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The state of being anterior or preceding in time or in situation; priority. Pope.

by the hand of the executioner, if indeed the executioner had not been anticipated by the populace. Macaulay.

Opposed to the pope or to popery. Milton.

A compartment. [Obs.] Pope.

A delegate or deputy; especially, the pope's nuncio or legate at Constantinople.

The dignity or office of the pope, as the holder of the apostolic see.

The diplomatic agent of the pope highest in grade, superior to a nuncio.

Of or pertaining to the pope or the papacy; papal. Apostolical brief. See under Brief. -- Apostolic canons, a collection of rules and precepts relating to the duty of Christians, and particularly to the ceremonies and discipline of the church in the second and third centuries. -- Apostolic church, the Christian churc…

A collector or maker of apothegms. Pope.

e feet, acclamation, huzzas, or other means; marked commendation. The brave man seeks not popular applause. Dryden.

To direct or address. [R.] Sacred vows . . . applied to grisly Pluto. Pope.

Wearing an apron. A cobbler aproned, and a parson gowned. Pope.

Opportunely or opportune; seasonably or seasonable. A tale extremely apropos. Pope.

Steep and lofty, in a literal sense; hard to climb. Those arduous pats they trod. Pope.

Made of silver; of a silvery color; white; shining. Yonder argent fields above. Pope.

The nobles or chief persons in a state; a privileged class or patrician order; (in a popular use) those who are regarded as superior to the rest of the community, as in rank, fortune, or intellect.

Bearing arms. [R.] They belonged to the armigerous part of the population, and were entitled to write themselves Esquire. De Quincey.

; to make undue claims to, from vanity or baseless pretensions to right or merit; as, the pope arrogated dominion over kings. He arrogated to himself the right of deciding dogmatically what was orthodox doctrine. Macaulay.

of knowledge or power to practical purposes. Blest with each grace of nature and of art. Pope.

; crafty; as, an artful boy. [The usual sense.] Artful in speech, in action, and in mind. Pope. The artful revenge of various animals. Darwin.