It. cortigiano; or directly fr. It. cortigiana, or Sp. cortesana. See Court.]
Defn: A woman who prostitutes herself for hire; a prostitute; a harlot. Lasciviously decked like a courtesan. Sir H. Wotton.
COURTESANSHIP Cour"te*san*ship, n.
Defn: Harlotry.
COURTESY Cour"te*sy (kr"t-s), n.; pl. Courtesies (-s. Etym: [OE. cortaisie, corteisie, courtesie, OF. curteisie, cortoisie, OF. curteisie, cortoisie, F. courtoisie, fr. curteis, corteis. See Courteous.]
1. Politeness; civility; urbanity; courtliness. And trust thy honest-offered courtesy, With oft is sooner found in lowly sheds, With smoky rafters, than in tapestry walls And courts of princes, where it first was named, And yet is most pretended. Milton. Pardon me, Messer Claudio, if once more I use the ancient courtesies of speech. Longfellow.
2. An act of civility or respect; an act of kindness or favor performed with politeness. My lord, for your many courtesies I thank you. Shak.
3. Favor or indulgence, as distinguished from right; as, a title given one by courtesy. Courtesy title, a title assumed by a person, or popularly conceded to him, to which he has no valid claim; as, the courtesy title of Lord prefixed to the names of the younger sons of noblemen.
Syn. -- Politiness; urbanity; civility; complaisance; affability; courteousness; elegance; refinement; courtliness; good breeding. See Politeness.
COURTESY Courte"sy (krt"s), n. Etym: [See the preceding word.]
Defn: An act of civility, respect, or reverence, made by women, consisting of a slight depression or dropping of the body, with bending of the kness. [Written also curtsy.] The lady drops a courtesy in token of obedience, and the ceremony proceeds as usual. Golgsmith.
COURTESY Courte"sy, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Courtesied (-sd);; p. pr. & vb. n. Courtesyng.]
Defn: To make a respectful salutation or movement of respect; esp. (with reference to women), to bow the body slightly, with bending of the knes.
COURTESY Courte"sy, v. t.
Defn: To treat with civility. [Obs.]
COURTHOUSE Court"house`, n.
1. A house in which established courts are held, or a house appropriated to courts and public meetings. [U.S.]
2. A county town; -- so called in Virginia and some others of the Southern States. Providence, the county town of Fairfax, is unknown by that name, and passes as Fairfax Court House. Barlett.
COURTIER Court"ier (krt"yr), n. Etym: [From Court.]
1. One who is in attendance at the court of a prince; one who has an appointment at court. You know I am no courtier, nor versed in state affairs. Bacon. This courtier got a frigate, and that a company. Macualay.
2. One who courts or solicits favor; one who flatters. There was not among all our princes a greater courtier of the people than Richard III. Suckling.
COURTIERY Court"ier*y (-), n.
Defn: The manners of a courtier; courtliness. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
COURT-LEET Court"-leet` (-lt`), n. (Eng. Law)
Defn: A court of record held once a year, in a particular hundred, lordship, or manor, before the steward of the leet. Blackstone.
COURTLIKE Court"like` (-lk`), a.
Defn: After the manner of a court; elegant; polite; courtly.
COURTLINESS Court"li*ness (-l-ns), n. Etym: [From Courtly.]
Defn: The quality of being courtly; elegance or dignity of manners.
COURTLING Court"ling (-lng), n. Etym: [Court + -ling.]
Defn: A sycophantic courtier. B. Jonson.
COURTLY Court"ly (-l), a. Etym: [From Court.]
1. Relating or belonging to a court.
2. Elegant; polite; courtlike; flattering. In courtly company or at my beads. Shak.
3. Disposed to favor the great; favoring the policy or party of the court; obsequious. Macualay.
COURTLY Court"ly, adv.
Defn: In the manner of courts; politely; gracefully; elegantly. They can produce nothing so courtly writ. Dryden
COURT-MARTIAL Court`-mar"tial (krt`mr"shal), n.; pl. Courts-martial (k.
Defn: A court consisting of military or naval officers, for the trial of one belonging to the army or navy, or of offenses against military or naval law.
COURT-MARTIAL Court`-mar"tial, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Court-martialed (-shald); p. pr. & vb. n. Court-martialing.]
Defn: To subject to trial by a court-martial.
COURT-PLASTER Court"-plas`ter (krt"pls`tr), n.
Defn: Sticking plaster made by coating taffeta or silk on one side with some adhesive substance, commonly a mixture of isinglass and glycerin.
COURTSHIP Court"ship (krt"shp), n.
1. The act of paying court, with the intent to solicit a favor. Swift.
2. The act of wooing in love; solicitation of woman to marriage. This method of courtship, [by which] both sides are prepared for all the matrimonial adventures that are to follow. Goldsmith.
3. Courtliness; elegance of manners; courtesy. [Obs.] Trim gallants, full of courtship and of state. Shak.
4. Court policy; the character of a courtier; artifice of a court; court-craft; finesse. [Obs.] She [the Queen] being composed of courtship and Popery. Fuller.
