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taining to, or being in accordance with, duty. [R.] If there were any lie in the case, it could be no more than as officious and venial one. Note on Gen. xxvii. (Douay version).

be in conflict with; to oppose; to resist. They said the manner of their impeachment they could not but conceive did oppugn the rights of Parliament. Clarendon.

oral discourse; eloquence. "The oratory of Greece and Rome." Milton. When a world of men Could not prevail with all their oratory. Shak.

used chiefly in the past participle. These nobler faculties of the mind, matter organized could never produce. Ray.

[i. e., completely, utterly]; to exhaust knowledge of. Naught, according to his mind, He could outlearn. Spenser. Men and gods have not outlearned it [love]. Emerson.

show only, without speaking; a pantomimist. [He] saw a pantomime perform so well that he could follow the performance from the action alone. Tylor.

To be equal; to hold comparison. [R.] Few or none could . . . paragon with her. Shelton.

, or the like, from another; as, a brick partition; lath and plaster partitions. No sight could pass Betwixt the nice partitions of the grass. Dryden.

h men as with false money -- one piece is more or less passable than another. L'Estrange. Could they have made this slander passable. Collier.

One of a class eligible to the office of senator, but not yet chosen, who could sit and speak in the senate, but could not vote; -- so called because he might indicate his opinion by walking over to the side of the party he favored when a vote was taken.

, mercy, lowliness." Shak. Whose constant perseverance overcame Whate'er his cruel malice could invent. Milton.

To throw; to pitch. [Obs.] As high as I could pick my lance. Shak.

heavy wheels, etc. Called also pinch bar. At a pinch, On a pinch, in an emergency; as, he could on a pinch read a little Latin.

Fig.: To darken; to blacken; to obscure. The welkin pitched with sullen could. Addison.

ity, liberty, power, will, obligation, or necessity, by the use of may, can, must, might, could, would, or should; as, I may go; he can write.

lot; -- usually in a bad sense. [Obs.] Bacon. He sought to have that by practice which he could not by prayer. Sir P. Sidney.

A multitude of individuals crowded together; They could not come nigh unto him for the press. Mark ii. 4. Cylinder press, a printing press in which the impression is produced by a revolving cylinder under which the form passes; also, one in which the form of type or plates is curved around a cylinder, instead of restin…

iled. Ex. xvii. 11. So David prevailed over the Philistine. 1 Sam. xvii. 50. This kingdom could never prevail against the united power of England. Swift.

A person appointed to collect alms for those who could not go out to beg for themselves, as lepers, the bedridden, etc.; hence a beggar. [Obs.] Nares.

ver a fact or truth; an act of testing; a test; a trial. For whatsoever mother wit or art Could work, he put in proof. Spenser. You shall have many proofs to show your skill. Ford. Formerly, a very rude mode of ascertaining the strength of spirits was practiced, called the proof. Ure.