Acacia
A•ca´cia, n. ; pl. E. Acacias, L. Acaciae . [L. from Gr. ; orig. the name of a thorny tree found in Egypt; prob. fr. the root a. to be sharp. See Acute.]
1. A genus of leguminous trees and shrubs. Nearly 300 species are Australian or Polynesian, and have terete or vertically compressed leaf stalks, instead of the bipinnate leaves of the much fewer species of America, Africa, etc. Very few are found in temperate climates.
2. (Med.) The inspissated juice of several species of acacia; — called also gum acacia, and gum arabic.
Academe
Ac•a•deme´, n. [L. academia. See Academy.] An academy. [Poetic] Shak.
Academian
Ac•a•de´mi•an, n. A member of an academy, university, or college. { Ac•a•dem´ic, Ac•a•dem´ic•al } a. [L. academicus: cf. F. academigue. See Academy.]
1. Belonging to the school or philosophy of Plato; as the Academic sect or philosophy.
2. Belonging to an academy or other higher institution of learning; scholarly; literary or classical, in distinction from scientific. "Academic courses." Warburton. "Academical study." Berkeley.
Academically
Ac•a•dem•ic•al•ly, adv. In an academical manner.
Academician
Ac•a•de•mi´cian (#; 277), n. [F. academicien. See Academy.]
1. A member of an academy, or society for promoting science, art, or literature, as of the French Academy, or the Royal Academy of arts.
2. A collegian. [R.] Chesterfield.
Academism
A•cad´e•mism, n. The doctrines of the Academic philosophy. [Obs.] Baxter.
Academy
A•cad´e•my, n. ; pl. Academies . [F. academie, L. academia. Cf. Academe.]
1. A garden or grove near Athens (so named from the hero Academus), where Plato and his followers held their philosophical conferences; hence, the school of philosophy of which Plato was head.
2. An institution for the study of higher learning; a college or a university. Popularly, a school, or seminary of learning, holding a rank between a college and a common school.
3. A place of training; a school. "Academies of fanaticism." Hume.
4. A society of learned men united for the advancement of the arts and sciences, and literature, or some particular art or science; as the French Academy; the American Academy of Arts and Sciences; academies of literature and philology.
5. A school or place of training in which some special art is taught; as the military academy at West Point; a riding academy; the Academy of Music. Academy figure (Paint.), a drawing usually half life-size, in crayon or pencil, after a nude model.
Acadian
A•ca´di•an, a. Of or pertaining to Acadie, or Nova Scotia. "Acadian farmers." Longfellow. — n. A native of Acadie. Acadian epoch (Geol.), an epoch at the beginning of the American paleozoic time, and including the oldest American rocks known to be fossiliferous. See Geology. — Acadian owl (Zoöl.), a small North American owl ( Nyctule Acadica); the saw-whet.
Acajou
Ac´a•jou, n. [F. See Cashew.] (Bot.) (a) The cashew tree; also its fruit. See Cashew. (b) The mahogany tree; also its timber. { Ac´a•leph, Ac•a•le´phan } n. ; pl. Acalephs, Acalephans . [See Acalephae.] (Zoöl.) One of the Acalephae.
Acantha
A•can´tha, n. [Gr. thorn, fr. point. See Acute.]
1. (Bot.) A prickle.
2. (Zoöl.) A spine or prickly fin.
3. (Anat.) The vertebral column; the spinous process of a vertebra. Dunglison.
Acanthine
A•can´thine, a. [L. acanthinus, Gr., thorny, fr. . See Acanthus.] Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the plant acanthus.
Acanthocephalous
A•can•tho•ceph´a•lous, a. (Zoöl.) Having a spiny head, as one of the Acanthocephala.
Acanthophorous
Ac•an•thoph´o•rous, a. [Gr., fr. spine + to bear.] Spine-bearing. Gray.
Acanthopodious
A•can•tho•po´di•ous, a. [Gr. thorn +,, foot.] (Bot.) Having spinous petioles.
Acanthopteri
Ac•an•thop´ter•i, n. pl. [NL., from Gr. thorn + wing, fin.] (Zoöl.) A group of teleostean fishes having spiny fins. See Acanthopterygii.
Acanthus
A•can´thus, n. ; pl. E. Acanthuses, L. Acanthi . [L., from Gr. . Cf. Acantha.]
1. (Bot.) A genus of herbaceous prickly plants, found in the south of Europe, Asia Minor, and India; bear’s- breech.
2. (Arch.) An ornament resembling the foliage or leaves of the acanthus ( Acanthus spinosus); — used in the capitals of the Corinthian and Composite orders.
Acapsular
A•cap´su•lar, a. [Pref. a. not + capsular.] (Bot.) Having no capsule.
Acardiac
A•car´di•ac, a. [Gr. ; ’a priv. + heart.] Without a heart; as an acardiac fetus.
Acaridan
A•car´i•dan, n. [See Acarus.] (Zoöl.) One of a group of arachnids, including the mites and ticks.
Acarine
Ac´a•rine, a. (Med.) Of or caused by acari or mites; as acarine diseases.
Acaroid
Ac´a•roid, a. [NL., acarus a mite + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Shaped like or resembling a mite.
Acarpellous
Ac•ar•pel´lous, a. [Pref. a. not + carpel.] (Bot.) Having no carpels.
Acarpous
A•car´pous, a. [Gr. ; ’a priv. + fruit.] (Bot.) Not producing fruit; unfruitful.
Acataleptic
A•cat•a•lep´tic, a. [Gr. .] Incapable of being comprehended; incomprehensible.
Acater
A•ca´ter, n. See Caterer. [Obs.]
Acates
A•cates´, n. pl. See Cates. [Obs.]
Acauline
A•cau´line, a. [Pref. a. not + cauline.] (Bot.) Same as Acaulescent. { A•cau´lose, A•cau´lous } a. [Gr. ; ’a priv. + stalk or L. caulis stalk. See Cole.] (Bot.) Same as Acaulescent.
Accede
Ac•cede´, v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Acceded; p. pr. & vb. n. Acceding.] [L. accedere to approach, accede; a. + cedere to move, yield: cf. F. acce dere. See Cede.]
1. To approach; to come forward; — opposed to recede. [Obs.] T. Gale.
2. To enter upon an office or dignity; to attain.
"Edward IV., who had acceded to the throne in the year 1461." - T. Warton.
"If Frederick had acceded to the supreme power." - Morley.
3. To become a party by associating one’s self with others; to give one’s adhesion. Hence, to agree or assent to a proposal or a view; as he acceded to my request.
"The treaty of Hanover in 1725 … to which the Dutch afterwards acceded." - Chesterfield.
Syn. — To agree; assent; consent; comply; acquiesce; concur.
Accelerando
Ac•cel•er•an´do, a. [It.] (Mus.) Gradually accelerating the movement.
Accelerate
Ac•cel´er•ate, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accelerated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Accelerating.] [L. acceleratus, p. p. of accelerare; a. + celerare to hasten; celer quick. See Celerity.]
1. To cause to move faster; to quicken the motion of; to add to the speed of; — opposed to retard.
2. To quicken the natural or ordinary progression or process of; as to accelerate the growth of a plant, the increase of wealth, etc.
3. To hasten, as the occurence of an event; as to accelerate our departure. Accelerated motion (Mech.), motion with a continually increasing velocity. — Accelerating force, the force which causes accelerated motion. Nichol.
Syn. — To hasten; expedite; quicken; dispatch; forward; advance; further.
Acceleration
Ac•cel•er•a´tion, n. [L. acceleratio: cf. F. acceleration.] The act of accelerating, or the state of being accelerated; increase of motion or action; as a falling body moves toward the earth with an acceleration of velocity; — opposed to retardation.
"A period of social improvement, or of intellectual advancement, contains within itself a principle of acceleration." - I. Taylor.
(Astr. & Physics.)Acceleration of the moon, the increase of the moon’s mean motion in its orbit, in consequence of which its period of revolution is now shorter than in ancient times. - - Acceleration and retardation of the tides. See Priming of the tides, under Priming. — Diurnal acceleration of the fixed stars, the amount by which their apparent diurnal motion exceeds that of the sun, in consequence of which they daily come to the meridian of any place about three minutes fifty-six seconds of solar time earlier than on the day preceding. — Acceleration of the planets, the increasing velocity of their motion, in proceeding from the apogee to the perigee of their orbits.
Accelerative
Ac•cel´er•a•tive, a. Relating to acceleration; adding to velocity; quickening. Reid.
Accend
Ac•cend´, v. t. [L. accendere, accensum, to kindle; a. + candere to kindle (only in compounds); rel. to candere to be white, to gleam. See Candle.] To set on fire; to kindle. [Obs.] Fotherby.
Accendible
Ac•cend´i•ble, a. Capable of being inflamed or kindled; combustible; inflammable. Ure.
Accension
Ac•cen´sion, n. The act of kindling or the state of being kindled; ignition. Locke.
Accensor
Ac•cen´sor, n. [LL., from p. p. accensus. See Accend.] (R. C. Ch.) One of the functionaries who light and trim the tapers.
Accent
Ac´cent, n. [F. accent, L. accentus; a. + cantus a singing, canere to sing. See Cant.]
1. A superior force of voice or of articulative effort upon some particular syllable of a word or a phrase, distinguishing it from the others. Many English words have two accents, the primary and the secondary; the primary being uttered with a greater stress of voice than the secondary; as in a. ′ pira\’b6 tion, where the chief stress is on the third syllable, and a slighter stress on the first. Some words, as an′tiap′o-plec\’b6tic, in- com′pre-hen′si-bil\’b6i-ty, have two secondary accents. See Guide to Pron., t=t= 30-46.
2. A mark or character used in writing, and serving to regulate the pronunciation; esp.: (a) a mark to indicate the nature and place of the spoken accent; (b) a mark to indicate the quality of sound of the vowel marked; as the French accents. In the ancient Greek the acute accent (′) meant a raised tone or pitch, the grave ( •), the level tone or simply the negation of accent, the circumflex ( ~ or ^) a tone raised and then depressed. In works on elocution, the first is often used to denote the rising inflection of the voice; the second, the falling inflection; and the third (^), the compound or waving inflection. In dictionaries, spelling books, and the like, the acute accent is used to designate the syllable which receives the chief stress of voice.
3. Modulation of the voice in speaking; manner of speaking or pronouncing; peculiar or characteristic modification of the voice; tone; as a foreign accent; a French or a German accent. "Beguiled you in a plain accent." Shak. "A perfect accent." Thackeray.
"The tender accent of a woman’s cry." - Prior.
4. A word; a significant tone; (pl.) expressions in general; speech.
"Winds! on your wings to Heaven her accents bear,
Such words as Heaven alone is fit to hear." - Dryden.
5. (Pros.) Stress laid on certain syllables of a verse.
6. (Mus.) (a) A regularly recurring stress upon the tone to mark the beginning, and, more feebly, the third part of the measure. (b) A special emphasis of a tone, even in the weaker part of the measure. (c) The rhythmical accent, which marks phrases and sections of a period. (d) The expressive emphasis and shading of a passage. J. S. Dwight.
7. (Math.) (a) A mark placed at the right hand of a letter, and a little above it, to distinguish magnitudes of a similar kind expressed by the same letter, but differing in value, as y′, y″. (b) (Trigon.) A mark at the right hand of a number, indicating minutes of a degree, seconds, etc.; as 12′27″, i. e., twelve minutes twenty seven seconds. (c) (Engin.) A mark used to denote feet and inches; as 6′ 10″ is six feet ten inches.
Accent
Ac•cent´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accented; p. pr. & vb. n. Accenting.] [OF. accenter, F. accentuer.]
1. To express the accent of (either by the voice or by a mark); to utter or to mark with accent.
2. To mark emphatically; to emphasize.
Accentual
Ac•cen´tu•al, a. Of or pertaining to accent; characterized or formed by accent.
Accentuality
Ac•cen•tu•al´i•ty, n. The quality of being accentual.
Accentually
Ac•cen´tu•al•ly, adv. In an accentual manner; in accordance with accent.
Accentuate
Ac•cen´tu•ate, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accentuated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Accentuating.] [LL. accentuatus, p. p. of accentuare, fr. L. accentus: cf. F. accentuer.]
1. To pronounce with an accent or with accents.
2. To bring out distinctly; to make prominent; to emphasize.
"In Bosnia, the struggle between East and West was even more accentuated." - London Times.
