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Any very small distance, or degree; a hairbreadth.

In an equal part or degree; in some paas, half-colored, half done, half-hearted, half persuaded, half conscious. "Half loth and half consenting." Dryden. Their children spoke halfin the speech of Ashdod. Neh. xiii. 24

condition, or color of a body, as indicating its temperature; redness; high color; flush; degree of temperature to which something is heated, as indicated by appearance, condition, or otherwise. It has raised . . . heats in their faces. Addison. The heats smiths take of their iron are a blood-red heat, a white- flame h…

Degree of latitude either north or south. [Obs.] Guinea lieth to the north sea, in the same height as Peru to the south. Abp. Abbot.

red in the church by patriarchs, metropolitans, archbishops, bishops, and, in an inferior degree, by priests. Shipley.

Possessing a characteristic quality in a supreme or superior degree; as, high (i. e., intense) heat; high (i. e., full or quite) noon; high (i. e., rich or spicy) seasoning; high (i. e., complete) pleasure; high (i. e., deep or vivid) color; high (i. e., extensive, thorough) scholarship, etc. High time it is this war n…

Elevated; high-principled; honorable. In whose high-toned impartial mind Degrees of mortal rank and state Seem objects of indifferent weight. Sir W. Scott.

Worked up, or swollen, to a high degree; as, a highwrought passion. "A high-wrought flood." Shak.

In a high manner, or to a high degree; very much; as, highly esteemed.

y-toity airs; used also as an exclamation, denoting surprise or disapprobation, with some degree of contempt. Hoity-toity! What have I to do with dreams Congreve.

Conferring honor, or intended merely to confer honor without emolument; as, an honorary degree. "Honorary arches." Addison.

Having much sensible heat; exciting the feeling of warmth in a great degree; very warm; -- opposed to cold, and exceeding warm in degree; as, a hot stove; hot water or air. "A hotvenison pasty." Shak.

To what degree or extent, number or amount; in what proportion; by what measure or quality. O, how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day. Ps. cxix. 97. By how much they would diminish the present extent of the sea, so much they would impair the fertility, and fountains, and rivers of the earth. Bentley.…

In whetever manner, way, or degree. However yet they me despise and spite. Spenser. Howe'er the business goes, you have made fault. Shak.

In what manner soever; to whatever degree or extent; however. I am glad he's come, howsoever he comes. Shak.

original law of nations, war and extirpation were the punishment of injury. Humanizing by degrees, it admitted slavery instead of death; a further step was the exchange of prisoners instead of slavery. Franklin.

Moisture; dampness; a moderate degree of wetness, which is perceptible to the eye or touch; -- used especially of the atmosphere, or of anything which has absorbed moisture from the atmosphere, as clothing.

An instrument for measuring the degree of moisture of the atmosphere. Daniell's hygrometer, a form of hygrometer consisting of a bent glass tube terminating in two bulbs, the one covered with muslin, the other of black glass, and containing ether and a thermometer. Ether being poured on the muslin, the black ball, cool…

The science or art of comparing or measuring degrees of moisture. Evelyn.

A prefix signifying a less quantity, or a low state or degree, of that denoted by the word with which it is joined, or position under or beneath.