Search the Dictionary

The act, practice, or art of one who fishes.

One who practices flagellation; one who whips or scourges.

; scandalous; shameful; -- said of acts, crimes, etc. Debauched principles and flagitious practices. I. Taylor.

The act or practice of flattering; the act of pleasing by artiful commendation or compliments; adulation; false, insincere, or excessive praise. Just praise is only a debt, but flattery is a present. Rambler. Flattery corrupts both the receiver and the giver. Burke.

To feed with flesh, as an incitement to further exertion; to initiate; -- from the practice of training hawks and dogs by feeding them with the first game they take, or other flesh. Hence, to use upon flesh (as a murderous weapon) so as to draw blood, especially for the first time. Full bravely hast thou fleshed Thy ma…

To practice mocking; to behave with contempt; to sneer; to fleer; -- often with at. Fleer and gibe, and laugh and flout. Swift.

To practice in a small or mean way; to pettifog. [Obs.] Where wouldst thou fog to get a fee Dryden.

The practice of folly; the behavior of a fool; absurdity. Folly in fools bears not so strong a note, As foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote. Shak.

A foolish practice; an absurdity. The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness. 1 Cor. i. 18.

ng, holding firmly, or exerting traction upon, bodies which it would be inconvenient or impracticable to seize with the fingers, especially one for delicate operations, as those of watchmakers, surgeons, accoucheurs, dentists, etc.

Named or recited before. "The forerecited practices." Shak.

Established method of expression or practice; fixed way of proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula; as, a form of prayer. Those whom form of laws Condemned to die. Dryden.

The practice or the doctrine of strict adherence to, or dependence on, external forms, esp. in matters of religion. Official formalism. Sir H. Rawlinson.

Deception deliberately practiced with a view to gaining an unlawful or unfair advantage; artifice by which the right or interest of another is injured; injurious stratagem; deceit; trick. If success a lover's toil attends, Few ask, if fraud or force attained his ends. Pope.

The doctrine or practice of consorting with the opposite sex, at pleasure, without marriage.

One who believes in or practices free-love.

The act, practice, or gains of a freebooter; freebooting. Booth.

Acting the freebooter; practicing freebootery; robbing. Your freebooting acquaintance. Sir W. Scott.

Pertaining to, or resembling, the institutions or the practices of freemasons; as, a freemasonic signal.

The institutions or the practices of freemasons.