3. To mark with the written accent.
Accept
Ac•cept´ (ak•sept"), v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accepted; p. pr. & vb. n. Accepting.] [F. accepter, L. acceptare, freq. of accipere; a. + capere to take; akin to E. heave.]
1. To receive with a consenting mind (something offered); as to accept a gift; — often followed by of.
"If you accept them, then their worth is great." - Shak.
"To accept of ransom for my son." - Milton.
"She accepted of a treat." - Addison.
2. To receive with favor; to approve.
"The Lord accept thy burnt sacrifice." - Ps. xx. 3.
"Peradventure he will accept of me." - Gen. xxxii. 20.
3. To receive or admit and agree to; to assent to; as I accept your proposal, amendment, or excuse.
4. To take by the mind; to understand; as How are these words to be accepted?
5. (Com.) To receive as obligatory and promise to pay; as to accept a bill of exchange. Bouvier.
6. In a deliberate body, to receive in acquittance of a duty imposed; as to accept the report of a committee. [This makes it the property of the body, and the question is then on its adoption.] To accept a bill (Law), to agree (on the part of the drawee) to pay it when due. — To accept service (Law), to agree that a writ or process shall be considered as regularly served, when it has not been. — To accept the person (Eccl.), to show favoritism. "God accepteth no man’s person." Gal. ii. 6.
Syn. — To receive; take; admit. See Receive.
Acceptably
Ac•cept´a•bly, adv. In an acceptable manner; in a manner to please or give satisfaction.
Acceptance
Ac•cept´ance, n.
1. The act of accepting; a receiving what is offered, with approbation, satisfaction, or acquiescence; esp., favorable reception; approval; as the acceptance of a gift, office, doctrine, etc.
"They shall come up with acceptance on mine altar." - Isa. lx. 7.
2. State of being accepted; acceptableness. "Makes it assured of acceptance." Shak.
3. (Com.) (a) An assent and engagement by the person on whom a bill of exchange is drawn, to pay it when due according to the terms of the acceptance. (b) The bill itself when accepted.
4. An agreeing to terms or proposals by which a bargain is concluded and the parties are bound; the reception or taking of a thing bought as that for which it was bought, or as that agreed to be delivered, or the taking possession as owner.
5. (Law) An agreeing to the action of another, by some act which binds the person in law. What acts shall amount to such an acceptance is often a question of great nicety and difficulty. Mozley & W. In modern law, proposal and acceptance are the constituent elements into which all contracts are resolved. Acceptance of a bill of exchange, check, draft, or order, is an engagement to pay it according to the terms. This engagement is usually made by writing the word "accepted" across the face of the bill. Acceptance of goods, under the statute of frauds, is an intelligent acceptance by a party knowing the nature of the transaction.
6. Meaning; acceptation. [Obs.] Acceptance of persons, partiality, favoritism. See under Accept.
Acceptedly
Ac•cept´ed•ly, adv. In a accepted manner; admittedly.
Acceptilation
Ac•cep•ti•la´tion, n. [L. acceptilatio entry of a debt collected, acquittance, fr. p. p. of accipere (cf. Accept) + latio a carrying, fr. latus, p. p. of ferre to carry: cf. F. acceptilation.] (Civil Law) Gratuitous discharge; a release from debt or obligation without payment; free remission.
Acceptive
Ac•cept´ive, a.
1. Fit for acceptance.
2. Ready to accept. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
Access
Ac•cess´ (#; 277), n. [F. accès, L. accessus, fr. accedere. See Accede.]
1. A coming to, or near approach; admittance; admission; accessibility; as to gain access to a prince.
"I did repel his letters, and denied
His access to me." - Shak.
2. The means, place, or way by which a thing may be approached; passage way; as the access is by a neck of land. "All access was thronged." Milton.
3. Admission to sexual intercourse.
"During coverture, access of the husband shall be presumed, unless the contrary be shown." - Blackstone.
4. Increase by something added; addition; as an access of territory. [In this sense accession is more generally used.]
"I, from the influence of thy looks, receive Access in every virtue." - Milton.
5. An onset, attack, or fit of disease.
"The first access looked like an apoplexy." - Burnet.
6. A paroxysm; a fit of passion; an outburst; as an access of fury. [A Gallicism]
Accessarily
Ac•ces´sa•ri•ly, adv. In the manner of an accessary.
Accessariness
Ac•ces´sa•ri•ness, n. The state of being accessary.
Accessary
Ac•ces´sa•ry (#; 277), a. Accompanying, as a subordinate; additional; accessory; esp., uniting in, or contributing to, a crime, but not as chief actor. See Accessory.
"To both their deaths thou shalt be accessary." - Shak.
"Amongst many secondary and accessary causes that support monarchy, these are not of least reckoning." - Milton.
Accessary
Ac•ces´sa•ry (277), n. ; pl. Accessaries . [Cf. Accessory and LL. accessarius.] (Law) One who, not being present, contributes as an assistant or instigator to the commission of an offense. Accessary before the fact (Law), one who commands or counsels an offense, not being present at its commission. — Accessary after the fact, one who, after an offense, assists or shelters the offender, not being present at the commission of the offense. This word, as used in law, is spelt accessory by Blackstone and many others; but in this sense is spelt accessary by Bouvier, Burrill, Burns, Whishaw, Dane, and the Penny Cyclopedia; while in other senses it is spelt accessory. In recent text-books on criminal law the distinction is not preserved, the spelling being either accessary or accessory.
Accessible
Ac•cess´i•ble, a. [L. accessibilis, fr. accedere: cf. F. accessible. See Accede.]
1. Easy of access or approach; approachable; as an accessible town or mountain, an accessible person.
2. Open to the influence of; — with to. "Minds accessible to reason." Macaulay.
3. Obtainable; to be got at.
"The best information … at present accessible." - Macaulay.
Accession
Ac•ces´sion, n. [L. accessio, fr. accedere: cf. F. accession. See Accede.]
1. A coming to; the act of acceding and becoming joined; as a king’s accession to a confederacy.
2. Increase by something added; that which is added; augmentation from without; as an accession of wealth or territory.
"The only accession which the Roman empire received was the province of Britain." - Gibbon.
3. (Law) (a) A mode of acquiring property, by which the owner of a corporeal substance which receives an addition by growth, or by labor, has a right to the part or thing added, or the improvement (provided the thing is not changed into a different species). Thus, the owner of a cow becomes the owner of her calf. (b) The act by which one power becomes party to engagements already in force between other powers. Kent.
4. The act of coming to or reaching a throne, an office, or dignity; as the accession of the house of Stuart; — applied especially to the epoch of a new dynasty.
5. (Med.) The invasion, approach, or commencement of a disease; a fit or paroxysm.
Syn. — Increase; addition; augmentation; enlargement.
Accessional
Ac•ces´sion•al, a. Pertaining to accession; additional. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
Accessorily
Ac•ces´so•ri•ly, adv. In the manner of an accessory; auxiliary.
Accessoriness
Ac•ces´so•ri•ness, n. The state of being accessory, or connected subordinately.
Accessory
Ac•ces´so•ry (#; 277), a. [L. accessorius. See Access, and cf. Accessary.] Accompanying as a subordinate; aiding in a secondary way; additional; connected as an incident or subordinate to a principal; contributing or contributory; said of persons and things, and, when of persons, usually in a bad sense; as he was accessory to the riot; accessory sounds in music. Ash accents the antepenult; and this is not only more regular, but preferable, on account of easiness of pronunciation. Most orhoëpists place the accent on the first syllable.
Syn. — Accompanying; contributory; auxiliary; subsidiary; subservient; additional; acceding.
Accessory
Ac•ces´so•ry, n. ; pl. Accessories .
1. That which belongs to something else deemed the principal; something additional and subordinate. "The aspect and accessories of a den of banditti." Carlyle.
2. (Law) Same as Accessary, n.
3. (Fine Arts) Anything that enters into a work of art without being indispensably necessary, as mere ornamental parts. Elmes.
Syn. — Abettor; accomplice; ally; coadjutor. See Abettor.
Accidence
Ac´ci•dence, n. [A corruption of Eng. accidents, pl. of accident. See Accident, 2.]
1. The accidents, of inflections of words; the rudiments of grammar. Milton.
2. The rudiments of any subject. Lowell.
Accident
Ac´ci•dent, n. [F. accident, fr. L. accidens, -dentis, p. pr. of accidere to happen; a. + cadere to fall. See Cadence, Case.]
1. Literally, a befalling; an event that takes place without one’s foresight or expectation; an undesigned, sudden, and unexpected event; chance; contingency; often, an undesigned and unforeseen occurrence of an afflictive or unfortunate character; a casualty; a mishap; as to die by an accident.
"Of moving accidents by flood and field." - Shak.
"Thou cam’st not to thy place by accident:
It is the very place God meant for thee." - Trench.
2. (Gram.) A property attached to a word, but not essential to it, as gender, number, case.
3. (Her.) A point or mark which may be retained or omitted in a coat of arms.
4. (Log.) (a) A property or quality of a thing which is not essential to it, as whiteness in paper; an attribute. (b) A quality or attribute in distinction from the substance, as sweetness, softness.
5. Any accidental property, fact, or relation; an accidental or nonessential; as beauty is an accident.
"This accident, as I call it, of Athens being situated some miles from the sea." - J. P. Mahaffy.
6. Unusual appearance or effect. [Obs.] Chaucer. Accident, in Law, is equivalent to casus, or such unforeseen, extraordinary, extraneous interference as is out of the range of ordinary calculation.
Accidental
Ac•ci•den´tal, a. [Cf. F. accidentel, earlier accidental.]
1. Happening by chance, or unexpectedly; taking place not according to the usual course of things; casual; fortuitous; as an accidental visit.
2. Nonessential; not necessary belonging; incidental; as are accidental to a play. Accidental chords (Mus.), those which contain one or more tones foreign to their proper harmony. — Accidental colors (Opt.), colors depending on the hypersensibility of the retina of the eye for complementary colors. They are purely subjective sensations of color which often result from the contemplation of actually colored bodies. — Accidental point (Persp.), the point in which a right line, drawn from the eye, parallel to a given right line, cuts the perspective plane; so called to distinguish it from the principal point, or point of view, where a line drawn from the eye perpendicular to the perspective plane meets this plane. — Accidental lights (Paint.), secondary lights; effects of light other than ordinary daylight, such as the rays of the sun darting through a cloud, or between the leaves of trees; the effect of moonlight, candlelight, or burning bodies. Fairholt.
Syn. — Casual; fortuitous; contingent; occasional; adventitious. — Accidental, Incidental, Casual, Fortuitous, Contingent. We speak of a thing as accidental when it falls out as by chance, and not in the regular course of things; as an accidental meeting, an accidental advantage, etc. We call a thing incidental when it falls, as it were, into some regular course of things, but is secondary, and forms no essential part thereof; as an incremental remark, an incidental evil, an incidental benefit. We speak of a thing as casual, when it falls out or happens, as it were, by mere chance, without being prearranged or premeditated; as a casual remark or encounter; a casual observer. An idea of the unimportant is attached to what is casual. Fortuitous is applied to what occurs without any known cause, and in opposition to what has been foreseen; as a fortuitous concourse of atoms. We call a thing contingent when it is such that, considered in itself, it may or may not happen, but is dependent for its existence on something else; as the time of my coming will be contingent on intelligence yet to be received.
Accidentalism
Ac•ci•den´tal•ism, n. Accidental character or effect. Ruskin.
Accidentality
Ac•ci•den•tal´i•ty, n. The quality of being accidental; accidentalness. [R.] Coleridge.
Accidentalness
Ac•ci•den´tal•ness, n. The quality of being accidental; casualness.
Accipient
Ac•cip´i•ent, n. [L. accipiens, p. pr. of accipere. See Accept.] A receiver. [R.] Bailey
Accipitral
Ac•cip´i•tral, n. Pertaining to, or of the nature of, a falcon or hawk; hawklike. Lowell.
Accismus
Ac•cis´mus, n. [NL., fr. Gr. .] (Rhet.) Affected refusal; coyness.
Accite
Ac•cite´, v. t. [L. accitus, p. p. of accire, accere, to call for; a. + ciere to move, call. See Cite.] To cite; to summon. [Obs.]
"Our heralds now accited all that were
Endamaged by the Elians." - Chapman.
