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Not definite; not limited, defined, or specified; not explicit; not determined or fixed upon; not precise; uncertain; vague; confused; obscure; as, an indefinite time, plan, etc. It were to be wished that . . . men would leave off that indefinite way of vouching, "the chymists say this," or "the chymists affirm that."…

Not determinate; not certain or fixed; indefinite; not precise; as, an indeterminate number of years. Paley. Indeterminate analysis (Math.), that branch of analysis which has for its object the solution of indeterminate problems. -- Indeterminate coefficients (Math.), coefficients arbitrarily assumed for convenience o…

Want of fixed or stated direction. Abp. Bramhall.

Not erratic or wandering; fixed; settled; established.

, spear, or dart. Shak. The fatal dart a ready passage found, And deep within her heart infixed the wound. Dryden.

To be inherent; to stick (in); to be fixed or permanently incorporated with something; to cleave (to); to belong, as attributes or qualities. They do but inhere in the subject that supports them. Digby.

A dwelling or standing on something; fixedness; persistence. [Obs.] Shak.

Lack of determination of fixedness; inconstancy; fickleness; mutability; changeableness; as, instability of character, temper, custom, etc. Addison.

That which is instituted, established, or fixed, as a law, habit, or custom. Glover.

ing or bending of the mind toward of the mind toward an object; closeness of application; fixedness of attention; earnestness. Intention is when the mind, with great earnestness, and of choice, fixes its view on any idea. Locke.

In an intent manner; as, the eyes intently fixed.

a gas, and not in a separate chamber, as in a steam- engine boiler. The gas used may be a fixed gas, or one derived from alcohol, ether, gasoline (petrol), naphtha, oil (petroleum), etc. There are three main classes: (1) gas engines proper, using fixed gases, as coal, blast-furnace, or producer gas; (2) engines using t…

point, has to the angle which the tangent to the curve at the movable point makes with a fixed line. -- Intrinsic value. See the Note under Value, n.

figure. -- Inverse points (Geom.), two points lying on a line drawn from the center of a fixed circle or sphere, and so related that the product of their distances from the center of the circle or sphere is equal to the square of the radius. -- Inverse, or Reciprocal, ratio (Math.), the ratio of the reciprocals of tw…

Having habits fixed by long continuance; confirmed; habitual; as, an inveterate idler or smoker.

(Centaurea nigra); -- so called from the resemblance of its knobbed head to an iron ball fixed on a long handle. Dr. Prior.

e year 3761 b. c., the date traditionally given for the Creation. It received its present fixed form from Hillel II. about 360 a. d. The present names of the months, which are Babylonian- Assyrian in origin, replaced older ones, Abib, Bul, etc., at the time of the Babylonian Exile. Nineteen years constitute a lunar cyc…

A piece of chance or occasional work; any definite work undertaken in gross for a fixed price; as, he did the job for a thousand dollars.

o the god, or the planet, Jupiter. [Obs.] Our jovial star reigned at his birth. Shak. The fixed stars astrologically differenced by the planets, and esteemed Martial or Jovial according to the colors whereby they answer these planets. Sir T. Browne.

A slip of silk, paper, parchment, etc., affixed to anything, usually by an inscription, the contents, ownership, destination, etc.; as, the label of a bottle or a package.