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Anything exactly opposite or contrary. Can there be a greater contrariety unto Christ's judgment, a more perfect antipodes to all that hath hitherto been gospel Hammond.

n indirect argument which proves a thing by showing the impossibility or absurdity of the contrary.

Proving indirectly, by showing the absurdity, or impossibility of the contrary. Bp. Berkeley.

ert his ire." Milton. When atheists and profane persons do hear of so many discordant and contrary opinions in religion, it doth avert them from the church. Bacon. Till ardent prayer averts the public woe. Prior.

In a contrary or reverse manner, way, or direction; contrarily; as, to read backwards. We might have . . . beat them backward home. Shak.

An offense against purity of style or language; any form of speech contrary to the pure idioms of a particular language. See Solecism. The Greeks were the first that branded a foreign term in any of their writers with the odious name of barbarism. G. Campbell.

Contrary to the pure idioms of a language. A barbarous expression G. Campbell.

Characterizing the nature of a beast; contrary to the nature and dignity of man; brutal; filthy. The beastly vice of drinking to excess. Swift.

iate from straightness; to bend; to inflect; to make crooked or curved. We bow things the contrary way, to make them come to their natural straightness. Milton. The whole nation bowed their necks to the worst kind of tyranny. Prescott.

of braces; as, to brace the yards. To brace about (Naut.), to turn (a yard) round for the contrary tack. -- To brace a yard (Naut.), to move it horizontally by means of a brace. -- To brace in (Naut.), to turn (a yard) by hauling in the weather brace. -- To brace one's self, to call up one's energies. "He braced him…

On the contrary; on the other hand; only; yet; still; however; nevertheless; more; further; -- as connective of sentences or clauses of a sentence, in a sense more or less exceptive or adversative; as, the House of Representatives passed the bill, but the Senate dissented; our wants are many, but quite of another kind.…

Reformed Presbyterians) who refused to recognize laws or institutions which they believed contrary to the kingdom of Christ, but who now avail themselves of political rights.

form of a Greek preposition, used as a prefix to signify down, downward, under, against, contrary or opposed to, wholly, completely; as in cataclysm, catarrh. It sometimes drops the final vowel, as in catoptric; and is sometimes changed to cath, as in cathartic, catholic.

Unnatural; contrary to nature. [R.] Some artists . . . have given to Sir Walter Scott a pile of forehead which is unpleassing and cataphysical. De Quincey.

Council, and Rejected its decrees, esp. that concerning the infallibility of the pope, as contrary to the ancient Catholic faith.

To meet in opposition; to act in a contrary direction; to come onto collision; to interfere. However some of his interests might clash with those of the chief adjacent colony. Palfrey.

nder; quite; perfectly; wholly; entirely. "Domestic broils clean overblown." Shak. "Clean contrary." Milton. All the people were passed clean over Jordan. Josh. iii. 17.

A state of opposition; antagonism; interference. The collision of contrary false principles. Bp. Warburton. Sensitive to the most trifling collisions. W. Irving.

t. (d) To come into use, as a fashion. -- To come up the capstan (Naut.), to turn it the contrary way, so as to slacken the rope about it. -- To come up the tackle fall (Naut.), to slacken the tackle gently. Totten. -- To come up to, to rise to; to equal. -- To come up with, to overtake or reach by pursuit. -- To…

Tasso is full of conceits . . . which are not only below the dignity of heroic verse but contrary to its nature. Dryden.