Acclaim
Ac•claim´, v. t. [L. acclamare; a. + clamare to cry out. See Claim, Clamor.] [R.]
1. To applaud. "A glad acclaiming train." Thomson.
2. To declare by acclamations.
"While the shouting crowd Acclaims thee king of traitors." - Smollett.
3. To shout; as to acclaim my joy.
Acclamatory
Ac•clam´a•to•ry, a. Pertaining to, or expressing approval by, acclamation.
Acclimatable
Ac•cli´ma•ta•ble, a. Capable of being acclimated.
Acclimatation
Ac•cli•ma•ta´tion, n. [Cf. F. acclimation. See Acclimate.] Acclimatization.
Acclimate
Ac•cli´mate (#; 277), v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Acclimated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Acclimating.] [F. acclimater; à (l. a. ) + climat climate. See Climate.] To habituate to a climate not native; to acclimatize. J. H. Newman.
Acclimatement
Ac•cli´mate•ment (-m ent), n. Acclimation. [R.]
Acclimatizable
Ac•cli´ma•ti•za•ble, a. Capable of being acclimatized.
Acclimatize
Ac•cli´ma•tize (ak•kli"ma•tiz), v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Acclimatized (-tizd); p. pr. & vb. n. Acclimatizing (- ti•zing).] To inure or habituate to a climate different from that which is natural; to adapt to the peculiarities of a foreign or strange climate; said of man, the inferior animals, or plants.
Acclivity
Ac•cliv´i•ty, n. ; pl. Acclivities . [L. acclivitas, fr. acclivis, acclivus, ascending; a. + clivus a hill, slope, fr. root kli to lean. See Lean.] A slope or inclination of the earth, as the side of a hill, considered as ascending, in opposition to declivity, or descending; an upward slope; ascent.
Accloy
Ac•cloy´ (-kloi"), v. t. [OF. encloyer, encloer, F. enclouer, to drive in a nail, fr. L. in + clavus nail.] To fill to satiety; to stuff full; to clog; to overload; to burden. See Cloy. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Accoast
Ac•coast´ (-kost"), v. t. & i. [See Accost, Coast.] To lie or sail along the coast or side of; to accost. [Obs.]
"Whether high towering or accoasting low." - Spenser.
Accoil
Ac•coil´, v. t. [OE. acoillir to receive, F. accueillir; L. a. + colligere to collect. See Coil.]
1. To gather together; to collect. [Obs.] Spenser.
2. (Naut.) To coil together. Ham. Nav. Encyc.
Accombination
Ac•com•bi•na´tion, n. [L. a. + E. combination.] A combining together. [R.]
Accommodableness
Ac•com´mo•dable•ness, n. The quality or condition of being accommodable. [R.] Todd.
Accommodate
Ac•com´mo•date, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accommodated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Accommodating .] [L. accommodatus, p. p. of accommodare; a. + commodare to make fit, help; con- + modus measure, proportion. See Mode.]
1. To render fit, suitable, or correspondent; to adapt; to conform; as to accommodate ourselves to circumstances. "They accommodate their counsels to his inclination." Addison.
2. To bring into agreement or harmony; to reconcile; to compose; to adjust; to settle; as to accommodate differences, a dispute, etc.
3. To furnish with something desired, needed, or convenient; to favor; to oblige; as to accommodate a friend with a loan or with lodgings.
4. To show the correspondence of; to apply or make suit by analogy; to adapt or fit, as teachings to accidental circumstances, statements to facts, etc.; as to accommodate prophecy to events.
Syn. — To suit; adapt; conform; adjust; arrange.
Accommodate
Ac•com´mo•date, v. i. To adapt one’s self; to be conformable or adapted. [R.] Boyle.
Accommodator
Ac•com´mo•da•tor, n. He who, or that which, accommodates. Warburton.
Accompanable
Ac•com´pa•na•ble, a. Sociable. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.
Accompanier
Ac•com´pa•ni•er, n. He who, or that which, accompanies. Lamb.
Accompanist
Ac•com´pa•nist, n. The performer in music who takes the accompanying part. Busby.
Accompany
Ac•com´pa•ny, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accompanied ; p. pr. & vb. n. Accompanying ] [OF. aacompaignier, F. accompagner, to associate with, fr. OF. compaign, compain, companion. See Company.]
1. To go with or attend as a companion or associate; to keep company with; to go along with; — followed by with or by; as he accompanied his speech with a bow.
"The Persian dames, …
In sumptuous cars, accompanied his march." - Glover.
"They are never alone that are accompanied with noble thoughts." - Sir P. Sidney.
"He was accompanied by two carts filled with wounded rebels." - Macaulay.
2. To cohabit with. [Obs.] Sir T. Herbert.
Syn. — To attend; escort; go with. — To Accompany, Attend, Escort. We accompany those with whom we go as companions. The word imports an equality of station. We attend those whom we wait upon or follow. The word conveys an idea of subordination. We escort those whom we attend with a view to guard and protect. A gentleman accompanies a friend to some public place; he attends or escorts a lady.
Accomplice
Ac•com´plice, n. [Ac- (perh. for the article a or for L. ad) + E. complice. See Complice.]
1. A cooperator. [R.]
"Success unto our valiant general,
And happiness to his accomplices!" - Shak.
2. (Law) An associate in the commission of a crime; a participator in an offense, whether a principal or an accessory. "And thou, the cursed accomplice of his treason." Johnson. It is followed by with or of before a person and by in (or sometimes of) before the crime; as A was an accomplice with B in the murder of C. Dryden uses it with to before a thing. "Suspected for accomplice to the fire." Dryden.
Syn. — Abettor; accessory; assistant; associate; confederate; coadjutor; ally; promoter. See Abettor.
Accompliceship
Ac•com´plice•ship, n. The state of being an accomplice. [R.] Sir H. Taylor.
Accomplicity
Ac•com•plic´i•ty, n. The act or state of being an accomplice. [R.]
Accomplish
Ac•com´plish, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accomplished, p. pr. & vb. n. Accomplishing.] [OE. acomplissen, OF. accomplir, F. accomplir; L. a. + complere to fill up, complete. See Complete, Finish.]
1. To complete, as time or distance.
"That He would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem." - Dan. ix. 2.
"He had accomplished half a league or more." - Prescott.
2. To bring to an issue of full success; to effect; to perform; to execute fully; to fulfill; as to accomplish a design, an object, a promise.
"This that is written must yet be accomplished in me." - Luke xxii. 37.
3. To equip or furnish thoroughly; hence, to complete in acquirements; to render accomplished; to polish.
"The armorers accomplishing the knights." - Shak.
"It [the moon] is fully accomplished for all those ends to which Providence did appoint it." - Wilkins.
"These qualities … go to accomplish a perfect woman." - Cowden Clarke.
4. To gain; to obtain. [Obs.] Shak.
Syn. — To do; perform; fulfill; realize; effect; effectuate; complete; consummate; execute; achieve; perfect; equip; furnish. — To Accomplish, Effect, Execute, Achieve, Perform. These words agree in the general idea of carrying out to some end proposed. To accomplish (to fill up to the measure of the intention) generally implies perseverance and skill; as to accomplish a plan proposed by one’s self, an object, a design, an undertaking. "Thou shalt accomplish my desire." 1 Kings v. 9.
"He … expressed his desire to see a union accomplished between England and Scotland." - Macaulay.
To effect (to work out) is much like accomplish. It usually implies some degree of difficulty contended with; as he effected or accomplished what he intended, his purpose, but little. "What he decreed, he effected." Milton.
"To work in close design by fraud or guile
What force effected not." - Milton.
To execute (to follow out to the end, to carry out, or into effect) implies a set mode of operation; as to execute the laws or the orders of another; to execute a work, a purpose, design, plan, project. To perform is much like to do, though less generally applied. It conveys a notion of protracted and methodical effort; as to perform a mission, a part, a task, a work. "Thou canst best perform that office." Milton.
"The Saints, like stars, around his seat Perform their courses still." - Keble.
To achieve (to come to the end or arrive at one’s purpose) usually implies some enterprise or undertaking of importance, difficulty, and excellence.
Accomplishable
Ac•com´plish•a•ble, a. Capable of being accomplished; practicable. Carlyle.
Accompt
Ac•compt´ (#; formerly #), n. See Account. Accompt, accomptant, etc., are archaic forms.
Accord
Ac•cord´, n. [OE. acord, accord, OF. acort, acorde, F. accord, fr. OF. acorder, F. accorder. See Accord, v. t.]
1. Agreement or concurrence of opinion, will, or action; harmony of mind; consent; assent.
"A mediator of an accord and peace between them." - Bacon.
"These all continued with one accord in prayer." - Acts i. 14.
2. Harmony of sounds; agreement in pitch and tone; concord; as the accord of tones.
"Those sweet accords are even the angels’ lays." - Sir J. Davies.
3. Agreement, harmony, or just correspondence of things; as the accord of light and shade in painting.
4. Voluntary or spontaneous motion or impulse to act; — preceded by own; as of one’s own accord.
"That which groweth of its own accord of thy harvest thou shalt not reap." - Lev. xxv. 5.
"Of his own accord he went unto you." - 2 Cor. vii. 17.
5. (Law) An agreement between parties in controversy, by which satisfaction for an injury is stipulated, and which, when executed, bars a suit. Blackstone. With one accord, with unanimity.
"They rushed with one accord into the theater." - Acts xix. 29.
Accord
Ac•cord´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accorded; p. pr. & vb. n. According.] [OE. acorden, accorden, OF. acorder, F. accorder, fr. LL. accordare; L. a. + cor, cordis, heart. Cf. Concord, Discord, and see Heart.]
1. To make to agree or correspond; to suit one thing to another; to adjust; — followed by to. [R.]
"Her hands accorded the lute’s music to the voice." - Sidney.
2. To bring to an agreement, as persons; to reconcile; to settle, adjust, harmonize, or compose, as things; as to accord suits or controversies.
"When they were accorded from the fray." - Spenser.
"All which particulars, being confessedly knotty and difficult can never be accorded but by a competent stock of critical learning." - South.
3. To grant as suitable or proper; to concede; to award; as to accord to one due praise. "According his desire." Spenser.
Accorder
Ac•cord´er, n. One who accords, assents, or concedes. [R.]
According
Ac•cord´ing, p. a. Agreeing; in agreement or harmony; harmonious. "This according voice of national wisdom." Burke. "Mind and soul according well." Tennyson.
"According to him, every person was to be bought." - Macaulay.
"Our zeal should be according to knowledge." - Sprat.
According to has been called a prepositional phrase, but strictly speaking, according is a participle in the sense of agreeing, acceding, and to alone is the preposition. According as, precisely as; the same as; corresponding to the way in which. According as is an adverbial phrase, of which the propriety has been doubted; but good usage sanctions it. See According, adv.
"Is all things well, According as I gave directions?" - Shak.
"The land which the Lord will give you according as he hath promised." - Ex. xii. 25.
According
Ac•cord´ing, adv. Accordingly; correspondingly. [Obs.] Shak.
Accordingly
Ac•cord´ing•ly, adv.
1. Agreeably; correspondingly; suitably; in a manner conformable.
"Behold, and so proceed accordingly." - Shak.
2. In natural sequence; consequently; so.
Syn. — Consequently; therefore; wherefore; hence; so. — Accordingly, Consequently, indicate a connection between two things, the latter of which is done on account of the former. Accordingly marks the connection as one of simple accordance or congruity, leading naturally to the result which followed; as he was absent when I called, and I accordingly left my card; our preparations were all finished, and we accordingly set sail. Consequently all finished, and we accordingly set sail. Consequently marks a closer connection, that of logical or causal sequence; as the papers were not ready, and consequently could not be signed.
Accordion
Ac•cor´di•on, n. [See Accord.] (Mus.) A small, portable, keyed wind instrument, whose tones are generated by play of the wind upon free metallic reeds.
Accordment
Ac•cord´ment (ak•kôrd"m ent), n. [OF. acordement. See Accord, v. ] Agreement; reconcilement. [Obs.] Gower.
Accost
Ac•cost´ (#; 115), v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accosted; p. pr. & vb. n. Accosting.] [F. accoster, LL. accostare to bring side by side; L. a. + costa rib, side. See Coast, and cf. Accoast.]
1. To join side to side; to border; hence, to sail along the coast or side of. [Obs.] "So much [of Lapland] as accosts the sea." Fuller.