COURT TENNIS Court" ten"nis (krt" tn"ns).
Defn: See under Tennis.
COURTYARD Court"yard (krt"yrd`), n.
Defn: A court or inclosure attached to a house.
COUSCOUS Cous"cous` (ks"ks`), n.
Defn: A kind of food used by the natives of Western Africa, made of millet flour with flesh, and leaves of the baobab; -- called also lalo.
COUSCOUSOU Cous`cou*sou" (ks`k-s"), n.
Defn: A favorite dish in Barbary. See Couscous.
COUSIN Cous"in (kz"'n), n. Etym: [F. cousin, LL. cosinus, cusinus, contr. from L. consobrinus the child of a mother's sister, cousin; con- + sobrinus a cousin by the mother's side, a form derived fr. soror (forsosor) sister. See Sister, and cf. Cozen, Coz.]
1. One collaterally related more remotely than a brother or sister; especially, the son or daughter of an uncle or aunt.
Note: The children of brothers and sisters are usually denominated first cousins, or cousins-german. In the second generation, they are called second cousins. See Cater-cousin, and Quater-cousin. Thou art, great lord, my father's sister's son, A cousin-german to great Priam's seed. Shak.
2. A title formerly given by a king to a nobleman, particularly to those of the council. In English writs, etc., issued by the crown, it signifies any earl. My noble lords and cousins, all, good morrow. Shak.
COUSIN Cous"in, n.
Defn: Allied; akin. [Obs.] Chaucer.
COUSINAGE Cous"in*age (-j), n. Etym: [F. cousinage, OF., also, cosinage. Cf. Cosinage, Cozenage.]
Defn: Relationship; kinship. [Obs.] Wyclif.
COUSIN-GERMAN Cous"in-ger"man (-jr"man), n. Etym: [Cousin + german closely akin.]
Defn: A first cousin. See Note under Cousin, 1.
COUSINHOOD Cous"in*hood (-hd), n.
Defn: The state or condition of a cousin; also, the collective body of cousins; kinsfolk.
COUSINLY Cous"in*ly, a.
Defn: Like or becoming a cousin.
COUSINRY Cous"in*ry (kz"'n-r), n.
Defn: A body or collection of cousins; the whole number of persons who stand in the relation of cousins to a given person or persons.
COUSINSHIP Cous"in*ship, n.
Defn: The relationship of cousins; state of being cousins; cousinhood. G. Eliot.
COUSSINET Cous"si*net` (ks"s-nt`), n. Etym: [F., dim. of coussin cushion. See Cushionet.] (Arch.) (a) A stone placed on the impost of a pier for receiving the first stone of an arch. (b) That part of the Ionic capital between the abacus and quarter round, which forms the volute. Gwilt.
COUTEAU Cou*teau" (k-t"), n. Etym: [F.]
Defn: A knife; a dagger.
COUTH Couth (kth), imp. & p. p. of Can. Etym: [See Can, and cf. Uncouth.]
Defn: Could; was able; knew or known; understood. [Obs.] Above all other one Daniel He loveth, for he couth well Divine, that none other couth; To him were all thing couth, As he had it of God's grace. Gower.
COUVADE Cou`vade" (k`vd"), n. Etym: [F., fr. couver. See Covey.]
Defn: A custom, among certain barbarous tribes, that when a woman gives birth to a child her husband takes to his bed, as if ill. The world-wide custom of the couvade, where at childbirth the husband undergoes medical treatment, in many cases being put to bed for days. Tylor.
COUVEUSE Cou`veuse", n. [F.] (Med.)
Defn: An incubator for sickly infants, esp. those prematurely born.
COVARIANT Co*va"ri*ant (k-v"r-ant), n. (Higher Alg.)
Defn: A function involving the coefficients and the variables of a quantic, and such that when the quantic is lineally transformed the same function of the new variables and coefficients shall be equal to the old function multiplied by a factor. An invariant is a like function involving only the coefficients of the quantic.
COVE Cove (kv), n. Etym: [AS. cofa room; akin to G. koben pigsty, orig., hut, Icel kofi hut, and perh. to E. cobalt.]
1. A retired nook; especially, a small, sheltered inlet, creek, or bay; a recess in the shore. Vessels which were in readiness for him within secret coves and nooks. Holland.
2. A strip of prairie extending into woodland; also, a recess in the side of a mountain. [U.S.]
3. (Arch.) (a) A concave molding. (b) A member, whose section is a concave curve, used especially with regard to an inner roof or ceiling, as around a skylight.
COVE Cove, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Coved (kvd); p. pr. & vb. n. Coving.] (Arch.)
Defn: To arch over; to build in a hollow concave form; to make in the form of a cove. The mosques and other buildings of the Arabians are rounded into domes and coved roofs. H. Swinburne. Coved ceiling, a ceiling, the part of which next the wail is constructed in a cove. -- Coved vault, a vault composed of four coves meeting in a central point, and therefore the reverse of a groined vault.
