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highly delightful or inspiriting; to thrill; as, this patriotic sentiment electrified the audience. If the sovereign were now to immure a subject in defiance of the writ of habeas corpus . . . the whole nation would be instantly electrified by the news. Macaulay. Try whether she could electrify Mr. Grandcourt by mentio…

o one or more words whose signification the speaker intends to impress specially upon his audience. The province of emphasis is so much more important than accent, that the customary seat of the latter is changed, when the claims of emphasis require it. E. Porter.

pecially, the introductory part of a discourse or written composition, which prepares the audience for the main subject; the opening part of an oration. "The exordium of repentance." Jer. Taylor. "Long prefaces and exordiums. " Addison.

ied; competent; worthy. That which ordinary men are fit for, I am qualified in. Shak. Fit audience find, though few. Milton.

colored clothes, who plays tricks, often without speaking, to divert the bystanders or an audience; a merry-andrew; originally, a droll rogue of Italian comedy. Percy Smith. As dumb harlequin is exhibited in our theaters. Johnson. Harlequin bat (Zoöl.), an Indian bat (Scotophilus ornatus), curiously variegated with whi…

To give audience or attention to; to listen to; to heed; to accept the doctrines or advice of; to obey; to examine; to try in a judicial court; as, to hear a recitation; to hear a class; the case will be heard to-morrow.

Attention to what is delivered; opportunity to be heard; audience; as, I could not obtain a hearing.

A discourse or sermon read or pronounced to an audience; a serious discourse. Shak.

An audience; an assembly of hearers, as at a lecture, a theater, etc.; as, a thin or a full house.

th side glances, as in fondness, or with a design to attract notice. And ogling all their audience, ere they speak. Dryden.

The space in a theater between the stage and the audience; -- originally appropriated by the Greeks to the chorus and its evolutions, afterward by the Romans to persons of distinction, and by the moderns to a band of instrumental musicians.

lus liquid. Overflow meeting, a meeting constituted of the surplus or overflow of another audience.

ow away within; to cause to be full; to crowd into; as, to pack a trunk; the play, or the audience, packs the theater.

. "A present recompense." "A present pardon." Shak. An ambassador . . . desires a present audience. Massinger.

or inculcate with earnestness or importunity; to enforce; as, to press divine truth on an audience. He pressed a letter upon me within this hour. Dryden. Be sure to press upon him every motive. Addison.

A public house; an inn. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott. In public, openly; before an audience or the people at large; not in private or secrecy. "We are to speak in public." Shak.

The delivery before an audience of something committed to memory, especially as an elocutionary exhibition; also, that which is so delivered.

To repeat, pronounce, or rehearse, as before an audience, something prepared or committed to memory; to rehearse a lesson learned.

r the same sense in different words, for the purpose of making a deeper impression on the audience.

derate in degree of excellence or in number; as, a respectable performance; a respectable audience. --Re*spect"a*ble*ness,n. -- Re*spect"a*bly, adv.