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Opprobriously, a leader of a body of men engaged in the violation of law or in an illegal enterprise, as rioters, mutineers, or the like. The ringleaders were apprehended, tried, fined, and imprisoned. Macaulay.

To engage in riot; to act in an unrestrained or wanton manner; to indulge in excess of luxury, feasting, or the like; to revel; to run riot; to go to excess. Now he exact of all, wastes in delight, Riots in pleasure, and neglects the law. Daniel. No pulse that riots, and no blood that glows. Pope.

One who engages in a riot. See Riot, n., 3.

One who engages in rows, or noisy quarrels; a ruffianly fellow. M. Arnold.

Inclined to, or engaged in, rumination or meditation.

A nickname for a workman who engages for lower wages than are fixed by the trades unions; also, for one who takes the place of a workman on a strike. [Cant]

One engaged in the pursuits of learning; a learned person; one versed in many branches, of knowledge; a person of high literary or scientific attainments; a savant. Shak. Locke.

An engagement between ships at sea; a naval battle.

A mariner or a vessel engaged in the business of capturing seals.

One who becomes surety for another, or engages himself for the performance of another's obligation.

A group of students engaged, under the guidance of an instructor, in original research in a particular line of study, and in the exposition of the results by theses, lectures, etc.; -- called also seminary.

To be disengaged from the ear or husk; as, wheat or rye shells in reaping.

To engage or secure for service on board of a ship; as, to ship seamen.

The act or process of shipping; as, he was engaged in the shipment of coal for London; an active shipment of wheat from the West.

To visit shops for the purpose of purchasing goods. He was engaged with his mother and some ladies to go shopping. Byron.

Engaging or engaged to deliver what is not possessed; as, short contracts; to be short of stock. See The shorts, under Short, n., and To sell short, under Short, adv.

To embrace the opinions of one party, or engage in its interest, in opposition to another party; to take sides; as, to side with the ministerial party. All side in parties, and begin the attack. Pope.

Engaged in, or given to, seeing sights; eager for novelties or curiosities.

with double ale, etc., which is stronger. [Obs.] Nares. -- Single bill (Law), a written engagement, generally under seal, for the payment of money, without a penalty. Burril. -- Single court (Lawn Tennis), a court laid out for only two players. -- Single-cut file. See the Note under 4th File. -- Single entry. See…

Engaged in by only one on a side; single. [Obs.] To try the matter thus together in a singular combat. Holinshed.