Search the Dictionary

One who implores. [Obs.] Mere implorators of unholy suits. Shak.

vigation, fishing, and others that may be exercised on the sea, belonging to the right of mere ability, are imprescriptible. Vattel (Trans. )

ulness; doubt. The incertitude and instability of this life. Holland. He fails . . . from mere incertitude or irresolution. I. Taylor.

ensity; a disposition more favorable to one thing than to another; favor; desire; love. A mere inclination to a thing is not properly a willing of that thing. South. How dost thou find the inclination of the people Shak.

place; as, indecorous conduct. It was useless and indecorous to attempt anything more by mere struggle. Burke.

ot bounded or restricted; undefined. Infinitive mood (Gram.), that form of the verb which merely names the action, and performs the office of a verbal noun. Some grammarians make two forms in English: (a) The simple form, as, speak, go, hear, before which to is commonly placed, as, to speak; to go; to hear. (b) The for…

scertain and assess the plaintiff's damages, where they can not readily be ascertained by mere calculation. Burrill.

Inward; internal; hence, true; genuine; real; essential; inherent; not merely apparent or accidental; -- opposed to extrinsic; as, the intrinsic value of gold or silver; the intrinsic merit of an action; the intrinsic worth or goodness of a person. He was better qualified than they to estimate justly the intrinsic valu…

ter or sport; a laughingstock. Then let me be your jest; I deserve it. Shak. In jest, for mere sport or diversion; not in truth and reality; not in earnest. And given in earnest what I begged in jest. Shak. -- Jest book, a book containing a collection of jests, jokes, and amusing anecdotes; a Joe Miller.…

Barely; merely; scarcely; only; by a very small space or time; as, he just missed the train; just too late. A soft Etesian gale But just inspired and gently swelled the sail. Dryden. Just now, the least possible time since; a moment ago.

r contiguity, or side by side; as, a juxtaposition of words. Parts that are united by a a mere juxtaposition. Glanvill. Juxtaposition is a very unsafe criterion of continuity. Hare.

A mode of raising money, or sustaining one's credit, by the use of paper which is merely nominal; -- called also kiting. -- Kite"fli`er, n.

Light from a lamp. This world's artificial lamplights. Owen Meredith.

A kind of brass hammered into thin sheets, formerly much used for making church utensils, as candlesticks, crosses, etc.; -- called also latten brass. He had a cross of latoun full of stones. Chaucer.

traction of the muscles of the face, and a pleasant agitation of the vocal organs, is not merely, or totally within the jurisdiction of ourselves. Sir T. Browne. Archly the maiden smiled, and with eyes overrunning with laughter. Longfellow.

at may be put in any attitude; -- used for showing the disposition of drapery, etc. (b) A mere puppet; one who serves the will of others without independent volition. -- Lay race, that part of a lay on which the shuttle travels in weaving; -- called also shuttle race.

Holland. A thousand demons lurk within the lee. Young. The wine of life is drawn, and the mere lees Is left this vault to brag of. Shak.

sure, though he was not the inventor. The following line is an example: Gloria factorum temere conceditur horum.

Contention in words merely, or a contention about words; a war of words. The discussion concerning the meaning of the word " justification" . . . has largely been a mere logomachy. L. Abbott.

To be a mere spectator. I'll be a candleholder, and look on. Shak. -- To look out, to be on the watch; to be careful; as, the seaman looks out for breakers. -- To look through. (a) To see through. (b) To search; to examine with the eyes. -- To look to or unto. (a) To watch; to take care of. "Look well to thy herds."…