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A plume or tuft of feathers worn as a part of a headdress, or anything imitating such an ornament; an aigrette.

h. Ch.), an elder commissioned by a bishop to have the oversight of the churches and preachers in a certain district. -- Ruling elder, a lay presbyter or member of a Presbyterian church session. Schaff.

Born or living first, or before the others, as a son, daughter, brother, etc.; first in origin. See Elder. "My lady's eldest son." Shak. Their eldest historians are of suspected credit. Bp. Stillingfleet. Eldest hand (Card Playing), the player on the dealer's left hand. R. A. Proctor.

Of or pertaining to a certain school of Greek philosophers who taught that the only certain science is that which owes nothing to the senses, and all to the reason. -- n.

One of the simple substances, as supposed by the ancient philosophers; one of the imaginary principles of matter.

Being, metaphorically, above others, whether by birth, high station, merit, or virtue; high in public estimation; distinguished; conspicuous; as, an eminent station; an eminent historian, statements, statesman, or saint. Right of eminent domain. (Law) See under Domain.

market town. Macaulay. It is pride . . . which fills our streets, our emporiums, our theathers. Knox.

A small wrenlike Australian bird (Stipiturus malachurus), having the tail feathers long and loosely barbed, like emu feathers.

or; to empower; to endow. Temperance gives Nature her full play, and enables her to exert herself in all her force and vigor. Addison.

obstacles or difficulties, to encounter strong evidence of a truth. Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoics, encountered him. Acts xvii. 18. I am most fortunate thus accidentally to encounter you. Shak.

The act of developing a new coat of hair, a new set of feathers, scales, etc.; -- opposed to ecdysis.

ainst these enforcements may easily master or resist them. Sir W. Raleigh. Confess 't was hers, and by what rough enforcement You got it from her. Shak.

igious liberty. That the children of Israel may enjoy every man the inheritance of his fathers. Num. xxxvi. 8. To enjoy the pleasures of sin for a season. Heb. xi. 25.

perplex men's thoughts and entangle their understandings. Locke. Allowing her to entangle herself with a person whose future was so uncertain. Froude.

A hawk gradually changing the color of its feathers, commonly in the second year.

An artificial group, including all kinds of animals living parasitically in others.

egions. By some geologists it is believed to be a species of gigantic Foraminifera, but others consider it a concretion, without organic structure.

visit of the Magi of the East to Bethlehem, to see and worship the child Jesus; or, as others maintain, to commemorate the appearance of the star to the Magi, symbolizing the manifestation of Christ to the Gentles; Twelfthtide.

See Fluorescence. [R.] Sir J. Herschel.

ition (Math.), equations formed for deducing the true values of certain quantities from others on which they depend, when different sets of the latter, as given by observation, would yield different values of the quantities sought, and the number of equations that may be found is greater than the number of unknown quan…