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Natural or prevailing spirit, or temperament of mind, especially as shown in intercourse with one's fellow-men; temper of mind. "A man of turbulent disposition." Hallam. "He is of a very melancholy disposition." Shak. His disposition led him to do things agreeable to his quality and condition wherein God had placed him…

Ruling; governing; prevailing; controlling; predominant; as, the dominant party, church, spirit, power. The member of a dominant race is, in his dealings with the subject race, seldom indeed fraudulent, . . . but imperious, insolent, and cruel. Macaulay. Dominant estate or tenement (Law), the estate to which a servitud…

Cucking stool. The practice of ducking began in the latter part of the 15th century, and prevailed until the early part of the 18th, and occasionally as late as the 19th century. Blackstone. Chambers.

ow hill of drifting sand usually formed on the coats, but often carried far inland by the prevailing winds. [Written also dun.] Three great rivers, the Rhine, the Meuse, and the Scheldt, had deposited their slime for ages among the dunes or sand banks heaved up by the ocean around their mouths. Motley.…

That portion of the Christian church which prevails in the countries once comprised in the Eastern Roman Empire and the countries converted to Christianity by missionaries from them. Its full official title is The Orthodox Catholic Apostolic Eastern Church. It became estranged from the Western, or Roman, Church over th…

To beseech or supplicate successfully; to prevail upon by prayer or solicitation; to persuade. It were a fruitless attempt to appease a power whom no prayers could entreat. Rogers.

Spreading widely, or generally prevailing; affecting great numbers, as an epidemic does; as, epidemic rage; an epidemic evil. It was the epidemical sin of the nation. Bp. Burnet.

A period of time in which a new order of things prevails; a signal stage of history; an epoch. Painting may truly be said to have opened the new era of culture. J. A. Symonds.

Having one's mental imagery prevailingly of the visual type; having one's thoughts and memories mainly in the form of visual images. -- Eye"-mind`ed*ness, n.

y; as, to fabricate a lie or story. Our books were not fabricated with an accomodation to prevailing usages. Paley.

nd confidence; -- said of words, promises, etc. When fair words and good counsel will not prevail on us, we must be frighted into our duty. L' Estrange.

The prevailing mode or style, especially of dress; custom or conventional usage in respect of dress, behavior, etiquette, etc.; particularly, the mode or style usual among persons of good breeding; as, to dress, dance, sing, ride, etc., in the fashion. The innocent diversions in fashion. Locke. As now existing, fashion…

Conforming to the fashion or established mode; according with the prevailing form or style; as, a fashionable dress.

the land on the accession of a sage to the throne, or when right principles are about to prevail. It is often represented on porcelains and other works of art.

irits; -- so called by the American Indians. -- Fire worship, the worship of fire, which prevails chiefly in Persia, among the followers of Zoroaster, called Chebers, or Guebers, and among the Parsees of India. -- Greek fire. See under Greek. -- On fire, burning; hence, ardent; passionate; eager; zealous. -- Runnin…

erican squirrel (Sciurus niger, or S. cinereus). In the Southern States the black variety prevails; farther north the fulvous and gray variety, called the cat squirrel, is more common. -- Fox terrier (Zoöl.), one of a peculiar breed of terriers, used in hunting to drive foxes from their holes, and for other purposes.…

around the earth. -- To gain ground, to make progress; to advance in any undertaking; to prevail; to acquire strength or extent. -- To gain over, to draw to one's party or interest; to win over. -- To gain the wind (Naut.), to reach the windward side of another ship.

eciably deflected by a magnetic or electric field, emitted by radioactive substances. The prevailing view is that they are non-periodic ether pulses differing from Röntgen rays only in being more penetrating.

e entrances or access; hence, place of vantage; power; might. The gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Matt. xvi. 18.

d the land of a brother, dying without issue, descended equally to his brothers. It still prevails in the county of Kent. Cowell.