Search the Dictionary

rprise. How to secure the lady from surprisal. Milton. Because death is uncertain, let us prevent its surprisal. Barrow.

Held or lifted up; held or prevented from proceeding. [Obs.] [The great light of day] suspense in heaven. Milton.

The horizontal bracing of a bridge, which prevents its swaying.

Free course; unrestrained liberty or license; tendency. "Take thy swing." Dryden. To prevent anything which may prove an obstacle to the full swing of his genius. Burke. Full swing. See under Full. -- Swing beam (Railway Mach.), a crosspiece sustaining the car body, and so suspended from the framing of a truck that it…

ctric current to another circuit. Safety switch (Railways), a form of switch contrived to prevent or lessen the danger of derailment of trains. -- Switch back (Railways), an arrangement of tracks whereby elevations otherwise insurmountable are passed. The track ascends by a series of zigzags, the engine running altern…

turn round, with respect to each other, on a longitudinal pin or axis, as in a chain, to prevent twisting.

Inoculation with the syphilitic virus, especially when employed as a preventive measure, like vaccination.

one piece of timber into another, by alternate scores or projections from the middle, to prevent slipping; to scarf.

ith clay, earth, dry sand, sod, or other material, as a hole bored in a rock, in order to prevent the force of the explosion from being misdirected.

r may flow freely when the tide sets in one direction, but which closes automatically and prevents the water from flowing in the other direction. (b) (Naut.) A place where the tide runs with great velocity, as through a gate. -- Tide gauge, a gauge for showing the height of the tide; especially, a contrivance for regi…

An equality in numbers, as of votes, scores, etc., which prevents either party from being victorious; equality in any contest, as a race.

A beam acting as a tie, as at the bottom of a pair of principal rafters, to prevent them from thrusting out the wall. See Illust. of Timbers, under Roof. Gwilt.

le joint. Toggle iron, a harpoon with a pivoted crosspiece in a mortise near the point to prevent it from being drawn out when a whale, shark, or other animal, is harpooned. -- Toggle joint, an elbow or knee joint, consisting of two bars so connected that they may be brought quite or nearly into a straight line, and m…

e, or to be done, without prohibition or hindrance; to allow or permit negatively, by not preventing; not to restrain; to put up with; as, to tolerate doubtful practices. Crying should not be tolerated in children. Locke. We tolerate them because property and liberty, to a degree, require that toleration. Burke.…

A chain for slinging the lower yards, in time of action, to prevent their falling, if the ropes by which they are hung are shot away.

without overhang, flattened on the bottom, used in some torpedo and fast power boats. It prevents settling in the water at high speed.

n a drain, soil pipe, sewer, etc., arranged so that the liquid contents form a seal which prevents passage of air or gas, but permits the flow of liquids.

A stone, block of wood, or anything else, placed under a wheel or barrel to prevent motion; a scotch; a skid. [Eng.] Wright.

A line of fortifications, usually rough, constructed to prevent the passage of an enemy across a region. [Sp. Amer.]

A revolving frame in a footpath, preventing the passage of horses or cattle, but admitting that of persons; a turnpike. See Turnpike, n., 1.