Era
E´ra, n. ; pl. Eras (#). [LL. aera an era, in earlier usage, the items of an account, counters, pl. of aes, aeris, brass, money. See Ore.]
1. A fixed point of time, usually an epoch, from which a series of years is reckoned.
"The foundation of Solomon’s temple is conjectured by Ideler to have been an era." R. S. Poole.
2. A period of time reckoned from some particular date or epoch; a succession of years dating from some important event; as the era of Alexander; the era of Christ, or the Christian era (see under Christian).
"The first century of our era." M. Arnold.
3. A period of time in which a new order of things prevails; a signal stage of history; an epoch.
"Painting may truly be said to have opened the new era of culture." J. A. Symonds.
Syn. — Epoch; time; date; period; age; dispensation. See Epoch.

Eradiate
E•ra´di•ate, v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Eradiated p. pr. & vb. n. Eradiating ] [Pref. e- + radiate.] To shoot forth, as rays of light; to beam; to radiate. Dr. H. More.

Eradiation
E•ra•di•a´tion, n. Emission of radiance.

Eradicable
E•rad´i•ca•ble, a. Capable of being eradicated.

Eradicate
E•rad´i•cate, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Eradicated p. pr. & vb. n. Eradicating ] [L. eradicatus, p. p. of eradicare to eradicate; e out + radix, radicis, root. See Radical.]
1. To pluck up by the roots; to root up; as an oak tree eradicated.
2. To root out; to destroy utterly; to extirpate; as to eradicate diseases, or errors.
"This, although now an old an inveterate evil, might be eradicated by vigorous treatment." Southey.
Syn. — To extirpate; root out; exterminate; destroy; annihilate.

Eradication
E•rad•i•ca´tion, n. [L. eradicatio: cf. F. eradication.]
1. The act of plucking up by the roots; a rooting out; extirpation; utter destruction.
2. The state of being plucked up by the roots.

Eradicative
E•rad´i•ca•tive, a. [Cf. eradicatif.] Tending or serving to eradicate; curing or destroying thoroughly, as a disease or any evil.

Eradicative
E•rad´i•ca•tive, n. (Med.) A medicine that effects a radical cure. Whitlock.

Erasable
E•ras´a•ble, a. Capable of being erased.

Erase
E•rase´ (e•ras"), v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Erased (-rast"); p. pr. & vb. n.. Erasing.] [L. erasus, p. p. of eradere to erase; e out + radere to scrape, scratch, shave. See Rase.]
1. To rub or scrape out, as letters or characters written, engraved, or painted; to efface; to expunge; to cross out; as to erase a word or a name.
2. Fig.: To obliterate; to expunge; to blot out; — used of ideas in the mind or memory. Burke.

Erased
E•rased´ (e•rast"), p. p. & a.
1. Rubbed or scraped out; effaced; obliterated.
2. (Her.) Represented with jagged and uneven edges, as is torn off; — used esp. of the head or limb of a beast. Cf. Couped.

Erasement
E•rase´ment (ras"m ent), n. The act of erasing; a rubbing out; expunction; obliteration. Johnson.

Eraser
E•ras´er, n. One who, or that which, erases; esp., a sharp instrument or a piece of rubber used to erase writings, drawings, etc.

Erasion
E•ra´sion, n. The act of erasing; a rubbing out; obliteration.

Erastian
E•ras´tian ( 106), n. (Eccl. Hist.) One of the followers of Thomas Erastus, a German physician and theologian of the 16th century. He held that the punishment of all offenses should be referred to the civil power, and that holy communion was open to all. In the present day, an Erastian is one who would see the church placed entirely under the control of the State. Shipley.

Erastianism
E•ras´tian•ism, n. (Eccl. Hist.) The principles of the Erastains.

Erasure
E•ra´sure ( 135), n. [From Erase.] The act of erasing; a scratching out; obliteration.

Erasure
E•ra´sure, n. An instance of erasing; also the place where something has been erased.

Erative
Er´a•tive, a. Pertaining to the Muse Erato who presided over amatory poetry. Stormonth.

Erato
Er´a•to, n. [L., fr. Gr., fr. to love.] (Class. Myth.) The Muse who presided over lyric and amatory poetry.

Erbium
Er´bi•um, n. [NL. from Ytt erby, in Sweden, where gadolinite is found. Cf. Terbium, Yttrium, Ytterbium.] (Chem.) A rare metallic element associated with several other rare elements in the mineral gadolinite from Ytterby in Sweden. Symbol Er. Atomic weight 165.9. Its salts are rose-colored and give characteristic spectra. Its sesquioxide is called erbia.

Erbium
Er´bi•um, n. [NL. Named from Ytterby, in Sweden, where gadolinite is found. Cf. Terbium, Yttrium, Ytterbium.] (Chem.) A metallic element of the rare earth group, found in gadolinite and some other minerals. Symbol, Er; at. wt. 167.4. Its salts are rose-colored and give characteristic spectra.

