Search the Dictionary

The evening before a holiday, -- from the Jewish mode of reckoning the day as beginning at sunset. not at midnight; as, Christians eve is the evening before Christmas; also, the period immediately preceding some important event. "On the eve of death." Keble. Eve churr (Zoöl), the European goatsucker or nightjar; -- cal…

Beginning of evening. "At the quiet evenfall." Tennyson.

The latter part and close of the day, and the beginning of darkness or night; properly, the decline of the day, or of the sum. In the ascending scale Of heaven, the stars that usher evening rose. Milton.

A beginning; an introduction; especially, the introductory part of a discourse or written composition, which prepares the audience for the main subject; the opening part of an oration. "The exordium of repentance." Jer. Taylor. "Long prefaces and exordiums. " Addison.

To become weary; to tire. Creighton withheld his force till the Italian began to fag. G. Mackenzie.

d; to decline; to decay; to sink. When earnestly they seek Such proof, conclude they then begin to fail. Milton.

An Oriental religious ascetic or begging monk. [Written also faquir anf fakeer.]

To begin with haste, ardor, or vehemence; to rush or hurry; as, they fell to blows. They now no longer doubted, but fell to work heart and soul. Jowett (Thucyd. ).

One who has begotten a child, whether son or daughter; a generator; a male parent. A wise son maketh a glad father. Prov. x. 1.

by word or deed; an act of grace or good will, as distinct from justice or remuneration. Beg one favor at thy gracious hand. Shak.

The loins of a horse, beginning at the place where the hinder part of the saddle rests. Arris fillet. See under Arris.

Completion; -- opposed to Ant: start, or Ant: beginning.

re. See under Saint Elmo. -- To set on fire, to inflame; to kindle. -- To take fire, to begin to burn; to fly into a passion.

rticiples. Adam was first formed, then Eve. 1 Tim. ii. 13. At first, At the first, at the beginning or origin. -- First or last, at one time or another; at the beginning or end. And all are fools and lovers first or last. Dryden.

e vigor; to languish; as, the spirits flag; the streugth flags. The pleasures of the town begin to flag. Swift.

To fall form the pitch. To flat out, to fail from a promising beginning; to make a bad ending; to disappoint expectations. [Colloq.]

The act of fleshing, or the excitement attending a successful beginning. [R.] Shak.

To shed forth; to emit; to scatter. The sun begins to fling His flaring beams. Milton. Every beam new transient colors flings. Pope.

The eight month of the French republican calendar. It began April 20, and ended May 19. See Vendémiare.

hook, a fishhook supplied with an artificial fly. -- Fly leaf, an unprinted leaf at the beginning or end of a book, circular, programme, etc. -- Fly maggot, a maggot bred from the egg of a fly. Ray. -- Fly net, a screen to exclude insects. -- Fly nut (Mach.), a nut with wings; a thumb nut; a finger nut. -- Fly or…