On, prep. [OE. on, a. , o, a, AS. on, a. ; akin to D. aan, OS. & G. a. , OHG. ana, Icel. a, Sw. å, Goth. ana, Russ. n. , L. an-, in anhelare to pant, Gr. ’ana•, Zend ana. rad.195. Cf. A-, 1, Ana-, Anon.] The general signification of on is situation, motion, or condition with respect to contact or support beneath; as: —
1. At, or in contact with, the surface or upper part of a thing, and supported by it; placed or lying in contact with the surface; as the book lies on the table, which stands on the floor of a house on an island.
"I stood on the bridge at midnight." Longfellow.
2. To or against the surface of; — used to indicate the motion of a thing as coming or falling to the surface of another; as rain falls on the earth.
"Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken." Matt. xxi. 44.
3. Denoting performance or action by contact with the surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by means of; with; as to play on a violin or piano. Hence, figuratively, to work on one’s feelings; to make an impression on the mind.
4. At or near; adjacent to; — indicating situation, place, or position; as on the one hand, on the other hand; the fleet is on the American coast.
5. In addition to; besides; — indicating multiplication or succession in a series; as heaps on heaps; mischief on mischief; loss on loss; thought on thought. Shak.
6. Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in; as to depend on a person for assistance; to rely on; hence, indicating the ground or support of anything; as he will promise on certain conditions; to bet on a horse.
7. At or in the time of; during; as on Sunday we abstain from labor. See At (synonym).
8. At the time of, conveying some notion of cause or motive; as on public occasions, the officers appear in full dress or uniform. Hence, in consequence of, or following; as on the ratification of the treaty, the armies were disbanded.
9. Toward; for; — indicating the object of some passion; as have pity or compassion on him.
10. At the peril of, or for the safety of. "Hence, on thy life." Dryden.
11. By virtue of; with the pledge of; — denoting a pledge or engagement, and put before the thing pledged; as he affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honor.
12. To the account of; — denoting imprecation or invocation, or coming to, falling, or resting upon; as on us be all the blame; a curse on him.
"His blood be on us and on our children." Matt. xxvii. 25.
13. In reference or relation to; as on our part expect punctuality; a satire on society.
14. Of. [Obs.] "Be not jealous on me." Shak.
"Or have we eaten on the insane root
That takes the reason prisoner?" Shak. Instances of this usage are common in our older writers, and are sometimes now heard in illiterate speech.
15. Occupied with; in the performance of; as only three officers are on duty; on a journey.
16. In the service of; connected with; of the number of; as he is on a newspaper; on a committee. On and upon are in general interchangeable. In some applications upon is more euphonious, and is therefore to be preferred; but in most cases on is preferable. On a bowline. (Naut.) Same as Closehauled. — On a wind, or On the wind (Naut.), sailing closehauled. — On a sudden. See under Sudden. — On board, On draught, On fire, etc. See under Board, Draught, Fire, etc. — On it, On’t, of it. [Obs. or Colloq.] Shak. — On shore, on land; to the shore. — On the road, On the way, On the wing, etc. See under Road, Way, etc. — On to, upon; on; to; — sometimes written as one word, onto, and usually called a colloquialism; but it may be regarded in analogy with into.
"They have added the -en plural form on to an elder plural." Earle.
"We see the strength of the new movement in the new class of ecclesiastics whom it forced on to the stage." J. R. Green.
On, adv. [See On, prep. ]
1. Forward, in progression; onward; — usually with a verb of motion; as move on; go on. "Time glides on." Macaulay.
"The path is smooth that leadeth on to danger." Shak.
2. Forward, in succession; as from father to son, from the son to the grandson, and so on.
3. In continuance; without interruption or ceasing; as sleep on, take your ease; say on; sing on.
4. Adhering; not off; as in the phrase, "He is neither on nor off," that is, he is not steady, he is irresolute.
5. Attached to the body, as clothing or ornament, or for use. "I have boots on." B. Gonson.
"He put on righteousness as a breastplate." Is. lix. 17.
6. In progress; proceeding; as a game is on. On is sometimes used as an exclamation, or a command to move or proceed, some verb being understood; as on, comrades; that is, go on, move on. On and on, continuously; for a long time together. "Toiling on and on and on." Longfellow.
On dit
On• dit" [F.] They say, or it is said. — n. A flying report; rumor; as it is a mere on dit.
Onanism
O´nan•ism, n. [ Onan ( Gen. xxxviii. 9): cf. F. onanisme.] Self-pollution; masturbation.
Once, adv. [OE. ones, anes, an adverbial form fr. one, on, a. , one. See One-, -Wards.]
1. By limitation to the number one; for one time; not twice nor any number of times more than one.
"Ye shall … go round about the city once." Josh. vi. 3.
"Trees that bear mast are fruitful but once in two years." Bacon.
2. At some one period of time; — used indefinitely.
"My soul had once some foolish fondness for thee." Addison.
"That court which we shall once govern." Bp. Hall.