Ercedeken
Er•ce•de´ken, n. [OE., fr. pref. erce- = archi- + deken a deacon.] An archdeacon. [Obs.]

Erd, n. [OE. erd, eard, earth, land, country, AS. eard; akin to OS. ard dwelling place, OHG. art plowing, tillage, Icel. örð crop, and to L. arare to plow, E. ear to plow.] The earth. [Prov. Eng.] Wright. Erd shrew (Zoöl.), the common European shrew ( Sorex vulgaris); the shrewmouse.

Ere (ar or âr; 277), prep. & adv. [AS. aer, prep., adv., & conj.; akin to OS., OFries., & OHG. er, G. eher, D. eer, Icel. a. , Goth. air. rad.204. Cf. Early, Erst, Or, adv. ]
1. Before; sooner than. [Archaic or Poetic]
"Myself was stirring ere the break of day." Shak.
"Ere sails were spread new oceans to explore." Dryden.
"Sir, come down ere my child die." John iv. 49.
2. Rather than.
"I will be thrown into Etna, … ere I will leave her." Shak. Ere long, before, shortly. Shak. — Ere now, formerly, heretofore. Shak. — Ere that, ∧ Or are. Same as Ere. Shak.

Ere, v. t. To plow. [Obs.] See Ear, v. t. Chaucer.

Erebus
Er´e•bus, n. [L., fr. Gr. .]
1. (Greek Myth.) A place of nether darkness, being the gloomy space through which the souls passed to Hades. See Milton’s "Paradise Lost," Book II., line 883.
2. (Greek Myth.) The son of Chaos and brother of Nox, who dwelt in Erebus.
"To the infernal deep, with Erebus and tortures vile." Shak.

Erect
E•rect´, a. [L. erectus, p. p. of erigere to erect; e out + regere to lead straight. See Right, and cf. Alert.]
1. Upright, or having a vertical position; not inverted; not leaning or bent; not prone; as to stand erect.
"Two of far nobler shape, erect and tall." Milton.
"Among the Greek colonies and churches of Asia, Philadelphia is still erect — a column of ruins." Gibbon.
2. Directed upward; raised; uplifted.
"His piercing eyes, erect, appear to view Superior worlds, and look all nature through." Pope.
3. Bold; confident; free from depression; undismayed.
"But who is he, by years Bowed, but erect in heart?" Keble.
4. Watchful; alert.
"Vigilant and erect attention of mind." Hooker.
5. (Bot.) Standing upright, with reference to the earth’s surface, or to the surface to which it is attached.
6. (Her.) Elevated, as the tips of wings, heads of serpents, etc.

Erect
E•rect´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Erected; p. pr. & vb. n. Erecting.]
1. To raise and place in an upright or perpendicular position; to set upright; to raise; as to erect a pole, a flagstaff, a monument, etc.
2. To raise, as a building; to build; to construct; as to erect a house or a fort; to set up; to put together the component parts of, as of a machine.
3. To lift up; to elevate; to exalt; to magnify.
"That didst his state above his hopes erect." Daniel.
"I, who am a party, am not to erect myself into a judge." Dryden.
4. To animate; to encourage; to cheer.
"It raiseth the dropping spirit, erecting it to a loving complaisance." Barrow.
5. To set up as an assertion or consequence from premises, or the like. "To erect conclusions." Sir T. Browne. "Malebranche erects this proposition." Locke.
6. To set up or establish; to found; to form; to institute. "To erect a new commonwealth." Hooker. Erecting shop (Mach.), a place where large machines, as engines, are put together and adjusted.
Syn. — To set up; raise; elevate; construct; build; institute; establish; found.

Erect
E•rect´, v. i. To rise upright. [Obs.]
"By wet, stalks do erect." Bacon.

Erectable
E•rect´a•ble a. Capable of being erected; as an erectable feather. Col. G. Montagu.

Erecter
E•rect´er, n. An erector; one who raises or builds.

Erectile
E•rect´ile, a. [Cf. F. erectile.] Capable of being erected; susceptible of being erected of dilated. Erectile tissue (Anat.), a tissue which is capable of being greatly dilated and made rigid by the distension of the numerous blood vessels which it contains.

Erectility
E•rec•til´i•ty, n. The quality or state of being erectile.

Erection
E•rec´tion, n. [L. erectio: cf. F. erection.]
1. The act of erecting, or raising upright; the act of constructing, as a building or a wall, or of fitting together the parts of, as a machine; the act of founding or establishing, as a commonwealth or an office; also the act of rousing to excitement or courage.
2. The state of being erected, lifted up, built, established, or founded; exaltation of feelings or purposes.
"Her peerless height my mind to high erection draws up." Sidney
3. State of being stretched to stiffness; tension.
4. Anything erected; a building of any kind.
5. (Physiol.) The state of a part which, from having been soft, has become hard and swollen by the accumulation of blood in the erectile tissue.

Erective
E•rect´ive, a. Making erect or upright; raising; tending to erect.

