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A mark to indicate aspiration or its absence. See Rough breathing, Smooth breathing, below. Breathing place. (a) A pause. "That cæsura, or breathing place, in the midst of the verse." Sir P. Sidney. (b) A vent. -- Breathing time, pause; relaxation. Bp. Hall. -- Breathing while, time sufficient for drawing breath; a s…

so called because the balance between the resistances to be measured is indicated by the absence of a current in a certain wire forming a bridge or connection between two points of the apparatus; -- invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone.

ed constitutional depression. It differs from a boil in size, tendency to spread, and the absence of a central core, and is frequently fatal. It is also called anthrax.

The absence or suppression of the essential organs (stamens and pistil) in a flower.

Any one of the spaces in the Milky Way which are very black, owing to the nearly complete absence of stars; esp., the large space near the Southern Cross sometimes called the Black Magellanic Cloud.

Lacking the sensation of warmth; suffering from the absence of heat; chilly; shivering; as, to be cold.

la. -- Vice consul, a consular officer holding the place of a consul during the consul's absence or after he has been relieved.

Absence of light; darkness; obscurity; a place where there is little or no light. Here stood he in the dark, his sharp sword out. Shak.

The absence of light; blackness; obscurity; gloom. And darkness was upon the face of the deep. Gen. i. 2.

The removal or absence of color. Ferrand.

Want or absence of something necessary for completeness or perfection; deficiency; -- opposed to superfluity. Errors have been corrected, and defects supplied. Davies.

ated state of moral character; general badness of character; wickedness of mind or heart; absence of religious feeling and principle. Total depravity. See Original sin, and Calvinism.

State of being disabled; deprivation or want of ability; absence of competent physical, intellectual, or moral power, means, fitness, and the like. Grossest faults, or disabilities to perform what was covenanted. Milton. Chatham refused to see him, pleading his disability. Bancroft.

Want of concord or agreement; absence of unity or harmony in sentiment or action; variance leading to contention and strife; disagreement; -- applied to persons or to things, and to thoughts, feelings, or purposes. A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren. Prov. vi. 19. Peace to ari…

To feel an absence of esteem for; to regard with disfavor or slight contempt; to slight. But if this sacred gift you disesteem. Denham. Qualities which society does not disesteem. Ld. Lytton.

Absence of relishing or palatable quality; bad taste; nauseousness. Milton.

Absence or defect of symmetry; asymmetry.

To feel absence of trust in; not to confide in or rely upon; to deem of questionable sufficiency or reality; to doubt; to be suspicious of; to mistrust. Not distrusting my health. 2 Mac. ix. 22. To distrust the justice of your cause. Dryden. He that requireth the oath doth distrust that other. Udall. Of all afraid, Dis…

A player or singer who prepares to take the part of another player in his absence; a substitute.

Of certain morbid conditions, in which there is entire or comparative absence of moisture; as, dry gangrene; dry catarrh.