2. To approach; to make up to. [Archaic] Shak.
3. To speak to first; to address; to greet. "Him, Satan thus accosts." Milton.
Accostable
Ac•cost´a•ble, a. [Cf. F. accostable.] Approachable; affable. [R.] Hawthorne.
Accosted
Ac•cost´ed, a. (Her.) Supported on both sides by other charges; also side by side.
Accouchement
Ac•couche´ment (#; 277), n. [F., fr. accoucher to be delivered of a child, to aid in delivery, OF. acouchier orig. to lay down, put to bed, go to bed; L. a. + collocare to lay, put, place. See Collate.] Delivery in childbed
Accoucheur
Ac•cou•cheur´, n. [F., fr. accoucher. See Accouchement.] A man who assists women in childbirth; a man midwife; an obstetrician.
Accoucheuse
Ac•cou•cheuse´, n. [F.., fem. of accoucher.] A midwife. [Recent] Dunglison.
Account
Ac•count´, n. [OE. acount, account, accompt, OF. acont, fr. aconter. See Account, v. t., Count, n. , 1.]
1. A reckoning; computation; calculation; enumeration; a record of some reckoning; as the Julian account of time.
"A beggarly account of empty boxes." - Shak.
2. A registry of pecuniary transactions; a written or printed statement of business dealings or debts and credits, and also of other things subjected to a reckoning or review; as to keep one’s account at the bank.
3. A statement in general of reasons, causes, grounds, etc., explanatory of some event; as no satisfactory account has been given of these phenomena. Hence, the word is often used simply for reason, ground, consideration, motive, etc.; as on no account, on every account, on all accounts.
4. A statement of facts or occurrences; recital of transactions; a relation or narrative; a report; a description; as an account of a battle. "A laudable account of the city of London." Howell.
5. A statement and explanation or vindication of one’s conduct with reference to judgment thereon.
"Give an account of thy stewardship." - Luke xvi. 2.
6. An estimate or estimation; valuation; judgment. "To stand high in your account." Shak.
7. Importance; worth; value; advantage; profit. "Men of account." Pope. "To turn to account." Shak. Account current, a running or continued account between two or more parties, or a statement of the particulars of such an account. — In account with, in a relation requiring an account to be kept. — On account of, for the sake of; by reason of; because of. — On one’s own account, for one’s own interest or behalf. — To make account, to have an opinion or expectation; to reckon. [Obs.]
"This other part … makes account to find no slender arguments for this assertion out of those very scriptures which are commonly urged against it." - Milton.
— To make account of, to hold in estimation; to esteem; as he makes small account of beauty. — To take account of, or to take into account, to take into consideration; to notice. "Of their doings, God takes no account." Milton. — A writ of account (Law), a writ which the plaintiff brings demanding that the defendant shall render his just account, or show good cause to the contrary; — called also an action of account. Cowell.
Syn. — Narrative; narration; relation; recital; description; explanation; rehearsal. — Account, Narrative, Narration, Recital. These words are applied to different modes of rehearsing a series of events. Account turns attention not so much to the speaker as to the fact related, and more properly applies to the report of some single event, or a group of incidents taken as whole; as an account of a battle, of a shipwreck, etc. A narrative is a continuous story of connected incidents, such as one friend might tell to another; as a narrative of the events of a siege, a narrative of one’s life, etc. Narration is usually the same as narrative, but is sometimes used to describe the mode of relating events; as his powers of narration are uncommonly great. Recital denotes a series of events drawn out into minute particulars, usually expressing something which peculiarly interests the feelings of the speaker; as the recital of one’s wrongs, disappointments, sufferings, etc.
Account
Ac•count´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accounted; p. pr. & vb. n. Accounting.] [OE. acounten, accompten, OF. aconter, à (L. a. ) + conter to count. F. conter to tell, compter to count, L. computare. See Count, v. t.]
1. To reckon; to compute; to count. [Obs.]
"The motion of … the sun whereby years are accounted." - Sir T. Browne.
2. To place to one’s account; to put to the credit of; to assign; — with to. [R.] Clarendon.
3. To value, estimate, or hold in opinion; to judge or consider; to deem.
"Accounting that God was able to raise him up." - Heb. xi. 19.
4. To recount; to relate. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Account book
Ac•count" book . A book in which accounts are kept. Swift.
Accountable ness
Ac•count"a•ble ness, n. The quality or state of being accountable; accountability.
Accountancy
Ac•count´an•cy, n. The art or employment of an accountant.
Accouple
Ac•cou´ple, v. t. [OF. acopler, F. accoupler. See Couple.] To join; to couple. [R.]
"The Englishmen accoupled themselves with the Frenchmen." - Hall.
Accourage
Ac•cour´age, v. t. [OF. acoragier; à (L. a. ) + corage. See Courage.] To encourage. [Obs.]
Accourt
Ac•court´ (-kort"), v. t. [ Ac-, for L. ad. See Court.] To treat courteously; to court. [Obs.] Spenser. { Ac•cou´ter, Ac•cou´tre } (ak•koo"ter), v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accoutered or Accoutred (-terd); p. pr. & vb. n. Accoutering or Accoutring.] [F. accouter, OF. accoutrer, accoustrer; à (L. a. ) + perh. LL. custor, for custos guardian, sacristan (cf. Custody), or perh. akin to E. guilt.] To furnish with dress, or equipments, esp. those for military service; to equip; to attire; to array.
"Both accoutered like young men." - Shak.
"For this, in rags accoutered are they seen." - Dryden.
"Accoutered with his burden and his staff." - Wordsworth.
{ Ac•cou´ter•ments, Ac•cou´tre•ments }, n. pl. [F. accoutrement, earlier also accoustrement, earlier also accoustrement. See Accouter.] Dress; trappings; equipment; specifically, the devices and equipments worn by soldiers.
"How gay with all the accouterments of war!" - A. Philips.
Accoy
Ac•coy´ (ak•koi"), v. t. [OF. acoyer; ac-, for L. a. . See Coy.]
1. To render quiet; to soothe. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. To subdue; to tame; to daunt. [Obs.]
"Then is your careless courage accoyed." - Spenser.
Accredit
Ac•cred´it (ak•kred"it), v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accredited; p. pr. & vb. n. Accrediting.] [F. accrediter; à (L. a. ) + credit credit. See Credit.]
1. To put or bring into credit; to invest with credit or authority; to sanction.
"His censure will … accredit his praises." - Cowper.
"These reasons … which accredit and fortify mine opinion." - Shelton.
2. To send with letters credential, as an ambassador, envoy, or diplomatic agent; to authorize, as a messenger or delegate.
"Beton … was accredited to the Court of France." - Froude.
3. To believe; to credit; to put trust in.
"The version of early Roman history which was accredited in the fifth century." - Sir G. C. Lewis.
"He accredited and repeated stories of apparitions and witchcraft." - Southey.
4. To credit; to vouch for or consider (some one) as doing something, or (something) as belonging to some one. To accredit (one) with (something), to attribute something to him; as Mr. Clay was accredited with these views; they accredit him with a wise saying.
Accreditation
Ac•cred•i•ta´tion, n. The act of accrediting; as letters of accreditation.
Accrementitial
Ac•cre•men•ti´tial, a. (Physiol.) Pertaining to accremention.
Accrementition
Ac•cre•men•ti´tion, n. [See Accresce, Increment.] (Physiol.) The process of generation by development of blastema, or fission of cells, in which the new formation is in all respect like the individual from which it proceeds.
Accresce
Ac•cresce´, v. i. [L. accrescere. See Accrue.]
1. To accrue. [R.]
2. To increase; to grow. [Obs.] Gillespie.
Accrescent
Ac•cres´cent, a. [L. accrescens, -entis, p. pr. of accrescere; a. + crescere to grow. See Crescent.]
1. Growing; increasing. Shuckford.
2. (Bot.) Growing larger after flowering. Gray.
Accretion
Ac•cre´tion, n. [L. accretio, fr. accrescere to increase. Cf. Crescent, Increase, Accrue.]
1. The act of increasing by natural growth; esp. the increase of organic bodies by the internal accession of parts; organic growth. Arbuthnot.
2. The act of increasing, or the matter added, by an accession of parts externally; an extraneous addition; as an accretion of earth.
"A mineral … augments not by grown, but by accretion." - Owen.
"To strip off all the subordinate parts of his as a later accretion." - Sir G. C. Lewis.
3. Concretion; coherence of separate particles; as the accretion of particles so as to form a solid mass.
4. A growing together of parts naturally separate, as of the fingers toes. Dana.
5. (Law) (a) The adhering of property to something else, by which the owner of one thing becomes possessed of a right to another; generally, gain of land by the washing up of sand or sail from the sea or a river, or by a gradual recession of the water from the usual watermark. (b) Gain to an heir or legatee, failure of a coheir to the same succession, or a co- legatee of the same thing, to take his share. Wharton. Kent.
Accretive
Ac•cre´tive, a. Relating to accretion; increasing, or adding to, by growth. Glanvill.
Accrue
Ac•crue´ (ak•kru"), v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Accrued ; p. pr. & vb. n. Accruing.] [See Accrue, n. , and cf. Accresce, Accrete.]
1. To increase; to augment.
"And though power failed, her courage did accrue." - Spenser.
2. To come to by way of increase; to arise or spring as a growth or result; to be added as increase, profit, or damage, especially as the produce of money lent. "Interest accrues to principal." Abbott.
"The great and essential advantages accruing to society from the freedom of the press." - Junius.
Accrue
Ac•crue´, n. [F. accrû, OF. acreü, p. p. of accroitre, OF. acroistre to increase; L. a. + crescere to increase. Cf. Accretion, Crew. See Crescent.] Something that accrues; advantage accruing. [Obs.]
Accruer
Ac•cru´er (ak•kru"er), n. (Law) The act of accruing; accretion; as title by accruer.
Accubation
Ac•cu•ba´tion, n. [L. accubatio, for accubitio, fr. accubare to recline; a. + cubare to lie down. See Accumb.] The act or posture of reclining on a couch, as practiced by the ancients at meals.
Accumbency
Ac•cum´ben•cy (ak•kum"b en•sy), n. The state of being accumbent or reclining. [R.]
Accumber
Ac•cum´ber (-ber), v. t. To encumber. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Accumulate
Ac•cu´mu•late, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accumulated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Accumulating.] [L. accumulatus, p. p. of accumulare; a. + cumulare to heap. See Cumulate.] To heap up in a mass; to pile up; to collect or bring together; to amass; as to accumulate a sum of money.
Syn. — To collect; pile up; store; amass; gather; aggregate; heap together; hoard.
Accuracy
Ac´cu•ra•cy (#; 277), n. [See Accurate.] The state of being accurate; freedom from mistakes, this exemption arising from carefulness; exact conformity to truth, or to a rule or model; precision; exactness; nicety; correctness; as the value of testimony depends on its accuracy.
"The professed end [of logic] is to teach men to think, to judge, and to reason, with precision and accuracy." - Reid.
"The accuracy with which the piston fits the sides." - Lardner.
Accurate
Ac´cu•rate, a. [L. accuratus, p. p. and a., fr. accurare to take care of; a. + curare to take care, cura care. See Cure.]
1. In exact or careful conformity to truth, or to some standard of requirement, the result of care or pains; free from failure, error, or defect; exact; as an accurate calculator; an accurate measure; accurate expression, knowledge, etc.
2. Precisely fixed; executed with care; careful. [Obs.]
"Those conceive the celestial bodies have more accurate influences upon these things below." - Bacon.
Syn. — Correct; exact; just; nice; particular. — Accurate, Correct, Exact, Precise. We speak of a thing as correct with reference to some rule or standard of comparison; as a correct account, a correct likeness, a man of correct deportment. We speak of a thing as accurate with reference to the care bestowed upon its execution, and the increased correctness to be expected therefrom; as an accurate statement, an accurate detail of particulars. We speak of a thing as exact with reference to that perfected state of a thing in which there is no defect and no redundance; as an exact coincidence, the exact truth, an exact likeness. We speak of a thing as precise when we think of it as strictly conformed to some rule or model, as if cut down thereto; as a precise conformity instructions; precisely right; he was very precise in giving his directions.
Accurately
Ac´cu•rate•ly, adv. In an accurate manner; exactly; precisely; without error or defect.