Erectly
E•rect´ly, adv. In an erect manner or posture.

Erectness
E•rect´ness, n. Uprightness of posture or form.

Erecto-patent
E•rec´to-pat´ent, a.
1. (Bot.) Having a position intermediate between erect and patent, or spreading.
2. (Zoöl.) Standing partially spread and erect; — said of the wings of certain insects.

Erector
E•rec´tor, n.
1. One who, or that which, erects.
2. (Anat.) A muscle which raises any part.
3. (Physics) An attachment to a microscope, telescope, or other optical instrument, for making the image erect instead of inverted.

Erelong
Ere•long´ ( 115), adv. Before the apse of a long time; soon; — usually separated, ere long.
"A man, … following the stag, erelong slew him." Spenser.
"The world, erelong, a world of tears must weep." Milton.

Eremacausis
Er•e•ma•cau´sis, n. [NL., fr. Gr. quietly + burning, fr. to burn.] A gradual oxidation from exposure to air and moisture, as in the decay of old trees or of dead animals.

Eremitage
Er´e•mit•age, n. See Hermitage.

Eremite
Er´e•mite, n. [See Hermit.] A hermit.
"Thou art my heaven, and I thy eremite." Keats. { Er•e•mit´ic, Er•e•mit´ic•al } a. Of or pertaining to an eremite; hermitical; living in solitude. "An eremitical life in the woods." Fuller. "The eremitic instinct." Lowell.

Eremitish
Er´e•mi•tish, a. Eremitic. Bp. Hall.

Eremitism
Er´e•mit•ism, n. The state of a hermit; a living in seclusion from social life.

Ereptation
E•rep•ta´tion, n. [L. erepere to creep out; e out + repere to creep.] A creeping forth. [Obs.]

Ereption
E•rep´tion, n. [L. ereptio, fr. eripere to snatch away; e out + rapere to snatch.] A snatching away. [Obs.] Cockeram.

Erethism
Er´e•thism, n. [Gr. irritation, fr. to stir, rouse, fr. to stir: cf. F. erethisme.] (Med.) A morbid degree of excitement or irritation in an organ. Hoblyn.

Erethistic
Er•e•this´tic, a. [Gr. irritating.] Relating to erethism. { Ere•while´, Ere•whiles´ } adv. Some time ago; a little while before; heretofore. [Archaic]
"I am as fair now as I was erewhile." Shak.

Erf, n. ; pl. Erven (#). [D.] A garden plot, usually about half an acre. [Cape Colony]

Erg, n. [Gr. work.] (Physics) The unit of work or energy in the C. G. S. system, being the amount of work done by a dyne working through a distance of one centimeter; the amount of energy expended in moving a body one centimeter against a force of one dyne. One foot pound is equal to 13,560,000 ergs.

Ergal
Er´gal, n. [G., fr. Gr. work.] (Physics) Potential energy; negative value of the force function.

Ergat
Er´gat, v. t. [L. ergo therefore.] To deduce logically, as conclusions. [Obs.] Hewyt.

Ergmeter
Erg´me•ter, n. [ Erg + - meter.] (Physics) An instrument for measuring energy in ergs.

Ergo
Er´go, conj. or adv. [L.] Therefore; consequently; — often used in a jocular way. Shak.

Ergograph
Er´go•graph, n. [Gr. work + - graph.] An instrument for measuring and recording the work done by a single muscle or set of muscles, the rate of fatigue, etc. — Er•go•graph´ic (#), a.

Ergometer
Er•gom´e•ter, n. [Gr. work + -meter.] (Physics) A device for measuring, or an instrument for indicating, energy expended or work done; a dynamometer. — Er•go•met´ric (#), a.

Ergon
Er´gon, n. [NL., fr. Gr. work.] (Physics) (a) Work, measured in terms of the quantity of heat to which it is equivalent. (b) = Erg.

Ergot
Er´got, n. [F. ergot, argot, lit., a spur.]
1. A diseased condition of rye and other cereals, in which the grains become black, and often spur-shaped. It is caused by a parasitic fungus, Claviceps purpurea.
2. The mycelium or spawn of this fungus infecting grains of rye and wheat. It is a powerful remedial agent, and also a dangerous poison, and is used as a means of hastening childbirth, and to arrest bleeding.
3. (Far.) A stub, like soft horn, about the size of a chestnut, situated behind and below the pastern joint.
4. (Anat.) See 2d Calcar, 3 (b).

Ergotic
Er•got´ic, a. Pertaining to, or derived from, ergot; as ergotic acid.

Ergotin
Er´go•tin, n. (Med.) An extract made from ergot.

Ergotine
Er´go•tine (Chem.) A powerful astringent alkaloid extracted from ergot as a brown, amorphous, bitter substance. It is used to produce contraction of the uterus.

Ergotism
Er´go•tism, n. [F. ergotisme, fr. L. ergo.] A logical deduction. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

Ergotism
Er´got•ism, n. [From Ergot, n. ; cf. F. ergotisme.] (Med.) A diseased condition produced by eating rye affected with the ergot fungus.

