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A certificate showing what appears upon record touching a matter in question.

some animal, or of some mythologial personage, within whose imaginary outline, as traced upon the heavens, the group is included. The constellations seem to have been almost purposely named and delineated to cause as much confusion and inconvenience as possible. Sir J. Herschel.

One who puts a certain construction upon some writing or instrument, as the Constitutions of the United States; as, a strict constructionist; a broad constructionist.

To put a construction upon; to explain the sense or intention of; to interpret; to understand. Thus we are put to construe and paraphrase our own words to free ourselves either from the ignorance or malice of our enemies. Bp. Stilingfleet. And to be dull was construed to be good. Pope.

n or advice of another; to take consel; to deliberate together; to confer. Let us consult upon to-morrow's business. Shak. All the laws of England have been made by the kings England, consulting with the nobility and commons. Hobbes.

A progressive wasting away of the body; esp., that form of wasting, attendant upon pulmonary phthisis and associated with cough, spitting of blood, hectic fever, etc.; pulmonary phthisis; -- called also pulmonary consumption. Consumption of the bowels (Med.), inflammation and ulceration of the intestines from tubercula…

To put constraint upon; to restrain; to confine; to keep within bounds. [Obs., exept as used reflexively.] The king's person contains the unruly people from evil occasions. Spenser. Fear not, my lord: we can contain ourselves. Shak.

ow Contaminate our figures with base bribes Shak. I would neither have simplicity imposed upon, nor virtue contaminated. Goldsmith.

The state of being despised; disgrace; shame. Contempt and begarry hangs upon thy back. Shaks.

Acquiescence without examination. [Obs.] The sense they humbly take upon content. Pope.

oversy between parties, in contradistinction to voluntary jurisdiction, or that exercised upon matters not opposed or controverted.

Having the same bounds, or limits; bordering upon; contiguous. This conformed so many of them as were conterminous to the colonies and garrisons, to the Roman laws. Sir M. Hale.

llow a text or quoted sentence, or are so intimately associated with it as to throw light upon its meaning. According to all the light that the contexts afford. Sharp.

The restraint which a person imposes upon his desires and passions; the act or power of refraining from indulgence of the sexual appetite, esp. from unlawful indulgence; sometimes, moderation in sexual indulgence. If they [the unmarried and widows] have not continency, let them marry. 1 Cor. vii. 9 (Rev. Ver. ). Chasti…

Abstaining from sexual intercourse; exercising restraint upon the sexual appetite; esp., abstaining from illicit sexual intercourse; chaste. My past life Hath been as continent, as chaste, as true, As I am now unhappy. Shak.

n that which is undetermined or unknown; as, the success of his undertaking is contingent upon events which he can not control. "Uncertain and contingent causes." Tillotson.

Twisted back upon itself, as some parts of plants.

The agreement of two or more persons, upon a sufficient consideration or cause, to do, or to abstain from doing, some act; an agreement in which a party undertakes to do, or not to do, a particular thing; a formal bargain; a compact; an interchange of legal rights. Wharton.

In a contrary order; conversely. Everything that acts upon the fluids must, at the same time, act upon the solids, and contrariwise. Arbuthnot.

to have a share in any act or effect. We are engaged in war; the secretary of state calls upon the colonies to contribute. Burke.