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The uppermost, foremost, or most important part of an inanimate object; such a part as may be considered to resemble the head of an animal; often, also, the larger, thicker, or heavier part or extremity, in distinction from the smaller or thinner part, or from the point or edge; as, the head of a cane, a nail, a spear,…

A fall or plunge headforemost, as while riding a bicycle, or in bathing; as, to take a header. [Colloq.]

With the head foremost; as, to fall headlong. Acts i. 18.

s; also, to be partly over, or by the side of (something); as, the hinder boat lapped the foremost one.

To wash; to bathe; as, to lave a bruise. His feet the foremost breakers lave. Byron.

To go or to be in advance of; to precede; hence, to be foremost or chief among; as, the big sloop led the fleet of yachts; the Guards led the attack; Demosthenes leads the orators of all ages. As Hesperus, that leads the sun his way. Fairfax. And lo ! Ben Adhem's name led all the rest. Leigh Hunt.

Guiding; directing; controlling; foremost; as, a leading motive; a leading man; a leading example. -- Lead"ing*ly, adv. Leading case (Law), a reported decision which has come to be regarded as settling the law of the question involved. Abbott. -- Leading motive Etym: [a translation of G. leitmotif] (Mus.), a guiding…

they made shift to do without it. [Colloq.]. -- To make sternway, to move with the stern foremost; to go or drift backward. -- To make strange, to act in an unfriendly manner or as if surprised; to treat as strange; as, to make strange of a request or suggestion. -- To make suit to, to endeavor to gain the favor of;…

Right of going foremost; precedence. Arbuthnot.

One who spurs forward; a light horseman. The prickers, who rode foremost, . . . halted. Sir W. Scott.

A narrow ditch or trench made from the foremost parallel toward the glacis or covert way of a besieged place by digging under cover of gabions, etc. Sap fagot (Mil.), a fascine about three feet long, used in sapping, to close the crevices between the gabions before the parapet is made. -- Sap roller (Mil.), a large ga…

To go or move with one side foremost; to move sidewise; as, to sidle through a crowd or narrow opening. Swift. He . . . then sidled close to the astonished girl. Sir W. Scott.

To throw with a jerk; to throw edge foremost. [Obs.] [Written also squirr.] Addison.

The movement of a ship backward, or with her stern foremost.

A rope used to hold in place the foremost lower corners of the courses when the vessel is closehauled (see Illust. of Ship); also, a rope employed to pull the lower corner of a studding sail to the boom.

the Koluschan stock. Previous to deterioration from contact with the whites they were the foremost traders of the northwest. They built substantial houses of cedar adorned with totem poles, and were expert stone carvers and copper workers. Slavery, the potlatch, and the use of immense labrets were characteristic. Many…

The front of an army; the first line or leading column; also, the front line or foremost division of a fleet, either in sailing or in battle. Standards and gonfalons, twixt van and rear, Stream in the air. Milton.