3. At any one time; — often nearly equivalent to ever, if ever, or whenever; as once kindled, it may not be quenched.
"Wilt thou not be made clean? When shall it once be?" Jer. xiii. 27.
"To be once in doubt
Is once to be resolved." Shak. Once is used as a noun when preceded by this or that; as this once, that once. It is also sometimes used elliptically, like an adjective, for once- existing. "The once province of Britain." J. N. Pomeroy.At once. (a) At the same point of time; immediately; without delay. "Stand not upon the order of your going, but go at once." Shak. "I … withdrew at once and altogether." Jeffrey. (b) At one and the same time; simultaneously; in one body; as they all moved at once. — Once and again, once and once more; repeatedly. "A dove sent forth once and again, to spy." Milton.
Onde, n. [AS. anda malice, anger; akin to Icel. andi, önd, breath.] Hatred; fury; envy. [Obs.]
Ondogram
On´do•gram, n. [F. onde wave, L. unda + -gram.] (Elec.) The record of an ondograph.
Ondometer
On•dom´e•ter, n. [F. onde wave, L. unda + -mater.] An electric wave meter.
One, a. [OE. one, on, a. , AS. än; akin to D. een, OS. ën, OFries. ën, än, G. ein, Dan. een, Sw. en, Icel. einn, Goth. ains, W. un, Ir. & Gael. aon, L. unus, earlier oinos, oenos, Gr. the ace on dice; cf. Skr. ëka. The same word as the indefinite article a, a. . rad. 299. Cf. 2d A, 1st An, Alone, Anon, Any, None, Nonce, Only, Onion, Unit.]
1. Being a single unit, or entire being or thing, and no more; not multifold; single; individual.
"The dream of Pharaoh is one." Gen. xli. 25.
"O that we now had here
But one ten thousand of those men in England." Shak.
2. Denoting a person or thing conceived or spoken of indefinitely; a certain. "I am the sister of one Claudio" [ Shak. ], that is, of a certain man named Claudio.
3. Pointing out a contrast, or denoting a particular thing or person different from some other specified; — used as a correlative adjective, with or without the.
"From the one side of heaven unto the other." Deut. iv. 32.
4. Closely bound together; undivided; united; constituting a whole.
"The church is therefore one, though the members may be many." Bp. Pearson
5. Single in kind; the same; a common.
"One plague was on you all, and on your lords." 1 Sam. vi. 4.
6. Single; inmarried. [Obs.]
"Men may counsel a woman to be one." Chaucer. One is often used in forming compound words, the meaning of which is obvious; as one-armed, one-celled, one-eyed, one-handed, one-hearted, one- horned, one-idead, one-leaved, one-masted, one-ribbed, one-story, one-syllable, one- stringed, one-winged, etc. All one, of the same or equal nature, or consequence; as he says that it is all one what course you take. Shak. — One day. (a) On a certain day, not definitely specified, referring to time past.
"One day when Phoebe fair,
With all her band, was following the chase." Spenser. (b) Referring to future time: At some uncertain day or period; some day.
"Well, I will marry one day." Shak.
One, n.
1. A single unit; as one is the base of all numbers.
2. A symbol representing a unit, as 1, or i.
3. A single person or thing. "The shining ones." Bunyan. "Hence, with your little ones." Shak.
"He will hate the one, and love the other." Matt. vi. 24.
"That we may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory." Mark x. 37.After one, after one fashion; alike. [Obs.] Chaucer. — At one, in agreement or concord. See At one, in the Vocab. — Ever in one, continually; perpetually; always. [Obs.] Chaucer. — In one, in union; in a single whole. — One and one, One by one, singly; one at a time; one after another. "Raising one by one the suppliant crew." Dryden.
Oneberry
One´ber•ry, n. (Bot.) The herb Paris. See Herb Paris, under Herb.
One-hand
One´-hand, a. Employing one hand; as the one-hand alphabet. See Dactylology.
Oneirocritic
O•nei•ro•crit•ic, n. [Cf.F. oneirocritique. See Oneirocritic, a. ] An interpreter of dreams. Bp. Warburton. Addison. { O•nei•ro•crit•ic, O•nei•ro•crit•ic•al, } a. [Gr. ; a dream + critical, fr. to discern.] Of or pertaining to the interpretation of dreams. Addison. { O•nei•ro•crit•i•cism, O•nei•ro•crit•ics } n. The art of interpreting dreams.
Oneiromancy
O•nei´ro•man•cy, n. [Gr. a dream + -mancy.] Divination by means of dreams. De Quincey.
Oneiroscopist
O•nei•ros´co•pist, n. One who interprets dreams.
Oneiroscopy
O•nei•ros´co•py, n. [Gr. a dream + -scopy.] The interpretation of dreams.
Oneliness
One´li•ness, n. The state of being one or single. [Obs.] Cudworth.
Onely
One´ly, a. See Only. [Obs.] Spenser.
Onement
One´ment, n. The state of being at one or reconciled. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
Onerate
On´er•ate, v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Onerated p. pr. & vb. n. Onerating.] [L. oneratus, p. p. pf onerare.] To load; to burden. [Obs.] Becon.
