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in a company or society for some particular purpose; as, the American Association for the Advancement of Science; a benevolent association. Specifically, as among the Congregationalists, a society, consisting of a number of ministers, generally the pastors of neighboring churches, united for promoting the interests of…

The van or advanced body of an army. See Vanguard.

To advance; to profit. Chaucer.

To advance; to move forward; to elevate. [Obs.] Spenser.

Not well advanced in learning; not quick of apprehension; dull; inapt; as, a backward child. "The backward learner." South.

With the back in advance or foremost; as, to ride backward.

To become beautiful; to advance in beauty. Addison.

An advance of; farther onward, in place or time. The golden age . . . is before us. Carlyle.

In a state of anticipation ore preoccupation; in advance; -- often followed by with. Agricola . . . resolves to be beforehand with the danger. Milton. The last cited author has been beforehand with me. Addison.

To be beneficial to; to do good to; to advantage; to advance in health or prosperity; to be useful to; to profit. I will repent of the good, wherewith I said I would benefit them. Jer. xviii. 10.

Most advanced; most correct or complete; as, the best scholar; the best view of a subject.

More advanced; more perfect; as, upon better acquaintance; a better knowledge of the subject. All the better. See under All, adv. -- Better half, an expression used to designate one's wife. My dear, my better half (said he), I find I must now leave thee. Sir P. Sidney. -- To be better off, to be in a better condition.…

Having a great belly; as, a big-bellied man or flagon; advanced in pregnancy.

A cover or protection for an advanced trench or approach, formed of fascines and earth supported by a framework.

A strong and extensive advance, with more or less noisy excitement; -- applied colloquially or humorously to market prices, the demand for stocks or commodities and to political chances of aspirants to office; as, a boom in the stock market; a boom in coffee. [Colloq. U. S.]

endeavoring to climb); to push up; hence, to assist in overcoming obstacles, or in making advancement. [Colloq. U. S.]

Rustic work, consisting of stones which seem to advance beyond the level of the building, by reason of indentures or channels left in the joinings. Gwilt.

inds the ship (and sometimes the accruing freight) as security for the repayment of money advanced or lent for the use of the ship, if she terminates her voyage successfully. If the ship is lost by perils of the sea, the lender loses the money; but if the ship arrives safe, he is to receive the money lent, with the int…

. Broken ground. (a) (Mil.) Rough or uneven ground; as, the troops were retarded in their advance by broken ground. (b) Ground recently opened with the plow. -- Broken line (Geom.), the straight lines which join a number of given points taken in some specified order. -- Broken meat, fragments of meat or other food.…

The act of striking the stern of the boat in advance with the prow of the boat following. [Eng.]