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To render more quick or acute in perception; to make more ready or ingenious. The air . . . sharpened his visual ray To objects distant far. Milton. He that wrestles with us strengthens our nerves and sharpens our skill. Burke.

To disorder; to derange; to render unsound; as, to be shattered in intellect; his constitution was shattered; his hopes were shattered. A man of a loose, volatile, and shattered humor. Norris.

A sand bank in the sea, or a rock, or ledge of rocks, rendering the water shallow, and dangerous to ships. On the tawny sands and shelves. Milton. On the secret shelves with fury cast. Dryden.

That which renders pastry short or friable, as butter, lard, etc.

To make signal or eminent; to render distinguished from what is common; to distinguish. It is this passion which drives men to all the ways we see in use of signalizing themselves. Burke.

To render silken or silklike. Dyer.

An English rendering of the LAtin Dominus, the academical title of a bachelor of arts; -- formerly colloquially, and sometimes contemptuously, applied to the clergy. Nares. Instead of a faithful and painful teacher, they hire a Sir John, which hath better skill in playing at tables, or in keeping of a garden, than in G…

To render slack; to make less tense or firm; as, to slack a rope; to slacken a bandage. Wycklif (Acts xxvii. 40)

the scales of mica or crystals of hornblende, which are usually minute, form thin laminæ, rendering the rock easily cleavable.

To make even and smooth; to render smooth, soft, and glossy; to smooth over. Sleeking her soft alluring locks. Milton. Gentle, my lord, sleek o'er your rugged looks. Shak.

or move smoothly, rapidly, and easily upon the surface; smooth; glib; as, oily substances render things slippery.

To render slow; to slacken the speed of; to retard; to delay; as, to slow a steamer. Shak.

mon military drum, as distinguished from the bass drum; -- so called because (in order to render it more resonant) it has stretched across its lower head a catgut string or strings.

To render social.

To render less hard; -- said of matter. Their arrow's point they soften in the flame. Gay.

formal observance; proceeding according to due form; the formality which is necessary to render a thing done valid.

To render worthless by admixture; to adulterate; to damage; to pervert; as, to sophisticate wine. Howell. To sophisticate the understanding. Southey. Yet Butler professes to stick to plain facts, not to sophisticate, not to refine. M. Arnold. They purchase but sophisticated ware. Dryden.

ational, and immortal part in man; that part of man which enables him to think, and which renders him a subject of moral government; -- sometimes, in distinction from the higher nature, or spirit, of man, the so-called animal soul, that is, the seat of life, the sensitive affections and phantasy, exclusive of the volun…

To macerate, and render fit for plaster or mortar; as, to sour lime for business purposes.

To render nice or dainty; hence, to render scrupulous. [Obs.] "A spiced conscience." Chaucer.