Accurse
Ac•curse´, v. t. [OE. acursien, acorsien; pref. a + cursien to curse. See Curse.] To devote to destruction; to imprecate misery or evil upon; to curse; to execrate; to anathematize.
"And the city shall be accursed." - Josh. vi. 17.
"Thro’ you, my life will be accurst." - Tennyson.
{ Ac•cursed´, Ac•curst´ } p. p. & a. Doomed to destruction or misery; cursed; hence, bad enough to be under the curse; execrable; detestable; exceedingly hateful; - - as an accursed deed. Shak. — Ac•curs´ed•ly, adv. — Ac•curs´ed•ness, n.
Accusant
Ac•cus´ant, n. [L. accusans, p. pr. of accusare: cf. F. accusant.] An accuser. Bp. Hall.
Accusation
Ac•cu•sa´tion, n. [OF. acusation, F. accusation, L. accusatio, fr. accusare. See Accuse.]
1. The act of accusing or charging with a crime or with a lighter offense.
"We come not by the way of accusation
To taint that honor every good tongue blesses." - Shak.
2. That of which one is accused; the charge of an offense or crime, or the declaration containing the charge.
"[They] set up over his head his accusation." - Matt. xxvii. 37.
Syn. — Impeachment; crimination; censure; charge.
Accusatival
Ac•cu•sa•ti´val, a. Pertaining to the accusative case.
Accusative
Ac•cu´sa•tive, a. [F. accusatif, L. accusativus (in sense 2), fr. accusare. See Accuse.]
1. Producing accusations; accusatory. "This hath been a very accusative age." Sir E. Dering.
2. (Gram.) Applied to the case (as the fourth case of Latin and Greek nouns) which expresses the immediate object on which the action or influence of a transitive verb terminates, or the immediate object of motion or tendency to, expressed by a preposition. It corresponds to the objective case in English.
Accuse
Ac•cuse´, n. Accusation. [Obs.] Shak.
Accuse
Ac•cuse´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accused ; p. pr. & vb. n. Accusing.] [OF. acuser, F. accuser, L. accusare, to call to account, accuse; a. + causa cause, lawsuit. Cf. Cause.]
1. To charge with, or declare to have committed, a crime or offense; (Law) to charge with an offense, judicially or by a public process; — with of; as to accuse one of a high crime or misdemeanor.
"Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me." - Acts xxiv. 13.
"We are accused of having persuaded Austria and Sardinia to lay down their arms." - Macaulay.
2. To charge with a fault; to blame; to censure.
"Their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another." - Rom. ii. 15.
3. To betray; to show. [L.] Sir P. Sidney.
Syn. — To charge; blame; censure; reproach; criminate; indict; impeach; arraign. — To Accuse, Charge, Impeach, Arraign. These words agree in bringing home to a person the imputation of wrongdoing. To accuse is a somewhat formal act, and is applied usually (though not exclusively) to crimes; as to accuse of treason. Charge is the most generic. It may refer to a crime, a dereliction of duty, a fault, etc.; more commonly it refers to moral delinquencies; as to charge with dishonesty or falsehood. To arraign is to bring (a person) before a tribunal for trial; as to arraign one before a court or at the bar public opinion. To impeach is officially to charge with misbehavior in office; as to impeach a minister of high crimes. Both impeach and arraign convey the idea of peculiar dignity or impressiveness.
Accusement
Ac•cuse´ment (-kuz"m ent), n. [OF. acusement. See Accuse.] Accusation. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Accustom
Ac•cus´tom, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Accustomed ; p. pr. & vb. n. Accustoming.] [OF. acostumer, acustumer, F. accoutumer; à (L. a. ) + OF. costume, F. coutume, custom. See Custom.] To make familiar by use; to habituate, familiarize, or inure; — with to.
"I shall always fear that he who accustoms himself to fraud in little things, wants only opportunity to practice it in greater." - Adventurer.
Syn. — To habituate; inure; exercise; train.
Accustomable
Ac•cus´tom•a•ble, a. Habitual; customary; wonted. "Accustomable goodness." Latimer.
Accustomably
Ac•cus´tom•a•bly, adv. According to custom; ordinarily; customarily. Latimer.
Accustomary
Ac•cus´tom•a•ry, a. Usual; customary. [Archaic] Featley.
Ace, n. ; pl. Aces . [OE. a. , F. a. , fr. L. a. , assis, unity, copper coin, the unit of coinage. Cf. As.]
1. A unit; a single point or spot on a card or die; the card or die so marked; as the ace of diamonds.
2. Hence: A very small quantity or degree; a particle; an atom; a jot.
"I ’ll not wag an ace further." - Dryden.
To bate an ace, to make the least abatement. [Obs.] — Within an ace of, very near; on the point of. W. Irving.
Acentric
A•cen´tric, a. [Gr. ’a priv. + a point, a center.] Not centered; without a center.
Acephala
A•ceph´a•la, n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr., adj. neut. pl., headless. See Acephal.] (Zoöl.) That division of the Mollusca which includes the bivalve shells, like the clams and oysters; — so called because they have no evident head. Formerly the group included the Tunicata, Brachiopoda, and sometimes the Bryozoa. See Mollusca.
Acephalan
A•ceph´a•lan, n. Same as Acephal.
Acephalan
A•ceph´a•lan, a. (Zoöl.) Belonging to the Acephala.
Acephali
A•ceph´a•li, n. pl. [LL., pl. of acephalus. See Acephal.]
1. A fabulous people reported by ancient writers to have heads.
2. (Eccl. Hist.) (a) A Christian sect without a leader. (b) Bishops and certain clergymen not under regular diocesan control.
3. A class of levelers in the time of K. Henry I.
Acephalist
A•ceph´a•list, n. One who acknowledges no head or superior. Dr. Gauden.
Acephalocystic
A•ceph•a•lo•cys´tic, a. Pertaining to, or resembling, the acephalocysts.
Acephalous
A•ceph´a•lous, a. [See Acephal.]
1. Headless.
2. (Zoöl.) Without a distinct head; — a term applied to bivalve mollusks.
3. (Bot.) Having the style spring from the base, instead of from the apex, as is the case in certain ovaries.
4. Without a leader or chief.
5. Wanting the beginning.
"A false or acephalous structure of sentence." - De Quincey.
6. (Pros.) Deficient and the beginning, as a line of poetry. Brande.
Acequia
A•ce´qui•a, n. [Sp.] A canal or trench for irrigating land. [Sp. Amer.]
Acerate
Ac´er•ate, n. [See Aceric.] (Chem.) A combination of aceric acid with a salifiable base.
Acerb
A•cerb´, a. [L. acerbus, fr. acer sharp: cf. F. acerbe. See Acrid.] Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe fruit; sharp and harsh.
Acerbitude
A•cerb´i•tude, n. [L. acerbitudo, fr. acerbus.] Sourness and harshness. [Obs.] Bailey.
Acerbity
A•cerb´i•ty, n. [F. acerbite, L. acerbitas, fr. acerbus. See Acerb.]
1. Sourness of taste, with bitterness and astringency, like that of unripe fruit.
2. Harshness, bitterness, or severity; as acerbity of temper, of language, of pain. Barrow.
Aceric
A•cer´ic, a. [L. acer maple.] Pertaining to, or obtained from, the maple; as aceric acid. Ure.
Acerval
A•cer´val, a. [L. acervalis, fr. acervus heap.] Pertaining to a heap. [Obs.]
Acervate
A•cer´vate, a. Heaped, or growing in heaps, or closely compacted clusters.
Acervation
Ac•er•va´tion, n. [L. acervatio.] A heaping up; accumulation. [R.] Johnson.
Acervuline
A•cer´vu•line, a. Resembling little heaps. { A•ces´cence, A•ces´cen•cy } n. [Cf. F. acescence. See Acescent.] The quality of being acescent; the process of acetous fermentation; a moderate degree of sourness. Johnson.
Acescent
A•ces´cent, a. [L. acescens, -entis, p. pr. of acescere to turn sour; inchoative of acere to be sour: cf. F. acescent. See Acid.] Turning sour; readily becoming tart or acid; slightly sour. Faraday.
Acetable
Ac´e•ta•ble, n. An acetabulum; or about one eighth of a pint. [Obs.] Holland.
Acetabular
Ac•e•tab´u•lar, a. Cup-shaped; saucer-shaped; acetabuliform.
Acetabulifera
Ac•e•tab•u•lif´e•ra, n. pl. [NL. See Acetabuliferous.] (Zoöl.) The division of Cephalopoda in which the arms are furnished with cup-shaped suckers, as the cuttlefishes, squids, and octopus; the Dibranchiata. See Cephalopoda.
Acetaldehyde
Ac•et•al´de•hyde, n. Acetic aldehyde. See Aldehyde.
Acetary
Ac´e•ta•ry, n. [L. acetaria salad plants.] An acid pulp in certain fruits, as the pear. Grew.
Acetifier
A•cet´i•fi•er, n. An apparatus for hastening acetification. Knight.
Acetify
A•cet´i•fy, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Acetified ; p. pr. & vb. n. Acetifying .] [L. acetum vinegar + -fly.] To convert into acid or vinegar.
Acetin
Ac´e•tin, n. (Chem.) A combination of acetic acid with glycerin. Brande & C.
Acetometer
Ac•e•tom´e•ter, n. Same as Acetimeter. Brande & C.
Acetone
Ac´e•tone, n. [See Acetic.] (Chem.) A volatile liquid consisting of three parts of carbon, six of hydrogen, and one of oxygen; pyroacetic spirit, — obtained by the distillation of certain acetates, or by the destructive distillation of citric acid, starch, sugar, or gum, with quicklime. The term in also applied to a number of bodies of similar constitution, more frequently called ketones. See Ketone.
Acetonic
Ac•e•ton´ic, a. Of or pertaining to acetone; as acetonic bodies.
Acetonuria
Ac•e•to•nu´ri•a, n. [NL. See Acetone; Urine.] (Med.) Excess of acetone in the urine, as in starvation or diabetes.
Acetosity
Ac•e•tos´i•ty, n. [LL. acetositas. See Acetous.] The quality of being acetous; sourness.
Acetyl
Ac´e•tyl, n. [L. acetum vinegar + Gr. substance. See -yl.] (Chem.) A complex, hypothetical radical, composed of two parts of carbon to three of hydrogen and one of oxygen. Its hydroxide is acetic acid.
Acharnement
A•char´ne•ment, n. [F.] Savage fierceness; ferocity.
Achate
Ach´ate, n. An agate. [Obs.] Evelyn.
Achate
A•chate´, n. [F. achat purchase. See Cates.]
1. Purchase; bargaining. [Obs.] Chaucer.
2. pl. Provisions. Same as Cates. [Obs.] Spenser.
Achatour
A•cha•tour´, n. [See Cater.] Purveyor; acater. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Ache, n. [OE. ache, AS. aece, ece, fr. acan to ache. See Ache, v. i.] Continued pain, as distinguished from sudden twinges, or spasmodic pain. "Such an ache in my bones." Shak. Often used in composition, as a head ache, an ear ache, a tooth ache.
Ache, v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Ached ; p. pr. & vb. n. Aching .] [OE. aken, AS. acan, both strong verbs, AS. acan, imp. oc, p. p. acen, to ache; perh. orig. to drive, and akin to agent.] To suffer pain; to have, or be in, pain, or in continued pain; to be distressed. "My old bones ache." Shak.
"The sins that in your conscience ache." - Keble.
Achean
A•che´an, a. & n. See Achaean, Achaian. { A•chene´, A•che´ni•um. } n. [Gr. ’a priv. + to gape.] (Bot.) A small, dry, indehiscent fruit, containing a single seed, as in the buttercup; — called a naked seed by the earlier botanists. [Written also akene and achaenium.]
Acherontic
Ach•e•ron´tic, a. Of or pertaining to Acheron; infernal; hence, dismal, gloomy; moribund.
Achievable
A•chiev´a•ble, a. Capable of being achieved. Barrow.
Achievance
A•chiev´ance, n. [Cf. OF. achevance.] Achievement. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.
Achieve
A•chieve´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Achieved ; p. pr. & vb. n. Achieving .] [OE. acheven, OF. achever, achiever, F. achever, to finish; à (L. a. ) + OF. chief, F. chef, end, head, fr. L. caput head. See Chief.]
1. To carry on to a final close; to bring out into a perfected state; to accomplish; to perform; — as to achieve a feat, an exploit, an enterprise.
