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o far; as, to stretch the truth; to stretch one's credit. They take up, one day, the most violent and stretched prerogative. Burke.

Altercation; violent contention; fight; battle. Twenty of them fought in this black strife. Shak. These vows, thus granted, raised a strife above Betwixt the god of war and queen of love. Dryden.

The act of striking; a blow; a hit; a knock; esp., a violent or hostile attack made with the arm or hand, or with an instrument or weapon. His hand fetcheth a stroke with the ax to cut down the tree. Deut. xix. 5. A fool's lips enter into contention and his mouth calleth for strokes. Prov. xviii. 6. He entered and won…

Moving with rapidity or force; violent; forcible; impetuous; as, a strong current of water or wind; the wind was strong from the northeast; a strong tide.

A violent effort or efforts with contortions of the body; agony; distress.

Characterized by physical strength or force; strong; lusty; violent; as, a sturdy lout. How bowed the woods beneath their sturdy stroke! Gray.

The act or process of subsiding. The subdual or subsidence of the more violent passions. Bp. Warburton.

Hasty; violent; rash; precipitate. [Obs.] Shak.

To fall or descend; to rush hastily or violently. C. Richardson (Dict.). All suddenly she swapt adown to ground. Chaucer.

To fall violently or noisily. [Obs.] Holinshed.

An injury caused by violent strains or by overloading; -- said of the backs of horses. Crabb.

Violent and general destruction; as, the sweep of an epidemic disease.

estant sects with each other and with the Roman Catholics, and thus occasioned a long and violent controversy in the Lutheran church.

after his father. -- To take in with, to resort to. [Obs.] Bacon. -- To take on, to be violently affected; to express grief or pain in a violent manner. -- To take to. (a) To apply one's self to; to be fond of; to become attached to; as, to take to evil practices. "If he does but take to you, . . . you will contrac…

A rapid, violent gallop; an impetulous rush. Cleverland.

Hence, to divide by violent measures; to disrupt; to rend; as, a party or government torn by factions.

Not marked with passion; not violent; cool; calm; as, temperate language. She is not hot, but temperate as the morn. Shak. That sober freedom out of which there springs Our loyal passion for our temperate kings. Tennyson.

Fig.: Any violent tumult or commotion; as, a political tempest; a tempest of war, or of the passions.

Of or pertaining to a tempest; involving or resembling a tempest; turbulent; violent; stormy; as, tempestuous weather; a tempestuous night; a tempestuous debate. -- Tem*pes"tu*ous*ly, adv. -- Tem*pes"tu*ous*ness, n. They saw the Hebrew leader, Waiting, and clutching his tempestuous beard. Longfellow.…

The quality or state of being termagant; turbulence; tumultuousness; as, a violent termagancy of temper.