Onethe
On•ethe´, adv. Scarcely. See Unnethe. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Onion
On´ion, n. [F. ognon, fr. L. unio oneness, unity, a single large pearl, an onion. See One, Union.] (Bot.) A liliaceous plant of the genus Allium ( A. cepa), having a strong-flavored bulb and long hollow leaves; also its bulbous root, much used as an article of food. The name is often extended to other species of the genus. Onion fish (Zoöl.), the grenadier. — Onion fly (Zoöl.) a dipterous insect whose larva feeds upon the onion; especially, Anthomyia ceparum and Ortalis flexa. — Welsh onion. (Bot.) See Cibol. — Wild onion (Bot.), a name given to several species of the genus Allium.
Onionskin
On´ion•skin, n. [ Onion + skin.] A kind of thin translucent paper with a glossy finish.
Onloft
On•loft´, adv. Aloft; above ground. [Obs.]
"She kept her father’s life onloft." Chaucer.
Only
On´ly, a. [OE. only, anly, onlich, AS. anlic, i.e., onelike. See One, and Like, a. ]
1. One alone; single; as the only man present; his only occupation.
2. Alone in its class; by itself; not associated with others of the same class or kind; as an only child.
3. Hence, figuratively: Alone, by reason of superiority; preëminent; chief. "Motley’s the only wear." Shak.
Only
On´ly, adv. [See Only, a. ]
1. In one manner or degree; for one purpose alone; simply; merely; barely.
"And to be loved himself, needs only to be known." Dryden.
2. So and no otherwise; no other than; exclusively; solely; wholly. "She being only wicked." Beau. & Fl.
"Every imagination … of his heart was only evil." Gen. vi. 5.
3. Singly; without more; as only- begotten.
4. Above all others; particularly. [Obs.]
"His most only elected mistress." Marston.
Onology
O•nol´o•gy, n. [Gr. an ass + -logy.] Foolish discourse. [R.]
Onomancy
On´o•man•cy, n. [Gr. name + -mancy. Cf. Nomancy.] Divination by the letters of a name; nomancy. [R.] Camden. { On•o•man´tic, On•o•man´tic•al } a. Of or pertaining to onomancy. [R.]
Onomasticon
On•o•mas´ti•con, n. [NL., fr. Gr. (sc.), fr. . See Onomastic.] A collection of names and terms; a dictionary; specif., a collection of Greek names, with explanatory notes, made by Julius Pollux about A.D.180.
Onomatechny
On´o•ma•tech•ny, n. [Gr. + art.] Prognostication by the letters of a name.
Onomatologist
On•o•ma•tol´o•gist, n. One versed in the history of names. Southey.
Onomatology
On•o•ma•tol´o•gy, n. [Gr., + -logy.] The science of names or of their classification.
Onomatope
O•nom´a•tope, n. [See Onomatopœia.] An imitative word; an onomatopoetic word.
Onset
On´set, v. t.
1. To assault; to set upon. [Obs.]
2. To set about; to begin. [Obs.] Carew.
Onslaught
On´slaught, n. [OE. on on + slaught, slaht, slaughter. See Slaughter.]
1. An attack; an onset; esp., a furious or murderous attack or assault.
"By storm and onslaught to proceed." Hudibras.
2. A bloody fray or battle. [Scot.] Jamieson.
Onto
On´to, prep. [ On + to. Cf. Into.] On the top of; upon; on. See On to, under On, prep. { On•to•gen´e•sis, On•tog´e•ny } n. [See Ontology, and Genesis.] (Biol.) The history of the individual development of an organism; the history of the evolution of the germ; the development of an individual organism, — in distinction from phylogeny, or evolution of the tribe. Called also henogenesis, henogeny.
Ontological
On•to•log´ic•al, a. [Cf. F. ontologique.] Of or pertaining to ontology.
Ontologically
On••to•log´ic•al•ly, adv. In an ontological manner.
Onwards
On´wards, adv. [See -wards.] Onward.
Ony
On´y, a. Any. [Obs.] Chaucer. On´y•cha n. [NL. from L. onyx -ychis onyx also a kind of mussel Gr. See Onyx.]
1. An ingredient of the Mosaic incense probably the operculum of some kind of strombus. Ex. xxx. 34.
2. The precious stone called onyx. [R.]
Onychia
O•nych´i•a, n. [NL. See Onyx.] (Med.) (a) A whitlow. (b) An affection of a finger or toe, attended with ulceration at the base of the nail, and terminating in the destruction of the nail.
Onychophora
On•y•choph´o•ra, n. pl. [NL., from Gr.,, a claw + .] (Zoöl.) Malacopoda.
Onyx
O´nyx, n. [L., fr. Gr. a claw, finger nail, a veined gem. See Nail, and cf. Onycha.] (Min.) Chalcedony in parallel layers of different shades of color. It is used for making cameos, the figure being cut in one layer with the next as a ground. Onyx marble, a banded variety of marble or calcium carbonate resembling onyx. It is obtained from Mexico.