Ergotized
Er´got•ized, a. Affected with the ergot fungus; as ergotized rye. { Er´i•ach, Er´ic } n. [Ir. eiric.] (Old Irish Law) A recompense formerly given by a murderer to the relatives of the murdered person.

Erica
E•ri´ca, n. [NL., fr. L. erice heath, Gr. .] (Bot.) A genus of shrubby plants, including the heaths, many of them producing beautiful flowers.

Ericaceous
Er•i•ca´ceous, a. (Bot.) Belonging to the Heath family, or resembling plants of that family; consisting of heats.

Ericinol
E•ric´i•nol (e•ris"i•nol), n. [NL. ericaceae the Heath family + L. oleum oil.] (Chem.) A colorless oil (quickly becoming brown), with a pleasant odor, obtained by the decomposition of ericolin.

Ericius
E•ri´ci•us, n. [L., a hedgehog.] The Vulgate rendering of the Hebrew word qipod, which in the "Authorized Version" is translated bittern, and in the Revised Version, porcupine.
"I will make it [Babylon] a possession for the ericius and pools of waters." Is. xiv. 23 (Douay version).

Ericolin
E•ric´o•lin, n. (Chem.) A glucoside found in the bearberry (and others of the Ericaceae), and extracted as a bitter, yellow, amorphous mass.

Eridanus
E•rid´a•nus, n. [L., fr. Gr., the Greek name of the River Po.] (Anat.) A long, winding constellation extending southward from Taurus and containing the bright star Achernar.

Erigible
Er´i•gi•ble (er"i•ji•b’l), a. [See Erect.] Capable of being erected. [Obs.]

Erin
E´rin (e"rin), n. [Ir. Cf. Aryan.] An early, and now a poetic, name of Ireland.

Erinaceous
Er•i•na´ceous, a. [L. erinaceus hedgehog.] (Zoöl.) Of the Hedgehog family; like, or characteristic of, a hedgehog.

Eringo
E•rin´go, n. The sea holly. See Eryngo.

Erinite
Er´i•nite, n. (Min.) A hydrous arseniate of copper, of an emerald-green color; — so called from Erin, or Ireland, where it occurs.

Erinys
E•rin´ys, n. ; pl. Erinyes (#). [L., fr. Gr. .] (Class. Myth.) An avenging deity; one of the Furies; sometimes, conscience personified. [Written also Erinnys.]

Eriometer
E•ri•om´e•ter, n. [Gr. wool + -meter.] (Opt.) An instrument for measuring the diameters of minute particles or fibers, from the size of the colored rings produced by the diffraction of the light in which the objects are viewed.

Eristalis
E•ris´ta•lis, n. [NL.] (Zoöl.) A genus of dipterous insects whose young (called rat-tailed larvae) are remarkable for their long tapering tail, which spiracles at the tip, and for their ability to live in very impure and salt waters; — also called drone fly. { E•ris´tic, E•ris´tic•al } a. [Gr., fr. to strive, wrangle, strife.] Controversial. [Archaic]
"A specimen of admirable special pleading in the court of eristic logic." Coleridge.

Erke, a. [Cf. Irk.] Slothful. [Obs.] Rom. of R.

Erlking
Erl´king, n. [G. erlkönig, fr. Dan. ellekonge elfking.] A personification, in German and Scandinavian mythology, of a spirit or natural power supposed to work mischief and ruin, esp. to children.

Erme, v. i. [OE. ermen, AS. yrman. Cf. Yearn.] To grieve; to feel sad. [Obs.] Chaucer. { Er´me•lin, Er´mi•lin }, n. (Zoöl.) See Ermine. Shenstone.

Ermin
Er´min, n. [OF. Ermin, L. Armenius.] An Armenian. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ermine
Er´mine, n. [OF. ermine, F. hermine, prob. of German origin; cf. OHG. harmo, G. hermelin, akin to Lith. szarm, szarmonys, weasel, cf. AS. hearma; but cf. also LL. armelinus, armellina, hermellina, and pellis Armenia, the fur of the Armenian rat, mus Armenius, the animal being found also in Armenia.]
1. (Zoöl.) A valuable fur-bearing animal of the genus Mustela ( M. erminea), allied to the weasel; the stoat. It is found in the northern parts of Asia, Europe, and America. In summer it is brown, but in winter it becomes white, except the tip of the tail, which is always black.
2. The fur of the ermine, as prepared for ornamenting garments of royalty, etc., by having the tips of the tails, which are black, arranged at regular intervals throughout the white.
3. By metonymy, the office or functions of a judge, whose state robe, lined with ermine, is emblematical of purity and honor without stain. Chatham.
4. (Her.) One of the furs. See Fur (Her.) Ermine is represented by an argent field, tufted with black. Ermines is the reverse of ermine, being black, spotted or timbered with argent. Erminois is the same as ermine, except that or is substituted for argent. Ermine moth (Zoöl.), a white moth with black spots (esp. Yponomeuta padella of Europe); — so called on account of the resemblance of its covering to the fur of the ermine; also applied to certain white bombycid moths of America.

