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hest, greatest, or highest degree; as, the uttermost extent or end. "In this uttermost distress." Milton.

ch all parallel lines in the same plane tend in the representation. Gwilt. -- Vanishing stress (Phon.), stress of voice upon the closing portion of a syllable. Rush.

in twain. Matt. xxvii. 51. She, as a veil down to the slender waist, Her unadornéd golden tresses wore. Milton.

A victress. [Obs.] Spenser.

A victress. [R.] B. Jonson.

Victress. C. Bronté.

Chaste; pure; -- applied especially to women. Mistress Ford . . . the virtuous creature, that hath the jealous fool to her husband. Shak. -- Vir"tu*ous*ly, adv. -- Vir"tu*ous*ness, n.

ch require a gentlemanly appearance but few words. [Cant] -- Walking lady (Theater), an actress who usually fills such parts as require only a ladylike appearance on the stage. [Cant] -- Walking leaf. (a) (Bot.) A little American fern (Camptosorus rhizophyllus); -- so called because the fronds taper into slender prolon…

e; despair; also, faint or delusive hope; delusion. [Obs.] Piers Plowman. "Wanhope and distress." Chaucer.

and wanton herd." Shak. A wanton and a merry [friar]. Chaucer. [She] her unadorned golden tresses wore Disheveled, but in wanton ringlets waved. Milton. How does your tongue grow wanton in her praise! Addison.

state of being waste; a desolate state or condition; desolation. A day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness. Zeph. i. 15.

A kind of mattress made of, or covered with, waterproof fabric and filled with water. It is used in hospitals for bedridden patients.

st external force or onset; easily subdued or overcome; as, a weak barrier; as, a weak fortress.

A light rain; a shower. [Obs.] Wyclif. Stress of weather, violent winds; force of tempests. -- To make fair weather, to flatter; to give flattering representations. [R.] -- To make good, or bad, weather (Naut.), to endure a gale well or ill; -- said of a vessel. Shak. -- Under the weather, ill; also, financially emba…

Driven by winds or storms; forced by stress of weather. Carew.

ry, as some animals; to mean with a childish noise; to complain, or to tell of sorrow, distress, or the like, in a plaintive, nasal tone; hence, to complain or to beg in a mean, unmanly way; to moan basely. "Whining plovers." Spenser. The hounds were . . . staying their coming, but with a whining accent, craving libert…

rchaic] And whisper one another in the ear. Shak. Where gentlest breezes whisper souls distressed. Keble.

desolate or bare; to bereave. The widowed isle, in mourning, Dries up her tears. Dryden. Tress of their shriveled fruits Are widowed, dreary storms o'er all prevail. J. Philips. Mourn, widowed queen; forgotten Sion, mourn. Heber.

hence, an electric telegraph; as, to send a message by wire. [Colloq.] Wire bed, Wire mattress, an elastic bed bottom or mattress made of wires interwoven or looped together in various ways. -- Wire bridge, a bridge suspended from wires, or cables made of wire. -- Wire cartridge, a shot cartridge having the shot inc…

A second or reciprocal distress of other goods in lieu of goods which were taken by a first distress and have been eloigned; a taking by way of reprisal; -- chiefly used in the expression capias in withernam, which is the name of a writ used in connection with the action of replevin (sometimes called a writ of reprisal…