"Supposing faculties and powers to be the same, far more may be achieved in any line by the aid of a capital, invigorating motive than without it." - I. Taylor.
2. To obtain, or gain, as the result of exertion; to succeed in gaining; to win.
"Some are born great, some achieve greatness." - Shak.
"Thou hast achieved our liberty." - Milton.
[[Obs]., with a material thing as the aim.]
"Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved." - Prior.
"He hath achieved a maid
That paragons description." - Shak.
3. To finish; to kill. [Obs.] Shak.
Syn. — To accomplish; effect; fulfill; complete; execute; perform; realize; obtain. See Accomplish.
Achievement
A•chieve´ment (-m ent), n. [Cf. F. achèvement, E. Hatchment.]
1. The act of achieving or performing; an obtaining by exertion; successful performance; accomplishment; as the achievement of his object.
2. A great or heroic deed; something accomplished by valor, boldness, or praiseworthy exertion; a feat.
"[The exploits] of the ancient saints … do far surpass the most famous achievements of pagan heroes." - Barrow.
"The highest achievements of the human intellect." - Macaulay.
3. (Her.) An escutcheon or ensign armorial; now generally applied to the funeral shield commonly called hatchment. Cussans.
Achillean
Ach•il•le´an, a. Resembling Achilles, the hero of the Iliad; invincible.
Achilous
A•chi´lous, a. [Gr. ’a priv. + lip.] (Bot.) Without a lip.
Aching
Ach´ing, a. That aches; continuously painful. See Ache. — Ach´ing•ly, adv.
"The aching heart, the aching head." - Longfellow.
Achlamydeous
Ach•la•myd´e•ous, a. (Bot.) Naked; having no floral envelope, neither calyx nor corolla.
Acholia
A•cho´li•a, n. [NL., from Gr. ; ’a priv. + bile.] (Med.) Deficiency or want of bile.
Achromatic
Ach•ro•mat´ic, a. [Gr. colorless; ’a priv. +,, color: cf. F. achromatique.]
1. (Opt.) Free from color; transmitting light without decomposing it into its primary colors.
2. (Biol.) Uncolored; not absorbing color from a fluid; — said of tissue. Achromatic lens (Opt.), a lens composed usually of two separate lenses, a convex and concave, of substances having different refractive and dispersive powers, as crown and flint glass, with the curvatures so adjusted that the chromatic aberration produced by the one is corrected by other, and light emerges from the compound lens undecomposed. — Achromatic prism. See Prism. — Achromatic telescope, or microscope, one in which the chromatic aberration is corrected, usually by means of a compound or achromatic object glass, and which gives images free from extraneous color.
Achromatically
Ach•ro•mat´ic•al•ly, adv. In an achromatic manner.
Achromatin
A•chro´ma•tin, n. (Biol.) Tissue which is not stained by fluid dyes. W. Flemming.
Achromatize
A•chro´ma•tize, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Achromatized ; p. pr. & vb. n. Achromatizing .] [Gr. ’a priv. + color.] To deprive of color; to make achromatic.
Achromatous
A•chro´ma•tous, a. [See Ahromatic.] Lacking, or deficient in, color; as achromatous blood.
Achroödextrin
Ach•ro•ö•dex"trin, n. [Gr. colorless + E. dextrin.] (Physiol. Chem.) Dextrin not colorable by iodine. See Dextrin.
Achroous
Ach´ro•ous, a. [Gr. ; ’a priv. + color.] Colorless; achromatic.
Achylous
A•chy´lous, a. [Gr. without juice.] (Physiol.) Without chyle.
Achymous
A•chy´mous, a. [Gr. without juice.] (Physiol.) Without chyme.
Aciculiform
A•cic´u•li•form, a. [L. acicula needle + -form.] Needle-shaped; acicular.
Acid
Ac´id, a. [L. acidus sour, fr. the root a. to be sharp: cf. F. acide. Cf. Acute.]
1. Sour, sharp, or biting to the taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar: as acid fruits or liquors. Also fig.: Sour- tempered.
"He was stern and his face as acid as ever." - A. Trollope.
2. Of or pertaining to an acid; as acid reaction.
Acidic
A•cid´ic, a. (Min.) Containing a high percentage of silica; — opposed to basic.
Acidiferous
Ac•id•if´er•ous, a. [L. acidus sour + -ferous.] Containing or yielding an acid.
Acidifiable
A•cid´i•fi•a•ble, a. Capable of being acidified, or converted into an acid.
Acidific
Ac•id•if´ic, a. Producing acidity; converting into an acid. Dana.
Acidify
A•cid´i•fy, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Acidified ; p. pr. & vb. n. Acidifying .] [L. acidus sour, acid + -fy: cf. F. acidifier.]
1. To make acid; to convert into an acid; as to acidify sugar.
2. To sour; to imbitter.
"His thin existence all acidified into rage." - Carlyle.
Acidity
A•cid´i•ty, n. [L. acidites, fr. acidus: cf. F. acidite. See Acid.] The quality of being sour; sourness; tartness; sharpness to the taste; as the acidity of lemon juice.
Acidulate
A•cid´u•late, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Acidulated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Acidulating .] [Cf. F. aciduler. See Acidulous.] To make sour or acid in a moderate degree; to sour somewhat. Arbuthnot.
Aciform
Ac´i•form, a. [L. acus needle + -form.] Shaped like a needle.
Acinaces
A•cin´a•ces, n. [L., from Gr. .] (Anc. Hist.) A short sword or saber.
Acinesia
Ac•i•ne´si•a (as•i•ne"si•a), n. (Med.) Same as Akinesia.
Acinetae
Ac•i•ne´tae (as•i•ne"te), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. ’akinhtos immovable.] (Zoöl.) A group of suctorial Infusoria, which in the adult stage are stationary. See Suctoria.
Acinetiform
Ac•i•net´i•form, a. [ Acinetae + -form.] (Zoöl.) Resembling the Acinetae.
Acipenser
Ac•i•pen´ser, n. [L., the name of a fish.] (Zoöl.) A genus of ganoid fishes, including the sturgeons, having the body armed with bony scales, and the mouth on the under side of the head. See Sturgeon.
Aciurgy
Ac´i•ur•gy, n. [Gr. a point + work.] Operative surgery.
Acknowledge
Ac•knowl´edge, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Acknowledged ; p. pr. & vb. n. Acknowledging .] [Prob. fr. pref. a. + the verb knowledge. See Knowledge, and cf. Acknow.]
1. To of or admit the knowledge of; to recognize as a fact or truth; to declare one’s belief in; as to acknowledge the being of a God.
"I acknowledge my transgressions." - Ps. li. 3.
"For ends generally acknowledged to be good." - Macaulay.
2. To own or recognize in a particular character or relationship; to admit the claims or authority of; to give recognition to.
"In all thy ways acknowledge Him." - Prov. iii. 6.
"By my soul, I’ll ne’er acknowledge thee." - Shak.
3. To own with gratitude or as a benefit or an obligation; as to acknowledge a favor, the receipt of a letter.
"They his gifts acknowledged none." - Milton.
4. To own as genuine; to assent to, as a legal instrument, to give it validity; to avow or admit in legal form; as to acknowledgea deed.
Syn. — To avow; proclaim; recognize; own; admit; allow; concede; confess. — Acknowledge, Recognize. Acknowledge is opposed to keep back, or conceal, and supposes that something had been previously known to us (though perhaps not to others) which we now feel bound to lay open or make public. Thus, a man acknowledges a secret marriage; one who has done wrong acknowledges his fault; and author acknowledges his obligation to those who have aided him; we acknowledge our ignorance. Recognize supposes that we have either forgotten or not had the evidence of a thing distinctly before our minds, but that now we know it (as it were) anew, or receive and admit in on the ground of the evidence it brings. Thus, we recognize a friend after a long absence. We recognize facts, principles, truths, etc., when their evidence is brought up fresh to the mind; as bad men usually recognize the providence of God in seasons of danger. A foreign minister, consul, or agent, of any kind, is recognized on the ground of his producing satisfactory credentials. See also Confess.
Acock
A•cock´, adv. [Pref. a. + cock.] In a cocked or turned up fashion.
Acold
A•cold´, a. [Prob. p. p. of OE. acolen to grow cold or cool, AS. acolian to grow cold; pref. a. (cf. Goth. er-, orig. meaning out) + colian to cool. See Cool.] Cold. [Obs.] "Poor Tom’s acold." Shak.
Acology
A•col´o•gy, n. [Gr. remedy + - logy.] Materia medica; the science of remedies.
Aconitine
A•con´i•tine, n. (Chem.) An intensely poisonous alkaloid, extracted from aconite.
Aconitum
Ac•o•ni´tum, n. [L. See Aconite.] The poisonous herb aconite; also an extract from it.
"Strong
As aconitum or rash gunpowder." - Shak.
Acorn
A´corn, n. [AS. aecern, fr. aecer field, acre; akin to D. aker acorn, Ger. ecker, Icel. akarn, Dan. agern, Goth. akran fruit, akrs field; — orig. fruit of the field. See Acre.]
1. The fruit of the oak, being an oval nut growing in a woody cup or cupule.
2. (Naut.) A cone-shaped piece of wood on the point of the spindle above the vane, on the mast-head.
3. (Zoöl.) See Acorn- shell.
Acorn cup
A"corn cup . The involucre or cup in which the acorn is fixed.
Acorned
A´corned, a.
1. Furnished or loaded with acorns.
2. Fed or filled with acorns. [R.] Shak.
Acorn-shell
A´corn-shell, n. (Zoöl.) One of the sessile cirripeds; a barnacle of the genus Balanus. See Barnacle.
Acosmist
A•cos´mist, n. [See Acosmism.] One who denies the existence of the universe, or of a universe as distinct from God. G. H. Lewes.
Acotyledon
A•cot•y•le´don (#; 277), n. [Gr. ’a priv. + anything cup-shaped. See Cotyledon.] (Bot.) A plant which has no cotyledons, as the dodder and all flowerless plants.
Acoumetry
A•cou´me•try, n. [Gr. to hear + -metry.] The measuring of the power or extent of hearing.
Acoustic
A•cous´tic, n. A medicine or agent to assist hearing.
Acoustically
A•cous´tic•al•ly, adv. In relation to sound or to hearing. Tyndall.
Acoustician
Ac•ous•ti´cian, n. One versed in acoustics. Tyndall.
Acoustics
A•cous´tics (#; 277), n. [Names of sciences in -ics, as acoustics, mathematics, etc., are usually treated as singular. See -ics.] (Physics.) The science of sounds, teaching their nature, phenomena, and laws.
"Acoustics, then, or the science of sound, is a very considerable branch of physics." - Sir J. Herschel.
The science is, by some writers, divided, into diacoustics, which explains the properties of sounds coming directly from the ear; and catacoustica, which treats of reflected sounds or echoes.
Acquaint
Ac•quaint´, a. [OF. acoint. See Acquaint, v. t.] Acquainted. [Obs.]
Acquaint
Ac•quaint´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Acquainted; p. pr. & vb. n. Acquainting.] [OE. aqueinten, acointen, OF. acointier, LL. adcognitare, fr. L. a. + cognitus, p. p. of cognoscere to know; con- + noscere to know. See Quaint, Know.]
1. To furnish or give experimental knowledge of; to make (one) to know; to make familiar; — followed by with.
"Before a man can speak on any subject, it is necessary to be acquainted with it." - Locke.
"A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief." - Isa. liii. 3.
2. To communicate notice to; to inform; to make cognizant; — followed by with (formerly, also by of), or by that, introducing the intelligence; as to acquaint a friend with the particulars of an act.
"Acquaint her here of my son Paris’ love." - Shak.
"I must acquaint you that I have received
New dated letters from Northumberland." - Shak.
3. To familiarize; to accustom. [Obs.] Evelyn. To be acquainted with, to be possessed of personal knowledge of; to be cognizant of; to be more or less familiar with; to be on terms of social intercourse with.
Syn. — To inform; apprise; communicate; advise.
Acquaintance
Ac•quaint´ance, n. [OE. aqueintance, OF. acointance, fr. acointier. See Acquaint.]
1. A state of being acquainted, or of having intimate, or more than slight or superficial, knowledge; personal knowledge gained by intercourse short of that of friendship or intimacy; as I know the man; but have no acquaintance with him.
"Contract no friendship, or even acquaintance, with a guileful man." - Sir W. Jones.