Ermine
Er´mine, v. t. To clothe with, or as with, ermine.
"The snows that have ermined it in the winter." Lowell.

Ermined
Er´mined, a. Clothed or adorned with the fur of the ermine. Pope.

Ermines
Er´mines, n. , Er´min•ois, n. (Her.) See Note under Ermine, n. , 4.

Ermit
Er´mit, n. [See Hermit.] A hermit. [Obs.] { Ern, Erne }, n. [AS. earn eagle; akin to D. arend, OHG. aro, G. aar, Icel., Sw., & Dan. örn, Goth. ara, and to Gr. bird. rad.11. Cf. Ornithology.] (Zoöl.) A sea eagle, esp. the European white-tailed sea eagle ( Haliaeetus albicilla).

Ern, v. i. [Cf. Erme.] To stir with strong emotion; to grieve; to mourn. [Corrupted into yearn in modern editions of Shakespeare.] [Obs.]

Ernest
Er´nest, n. See Earnest. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Ernestful
Er´nest•ful, a. [See Earnest, a. ] Serious. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Erode
E•rode´, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Eroded; p. pr. & vb. n. Eroding.] [L. erodere, erosum; e out + rodere to gnaw. See Rodent.] To eat into or away; to corrode; as canker erodes the flesh. "The blood … erodes the vessels." Wiseman.
"The smaller charge is more apt to … erode the gun." Am. Cyc.

Erode
E•rode´, v. t. (Geol. & Phys. Geog.) (a) To wear away; as streams and glaciers erode the land. (b) To produce by erosion, or wearing away; as glaciers erode U-shaped valleys.

Eroded
E•rod´ed, p. p. & a.
1. Eaten away; gnawed; irregular, as if eaten or worn away.
2. (Bot.) Having the edge worn away so as to be jagged or irregularly toothed.

Erodent
E•rod´ent, n. [L. erodens, -entis, p. pr. of erodere. See Erode.] (Med.) A medicine which eats away extraneous growths; a caustic.

Erogate
Er´o•gate, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Erogated p. pr. & vb. n. Erogating ] [L. erogatus, p. p. of erogare; e out + rogare to ask.] To lay out, as money; to deal out; to expend. [Obs.]

Erogation
Er•o•ga´tion, n. [L. erogatio.] The act of giving out or bestowing. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.

Eros
E´ros, n. [L., fr. Gr. love, (personified) Eros, fr. to love.] (Greek Myth.) Love; the god of love; — by earlier writers represented as one of the first and creative gods, by later writers as the son of Aphrodite, equivalent to the Latin god Cupid.

Erose
E•rose´, a. [L. erosus, p. p. See Erode.]
1. Irregular or uneven as if eaten or worn away.
2. (Bot.) Jagged or irregularly toothed, as if nibbled out or gnawed. — E•rose´ly, adv.

Erosion
E•ro´sion, n. [L. erosio. See Erode.]
1. The act or operation of eroding or eating away.
2. The state of being eaten away; corrosion; canker.

Erosion
E•ro´sion, n. The wearing away of the earth’s surface by any natural process. The chief agent of erosion is running water; minor agents are glaciers, the wind, and waves breaking against the coast.

Erosive
E•ro´sive, a. That erodes or gradually eats away; tending to erode; corrosive. Humble.

Erostrate
E•ros´trate, a. [Pref. e- out + rostrate.] (Bot.) Without a beak.

Eroteme
Er´o•teme, n. [Gr. question.] A mark indicating a question; a note of interrogation.

Erotesis
Er•o•te´sis, n. [NL., fr. Gr. a questioning, fr. to ask.] (Rhet.) A figure of speech by which a strong affirmation of the contrary, is implied under the form of an earnest interrogation, as in the following lines; -
"Must I give way and room to your rash choler? Shall I be frighted when a madman stares?" Shak. { E•rot´ic, E•rot´ic•al } a. [Gr. : cf. F. erotique. See Eros.] Of or pertaining to the passion of love; treating of love; amatory.

Erotic
E•rot´ic, n. An amorous composition or poem.

Eroticism
E•rot´i•cism, n. Erotic quality.

Erpetologist
Er•pe•tol´o•gist, n. Herpetologist.

Erpetology
Er•pe•tol´o•gy, n. [Cf. F. erpetologie.] (Zoöl.) Herpetology.

