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Contraction into few words; conciseness. Brevity is the soul of wit. Shak. This argument is stated by St. John with his usual elegant brevity and simplicity. Bp. Porteus.

Not carried into effect; not adhered to; violated; as, a broken promise, vow, or contract; a broken law.

An agent employed to effect bargains and contracts, as a middleman or negotiator, between other persons, for a compensation commonly called brokerage. He takes no possession, as broker, of the subject matter of the negotiation. He generally contracts in the names of those who employ him, and not in his own. Story.…

A brother by both the father's and mother's side, in contradistinction to a uterine brother, one by the mother only. Bouvier.

s of humility. And whereas the papist boasts himself to be a Roman Catholic, it is a mere contradiction, one of the pope's bulls, as if he should say universal particular; a Catholic schimatic. Milton. The Golden Bull, an edict or imperial constitution made by the emperor Charles IV. (1356), containing what became the…

s of government by means of departments or bureaus, each under the control of a chief, in contradiction to a system in which the officers of government have an associated authority and responsibility; also, government conducted on this system.

Tending to excite laughter or contempt by extravagant images, or by a contrast between the subject and the manner of treating it, as when a trifling subject is treated with mock gravity; jocular; ironical. It is a dispute among the critics, whether burlesque poetry runs best in heroic verse, like that of the Dispensary…

On the contrary; on the other hand; only; yet; still; however; nevertheless; more; further; -- as connective of sentences or clauses of a sentence, in a sense more or less exceptive or adversative; as, the House of Representatives passed the bill, but the Senate dissented; our wants are many, but quite of another kind.…

One who mines by contract, at so much per ton of coal or ore.

ma venenosum), a native of tropical Africa. It is highly poisonous. It is used to produce contraction of the pupil of the eye; also in tetanus, neuralgia, and rheumatic diseases; -- called also ordeal bean, being used by the negroes in trials for witchcraft.

Reformed Presbyterians) who refused to recognize laws or institutions which they believed contrary to the kingdom of Christ, but who now avail themselves of political rights.

A colloquial contraction for can not.

The act, process, or result of canceling; as, the cansellation of certain words in a contract, or of the contract itself.

Possessing legal power or capacity; as, a man capable of making a contract, or a will.

er, etc., necessary for certain purposes, as for holding office, for marrying, for making contracts, will, etc.; legal power or right; competency. Capacity for heat, the power of absorbing heat. Substances differ in the amount of heat requisite to raise them a given number of thermometric degrees, and this difference i…

A caviling; a sophism. [Obs.] This doctrine is for caption and contradiction. Bacon.

form of a Greek preposition, used as a prefix to signify down, downward, under, against, contrary or opposed to, wholly, completely; as in cataclysm, catarrh. It sometimes drops the final vowel, as in catoptric; and is sometimes changed to cath, as in cathartic, catholic.

Unnatural; contrary to nature. [R.] Some artists . . . have given to Sir Walter Scott a pile of forehead which is unpleassing and cataphysical. De Quincey.

Property; -- often used by Chaucer in contrast with rent, or income. "For loss of catel may recovered be, But loss of tyme shendeth us," quod he. Chaucer.

Council, and Rejected its decrees, esp. that concerning the infallibility of the pope, as contrary to the ancient Catholic faith.