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s acute, profound, and sensual, but not subtile; hence what they think to be humorous, is merely witty. Coleridge. The subtile influence of an intellect like Emerson's. Hawthorne.

Characterized by a shaking motion, especially an up and down movement, and not merely tremulous oscillation; as, the succussive motion in earthquakes.

right has expired, without positive leave of the owner. Blackstone. -- On sufferance, by mere toleration; as, to remain in a house on sufferance.

One who seeks for things which gratify merely himself; a selfish person; a selfist. [R.] Whitlock.

naked eye. They are very changeable in their figure and dimensions, and vary in size from mere apparent points to spaces of 50,000 miles in diameter. The term sun spots is often used to include bright spaces (called faculæ) as well as dark spaces (called maculæ). Called also solar spots. See Illustration in Appendix.…

The act of raising or exciting. [R.] A mere suscitation or production of a thing. South.

Same as Syllabication. Rush. Syllabification depends not on mere force, but on discontinuity of force. H. Sweet.

dle state or course; mean; medium. [R.] The perfect lawgiver is a just temper between the mere man of theory, who can see nothing but general principles, and the mere man of business, who can see nothing but particular circumstances. Macaulay.

g tensile, or capable of extension; tensibility; as, the tensility of the muscles. Dr. H. Mere.

The dorsal portion of an arthromere or somite of an articulate animal. See Illust. under Coleoptera.

rly a short pillar terminating in the bust of a man, woman, satyr, or the like, but often merely a post or stone stuck in the ground on a boundary line.

ess fantasy, And childish error, that they are afraid. Shak. I have shewed before, that a mere possibility to the contrary, can by no means hinder a thing from being highly credible. Bp. Wilkins.

rformances; theatrical gestures. -- The*at`ri*cal"i*ty, n. -- The*at"ric*al*ly, adv. No meretricious aid whatever has been called in -- no trick, no illusion of the eye, nothing theatrical. R. Jefferies.

A diminutive or slighted object; any object viewed as merely existing; -- often used in pity or contempt. See, sons, what things you are! Shak. The poor thing sighed, and . . . turned from me. Addison. I'll be this abject thing no more. Granville. I have a thing in prose. Swift.

ving a false luster, and more gay than valuable. O happy peasant! O unhappy bard! His the mere tinsel, hers the rich reward. Cowper.

its appropriate duties; as, a titular prince. If these magnificent titles yet remain Not merely titular. Milton. Titular bishop. See under Bishop.

sed to indicate, the approach of death. [Obs.] Like the fearful tokens of the plague, Are mere forerunners of their ends. Beau. & Fl.

Resembling a topic, or general maxim; hence, not demonstrative, but merely probable, as an argument. Evidences of fact can be no more than topical and probable. Sir M. Hale.

Formerly: (a) An inclosure which surrounded the mere homestead or dwelling of the lord of the manor. [Obs.] (b) The whole of the land which constituted the domain. [Obs.] (c) A collection of houses inclosed by fences or walls. [Obs.] Palsgrave.

l; a trifle. The philosophy of our times does not expend itself in furious discussions on mere scholastic trivialities. Lyon Playfair.