Err, v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Erred p. pr. & vb. n. Erring ( 277, 85).] [F. errer, L. errare; akin to G. irren, OHG. irran, v. t., irrn, v. i., OS. irrien, Sw. irra, Dan. irre, Goth, aírzjan to lead astray, airzise astray.]
1. To wander; to roam; to stray. [Archaic] "Why wilt thou err from me?" Keble.
"What seemeth to you, if there were to a man an hundred sheep and one of them hath erred." Wyclif (Matt. xviii. 12).
2. To deviate from the true course; to miss the thing aimed at. "My jealous aim might err." Shak.
3. To miss intellectual truth; to fall into error; to mistake in judgment or opinion; to be mistaken.
"The man may err in his judgment of circumstances." Tillotson.
4. To deviate morally from the right way; to go astray, in a figurative sense; to do wrong; to sin.
"Do they not err that devise evil?" Prov. xiv. 22.
5. To offend, as by erring.

Errable
Er´ra•ble, a. Liable to error; fallible.

Errableness
Er´ra•ble•ness, n. Liability to error. Dr. H. More.

Errabund
Er´ra•bund, a. [L. errabundus.] Erratic. "Errabund guesses." Southey.

Errancy
Er´ran•cy, n. [L. errantia.] A wandering; state of being in error.

Errand
Er´rand, n. [OE. erende, erande, message, business, AS. aerende, aerend; akin to OS. arundi, OHG. arunti, Icel. eyrendi, örendi, erendi, Sw. ärende, Dan. aerende; perh. akin to AS. earu swift, Icel. örr, and to L. oriri to rise, E. orient.] A special business intrusted to a messenger; something to be told or done by one sent somewhere for the purpose; often, a verbal message; a commission; as the servant was sent on an errand; to do an errand. also one’s purpose in going anywhere.
"I have a secret errand to thee, O king." Judg. iii. 19.
"I will not eat till I have told mine errand." Gen. xxiv. 33.

Errant
Er´rant, a. [F. errant, p. pr. fr. OF. errer to travel, LL. iterare, fr. L. iter journey; confused somewhat with L. errare to err. See Eyre, and cf. Arrant, Itinerant.]
1. Wandering; deviating from an appointed course, or from a direct path; roving.
"Seven planets or errant stars in the lower orbs of heaven." Sir T. Browne.
2. Notorious; notoriously bad; downright; arrant.
"Would make me an errant fool." B. Jonson.
3. (Eng. Law) Journeying; itinerant; - - formerly applied to judges who went on circuit and to bailiffs at large. Mozley & W.

Errant
Er´rant, n. One who wanders about. [Obs.] Fuller.

Errantia
Er•ran´ti•a, n. pl. [NL., fr. L. errare to wander. See Err.] (Zoöl.) A group of chaetopod annelids, including those that are not confined to tubes. See Chaetopoda. [Written also Errantes.]

Errantry
Er´rant•ry, n.
1. A wandering; a roving; esp., a roving in quest of adventures. Addison.
2. The employment of a knight-errant. Johnson.

Errata
Er•ra´ta, n. pl. [L.] See Erratum.

Erratic
Er•rat´ic, a. [L. erraticus, fr. errare to wander: cf. F. erratique. See Err.]
1. Having no certain course; roving about without a fixed destination; wandering; moving; — hence, applied to the planets as distinguished from the fixed stars.
"The earth and each erratic world." Blackmore.
2. Deviating from a wise of the common course in opinion or conduct; eccentric; strange; queer; as erratic conduct.
3. Irregular; changeable. "Erratic fever." Harvey. Erratic blocks, gravel, etc. (Geol.), masses of stone which have been transported from their original resting places by the agency of water, ice, or other causes. — Erratic phenomena, the phenomena which relate to transported materials on the earth’s surface.

Erratic
Er•rat´ic, n.
1. One who deviates from common and accepted opinions; one who is eccentric or preserve in his intellectual character.
2. A rogue. [Obs.] Cockeram.
3. (Geol.) Any stone or material that has been borne away from its original site by natural agencies; esp., a large block or fragment of rock; a bowlder. In the plural the term is applied especially to the loose gravel and stones on the earth’s surface, including what is called drift.

Erratical
Er•rat´ic•al, a. Erratic. — Er•rat´ic•al•ly, adv. — Er•rat´ic•al•ness, n.

Erration
Er•ra´tion, n. [L. erratio. See Err.] A wandering; a roving about. [Obs.] Cockeram.

Erratum
Er•ra´tum, n. ; pl. Errata (#). [L., fr. errare, erratum, to wander, err. See Err.] An error or mistake in writing or printing.
"A single erratum may knock out the brains of a whole passage." Cowper.

Errhine
Er´rhine, n. [Gr. ; in +,, nose: cf. F. errhin.] (Med.) A medicine designed to be snuffed up the nose, to promote discharges of mucus; a sternutatory. Coxe. — a. Causing or increasing secretion of nasal mucus.

Erroneous
Er•ro´ne•ous, a. [L. erroneus, fr. errare to err. See Err.]
1. Wandering; straying; deviating from the right course; — hence, irregular; unnatural. [Obs.] "Erroneous circulation." Arbuthnot.
"Stopped much of the erroneous light, which otherwise would have disturbed the vision." Sir I. Newman.
2. Misleading; misled; mistaking. [Obs.]
"An erroneous conscience commands us to do what we ought to omit." Jer. Taylor.
3. Containing error; not conformed to truth or justice; incorrect; false; mistaken; as an erroneous doctrine; erroneous opinion, observation, deduction, view, etc. — Er•ro´ne•ous•ly, adv. — Er•ro´ne•ous•ness, n.

