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In general, a legislative body; a state council; the legislative department of government.

e perceptible to the sight, though not to the touch; a spirit; a ghost; as, the shades of departed heroes. Swift as thought the flitting shade Thro' air his momentary journey made. Dryden.

The place of departed spirits; Hades; also, the grave. For thou wilt not leave my soul to sheel. Ps. xvi. 10. (Rev. Ver.)

Not distant in time; near at hand. Marinell was sore offended That his departure thence should be so short. Spenser. He commanded those who were appointed to attend him to be ready by a short day. Clarendon.

e signal service, a bureau of the government (in the United States connected with the War Department) organized to collect from the whole country simultaneous raports of local meteorological conditions, upon comparison of which at the central office, predictions concerning the weather are telegraphed to various section…

o another; fanciful or imaginative comparison; a simile. Tasso, in his similitudes, never departed from the woods; that is, all his comparisons were taken from the country. Dryden.

To depart voluntarily from the path of duty prescribed by God to man; to violate the divine law in any particular, by actual transgression or by the neglect or nonobservance of its injunctions; to violate any known rule of duty; -- often followed by against. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned. Ps. li. 4. All have s…

Departing from general usage or expectations; odd; whimsical; -- often implying disapproval or consure. His zeal None seconded, as out of season judged, Or singular and rash. Milton. To be singular in anything that is wise and worthy, is not a disparagement, but a praise. Tillotson.

To depart, withdraw, enter, appear, intrude, or escape as if by sliding; to go or come in a quiet, furtive manner; as, some errors slipped into the work. Thus one tradesman slips away, To give his partner fairer play. Prior. Thrice the flitting shadow slipped away. Dryden.

To depart; to disappear suddenly. [Slang]

The law officer of a city, town, department, or government; as, the city solicitor; the solicitor of the treasury.

m; appropriate to the state of a somnambulist. Whether this was an intentional and waking departure, or a somnambulistic leave-taking and waking in her sleep, may remain a subject of contention. Dickens.

Distance southward from any point departure or of reckoning, measured on a meridian; -- opposed to northing.

A belief that departed spirits hold intercourse with mortals by means of physical phenomena, as by rappng, or during abnormal mental states, as in trances, or the like, commonly manifested through a person of special susceptibility, called a medium; spiritism; the doctrines and practices of spiritualists. What is calle…

One who believes in direct intercourse with departed spirits, through the agency of persons commonly called mediums, by means of physical phenomena; one who attempts to maintain such intercourse; a spiritist.

known fully; as, to spread a report; -- often acompanied by abroad. They, when they were departed, spread abroad his fame in all that country. Matt. ix. 31.

reak no square, to give no offense; to make no difference. [Obs.] -- To break squares, to depart from an accustomed order. To see how the squares go, to see how the game proceeds; -- a phrase taken from the game of chess, the chessboard being formed with squares. [Obs.] L'Estrange.

An establishment of officers in various departments attached to an army, to a section of an army, or to the commander of an army. The general's staff consists of those officers about his person who are employed in carrying his commands into execution. See État Major.

Post assigned; office; the part or department of public duty which a person is appointed to perform; sphere of duty or occupation; employment. By spending this day [Sunday] in religious exercises, we acquire new strength and resolution to perform God's will in our several stations the week following. R. Nelson.…

used to make anything stiff. Stiffening order (Com.), a permission granted by the customs department to take cargo or ballast on board before the old cargo is out, in order to steady the ship.