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Not gained by importunity or purchase; gratuitous; spontaneous; as, free admission; a free gift.

The beanlike seed of any of several related plants, as the cowpea. Frijoles are an important article of diet among Spanish- American peoples, being used as an ingredient of many dishes.

Of little weight or importance; not worth notice; slight; as, a frivolous argument. Swift.

-- Discontinuous function. See under Discontinuous. -- Elliptic functions, a large and important class of functions, so called because one of the forms expresses the relation of the arc of an ellipse to the straight lines connected therewith. -- Explicit function, a quantity directly expressed in terms of the indep…

or basis; serving for the foundation. Hence: Essential, as an element, principle, or law; important; original; elementary; as, a fundamental truth; a fundamental axiom. The fundamental reasons of this war. Shak. Some fundamental antithesis in nature. Whewell. Fundamental bass (Mus.), the root note of a chord; a bass fo…

Of no importance; answering no useful end; useless; vain; worthless. "Futile theories." I. Taylor. His reasoning . . . was singularly futile. Macaulay.

A room for the exhibition of works of art; as, a picture gallery; hence, also, a large or important collection of paintings, sculptures, etc.

orphous mineral of apple-green color; a hydrous silicate of nickel and magnesia. It is an important ore of nickel.

A complex mixture of gases, of which the most important constituents are marsh gas, olefiant gas, and hydrogen, artificially produced by the destructive distillation of gas coal, or sometimes of peat, wood, oil, resin, etc. It gives a brilliant light when burned, and is the common gas used for illuminating purposes.…

ch. It consists mainly of dilute hydrochloric acid and the ferment pepsin. It is the most important digestive fluid in the body, but acts only on proteid foods. -- Gastric remittent fever (Med.), a form of remittent fever with pronounced stomach symptoms.

ng character is that of dissolving in hot water, and forming a jelly on cooling. It is an important ingredient of calf's-foot jelly, isinglass, glue, etc. It is used as food, but its nutritious qualities are of a low order.

Not restrained or limited to a precise import; not specific; vague; indefinite; lax in signification; as, a loose and general expression.

Elbe and the Vistula in the early part of the Christian era, and who overran and took an important part in subverting the Roman empire.

Having higher rank or more dignity, size, or importance than other persons or things of the same name; as, a grand lodge; a grand vizier; a grand piano, etc.

tenus femurrubrum and C. atlanis) are closely related species, but their ravages are less important. They are closely related to the migratory locusts of the Old World. See Locust.

bruising. Hence; To produce exasperation, soreness, or grief; to offend by oppression or importunity. This grated harder upon the hearts of men. South.

Of importance; momentous; weighty; influential; sedate; serious; - - said of character, relations, etc.; as, grave deportment, character, influence, etc. Most potent, grave, and reverend seigniors. Shak. A grave and prudent law, full of moral equity. Milton.

The quality of being grave. His sables and his weeds, Importing health and graveness. Shak.

Importance, significance, dignity, etc; hence, seriousness; enormity; as, the gravity of an offense. They derive an importance from . . . the gravity of the place where they were uttered. Burke.

Entitled to earnest consideration; weighty; important; as, a great argument, truth, or principle.