Error
Er´ror, n. [OF. error, errur, F. erreur, L. error, fr. errare to err. See Err.]
1. A wandering; a roving or irregular course. [Obs.]
"The rest of his journey, his error by sea." B. Jonson.
2. A wandering or deviation from the right course or standard; irregularity; mistake; inaccuracy; something made wrong or left wrong; as an error in writing or in printing; a clerical error.
3. A departing or deviation from the truth; falsity; false notion; wrong opinion; mistake; misapprehension.
"H judgment was often in error, though his candor remained unimpaired." Bancroft.
4. A moral offense; violation of duty; a sin or transgression; iniquity; fault. Ps. xix. 12.
5. (Math.) The difference between the approximate result and the true result; — used particularly in the rule of double position.
6. (Mensuration) (a) The difference between an observed value and the true value of a quantity. (b) The difference between the observed value of a quantity and that which is taken or computed to be the true value; — sometimes called residual error.
7. (Law.) A mistake in the proceedings of a court of record in matters of law or of fact.
8. (Baseball) A fault of a player of the side in the field which results in failure to put out a player on the other side, or gives him an unearned base. Law of error, or Law of frequency of error (Mensuration), the law which expresses the relation between the magnitude of an error and the frequency with which that error will be committed in making a large number of careful measurements of a quantity. — Probable error. (Mensuration) See under Probable. — Writ of error (Law), an original writ, which lies after judgment in an action at law, in a court of record, to correct some alleged error in the proceedings, or in the judgment of the court. Bouvier. Burrill.
Syn. — Mistake; fault; blunder; failure; fallacy; delusion; hallucination; sin. See Blunder.

Errorful
Er´ror•ful, a. Full of error; wrong. Foxe.

Errorist
Er´ror•ist, n. One who encourages and propagates error; one who holds to error.

Ers (ers), n. [F., fr. L. ervum a kind of pulse, bitter vetch.] (Bot.) The bitter vetch ( Ervum Ervilia).

Erse (ers), n. [A modification of Irish, OE. Irishe.] A name sometimes given to that dialect of the Celtic which is spoken in the Highlands of Scotland; — called, by the Highlanders, Gaelic.

Erse, a. Of or pertaining to the Celtic race in the Highlands of Scotland, or to their language.

Ersh (ersh), n. See Arrish.

Erst (erst), adv. [Orig. superlative of ere; AS. aerest. See Ere.] [Archaic]
1. First. Chaucer.
2. Previously; before; formerly; heretofore. Chaucer.
"Tityrus, with whose style he had erst disclaimed all ambition to match his pastoral pipe." A. W. Ward.At erst, at first; at the beginning. — Now at erst, at this present time. Chaucer.

Erstwhile
Erst•while´ (-hwil"), adv. Till then or now; heretofore; formerly. [Archaic] { Er•u•bes´cence ( 135), Er•u•bes´cen•cy, } n. [L. erubescentia: cf. F. erubescence.] The act of becoming red; redness of the skin or surface of anything; a blushing.

Erubescent
Er•u•bes´cent, a. [L. erubescens, p. pr. erubescere to grow red; e out + rubescere. See Rubescent.] Red, or reddish; blushing. Johnson.

Erubescite
Er•u•bes´cite, n. (Min.) See Bornite.

Eruca
E•ru´ca, n. ; pl. Erucae (#). [L., a caterpillar, also a sort of colewort.] (Zoöl.) An insect in the larval state; a caterpillar; a larva.

Erucic
E•ru´cic, a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or derived from, a genus of cruciferous Mediterranean herbs ( Eruca or Brassica); as erucic acid, a fatty acid resembling oleic acid, and found in colza oil, mustard oil, etc.

Erucifrom
E•ru´ci•from, a. [ Eruca + -form.] (Zoöl.) Having the form of a caterpillar; — said of insect larvae. { E•ruct´, E•ruc´tate }, v. t. [L. eructare; e out + ructare to belch: cf. F. eructer.] To eject, as wind, from the stomach; to belch. [R.] Howell.

Eructation
Er•uc•ta´tion, n. [L. eructatio: cf. F. eructation.]
1. The act of belching wind from the stomach; a belch.
2. A violent belching out or emitting, as of gaseous or other matter from the crater of a volcano, geyser, etc.

Erudiate
E•ru´di•ate, v. t. [L. erudire.] To instruct; to educate; to teach. [Obs.]
"The skillful goddess there erudiates these In all she did." Fanshawe.

Erudite
Er´u•dite (er"u•dit; 135), a. [L. eruditus, p. p. of erudire to free from rudeness, to polish, instruct; e out + rudis rude: cf. F. erudit. See Rude.] Characterized by extensive reading or knowledge; well instructed; learned. "A most erudite prince." Sir T. More. "Erudite … theology." I. Taylor. — Er´u•dite•ly, adv. — Er´u•dite•ness, n.

