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. See Illustration in Appendix. A flea in the ear, an unwelcome hint or unexpected reply, annoying like a flea; an irritating repulse; as, to put a flea in one's ear; to go away with a flea in one's ear. -- Beach flea, Black flea, etc. See under Beach, etc.

A tumult; a bustle; unnecessary or annoying ado about trifles. Byron. Zealously, assiduously, and with a minimum of fuss or noise Carlyle.

To injure; to harass; to annoy; as, the troops were galled by the shot of the enemy. In our wars against the French of old, we used to gall them with our longbows, at a greater distance than they could shoot their arrows. Addison.

s armed with long hooked or barbed thorns by which they adhere to cattle, causing intense annoyance. -- Grapple shot (Life-saving Service), a projectile, to which are attached hinged claws to catch in a ship's rigging or to hold in the ground; -- called also anchor shot.

The act of harassing, or state of being harassed; worry; annoyance; anxiety. Little harassments which I am led to suspect do occasionally molest the most fortunate. Ld. Lytton.

To harass or annoy by playing abusive or shameful tricks upon; to humiliate by practical jokes; -- used esp. of college students; as, the sophomores hazed a freshman.

To wound the feelings of; to cause mental pain to; to offend in honor or self-respect; to annoy; to grieve. "I am angry and hurt." Thackeray.

Whatever annoys or impairs happiness, or prevents success; evil of any kind; misfortune; calamity; disease; pain; as, the ills of humanity. Who can all sense of others' ills escape Is but a brute at best in human shape. Tate. That makes us rather bear those ills we have Than fly to others that we know not of. Shak.…

ot commodious; not affording ease or advantage; unsuitable; giving trouble; inconvenient; annoying; as, an incommodious seat; an incommodious arrangement. -- In`com*mo"di*ous*ly, adv. -- In`com*mo"di*ous*ness, n.

Inconvenience; trouble; annoyance; disadvantage; encumbrance. [Archaic] Bunyan. A great incommodity to the body. Jer. Taylor. Buried him under a bulk of incommodities. Hawthorne.

Not convenient; giving trouble, uneasiness, or annoyance; hindering progress or success; uncomfortable; disadvantageous; incommodious; inopportune; as, an inconvenient house, garment, arrangement, or time.

Causing little or no pain or annoyance; as, an indolent tumor.

To trouble greatly by numbers or by frequency of presence; to disturb; to annoy; to frequent and molest or harass; as, fleas infest dogs and cats; a sea infested with pirates. To poison vermin that infest his plants. Cowper. These, said the genius, are envy, avarice, superstition, love, with the like cares and passions…

The act of infesting or state of being infested; molestation; vexation; annoyance. Bacon. Free from the infestation of enemies. Donne.

iness or virtue. (e) To give pain to, as the sensibilities or the feelings; to grieve; to annoy. (f) To impair, as the intellect or mind. When have I injured thee when done thee wrong Shak.

Giving no offense, or provocation; causing no uneasiness, annoyance, or disturbance; as, an inoffensive man, answer, appearance.

To weary; to give pain; to annoy; -- used only impersonally at present. To see this sight, it irks my very soul. Shak. It irketh him to be here. M. Arnold.

To excite anger or displeasure in; to provoke; to tease; to exasperate; to annoy; to vex; as, the insolence of a tyrant irritates his subjects. Dismiss the man, nor irritate the god: Prevent the rage of him who reigns above. Pope.

an undue and uncomfortable kind; especially, excitement of anger or passion; provocation; annoyance; anger. The whole body of the arts and sciences composes one vast machinery for the irritation and development of the human intellect. De Quincey.

of a limb, so as to render a person on fighting less able either to defend himself or to annoy his adversary. By the ancient law of England he that maimed any man whereby he lost any part of his body, was sentenced to lose the like part. Blackstone.