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The character, sentiment, or disposition of a community or people, considered as a natural endowment; the spirit which actuates manners and customs; also, the characteristic tone or genius of an institution or social organization.

e, evidence for the crown. [Eng.] -- State's evidence, evidence for the government or the people. [U. S. ] -- To turn King's, Queen's or State's evidence, to confess a crime and give evidence against one's accomplices.

e exaction to tribute or of obedience; hence, extortion. Take away your exactions from my people. Ezek. xlv. 9. Daily new exactions are devised. Shak. Illegal exactions of sheriffs and officials. Bancroft.

nto action, or of having increased action; impulsion; agitation; as, an excitement of the people.

hich exercise loving-kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth. Jer. ix. 24. The people of the land have used oppression and exercised robbery. Ezek. xxii. 29.

or permission; the facultative referendum of Switzerland is one that is optional with the people and is necessary only when demanded by petition; facultative studies; -- opposed to obligatory and compulsory, and sometimes used with to.

Without a dark hue; light; clear; as, a fair skin. The northern people large and fair-complexioned. Sir M. Hale.

of, by hunger; to distress with hanger. And when all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread. Cen. xli. 55. The pains of famished Tantalus he'll feel. Dryden.

accommodate; -- with to. Laws ought to be fashioned to the manners and conditions of the people. Spenser.

ross; dull; stupid. Making our western wits fat and mean. Emerson. Make the heart of this people fat. Is. vi. 10.

Decreed by fate; destined; doomed; as, he was fated to rule a factious people. One midnight Fated to the purpose. Shak.

To err; to blunder, to commit a fault; to do wrong. [Obs.] If after Samuel's death the people had asked of God a king, they had not faulted. Latimer.

To affright; to terrify; to drive away or prevent approach of by fear. z2 fera their people from doing evil. Robynsin (More's utopia). Tush, tush! fear boys with bugs. Shak.

xalt; to benefit. They stuck not to say that the king cared not to plume his nobility and people to feather himself. Bacon. Dryden.

hers; covered with, or as with, feathers; as, feathery spray or snow. Milton. Ye feathery people of mid air. Barry Cornwall.

o nourish, in a general sense; to foster, strengthen, develop, and guard. Thou shalt feed people Israel. 2 Sam. v. 2. Mightiest powers by deepest calms are feed. B. Cornwall.

The people called Amazons. [Obs.] "[The reign of] feminye." Chaucer.

portion of units or individuals constituing a whole; often, by ellipsis of a noun, a few people. "Are not my days few" Job x. 20. Few know and fewer care. Proverb.

n in a wooden socket; -- used by the Hindoos during all historic time, and by many savage peoples. -- Fire eater. (a) A juggler who pretends to eat fire. (b) A quarrelsome person who seeks affrays; a hotspur. [Colloq.] -- Fire engine, a portable forcing pump, usually on wheels, for throwing water to extinguish fire.…

Wearing showy, counterfeit ornaments; vulgarly pretentious; as, flash people; flash men or women; -- applied especially to thieves, gamblers, and prostitutes that dress in a showy way and wear much cheap jewelry. Flash house, a house frequented by flash people, as thieves and whores; hence, a brothel. "A gang of footpa…