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The act of propagating; continuance or multiplication of the kind by generation or successive production; as, the propagation of animals or plants. There is not in nature any spontaneous generation, but all come by propagation. Ray.

Lying at mercy, as a supplicant. Dryden.

The act of providing or preparing for future use or application; a making ready; preparation. Providence for war is the best prevention of it. Bacon.

The application of the healing art to mental diseases. Dunglison.

which have the same sound but different meanings; an expression in which two different applications of a word present an odd or ludicrous idea; a kind of quibble or equivocation. Addison. A better put on this word was made on the Beggar's Opera, which, it was said, made Gay rich, and Rich gay. Walpole.…

ciples of the science, or contradistinction to applied mathematics, which treats of the application of the principles to the investigation of other branches of knowledge, or to the practical wants of life. See Mathematics. Davies & Peck (Math. Dict. ) -- Pure villenage (Feudal Law), a tenure of lands by uncertain servi…

The use and application of fire in science and the arts. [Obs.] Sir M. Hale.

more or less; the property of being measurable, or capable of increase and decrease, multiplication and division; greatness; and more concretely, that which answers the question "How much"; measure in regard to bulk or amount; determinate or comparative dimensions; measure; amount; bulk; extent; size. Hence, in specifi…

The result of any process inverse to multiplication. See the Note under Multiplication.

To extend by the application of force; to stretch or strain; specifically, to stretch on the rack or wheel; to torture by an engine which strains the limbs and pulls the joints. He was racked and miserably tormented. Pope.

A very sensitive modification or application of the thermopile, used for indicating minute changes of radiant heat, or temperature.

The sweepings of society; the rabble; the mob; -- chiefly used in the compound or duplicate, riffraff.

al; trickish or dishonest; base; worthless; -- often in humorous disparagement, without implication of dishonesty. Our rascally porter is fallen fast asleep. Swift.

degree; rate; proportion; as, the ratio of representation in Congress. Compound ratio, Duplicate ratio, Inverse ratio, etc. See under Compound, Duplicate, etc. -- Ratio of a geometrical progression, the constant quantity by which each term is multiplied to produce the succeeding one.

Extent; stretch; expanse; hence, application; influence; result; scope. And on the left hand, hell, With long reach, interposed. Milton. I am to pray you not to strain my speech To grosser issues, nor to larger reach Than to suspicion. Shak.

tion. Macaulay. Reaction time (Physiol.), in nerve physiology, the interval between the application of a stimulus to an end organ of sense and the reaction or resulting movement; -- called also physiological time. -- Reaction wheel (Mech.), a water wheel driven by the reaction of water, usually one in which the water,…

Recurrence in difficulty, perplexity, need, or the like; access or application for aid; resort. Thus died this great peer, in a time of great recourse unto him and dependence upon him. Sir H. Wotton. Our last recourse is therefore to our art. Dryden.

Explanation; representation. [R.] The reddition or application of the comparison. Chapman.

The process of applying additional colors, by applications of printing blocks, to patterns already partly colored.

ical disturbances. To refer one's self, to have recourse; to betake one's self; to make application; to appeal. [Obs.] I'll refer me to all things sense. Shak.