Erudition
Er•u•di´tion (-dish"un), n. [L. eruditio: cf. F. erudition.] The act of instructing; the result of thorough instruction; the state of being erudite or learned; the acquisitions gained by extensive reading or study; particularly, learning in literature or criticism, as distinct from the sciences; scholarship.
"The management of a young lady’s person is not be overlooked, but the erudition of her mind is much more to be regarded." Steele.
"The gay young gentleman whose erudition sat so easily upon him." Macaulay.
Syn. — Literature; learning. See Literature.

Erugate
Er´u•gate, a. [L. erugatus, p. p. of erugare to smooth; e out + ruga wrinkle.] Freed from wrinkles; smooth.

Eruginous
E•ru´gi•nous, a. [Cf. F. erugineux. See AEruginous.] Partaking of the substance or nature of copper, or of the rust copper; resembling the trust of copper or verdigris; aeruginous.

Erumpent
E•rum´pent, a. [L. erumpens, -entis, p. pr. of erumpere.] (Bot.) Breaking out; — said of certain fungi which burst through the texture of leaves.

Erupt
E•rupt´, v. t. [See Eruption.] To cause to burst forth; to eject; as to erupt lava. Huxley.

Erupt
E•rupt´, v. i. [See Eruption.]
1. To eject something, esp. lava, water, etc., as a volcano or geyser.
2. To burst forth; to break out, as ashes from a volcano, teeth through the gums, etc.
"When the amount and power of the steam is equal to the demand, it erupts with violence through the lava flood and gives us a small volcano." H. J. W. Dam.

Eruption
E•rup´tion, n. [L. eruptio, fr. erumpere, eruptum, to break out; e out + rumpere, to break: cf. F. eruption. See Rupture.]
1. The act of breaking out or bursting forth; as: (a) A violent throwing out of flames, lava, etc., as from a volcano of a fissure in the earth’s crust. (b) A sudden and overwhelming hostile movement of armed men from one country to another. Milton. (c) A violent commotion.
"All Paris was quiet … to gather fresh strength for the next day’s eruption." W. Irving.
2. That which bursts forth.
3. A violent exclamation; ejaculation.
"He would … break out into bitter and passionate eruditions." Sir H. Wotton.
4. (Med.) The breaking out of pimples, or an efflorescence, as in measles, scarlatina, etc.

Eruptional
E•rup´tion•al, a. Eruptive. [R.] R. A. Proctor.

Eruptive
E•rup´tive, a. [Cf. F. eruptif.]
1. Breaking out or bursting forth.
"The sudden glance Appears far south eruptive through the cloud." Thomson.
2. (Med.) Attended with eruption or efflorescence, or producing it; as an eruptive fever.
3. (Geol.) Produced by eruption; as eruptive rocks, such as the igneous or volcanic.

Eruptive
E•rup´tive, n. (Geol.) An eruptive rock.

Eryngium
E•ryn´gi•um (e•rin"ji•um), n. [NL., fr. Gr. ’hry•ggion, dim. of ’h•ryggos eryngo; cf. L. eryngion, erynge.] (Bot.) A genus of umbelliferous plants somewhat like thistles in appearance. Eryngium maritimum, or sea holly, has been highly esteemed as an aphrodisiac, the roots being formerly candied.

Eryngo
E•ryn´go, n. (Bot.) A plant of the genus Eryngium.

Erysipelas
Er•y•sip´e•las, n. [L., fr. Gr. ’erysi•pelas; ’eryqro•s red + pe•lla hide, skin. See Red, and Pell, n. ] (Med.) St. Anthony’s fire; a febrile disease accompanied with a diffused inflammation of the skin, which, starting usually from a single point, spreads gradually over its surface. It is usually regarded as contagious, and often occurs epidemically.

Erysipelatoid
Er•y•si•pel´a•toid, a. [Gr. ’erysi•pelas erysipelas + -oid.] Resembling erysipelas.

Erysipelatous
Er•y•si•pel´a•tous, a. [Cf. F. erysipelateux.] Resembling erysipelas or partaking of its nature.

Erysipelous
Er•y•sip´e•lous, a. Erysipelatous.

Erythema
Er•y•the´ma, n. [NL., fr. Gr., fr. to redden, fr. ’eryqro•s red.] (Med.) A disease of the skin, in which a diffused inflammation forms rose-colored patches of variable size.

Erythematic
Er•y•the•mat´ic, a. [Cf. F. erythematique.] (Med.) Characterized by, or causing, a morbid redness of the skin; relating to erythema.

Erythematous
Er•y•them´a•tous, a. (Med.) Relating to, or causing, erythema. { Er•y•thre´an, Er•y•thrae´an }, a. [L. erythraeus; Gr., fr. ’eryqro•s red.] Red in color. "The erythrean main." Milton.