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Short and thick; thick rather than tall or corpulent. Addison. Stocky, twisted, hunchback stems. Mrs. H. H. Jackson.

tory; to narrate or describe in story. How worthy he is I will leave to appear hereafter, rather than story him in his own hearing. Shak. It is storied of the brazen colossus in Rhodes, that it was seventy cubits high. Bp. Wilkins.

stout; strong; as, a sturdy oak. Milton. He was not of any delicate contexture; his limbs rather sturdy than dainty. Sir H. Wotton.

e mind, but below the surface or threshold of consciousness; that is, existing as feeling rather than as clear ideas.

totality of; -- usually with up. The mind doth value every moment, and then the hour doth rather sum up the moments, than divide the day. Bacon.

my, least windy, are all superlatives. Absolute superlative, a superlative in an absolute rather than in a comparative or exclusive sense. See Elative.

The expressing of the sounds of a language by syllables, rather than by an alphabet or by signs for words. I. Taylor (The Alphabet).

The agreement of a verb or adjective with one, rather than another, of two nouns, with either of which it might agree in gender, number, etc.; as, rex et regina beati.

, the apparatus or appliances for hauling cannon in or out. -- Tackle fall, the rope, or rather the end of the rope, of a tackle, to which the power is applied. -- Tack tackle (Naut.), a small tackle to pull down the tacks of the principal sails. -- Tackle board, Tackle post (Ropemaking), a board, frame, or post, at…

Inclination; will; disposition; desire. [Obs.] They rather counseled you to your talent than to your profit. Chaucer.

The limitation of an estate; or rather, the whole time for which an estate is granted, as for the term of a life or lives, or for a term of years.

Sometimes the object is expressed in a sentence, usually introduced by that; as, I would rather suffer than that you should want. Behold, a greater than Solomon is here. Matt. xii. 42. Which when Beelzebub perceived, than whom, Satan except, none higher sat. Milton. It's wiser being good than bad; It's safer being mee…

sin, the more difficult it is to reform. "Yet not the more cease I." Milton. So much the rather thou, Celestial Light, Shine inward, and the mind through all her powers Irradiate. Milton.

The objective case of they. See They. Go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. Matt. xxv. 9. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father. Matt. xxv. 34.

Hence, to labor; to toil; also, to move violently. I rather would be Mævius, thrash for rhymes, Like his, the scorn and scandal of the times. Dryden.

An adherent of a theory, the transmission theory, that the brain serves to "transmit," rather than to originate, conclusions, and hence that consciousness may exist independently of the brain.

An old term rather loosely used to designate various dark- colored, heavy igneous rocks, including especially the feldspathic- augitic rocks, basalt, dolerite, amygdaloid, etc., but including also some kinds of diorite. Called also trap rock. Trap tufa, Trap tuff, a kind of fragmental rock made up of fragments and eart…

while revolving; as, to turn the legs of stools or tables; to turn ivory or metal. I had rather hear a brazen canstick turned. Shak.

The contrary of nature; that which is unnatural. [R.] So as to be rather unnature, after all, than nature. H. Bushnell.

Consisting in, or having to do with, words only; dealing with words rather than with the ideas intended to be conveyed; as, a verbal critic; a verbal change. And loses, though but verbal, his reward. Milton. Mere verbal refinements, instead of substantial knowledge. Whewell.