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A fixed point of time, established in history by the occurrence of some grand or remarkable event; a point of time marked by an event of great subsequent influence; as, the epoch of the creation; the birth of Christ was the epoch which gave rise to the Christian era. In divers ages, . . . divers epochs of time were use…

A large stable or lodge for horses. Johnson.

To set up or establish; to found; to form; to institute. "To erect a new commonwealth." Hooker. Erecting shop (Mach.), a place where large machines, as engines, are put together and adjusted.

ing or a wall, or of fitting together the parts of, as a machine; the act of founding or establishing, as a commonwealth or an office; also, the act of rousing to excitement or courage.

To establish. [Obs.] Beau. & Fl.

Good or established order or arrangement. [R.] E. Waterhouse.

irements; to be distinguished by superiority; as, to excel in mathematics, or classics. Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel. Gen. xlix. 4. Then peers grew proud in horsemanship t' excel. Pope.

xchange. See under Bill. -- Exchange broker. See under Broker. -- Par of exchange, the established value of the coin or standard of value of one country when expressed in the coin or standard of another, as the value of the pound sterling in the currency of France or the United States. The par of exchange rarely vari…

Deserving to be execrated; accursed; damnable; detestable; abominable; as, an execrable wretch. "Execrable pride." Hooker. -- Ex"e*cra*ble*ness, n. -- Ex"e*cra*bly, adv.

ce evil against, or to imprecate evil upon; to curse; to protest against as unholy or detestable; hence, to detest utterly; to abhor; to abominate. "They . . . execrate their lct." Cowper.

rack; hence, deviating from the usual or due course; going beyond the appointed rules or established limits of right or propriety; excessive; extravagant; enormous; inordinate; as, exorbitant appetites and passions; exorbitant charges, demands, or claims. Foul exorbitant desires. Milton.

ng; spreading; enlarging. Expanding bit, Expanding drill (Mech.), a bit or drill made adjustable for holes of various sizes; one which can be expanded in diameter while boring. -- Expanding pulley (Mach.), a pulley so made, as in sections, that its diameter can be increased or diminished.

operation undertaken in order to discover some unknown principle or effect, or to test, establish, or illustrate some suggest or known truth; practical test; poof. A political experiment can not be made in a laboratory, not determinant in a few hours. J. Adams.

Conforming to the fashion or established mode; according with the prevailing form or style; as, a fashionable dress.

Firmly fixed; closely adhering; made firm; not loose, unstable, or easily moved; immovable; as, to make fast the door. There is an order that keeps things fast. Burke.

e mixtures, chiefly of ammonium nitrate and a nitrate derivative of naphthalene. They are stable, but require protection from moisture. As prepared it is a compressed cylinder of the explosive, filled with loose powder of the same composition, all inclosed in waterproof wrappers. It is used for mining.…

Not fixed or firm; liable to change; unstable; of a changeable mind; not firm in opinion or purpose; inconstant; capricious; as, Fortune's fickle wheel. Shak. They know how fickle common lovers are. Dryden.

The quality of being fickle; instability; inconsonancy. Shak.

A reel for drawing off silk from cocoons; also, an establishment for reeling silk.

To adopt as son or daughter; to establish filiation between. [R.] Southey.