COVE Cove, v. t. Etym: [CF. F. couver, It. covare. See Covey.]
Defn: To brood, cover, over, or sit over, as birds their eggs. [Obs.] Not being able to cove or sit upon them [eggs], she [the female tortoise] bestoweth them in the gravel. Holland.
COVE Cove, n. Etym: [A gypsy word, covo that man, covi that woman.]
Defn: A boy or man of any age or station. [Slang] There's a gentry cove here. Wit's Recreations (1654). Now, look to it, coves, that all the beef and drink Be not filched from us. Mrs. Browning.
COVELLINE; COVELLITE Co*vel"line (k-vl"ln), Co*vel"lite (-lt), n. Etym: [After Covelli, the discoverer.] (Min.)
Defn: A native sulphide of copper, occuring in masses of a dark blue color; -- hence called indigo copper.
COVENABLE Cov"e*na*ble (kv"-n-b'l), a. Etym: [OF. covenable, F. convenable. See Covenant.]
Defn: Fit; proper; suitable. [Obs.] "A covenable day." Wyclif (Mark vi. 21).
COVENABLY Cov"e*na*bly (kv"-n-bly), adv.
Defn: Fitly; suitably. [Obs.] "Well and covenably." Chaucer.
COVENANT Cov"e*nant (kv"-nant), n. Etym: [OF. covenant, fr. F. & OF. convenir to agree, L. convenire. See Convene.]
1. A mutual agreement of two or more persons or parties, or one of the stipulations in such an agreement. Then Jonathan and David made a covenant. 1 Sam. xviiii. 3. Let there be covenants drawn between us. Shak. If we conclude a peace, It shall be with such strict and severe covenants As little shall the Frenchmen gain thereby. Shak.
2. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: An agreement made by the Scottish Parliament in 1638, and by the English Parliament in 1643, to preserve the reformed religion in Scotland, and to extirpate popery and prelacy; -- usually called the "Solemn League and Covenant." He [Wharton] was born in the days of the Covenant, and was the heir of a covenanted house. Macualay.
3. (Theol.)
Defn: The promises of God as revealed in the Scriptures, conditioned on certain terms on the part of man, as obedience, repentance, faith, etc. I will establish my covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant, to be a God unto thee, and to thy seed after thee. Gen. xvii. 7.
4. A solemn compact between members of a church to maintain its faith, discipline, etc.
5. (Law) (a) An undertaking, on sufficient consideration, in writing and under seal, to do or to refrain from some act or thing; a contract; a stipulation; also, the document or writing containing the terms of agreement. (b) A form of action for the violation of a promise or contract under seal.
Syn. -- Agreement; contract; compact; bargain; arrangement; stipulation. -- Covenant, Contract, Compact, Stipulation. These words all denote a mutual agreement between two parties. Covenant is frequently used in a religious sense; as, the covenant of works or of grace; a church covenant; the Solemn League and Covenant. Contract is the word most used in the business of life. Crabb and Taylor are wrong in saying that a contract must always be in writing. There are oral and implied contracts as well as written ones, and these are equally enforced by law. In legal usage, the word covenant has an important place as connected with contracts. A compact is only a stronger and more solemn contract. The term is chiefly applied to political alliances. Thus, the old Confederation was a compact between the States. Under the present Federal Constitution, no individual State can, without consent of Congress, enter into a compact with any other State or foreign power. A stipulation is one of the articles or provisions of a contract.
COVENANT Cov"e*nant (kv"-nnt), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Covenanted; p. pr. & vb. n. Covenanting.]
Defn: To agree (with); to enter into a formal agreement; to bind one's self by contract; to make a stipulation. Jupiter covenanted with him, that it should be hot or cold, wet or dry, . . . as the tenant should direct. L'Estrange. And they covenanted with him for thyrty pieces of silver. Matt. xxvi. 15.
Syn. -- To agree; contract; bargain; stipulate.
COVENANT Cov"e*nant, v. t.
Defn: To grant or promise by covenant. My covenant of peace that I covenanted with you. Wyclif.
COVENANTEE Cov`e*nan*tee" (kv`-nan-t"), n. (Law)
Defn: The person in whose favor a covenant is made.
COVENANTER Cov"e*nant*er (kv"-nnt-r), n.
1. One who makes a covenant.
2. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: One who subscribed and defended the "Solemn League and Covenant." See Covenant.
COVENANTING Cov"e*nant*ing, a.
Defn: Belonging to a covenant. Specifically, belonging to the Scotch Covenanters. Be they covenanting traitors, Or the brood of false Argyle Aytoun.
COVENANTOR Cov"e*nant*or` (-r`), n. (Law)
Defn: The party who makes a covenant. Burrill.
COVENOUS Cov"e*nous (kv"-ns), a.
Defn: See Covinous, and Covin.
COVENT Cov"ent (kv"ent), n. Etym: [OF. covent, F. couvent. See Convent.]
Defn: A convent or monastery. [Obs.] Bale. Covent Garden, a large square in London, so called because originally it was the garden of a monastery.