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The beginning of corrosive, decomposing, or destructive action, by a chemical agent.

To make trial or experiment of; to try; to endeavor to do or perform (some action); to assay; as, to attempt to sing; to attempt a bold flight. Something attempted, something done, Has earned a night's repose. Longfellow.

To make thin or slender, as by mechanical or chemical action upon inanimate objects, or by the effects of starvation, disease, etc., upon living bodies.

The posture, action, or disposition of a figure or a statue.

Attraction. [Obs.] Hudibras.

Capable of being attracted; subject to attraction. -- At*tract"a*ble*ness, n.

That which attracts or draws; an attraction; an allurement. Speaks nothing but attractives and invitation. South.

A substance which, by irritating the surface, excites action in the part to which it is applied, as a blister, an epispastic, a sinapism.

interview, esp. with a sovereign or the head of a government, for conference or the transaction of business. According to the fair play of the world, Let me have audience: I am sent to speak. Shak.

the day of audit. -- Audit house, Audit room, an appendage to a cathedral, for the transaction of its business.

The art or practice of foretelling events by observing the actions of birds, etc.; divination.

That which, or one who, is claimed or appealed to in support of opinions, actions, measures, etc. Hence:

The action of the vital principle, or of the instinctive powers, toward the preservation of the individual; also, the vital principle. [In this sense, written also autocrasy.] Dunglison.

A system of land forms produced by the free action of rain and streams on rocks of uniform texture.

Having an inherent power of action or motion. Nothing can be said to be automatic. Sir H. Davy.

lity of being automatic; the power of self- moving; automatic, mechanical, or involuntary action. (Metaph.) A theory as to the activity of matter.

Any thing or being regarded as having the power of spontaneous motion or action. Huxley. So great and admirable an automaton as the world. Boyle. These living automata, human bodies. Boyle.

A helper; an assistant; a confederate in some action or enterprise.

in, contained in oat kernels, very similar in composition to excelsin, but different in reactions and crystalline form.

To take vengeance for; to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer. He will avenge the blood of his servants. Deut. xxxii. 43. Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold. Milton. He had avenged hims…