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rtance, significance, dignity, etc; hence, seriousness; enormity; as, the gravity of an offense. They derive an importance from . . . the gravity of the place where they were uttered. Burke.

rs, and having cognizance of matters of justice in the household, with power to correct offenders and keep the peace within the verge of the palace, which extends two hundred yards beyond the gatees.

Causing grief or sorrow; painful; afflictive; hard to bear; offensive; harmful. The famine was grievous in the land. Gen. xii. 10. The thing was very grievous in Abraham's sight. Gen. xxi 11.

otect from danger; to secure against surprise, attack, or injury; to keep in safety; to defend; to shelter; to shield from surprise or attack; to protect by attendance; toaccompany for protection; to vare for. For Heaven still guards the right. Shak.

e guardianship and protection of each human being from birth. (b) Hence, a protector or defender in general. O. W. Holmes. -- Guardian spirit, in the belief of many pagan nations, a spirit, often of a deceased relative or friend, that presides over the interests of a household, a city, or a region.

Without a guard or defense; unguarded. Chapman.

g action; teh state of one who has broken a moral or political law; crime; criminality; offense against right. Satan had not answer, but stood struck With guilt of his own sin. Milton.

To smear with gum; to close with gum; to unite or stiffen by gum or a gumlike substance; to make sticky with a gumlike substance. He frets likke a gummed velvet.Shak.

Pertaining to athletic exercises intended for health, defense, or diversion; -- said of games or exercises, as running, leaping, wrestling, throwing the discus, the javelin, etc.; also, pertaining to disciplinary exercises for the intellect; athletic; as, gymnastic exercises, contests, etc.

A sunk fence; a fence, wall, or ditch, not visible till one is close upon it. [Written also haw-haw.]

ful, to have one's hands full; to have all one can do. [Obs.] They had their handful to defend themselves from firing. Sir. W. Raleigh.

To accustom by labor or suffering to endure with constancy; to strengthen; to stiffen; to inure; also, to confirm in wickedness or shame; to make unimpressionable. "Harden not your heart." Ps. xcv. 8. I would harden myself in sorrow. Job vi. 10.

Free from power or disposition to harm; innocent; inoffensive. " The harmless deer." Drayton

Fig.: To equip or furnish for defense. Dr. H. More.

er 's crabbed, And he's composed of harshness. Shak. 'Tis not enough no harshness gives offense, The sound must seem an echo to the sense. Pope.

An allowance of wood to a tenant for repairing his hedges or fences; hedgebote. See Bote. Blackstone.

A ridge or strip of unplowed at the ends of furrows, or near a fence. Tusser.

A cap of defense; especially, an open one, as distinguished from the closed helmet of the Middle Ages.

udication; a session of a court for considering proofs and determining issues. His last offenses to us Shall have judicious hearing. Shak. Another hearing before some other court. Dryden.

To inquire; to seek information. [Obs.] "Hearken after their offense." Shak.