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ve condition of the eye in which the rays of light are all brought accurately and without undue effort to a focus upon the retina; -- opposed to hypermetropia, myopia, an astigmatism.

, for the purpose of enhancing the price and making a profit; hence, to take or assume in undue quantity, proportion, or degree; as, to engross commodities in market; to engross power. Engrossed bill (Legislation), one which has been plainly engrossed on parchment, with all its amendments, preparatory to final action o…

ved by war, Shall, with their freedom lost, all virtue lose. Milton. Pleasure admitted in undue degree Enslaves the will. Cowper.

An undue indulgence of the appetite; transgression of proper moderation in natural gratifications; intemperance; dissipation. Be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess. Eph. v. 18. Thy desire . . . leads to no excess That reaches blame. Milton.

To wrest from an unwilling person by physical force, menace, duress, torture, or any undue or illegal exercise of power or ingenuity; to wrench away (from); to tear away; to wring (from); to exact; as, to extort contributions from the vanquished; to extort confessions of guilt; to extort a promise; to extort payment of…

g; the act or practice of wresting anything from a person by force, by threats, or by any undue exercise of power; undue exaction; overcharge.

, or prodigal beyond bounds of propriety or duty; want of moderation; excess; especially, undue expenditure of money; vaid and superfluous expense; prodigality; as, extravagance of anger, love, expression, imagination, demands. Some verses of my own, Maximin and Almanzor, cry vengeance on me for their extravagance. Dry…

Utmost limit or degree that is supposable or tolerable; hence, furthest degree; any undue departure from the mean; -- often in the plural: things at an extreme distance from each other, the most widely different states, etc.; as, extremes of heat and cold, of virtue and vice; extremes meet. His parsimony went to the ex…

ers, light infantry, or riflemen. -- Flank defense (Fort.), protection of a work against undue exposure to an enemy's direct fire, by means of the fire from other works, sweeping the ground in its front. -- Flank en potence (Mil.), any part of the right or left wing formed at a projecting angle with the line. -- Fla…

Undue boldness of speculation; unbelief. Berkeley. -- a.

Undue expansion or increase, from overissue; -- said of currency. [U.S.]

A condition of morbid excitability of an organ or part of the body; undue susceptibility to the influence of stimuli. See Irritation, n., 3.

ing, or exciting, or the state of being irritated; excitement; stimulation, usually of an undue and uncomfortable kind; especially, excitement of anger or passion; provocation; annoyance; anger. The whole body of the arts and sciences composes one vast machinery for the irritation and development of the human intellect…

The tendency to give undue importance to material interests; devotion to the material nature and its wants.

Discontinuance; also, continuance by undue process.

Observing the proprieties of the sex; not unwomanly in act or bearing; free from undue familiarity, indecency, or lewdness; decent in speech and demeanor; -- said of a woman. Mrs. Ford, the honest woman, the modest wife. Shak. The blushing beauties of a modest maid. Dryden.

mind of; to puzzle; to impose upon the credulity of ; as, to mystify an opponent. He took undue advantage of his credulity and mystified him exceedingly. Ld. Campbell.

Undue attachment to relations; favoritism shown to members of one's family; bestowal of patronage in consideration of relationship, rather than of merit or of legal claim. From nepotism Alexander V. was safe; for he was without kindred or relatives. But there was another perhaps more fatal nepotism, which turned the ti…

Having the nerves weak, diseased, or easily excited; subject to, or suffering from, undue excitement of the nerves; easily agitated or annoyed. Poor, weak, nervous creatures. Cheyne.

To influence in an excessive degree; to have undue influence over.