Search the Dictionary

ccessfully; to prevail upon by prayer or solicitation; to persuade. It were a fruitless attempt to appease a power whom no prayers could entreat. Rogers.

act of entering or passing into or upon; entrance; ingress; hence, beginnings or first attempts; as, the entry of a person into a house or city; the entry of a river into the sea; the entry of air into the blood; an entry upon an undertaking.

An effort made, or exertion of body or mind, for the performance of anything; a trial; attempt; as, to make an essay to benefit a friend. "The essay at organization." M. Arnold.

To attempt to escape; to practice artifice or sophistry, for the purpose of eluding. The ministers of God are not to evade and take refuge any of these . . . ways. South.

he body. South. To exert one's self, to use efforts or endeavors; to strive; to make an attempt.

ke. Experience may be acquired in two ways; either, first by noticing facts without any attempt to influence the frequency of their occurrence or to vary the circumstances under which they occur; this is observation; or, secondly, by putting in action causes or agents over which we have control, and purposely varying t…

One who rejects an opinion or scheme with open contempt. South.

close the faults or reprehensible practices of; to lay open to general condemnation or contempt by making public the character or arts of; as, to expose a cheat, liar, or hypocrite.

The state of being exposed, laid open, or unprotected; as, an exposedness to sin or temptation.

bare of protection, depriving of care or concealment, or setting out to reprobation or contempt. The exposure of Fuller . . . put an end to the practices of that vile tribe. Macaulay.

apt; wont; fond; inclined. Men and birds are fain of climbing high. Shak. To a busy man, temptation is fainto climb up together with his business. Jer. Taylor.

A catch made by a player on side who makes a prescribed signal that he will not attempt to advance the ball when caught. He must not then be interfered with.

ind; to become; as, to fall asleep; to fall into a passion; to fall in love; to fall into temptation.

An exclamation of contempt, disgust, or abhorrence.

ous, or sumptuous entertainment, of which many guests partake; a banquet characterized by tempting variety and abundance of food. Enough is as good as a feast. Old Proverb. Belshazzar the King made a great feast to a thousand of his lords. Dan. v. 1.

A fig; an insignificant trifle, no more than the snap of one's thumb; a sign of contempt made by the fingers, expressing. A fig for you. Steal! foh, a fico for the phrase. Shak.

An exclamation denoting contempt or dislike. See Fy. Fuller.

The value of a fig, practically nothing; a fico; -- used in scorn or contempt. "A fig for Peter." Shak. Cochineal fig. See Conchineal fig. -- Fig dust, a preparation of fine oatmeal for feeding caged birds. -- Fig faun, one of a class of rural deities or monsters supposed to live on figs. "Therefore shall dragons dwe…

To strive or contened for victory, with armies or in single combat; to attempt to defeat, subdue, or destroy an enemy, either by blows or weapons; to contend in arms; -- followed by with or against. You do fight against your country's foes. Shak. To fight with thee no man of arms will deign. Milton.…

To attempt, when second or third player, to make a lower card answer the purpose of a higher, when an intermediate card is out, risking the chance of its being held by the opponent yet to play.