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Surpassing; extraordinary; distinguished (in a bad sense); -- formerly used with words importing a good quality, but now joined with words having a bad sense; as, an egregious rascal; an egregious ass; an egregious mistake. The egregious impudence of this fellow. Bp. Hall. His [Wyclif's] egregious labors are not to be…

Each of two; the one and the other; both; -- formerly, also, each of any number. His flowing hair In curls on either cheek played. Milton. On either side . . . was there the tree of life. Rev. xxii. 2. The extreme right and left of either army never engaged. Jowett (Thucyd).

elaterium, being found in the juice of the wild or squirting cucumber (Ecballium agreste, formerly Motordica Elaterium) and other related species. It is extracted as a bitter, white, crystalline substance, which is a violent purgative.

, as the dried residue of the juice of the wild or squirting cucumber (Ecballium agreste, formerly called Momordica Elaterium).

omposite yellow flowers. The root, which has a pungent taste, is used as a tonic, and was formerly of much repute as a stomachic.

n favor of the electoral and other princes. Burke. Electoral college, the body of princes formerly entitled to elect the Emperor of Germany; also, a name sometimes given, in the United States, to the body of electors chosen by the people to elect the President and Vice President.

the English rural folk who often find these objects of prehistoric make in the fields and formerly attributed them to fairies; -- called also elf bolt, elf dart, and elf shot. -- Elf child, a child supposed to be left by elves, in room of one they had stolen. See Changeling. -- Elf fire, the ignis fatuus. Brewer. --…

Formerly, a measuring rod an ell long.

The portion of a line formerly occupied by the letter m, then a square type, used as a unit by which to measure the amount of printed matter on a page; the square of the body of a type.

A suffix from AS. -an, formerly used to form the plural of many nouns, as in ashen, eyen, oxen, all obs. except oxen. In some cases, such as children and brethren, it has been added to older plural forms.

Formerly, a commissioned officer of the army who carried the ensign or flag of a company or regiment.

nto Etna, . . . ere I will leave her. Shak. Ere long, before, shortly. Shak. -- Ere now, formerly, heretofore. Shak. -- Ere that, and Or are. Same as Ere. Shak.

A recompense formerly given by a murderer to the relatives of the murdered person.

Journeying; itinerant; -- formerly applied to judges who went on circuit and to bailiffs at large. Mozley & W.

Previously; before; formerly; heretofore. Chaucer. Tityrus, with whose style he had erst disclaimed all ambition to match his pastoral pipe. A. W. Ward. At erst, at first; at the beginning. -- Now at erst, at this present time. Chaucer.

Till then or now; heretofore; formerly. [Archaic]

gium maritimum, or sea holly, has been highly esteemed as an aphrodisiac, the roots being formerly candied.

A license formerly required for the making over a bill of exchange to another over sea. Cowell.

A long, heavy, two-handed and two-edged sword, formerly used by Spanish foot soldiers and by executioners. Wilhelm.

riety of ethylene, obtained in heavy oil of wine, the residue left after making ether; -- formerly called also concrete oil of wine.