Search the Dictionary

; anything that impedes motion or action, or renders it difficult or laborious; clog; impediment; hindrance; check. Cowper.

To instruct in the rudiments or principles of learning, or of a branch of learning; to imbue with learning; to instruct in, or imbue with, principles or doctrines; to teach; -- often followed by in. A master that . . . took much delight in indoctrinating his young, unexperienced favorite. Clarendon.…

The act of indoctrinating, or the condition of being indoctrinated; instruction in the rudiments and principles of any science or system of belief; information. Sir T. Browne.

Circle at infinity, an imaginary circle at infinity, through which, in geometry of three dimensions, every sphere is imagined to pass. -- Circular points at infinity. See under Circular.

To acquaint with the beginnings; to instruct in the rudiments or principles; to introduce. Providence would only initiate mankind into the useful knowledge of her treasures, leaving the rest to employ our industry. Dr. H. More. To initiate his pupil into any part of learning, an ordinary skill in the governor is enough…

ing by instruction, or by the use and application of symbols or ceremonies; elementary; rudimentary. Some initiatory treatises in the law. Herbert. Two initiatory rites of the same general import can not exist together. J. M. Mason.

To ground or establish in principles and rudiments; to educate; to instruct. [Obs.] If children were early instituted, knowledge would insensibly insinuate itself. Dr. H. More.

Elementary; rudimental.

Containing the first principles or doctrines; elemental; rudimentary.

it would require a whole grammatical sentence to expound, and it may be regarded as the rudiment of such a sentence. But it is a confusion of thought to rank it among the parts of speech. Earle. How now! interjections Why, then, some be of laughing, as, ah, ha, he! Shak.

ull jolly knight he seemed, and fair did sit. Spenser. The coachman is swelled into jolly dimensions. W. Irving.

A mass of igneous rock intruded between sedimentary beds and resulting in a mammiform bulging of the overlying strata. -- Lac`co*lit"ic, a.

od. She swooneth now and now for lakke of blood. Chaucer. Let his lack of years be no impediment. Shak.

A variety of small cake of about the dimensions of a finger.

A division of amphipod Crustacea, in which the abdomen is small or rudimentary and the legs are often reduced to five pairs. The whale louse, or Cyamus, and Caprella are examples.

A small fishlike animal (Amphioxus lanceolatus), remarkable for the rudimentary condition of its organs. It is the type of the class Leptocardia. See Amphioxus, Leptocardia.

Exceeding most other things of like in bulk, capacity, quantity, superficial dimensions, or number of constituent units; big; great; capacious; extensive; -- opposed to small; as, a nlarge horse; a large house or room; a large lake or pool; a large jug or spoon; a large vineyard; a large army; a large city.…

ny insects are much like the adults in form and habits, but have no trace of wings, the rudimentary wings appearing only in the pupa stage. In other groups of insects the larvæ are totally unlike the parents in structure and habits, and are called caterpillars, grubs, maggots, etc.

Like bricks; of the color of red bricks. Lateritious sediment (Med.), a sediment in urine resembling brick dust, observed after the crises of fevers, and at the termination of gouty paroxysms. It usually consists of uric acid or urates with some coloring matter.

is. It is prepared by stewing, either alone or with other vegetables, and with various condiments; - - called also sloke, or sloakan. Mountain laver (Bot.), a reddish gelatinous alga of the genus Palmella, found on the sides of mountains