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r; fatherly; showing the disposition of a father; guiding or instructing as a father; as, paternal care. "Under paternal rule." Milton.

The theory or practice of paternal government. See Paternal government, under Paternal. London Times.

In a paternal manner.

elation of a father to his child; fathership; fatherhood; family headship; as, the divine paternity. The world, while it had scarcity of people, underwent no other dominion than paternity and eldership. Sir W. Raleigh.

A line with a row of hooks and bead Paternoster pump, Paternoster wheel, a chain pump; a noria. -- Paternoster while, the space of time required for repeating a paternoster. Udall.

A religious as well as a secular designation applied to rulers of some of the city states of ancient Chaldea, as Lagash or Shirpurla, who were conceived to be direct representatives of the tutelary god of the place.

A foolish or dull-witted fellow. [Colloq.]

Dull-witted; stupid. "The addle-brained Oberstein." Motley. Dull and addle-pated. Dryden.

Stupidity.

in doing; to do or take before another; to preclude or prevent by prior action. To anticipate and prevent the duke's purpose. R. Hall. He would probably have died by the hand of the executioner, if indeed the executioner had not been anticipated by the populace. Macaulay.

To cut off or drop; as, to apocopate a word, or the last letter, syllable, or part of a word.

Shortened by apocope; as, an apocopate form.

The office of an archbishop; an archbishopric.

A baldheaded person. Shak.

Destitute of hair on the head; baldheaded. Shak.

A blockhead; a dolt.

Stupid; dull; doltish.

The relation of a godfather to a person. [Obs.] The relation of gossipred or compaternity by the cannon law is a spiritual affinity. Sir J. Da

The skunk.

pass; to press together or condense. [Obs.] Of cold the property is to condense and constipate. Bacon.