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An irregular and arbitrary imposition or tax leved on the people of a town or country. These sums, . . . and the forced contributions paid by luckless peasants, enabled him to keep his straggling troops together. Motley.

Rising or swelling into a spherical or rounded form; regularly protuberant or bulging; -- said of a spherical surface or curved line when viewed from without, in opposition to concave. Drops of water naturally form themselves into figures with a convex surface. Whewell. Double convex, convex on both sides; convexo-conv…

An irregular, tortuous folding of an organ or part; as, the convolutions of the intestines; the cerebral convolutions. See Brain.

To contract violently and irregulary, as the muscular parts of an animal body; to shake with irregular spasms, as in excessive laughter, or in agony from grief or pain. With emotions which checked his voice and convulsed his powerful frame. Macaulay.

Any violent and irregular motion or agitation; a violent shaking; a tumult; a commotion. Those two massy pillars, With horrible convulsion, to and fro He tugged, he shook, till down they came. Milton. Times of violence and convulsion. Ames.

attended with, convulsions or spasms; characterized by convulsions; convulsionary. An irregular, convulsive movement may be necessary to throw off an irregular, convulsive disease. Burke.

habiting different parts of the Russian empire and furnishing valuable contingents of irregular cavalry to its armies, those of Little Russia and those of the Don forming the principal divisions.

To rise with a regular nap, as cloth does. [Obs.] It cottons well; it can not choose but bear A pretty nap. Family of Love.

The menses. In course, in regular succession. -- Of course, by consequence; as a matter of course; in regular or natural order. -- In the course of, at same time or times during. "In the course of human events." T. Jefferson.

of a court. SeeRoll. -- Court in banc, or Court in bank, The full court sitting at its regular terms for the hearing of arguments upon questions of law, as distinguished from a sitting at nisi prius. -- Court of Arches, audience, etc. See under Arches, Audience, etc. -- Court of Chancery. See Chancery, n. -- Court…

One who works as a mason without having served a regular apprenticeship. [Scot.]

Cramped; irregular; as, crabbed handwriting. -- Crab"bed*ly, adv. -- Crab"bed*ness, n.

Any species or rail of the genera Crex and Porzana; -- so called from its singular cry. See Corncrake.

A rectangular frame, with a tightening screw, used for compressing the jionts of framework, etc.

To fold or plait in regular undulation in such a way that the material will retain the shape intended; to give a wavy apperance to; as, to crimp the border of a cap; to crimp a ruffle. Cf. Crisp. The comely hostess in a crimped cap. W. Irving.

To cause to undulate irregularly, as crape or water; to wrinkle; to cause to ripple. Cf. Crimp. The lover with the myrtle sprays Adorns his crisped tresses. Drayton. Along the crisped shades and bowers. Milton. The crisped brooks, Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold. Milton.

Having a crisped appearance; irregularly curled or twisted.

An irregular soldier, generally from Croatia.

Having the grain or fibers run diagonally, or more or less transversely an irregularly, so as to interfere with splitting or planing. If the stuff proves crossgrained, . . . then you must turn your stuff to plane it the contrary way. Moxon.

To contract irregularly; to show wrinkless after being crushed together; as, leaves crumple.