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To complete, as a legal instrument; to perform what is required to give validity to, as by signing and perhaps sealing and delivering; as, to execute a deed, lease, mortgage, will, etc.

The act of the mode of performing a work of art, of performing on an instrument, of engraving, etc.; as, the execution of a statue, painting, or piece of music. The first quality of execution is truth. Ruskin.

th on, upon, or in, referring to the subject of an experiment; with, referring to the instrument; and by, referring to the means; as, to experiment upon electricity; he experimented in plowing with ponies, or by steam power.

An instrument or agent causing explosion; an exploder; also, an explosive.

An instrument for measuring the extension of a body, especially for measuring the elongation of bars of iron, steel, or other material, when subjected to a tensile force.

A small, sharp-pointed instrument used in piercing eyelet holes; a stiletto.

The lens, or combination of lenses, at the eye end of a telescope or other optical instrument, through which the image formed by the mirror or object glass is viewed. Collimating eyepiece. See under Collimate. -- Negative, or Huyghenian, eyepiece, an eyepiece consisting of two plano-convex lenses with their curved sur…

al canal, such as the urethra, and produced usually by the unskillful introduction of instruments. -- False personation (Law), the intentional false assumption of the name and personality of another. -- False pretenses (Law), false representations concerning past or present facts and events, for the purpose of defrau…

An instrument used for producing artificial currents of air, by the wafting or revolving motion of a broad surface; as:

The upper stomach of a cow, or other ruminant animal; the rumen.

lay the silent, brooding, everlasting fate of which victim and tyrant were alike the instruments. Froude.

the supposed father. -- Spiritual father. (a) A religious teacher or guide, esp. one instrumental in leading a soul to God. (b) (R. C. Ch.) A priest who hears confession in the sacrament of penance. -- The Holy Father (R. C. Ch.), the pope.

The instrument or deed by which corporeal hereditaments are conveyed. [Obs. in the U.S., Rare in Eng.]

An instrument for playing on the harp; a plectrum. [Obs.] Chapman.

A stringed instrument of music played with a bow; a violin; a kit.

Of or pertaining to a stringed instrument.

One who holds a thing in trust for another; a trustee. Instrumental to the conveying God's blessing upon those whose fiduciaries they are. Jer. Taylor.

The space covered by an optical instrument at one view. Without covering, save yon field of stars. Shak. Ask of yonder argent fields above. Pope.

A steel instrument, having cutting ridges or teeth, made by indentation with a chisel, used for abrading or smoothing other substances, as metals, wood, etc.

Skill in the use of the fingers, as in playing upon a musical instrument. [R.] She has a good finger. Busby. Ear finger, the little finger. -- Finger alphabet. See Dactylology. -- Finger bar, the horizontal bar, carrying slotted spikes, or fingers, through which the vibratory knives of mowing and reaping machines pla…