2. A person or persons with whom one is acquainted.
"Montgomery was an old acquaintance of Ferguson." - Macaulay.
In this sense the collective term acquaintance was formerly both singular and plural, but it is now commonly singular, and has the regular plural acquaintances. To be of acquaintance, to be intimate. — To take acquaintance of or with, to make the acquaintance of. [Obs.]
Syn. — Familiarity; intimacy; fellowship; knowledge. — Acquaintance, Familiarity, Intimacy. These words mark different degrees of closeness in social intercourse. Acquaintance arises from occasional intercourse; as our acquaintance has been a brief one. We can speak of a slight or an intimate acquaintance. Familiarity is the result of continued acquaintance. It springs from persons being frequently together, so as to wear off all restraint and reserve; as the familiarity of old companions. Intimacy is the result of close connection, and the freest interchange of thought; as the intimacy of established friendship.
"Our admiration of a famous man lessens upon our nearer acquaintance with him." - Addison.
"We contract at last such a familiarity with them as makes it difficult and irksome for us to call off our minds." - Atterbury.
"It is in our power to confine our friendships and intimacies to men of virtue." - Rogers.
Acquaintanceship
Ac•quaint´ance•ship, n. A state of being acquainted; acquaintance. Southey.
Acquaintant
Ac•quaint´ant, n. [Cf. F. acointant, p. pr.] An acquaintance. [R.] Swift.
Acquainted
Ac•quaint´ed, a. Personally known; familiar. See To be acquainted with, under Acquaint, v. t.
Acquaintedness
Ac•quaint´ed•ness, n. State of being acquainted; degree of acquaintance. [R.] Boyle.
Acquest
Ac•quest´ (#), n. [OF. aquest, F. acquêt, fr. LL. acquestum, acquisitum, for L. acquisitum, p. p. (used substantively) of acquirere to acquire. See Acquire.]
1. Acquisition; the thing gained. [R.] Bacon.
2. (Law) Property acquired by purchase, gift, or otherwise than by inheritance. Bouvier.
Acquiesce
Ac•qui•esce´, v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Acquiesced ; p. pr. & vb. n. Acquiescing ] [L. acquiescere; a. + quiescere to be quiet, fr. quies rest: cf. F. acquiescer. See Quiet.]
1. To rest satisfied, or apparently satisfied, or to rest without opposition and discontent (usually implying previous opposition or discontent); to accept or consent by silence or by omitting to object; — followed by in, formerly also by with and to.
"They were compelled to acquiesce in a government which they did not regard as just." - De Quincey.
2. To concur upon conviction; as to acquiesce in an opinion; to assent to; usually, to concur, not heartily but so far as to forbear opposition.
Syn. — To submit; comply; yield; assent; agree; consent; accede; concur; conform; accept tacitly.
Acquiescency
Ac•qui•es´cen•cy, n. The quality of being acquiescent; acquiescence.
Acquiescently
Ac•qui•es´cent•ly, adv. In an acquiescent manner.
Acquiet
Ac•qui´et, v. t. [LL. acquietare; L. a. + quies rest. See Quiet and cf. Acquit.] To quiet. [Obs.]
"Acquiet his mind from stirring you against your own peace." - Sir A. Sherley.
Acquirability
Ac•quir´a•bil´i•ty, n. The quality of being acquirable; attainableness. [R.] Paley.
Acquire
Ac•quire´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Acquired ; p. pr. & vb. n. Acquiring .] [L. acquirere, acquisitum; a. + quarere to seek for. In OE. was a verb aqueren, fr. the same, through OF. aquerre. See Quest..] To gain, usually by one’s own exertions; to get as one’s own; as to acquire a title, riches, knowledge, skill, good or bad habits.
"No virtue is acquired in an instant, but step by step." - Barrow.
"Descent is the title whereby a man, on the death of his ancestor, acquires his estate, by right of representation, as his heir at law." - Blackstone.
Syn. — To obtain; gain; attain; procure; win; earn; secure. See Obtain.
Acquirement
Ac•quire´ment (-m ent), n. The act of acquiring, or that which is acquired; attainment. "Rules for the acquirement of a taste." Addison.
"His acquirements by industry were … enriched and enlarged by many excellent endowments of nature." - Hayward.
Syn. — Acquisition, Acquirement. Acquirement is used in opposition to a natural gift or talent; as eloquence, and skill in music and painting, are acquirements; genius is the gift or endowment of nature. It denotes especially personal attainments, in opposition to material or external things gained, which are more usually called acquisitions; but this distinction is not always observed.
Acquisite
Ac´qui•site, a. [L. acquisitus, p. p. of acquirere. See Acquire.] Acquired. [Obs.] Burton.
Acquisition
Ac•qui•si´tion, n. [L. acquisitio, fr. acquirere: cf. F. acquisition. See Acquire.]
1. The act or process of acquiring.
"The acquisition or loss of a province." - Macaulay.
2. The thing acquired or gained; an acquirement; a gain; as learning is an acquisition.
Syn. — See Acquirement.
Acquisitively
Ac•quis´i•tive•ly, adv. In the way of acquisition.
Acquist
Ac•quist´, n. [Cf. Acquest.] Acquisition; gain. Milton.
Acquit
Ac•quit´, p. p. Acquitted; set free; rid of. [Archaic] Shak.
Acquit
Ac•quit´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Acquitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Acquitting.] [OE. aquiten, OF. aquiter, F. acquitter; (L. a. ) + OF. quiter, F. quitter, to quit. See Quit, and cf. Acquiet.]
1. To discharge, as a claim or debt; to clear off; to pay off; to requite.
"A responsibility that can never be absolutely acquitted." - I. Taylor.
2. To pay for; to atone for. [Obs.] Shak.
3. To set free, release or discharge from an obligation, duty, liability, burden, or from an accusation or charge; — now followed by of before the charge, formerly by from; as the jury acquitted the prisoner; we acquit a man of evil intentions.
4. Reflexively: (a) To clear one’s self. Shak. (b) To bear or conduct one’s self; to perform one’s part; as the soldier acquitted himself well in battle; the orator acquitted himself very poorly.
Syn. — To absolve; clear; exonerate; exonerate; exculpate; release; discharge. See Absolve.
Acquitment
Ac•quit´ment (-m ent), n. [Cf. OF. aquitement.] Acquittal. [Obs.] Milton.
Acquittance
Ac•quit´tance, n. [OF. aquitance, fr. aquiter. See Acquit.]
1. The clearing off of debt or obligation; a release or discharge from debt or other liability.
2. A writing which is evidence of a discharge; a receipt in full, which bars a further demand.
"You can produce acquittances
For such a sum, from special officers." - Shak.
Acranial
A•cra´ni•al, a. Wanting a skull. { A•crase´, A•craze´ }, v. t. [Pref. a. + crase; or cf. F. ecraser to crush. See Crase, Craze.]
1. To craze. [Obs.] Grafton.
2. To impair; to destroy. [Obs.] Hacket. { A•cra´si•a, Ac´ra•sy } n. [Gr. akrasia.] Excess; intemperance. [Obs. except in Med.] Farindon.
Acreable
A´cre•a•ble, a. Of an acre; per acre; as the acreable produce.
Acreage
A´cre•age, n. Acres collectively; as the acreage of a farm or a country.
Acred
A´cred, a. Possessing acres or landed property; — used in composition; as large- acred men.
Acrid
Ac´rid, a. [L. acer sharp; prob. assimilated in form to acid. See Eager.]
1. Sharp and harsh, or bitter and not, to the taste; pungent; as acrid salts.
2. Causing heat and irritation; corrosive; as acrid secretions.
3. Caustic; bitter; bitterly irritating; as acrid temper, mind, writing. Acrid poison, a poison which irritates, corrodes, or burns the parts to which it is applied. { A•crid´i•ty, Ac´rid•ness } n. The quality of being acrid or pungent; irritant bitterness; acrimony; as the acridity of a plant, of a speech.
Acrimoniously
Ac•ri•mo´ni•ous•ly, adv. In an acrimonious manner.
Acrimoniousness
Ac•ri•mo´ni•ous•ness, n. The quality of being acrimonious; asperity; acrimony.
Acrimony
Ac´ri•mo•ny, n. ; pl. Acrimonies . [L. acrimonia, fr. acer, sharp: cf. F. acrimonie.]
1. A quality of bodies which corrodes or destroys others; also a harsh or biting sharpness; as the acrimony of the juices of certain plants. [Archaic] Bacon.
2. Sharpness or severity, as of language or temper; irritating bitterness of disposition or manners.
"John the Baptist set himself with much acrimony and indignation to baffle this senseless arrogant conceit of theirs." - South.
Syn. — Acrimony, Asperity, Harshness, Tartness. These words express different degrees of angry feeling or language. Asperity and harshness arise from angry feelings, connected with a disregard for the feelings of others. Harshness usually denotes needless severity or an undue measure of severity. Acrimony is a biting sharpness produced by an imbittered spirit. Tartness denotes slight asperity and implies some degree of intellectual readiness. Tartness of reply; harshness of accusation; acrimony of invective.
"In his official letters he expressed, with great acrimony, his contempt for the king’s character." - Macaulay.
"It is no very cynical asperity not to confess obligations where no benefit has been received." - Johnson.
"A just reverence of mankind prevents the growth of harshness and brutality." - Shaftesbury.
{ A•cris´i•a, Ac´ri•sy } n. [LL. acrisia, Gr. ; ’a priv. + to separate, to decide.]
1. Inability to judge.
2. (Med.) Undecided character of a disease. [Obs.]
Acritan
Ac´ri•tan, a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Acrita. — n. An individual of the Acrita.
Acritude
Ac´ri•tude, n. [L. acritudo, from acer sharp.] Acridity; pungency joined with heat. [Obs.]
Acroatic
Ac•ro•at´ic, a. [Gr., fr. to hear.] Same as Acroamatic.
Acrobatic
Ac•ro•bat´ic, a. [Cf. F. acrobatique.] Pertaining to an acrobat. — Ac•ro•bat´ic•al•ly, adv.
Acrobatism
Ac´ro•bat•ism, n. Feats of the acrobat; daring gymnastic feats; high vaulting.
Acrocephalic
Ac•ro•ce•phal´ic, a. [Gr. highest + . See Cephalic.] Characterized by a high skull.
Acrogen
Ac´ro•gen, n. [Gr. ’a•kros extreme, high + -gen.] (Bot.) A plant of the highest class of cryptogams, including the ferns, etc. See Cryptogamia. The Age of Acrogens (Geol.), the age of coal plants, or the carboniferous era.
Acrogenous
Ac•rog´e•nous, a. (Bot.) Increasing by growth from the extremity; as an acrogenous plant.
Acromial
A•cro´mi•al, a. [Cf. F. acromial.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the acromion. Dunglison.
Acrostic
A•cros´tic, n. [Gr. ; extreme + order, line, verse.]
1. A composition, usually in verse, in which the first or the last letters of the lines, or certain other letters, taken in order, form a name, word, phrase, or motto.
2. A Hebrew poem in which the lines or stanzas begin with the letters of the alphabet in regular order (as Psalm cxix.). See Abecedarian. Double acrostic, a species of enigma, in which words are to be guessed whose initial and final letters form other words. { A•cros´tic, A•cros´tic•al } n. Pertaining to, or characterized by, acrostics.
Acrostically
A•cros´tic•al•ly, adv. After the manner of an acrostic.
Acroter
Ac´ro•ter (ak•ro•ter or a•kro•ter), n. [F. acrotère. See Acroterium.] (Arch.) Same as Acroterium.
Acrotic
A•crot´ic, a. [Gr. an extreme, fr. .] (Med.) Pertaining to or affecting the surface.
Act (akt), n. [L. actus, fr. agere to drive, do: cf. F. acte. See Agent.]
1. That which is done or doing; the exercise of power, or the effect, of which power exerted is the cause; a performance; a deed.
"That best portion of a good man’s life,
His little, nameless, unremembered acts
Of kindness and of love." - Wordsworth.
Hence, in specific uses: (a) The result of public deliberation; the decision or determination of a legislative body, council, court of justice, etc.; a decree, edit, law, judgment, resolve, award; as an act of Parliament, or of Congress. (b) A formal solemn writing, expressing that something has been done. Abbott. (c) A performance of part of a play; one of the principal divisions of a play or dramatic work in which a certain definite part of the action is completed. (d) A thesis maintained in public, in some English universities, by a candidate for a degree, or to show the proficiency of a student.
