Search the Dictionary

The condition or quality of being fragile; brittleness; frangibility. Bacon.

Easily broken; fragile; not firm or durable; liable to fail and perish; easily destroyed; not tenacious of life; weak; infirm. That I may know how frail I am. Ps. xxxix. 4. An old bent man, worn and frail. Lowell.

Capable of being broken; brittle; fragile; easily broken.

A funeral sermon; -- usually in the plural. [Obs.] Mr. Giles Lawrence preached his funerals. South.

body, with slender, articulated arms, which are not grooved beneath and are often very fragile; -- called also Ophiuroida and Ophiuridea. See Illust. under Brittle star.

he aromatic resinous juice of the Balsamodendron opobalsamum, now commonly called balm of Gilead. See under Balm.

tent or temporary habitation; to encamp. "Laban with his brethren pitched in the Mount of Gilead." Gen. xxxi. 25.

Characterized by life or liveliness; animated; sprightly; agile; brisk; ready. " A quick wit." Shak.

A European bird (Corvus frugilegus) resembling the crow, but smaller. It is black, with purple and violet reflections. The base of the beak and the region around it are covered with a rough, scabrous skin, which in old birds is whitish. It is gregarious in its habits. The name is also applied to related Asiatic species…

To be broken into fragments; to fal Some fragile bodies break but where the force is; some shatter and fly in many places. Bacon.

A word which was made the criterion by which to distinguish the Ephraimites from the Gileadites. The Ephraimites, not being able to pronounce sh, called the word sibboleth. See Judges xii. Without reprieve, adjudged to death, For want of well pronouncing shibboleth. Milton.

Having a soft or fragile shell. Soft-shell clam (Zoöl.), the long clam. See Mya. -- Soft-shelled crab. (Zoöl.) See the Note under Crab, 1. -- Soft-shelled turtle. (Zoöl.) Same as Soft tortoise, under Soft.

ree yielding tacamahac resin, especially, in North America, the balsam poplar, or balm of Gilead (Populus balsamifera).

The agile gibbon; -- called also ungka-pati, and ungka-etam. See Gibbon.

e, igniting to burn the thread and convert the nitrates into oxides, which remain as a fragile ash. The light far exceeds that obtained from the same amount of gas with the ordinary fishtail burner, but has a slight greenish hue.

To move nimbly at with velocity; to make a sudden agile movement.

Swift; nimble; agile; strong and active. [Obs. or Poetic] 'T is full wight, God wot, as is a roe. Chaucer. He was so wimble and so wight. Spenser. They were Night and Day, and Day and Night, Pilgrims wight with steps forthright. Emerson.

raud; to trick; -- usually followed by out. [Obs.] Spenser. If they by coveyne [covin] or gile be wiped beside their goods. Robynson (More's Utopia) To wipe a joint (Plumbing), to make a joint, as between pieces of lead pipe, by surrounding the junction with a mass of solder, applied in a plastic condition by means of…

The agile, or silvery, gibbon; -- called also camper. See Gibbon. [Written also wow-wow.]

The dried twigs of a Syrian tree (Balsamodendron Gileadense). U. S. Disp.