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An offical mark set upon things chargeable with a duty or tax to government, as evidence that the duty or tax is paid; as, the stamp on a bill of exchange.

A place or region to which a government ship or fleet is assigned for duty.

from Storm, v. Storming party (Mil.), a party assigned to the duty of making the first assault in storming a fortress.

Figuratively, to wander from the path of duty or rectitude; to err. We have erred and strayed from thy ways. While meaner things, whom instinct leads, Are rarely known to stray. Cowper.

attach great importance to; to emphasize. "Consider how great a stress is laid upon this duty." Atterbury. -- To put stress upon, or To put to a stress, to strain.

on. In all submission and humility York doth present himself unto your highness. Shak. No duty in religion is more justly required by God . . . than a perfect submission to his will in all things. Sir W. Temple.

heir. [R.] Milton. Apostolical succession. (Theol.) See under Apostolical. -- Succession duty, a tax imposed on every succession to property, according to its value and the relation of the person who succeeds to the previous owner. [Eng.] -- Succession of crops. (Agric.) See Rotation of crops, under Rotation.…

t of suits, having no correspondence. [Obs.] Shak. -- Suit and service (Feudal Law), the duty of feudatories to attend the courts of their lords or superiors in time of peace, and in war to follow them and do military service; -- called also suit service. Blackstone. -- Suit broker, one who made a trade of obtaining…

hority, or by the command of a superior, to appear at a place named, or to attend to some duty. Special summonses by the king. Hallam. This summons . . . unfit either to dispute or disobey. Bp. Fell. He sent to summon the seditious, and to offer pardon; but neither summons nor pardon was regarded. Sir J. Hayward.…

An officer or person in a merchant ship, whose duty is to manage the sales, and superintend the commercial concerns, of the voyage.

To do more than duty requires; to perform works of supererogation; to atone (for a dificiency in another) by means of a surplus action or quality. The fervency of one man in prayer can not supererogate for the coldness of another. Milton.

The act of supererogating; performance of more than duty or necessity requires. Works of supererogation (R. C. Ch.), those good deeds believed to have been performed by saints, or capable of being performed by men, over and above what is required for their own salvation.

Performed to an extent not enjoined, or not required, by duty or necessity; as, supererogatory services. Howell.

An officer who ascertains the contents of casks, and the quantity of liquors subject to duty; a gauger.

To wander from any line prescribed, or from a rule or duty; to depart from what is established by law, duty, custom, or the like; to deviate. I swerve not from thy commandments. Bk. of Com. Prayer. They swerve from the strict letter of the law. Clarendon. Many who, through the contagion of evil example, swerve exceedin…

That which is thrown into a common fund; hence, an appointed or accustomed duty. [Obs.] They do their work in the days of peace . . . and come to pay their symbol in a war or in a plague. Jer. Taylor.

An association of persons officially authorized to undertake some duty or to negotiate some business; also, an association of persons who combine to carry out, on their own account, a financial or industrial project; as, a syndicate of bankers formed to take up and dispose of an entire issue of government bonds.…

Conscience viewed as the internal repository of the laws of duty. Whewell.

A broad, level, elevated area of land; a plateau. The toppling crags of Duty scaled, Are close upon the shining table- lands To which our God himself is moon and sun. Tennyson.

The duty, or rate of duty, so imposed; as, the tariff on wool; a tariff of two cents a pound.