2. A state of reality or real existence as opposed to a possibility or possible existence. [Obs.]
"The seeds of plants are not at first in act, but in possibility, what they afterward grow to be." - Hooker.
3. Process of doing; action. In act, in the very doing; on the point of (doing). "In act to shoot." Dryden.
"This woman was taken … in the very act." - John viii. 4.
Act of attainder. (Law) See Attainder. — Act of bankruptcy (Law), an act of a debtor which renders him liable to be adjudged a bankrupt. — Act of faith. (Ch. Hist.) See Auto-da-Fe. — Act of God (Law), an inevitable accident; such extraordinary interruption of the usual course of events as is not to be looked for in advance, and against which ordinary prudence could not guard. — Act of grace, an expression often used to designate an act declaring pardon or amnesty to numerous offenders, as at the beginning of a new reign. — Act of indemnity, a statute passed for the protection of those who have committed some illegal act subjecting them to penalties. Abbott. — Act in pais, a thing done out of court (anciently, in the country), and not a matter of record.
Syn. — See Action.
Act, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Acted; p. pr. & vb. n. Acting.] [L. actus, p. p. of agere to drive, lead, do; but influenced by E. act, n.]
1. To move to action; to actuate; to animate. [Obs.]
"Self-love, the spring of motion, acts the soul." - Pope.
2. To perform; to execute; to do. [Archaic]
"That we act our temporal affairs with a desire no greater than our necessity." - Jer. Taylor.
"Industry doth beget by producing good habits, and facility of acting things expedient for us to do." - Barrow.
"Uplifted hands that at convenient times
Could act extortion and the worst of crimes." - Cowper.
3. To perform, as an actor; to represent dramatically on the stage.
4. To assume the office or character of; to play; to personate; as to act the hero.
5. To feign or counterfeit; to simulate.
"With acted fear the villain thus pursued." - Dryden.
To act a part, to sustain the part of one of the characters in a play; hence, to simulate; to dissemble. — To act the part of, to take the character of; to fulfill the duties of.
Actinia
Ac•tin´i•a, n. ; pl. L. Actiniae, E. Actinias . [Latinized fr. Gr.,, ray.] (Zoöl.) (a) An animal of the class Anthozoa, and family Actinidae. From a resemblance to flowers in form and color, they are often called animal flowers and sea anemones. [See Polyp.]. (b) A genus in the family Actinidae.
Actinic
Ac•tin´ic, a. Of or pertaining to actinism; as actinic rays.
Actiniform
Ac•tin´i•form, a. [Gr.,, ray + -form.] Having a radiated form, like a sea anemone.
Actino-chemistry
Ac•ti•no-chem´is•try, n. Chemistry in its relations to actinism. Draper.
Actinogram
Ac•tin´o•gram, n. [Gr.,, ray + -gram.] A record made by the actinograph.
Actinoid
Ac´tin•oid, a. [Gr.,, ray + -oid.] Having the form of rays; radiated, as an actinia.
Actinolitic
Ac•tin•o•lit´ic, a. (Min.) Of the nature of, or containing, actinolite.
Actinophorous
Ac•ti•noph´o•rous, a. [Gr.,, ray + to bear.] Having straight projecting spines.
Actinosome
Ac•tin´o•some, n. [Gr. ray + body.] (Zoöl.) The entire body of a cœlenterate.
Actinozoal
Ac•ti•no•zo´al, a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Actinozoa.
Action
Ac´tion, n. [OF. action, L. actio, fr. agere to do. See Act.]
1. A process or condition of acting or moving, as opposed to rest; the doing of something; exertion of power or force, as when one body acts on another; the effect of power exerted on one body by another; agency; activity; operation; as the action of heat; a man of action.
"One wise in council, one in action brave." - Pope.
2. An act; a thing done; a deed; an enterprise. (pl.): Habitual deeds; hence, conduct; behavior; demeanor.
"The Lord is a Good of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed." - 1 Sam. ii. 3.
3. The event or connected series of events, either real or imaginary, forming the subject of a play, poem, or other composition; the unfolding of the drama of events.
4. Movement; as the horse has a spirited action.
5. (Mech.) Effective motion; also mechanism; as the breech action of a gun.
6. (Physiol.) Any one of the active processes going on in an organism; the performance of a function; as the action of the heart, the muscles, or the gastric juice.
7. (Orat.) Gesticulation; the external deportment of the speaker, or the suiting of his attitude, voice, gestures, and countenance, to the subject, or to the feelings.
8. (Paint. & Sculp.) The attitude or position of the several parts of the body as expressive of the sentiment or passion depicted.
9. (Law) (a) A suit or process, by which a demand is made of a right in a court of justice; in a broad sense, a judicial proceeding for the enforcement or protection of a right, the redress or prevention of a wrong, or the punishment of a public offense. (b) A right of action; as the law gives an action for every claim.
10. (Com.) A share in the capital stock of a joint-stock company, or in the public funds; hence, in the plural, equivalent to stocks. [A Gallicism] [Obs.]
"The Euripus of funds and actions." - Burke.
11. An engagement between troops in war, whether on land or water; a battle; a fight; as a general action, a partial action.
12. (Music) The mechanical contrivance by means of which the impulse of the player’s finger is transmitted to the strings of a pianoforte or to the valve of an organ pipe. Grove. Chose in action. (Law) See Chose. — Quantity of action (Physics), the product of the mass of a body by the space it runs through, and its velocity.
Syn. — Action, Act. In many cases action and act are synonymous; but some distinction is observable. Action involves the mode or process of acting, and is usually viewed as occupying some time in doing. Act has more reference to the effect, or the operation as complete.
"To poke the fire is an act, to reconcile friends who have quarreled is a praiseworthy action."C. J. Smith.
Actionable
Ac´tion•a•ble, a. [Cf. LL. actionabilis. See Action.] That may be the subject of an action or suit at law; as to call a man a thief is actionable.
Active
Ac´tive, a. [F. actif, L. activus, fr. agere to act.]
1. Having the power or quality of acting; causing change; communicating action or motion; acting; — opposed to passive, that receives; as certain active principles; the powers of the mind.
2. Quick in physical movement; of an agile and vigorous body; nimble; as an active child or animal.
"Active and nervous was his gait." - Wordsworth.
3. In action; actually proceeding; working; in force; — opposed to quiescent, dormant, or extinct; as active laws; active hostilities; an active volcano.
4. Given to action; constantly engaged in action; energetic; diligent; busy; — opposed to dull, sluggish, indolent, or inert; as an active man of business; active mind; active zeal.
5. Requiring or implying action or exertion; — opposed to sedentary or to tranquil; as active employment or service; active scenes.
6. Given to action rather than contemplation; practical; operative; — opposed to speculative or theoretical; as an active rather than a speculative statesman.
7. Brisk; lively; as an active demand for corn.
8. Implying or producing rapid action; as an active disease; an active remedy.
9. (Gram.) (a) Applied to a form of the verb; — opposed to passive. See Active voice, under Voice. (b) Applied to verbs which assert that the subject acts upon or affects something else; transitive. (c) Applied to all verbs that express action as distinct from mere existence or state. Active capital, Active wealth, money, or property that may readily be converted into money.
Syn. — Agile; alert; brisk; vigorous; nimble; lively; quick; sprightly; prompt; energetic.
Activeness
Ac´tive•ness, n. The quality of being active; nimbleness; quickness of motion; activity.
Acton
Ac´ton, n. [OF. aketon, auqueton, F. hoqueton, a quilted jacket, fr. Sp. alcoton, algodon, cotton. Cf. Cotton.] A stuffed jacket worn under the mail, or (later) a jacket plated with mail. [Spelled also hacqueton.] [Obs.] Halliwell. Sir W. Scott.
Actual
Ac´tu•al (#; 135), a. [OE. actuel, F. actuel, L. actualis, fr. agere to do, act.]
1. Involving or comprising action; active. [Obs.]
"Her walking and other actual performances." - Shak.
"Let your holy and pious intention be actual; that is … by a special prayer or action, … given to God." - Jer. Taylor.
2. Existing in act or reality; really acted or acting; in fact; real; — opposed to potential, possible, virtual, speculative, conceivable, theoretical, or nominal; as the actual cost of goods; the actual case under discussion.
3. In action at the time being; now exiting; present; as the actual situation of the country. Actual cautery. See under Cautery. — Actual sin (Theol.), that kind of sin which is done by ourselves in contradistinction to "original sin."
Syn. — Real; genuine; positive; certain. See Real.
Actualization
Ac•tu•al•i•za´tion, n. A making actual or really existent. [R.] Emerson.
Actualize
Ac´tu•al•ize, v. t. To make actual; to realize in action. [R.] Coleridge.
Actualness
Ac´tu•al•ness, n. Quality of being actual; actuality.
Actuarial
Ac•tu•a´ri•al, a. Of or pertaining to actuaries; as the actuarial value of an annuity.
Actuate
Ac´tu•ate, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Actuated ; p. pr. & vb. n. Actuating .] [LL. actuatus, p. p. of actuare, fr. L. actus act.]
1. To put into action or motion; to move or incite to action; to influence actively; to move as motives do; — more commonly used of persons.
"Wings, which others were contriving to actuate by the perpetual motion." - Johnson.
"Men of the greatest abilities are most fired with ambition; and, on the contrary, mean and narrow minds are the least actuated by it." - Addison.
2. To carry out in practice; to perform. [Obs.] "To actuate what you command." Jer. Taylor.
Syn. — To move; impel; incite; rouse; instigate; animate.
Actuate
Ac´tu•ate, a. [LL. actuatus, p. p. of actuare.] Put in action; actuated. [Obs.] South.
Actuation
Ac•tu•a´tion, n. [Cf. LL. actuatio.] A bringing into action; movement. Bp. Pearson.
Actuator
Ac´tu•a•tor, n. One who actuates, or puts into action. [R.] Melville.
Actuosity
Ac•tu•os´i•ty, n. Abundant activity. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.
Acuity
A•cu´i•ty, n. [LL. acuitas: cf. F. acuite.] Sharpness or acuteness, as of a needle, wit, etc.
Aculeated
A•cu´le•a•ted, a. Having a sharp point; armed with prickles; prickly; aculeate.
Acumen
A•cu´men, n. [L. acumen, fr. acuere to sharpen. Cf. Acute.] Quickness of perception or discernment; penetration of mind; the faculty of nice discrimination. Selden.
Syn. — Sharpness; sagacity; keenness; shrewdness; acuteness.
Acuminate
A•cu´mi•nate, a. [L. acuminatus, p. p. of acuminare to sharpen, fr. acumen. See Acumen.] Tapering to a point; pointed; as acuminate leaves, teeth, etc.
Acuminate
A•cu´mi•nate, v. t. To render sharp or keen. [R.] "To acuminate even despair." Cowper.
Acuminose
A•cu´mi•nose, a. Terminating in a flat, narrow end. Lindley.
Acuminous
A•cu´mi•nous, a. Characterized by acumen; keen. Highmore.
Acute
A•cute´, a. [L. acutus, p. p. of acuere to sharpen, fr. a root a. to be sharp. Cf. Ague, Cute, Edge.]
1. Sharp at the end; ending in a sharp point; pointed; — opposed to blunt or obtuse; as an acute angle; an acute leaf.
2. Having nice discernment; perceiving or using minute distinctions; penetrating; clever; shrewd; — opposed to dull or stupid; as an acute observer; acute remarks, or reasoning.
3. Having nice or quick sensibility; susceptible to slight impressions; acting keenly on the senses; sharp; keen; intense; as a man of acute eyesight, hearing, or feeling; acute pain or pleasure.
4. High, or shrill, in respect to some other sound; — opposed to grave or low; as an acute tone or accent.
5. (Med.) Attended with symptoms of some degree of severity, and coming speedily to a crisis; — opposed to chronic; as an acute disease. Acute angle (Geom.), an angle less than a right angle.
Syn. — Subtile; ingenious; sharp; keen; penetrating; sagacious; sharp-witted; shrewd; discerning; discriminating. See Subtile.
Acutely
A•cute´ly, adv. In an acute manner; sharply; keenly; with nice discrimination.
Acyl
Ac´yl, n. [ Acid + - yl.] (Org. Chem.) An acid radical, as acetyl, malonyl, or benzoyl.