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To adorn by illuminating or ornamenting with colored and decorated letters and figures, as a book or manuscript. [R.] Palsgrave.

a case, wrapper, integument or the like; to surround entirely; as, to envelop goods or a letter; the fog envelops a ship. Nocturnal shades this world envelop. J. Philips.

rrounds; a wrapper; an inclosing cover; esp., the cover or wrapper of a document, as of a letter.

The insertion of a letter or a sound in the body of a word; as, the b in "nimble" from AS. nemol.

Inserted in the body of a word; as, an epenthetic letter or sound.

A writing directed or sent to a person or persons; a written communication; a letter; -- applied usually to formal, didactic, or elegant letters. A madman's epistles are no gospels. Shak.

Pertaining to epistles or letters; suitable to letters and correspondence; as, an epistolary style.

Pertaining to letters or epistles; in the form or style of letters; epistolary.

Pertaining to the writing of letters; used in writing letters; epistolary. Epistolographic character or mode of writing, the same as Demotic character. See under Demotic.

The addition of a letter at the end of a word, without changing its sense; as, numb for num, whilst for whiles.

To rub or scrape out, as letters or characters written, engraved, or painted; to efface; to expunge; to cross out; as, to erase a word or a name.

A pleasing or sweet sound; an easy, smooth enunciation of sounds; a pronunciation of letters and syllables which is pleasing to the ear.

rect; precise; as, the clock keeps exact time; he paid the exact debt; an exact copy of a letter; exact accounts. I took a great pains to make out the exact truth. Jowett (Thucyd. )

honor or respect; -- more common in the form excellency. I do greet your excellence With letters of commission from the king. Shak.

ner or as a superfluity. Expunge the whole, or lip the excrescent parts. Pope. Excrescent letter (Philol.), a letter which has been added to a root; as, the d in alder (AS. alr) is an excrescent letter.

. Clearing, or tending to clear, from alleged fault or guilt; excusing. "An exculpatory letter." Johnson.

A word, letter, or syllable not necessary to the sense, but inserted to fill a vacancy; an oath. While explectives their feeble aid to join, And ten low words oft creep in one dull line. Pope.

A number, letter, or any quantity written on the right hand of and above another quantity, and denoting how many times the latter is repeated as a factor to produce the power indicated;

Containing expostulation or remonstrance; as, an expostulatory discourse or letter.

aken by a writ of extent in satisfaction of a debt; to assign by writ of extent. Extended letter (Typog.), a letter, or style of type, having a broader face than is usual for a letter or type of the same height.