Search the Dictionary

Formerly, the chief magistrate of the United Provinces of Holland; also, the governor or lieutenant governor of a province.

Fig.: To move mentally; to go in imagination. They are stepping almost three thousand years back into the remotest antiquity. Pope. To step aside, to walk a little distance from the rest; to retire from company. -- To step forth, to move or come forth. -- To step in or into. (a) To walk or advance into a place or sta…

An instrument, consisting essentially of a magic lantern in which photographic pictures are used, by which the image of a landscape, or any object, may be thrown upon a screen in such a manner as to seem to stand out in relief, so as to form a striking and accurate representation of the object itself; also, a pair of m…

In Scotland, a magistrate appointed by the crown to exercise jurisdiction over royal lands. Erskine. Lord high steward, formerly, the first officer of the crown; afterward, an officer occasionally appointed, as for a coronation, or upon the trial of a peer. [Eng.]

stretched; reach; effort; struggle; strain; as, a stretch of the limbs; a stretch of the imagination. By stretch of arms the distant shore to gain. Dryden. Those put a lawful authority upon the stretch, to the abuse of yower, under the color of prerogative. L'Estrange.

Adapted to make a deep or effectual impression on the mind or imagination; striking or superior of the kind; powerful; forcible; cogent; as, a strong argument; strong reasons; strong evidence; a strong example; strong language.

ty or state of being subordinate, or subject to control; subordination, as, to bring the imagination to act in subordinacy to reason. Spectator.

Not seeming or imaginary; not illusive; real; solid; true; veritable. If happinessbe a substantial good. Denham. The substantial ornaments of virtue. L'Estrange.

during; solid; firm; substantial. Strength and magnitude are qualities which impress the imagination in a powerful and substantive manner. Hazlitt.

-- said of the mind; its faculties, or its operations; as, a subtle intellect; a subtle imagination; a subtle process of thought; also, difficult of apprehension; elusive. Things remote from use, obscure and subtle. Milton.

; a company of attendants or followers; the assembly of persons who attend upon a prince, magistrate, or other person of distinction; -- often written suite, and pronounced swet.

n the direct agency of superior powers in certain extraordinary or singular events, or in magic, omens, prognostics, or the like.

Capable of being supposed, or imagined to exist; as, that is not a supposable case. -- Sup*pos"a*ble*ness, n. -- Sup*pos"a*bly, adv.

view to some consequence or application which the reality would involve or admit of; to imagine or admit to exist, for the sake of argument or illustration; to assume to be true; as, let us suppose the earth to be the center of the system, what would be the result Suppose they take offence without a cause. Shak. When…

The act of supposing, laying down, imagining, or considering as true or existing, what is known not to be true, or what is not proved.

A thought, imagination, or conjecture, which is based upon feeble or scanty evidence; suspicion; guess; as, the surmisses of jealousy or of envy. [We] double honor gain From his surmise proved false. Milton. No man ought to be charged with principles he actually disowns, unless his practicies contradict his profession;…

To imagine to exist; to have a slight or vague opinion of the existence of, without proof, and often upon weak evidence or no evidence; to mistrust; to surmise; -- commonly used regarding something unfavorable, hurtful, or wrong; as, to suspect the presence of disease. Nothing makes a man suspect much, more than to kno…

The act of suspecting; the imagination or apprehension of the existence of something (esp. something wrong or hurtful) without proof, or upon very slight evidence, or upon no evidence. Suspicions among thoughts are like bats among birds, they ever fly by twilight. Bacon.

Inclined to suspect; given or prone to suspicion; apt to imagine without proof. Nature itself, after it has done an injury, will ever be suspicious; and no man can love the person he suspects. South. Many mischievous insects are daily at work to make men of merit suspicious of each other. Pope.

An imaginary being inhabiting the air; a fairy.