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Calling himself; self-styled; pretended; would-be.

To make a pretense of doing something, or of performing any task. [Colloq.U.S.]

To foretell; to predict. "You can not soothsay." Shak. "Old soothsaying Glaucus' spell." Milton.

One who foretells events by the art of soothsaying; a prognosticator.

The act of one who soothsays; the foretelling of events; the art or practice of making predictions. A damsel, possessed with a spirit of divination . . . which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. Acts xvi. 16.

Of or pertaining to a sophomore; resembling a sophomore; hence, pretentious; inflated in style or manner; as, sophomoric affectation. [U. S.]

Like a sot; doltish; very foolish; drunken. How ignorant are sottish pretenders to astrology! Swift.

To foretell; to divine. [Scot.]

Something preternaturally visible; an apparition; a ghost; a phantom. The ghosts of traitors from the bridge descend, With bold fanatic specters to rejoice. Dryden.

The thick, moist matter which is secreted by the salivary glands; saliva; spit. Spittle insect. (Zoöl.) See Cuckoo spit (b), under Cuckoo.

The act of an incumbent in taking the fruits of his benefice without right, but under a pretended title. Blackstone.

One of the cells which, in sponges, secrete the spongin, or the material of the horny fibers.

Characterized by a pretentious, boastful, exaggerated style; defiantly or extravagantly bombastic; as, a spread-eagle orator; a spread-eagle speech. [Colloq.& Humorous]

Not proceeding from the true source, or from the source pretended; not genuine; false; adulterate.

ithout control over the organs of speech. In the midst of caresses, and without the last pretend incitement, to sputter out the basest accusations. Swift.

Fig.: Something used to cover up a secret project; a mask; a pretense. Hypocrisy is the devil's stalking-horse under an affectation of simplicity and religion. L'Estrange. How much more abominable is it to make of him [Christ] and religion a stalking-horse, to get and enjoy the world! Bunyan.

ristic odor and burns with a characteristic greenish flame. Formerly called also antimoniureted hydrogen.

A real or pretended indifference to pleasure or pain; insensibility; impassiveness.

Concreted earthy or mineral matter; also, any particular mass of such matter; as, a house built of stone; the boy threw a stone; pebbles are rounded stones. "Dumb as a stone." Chaucer. They had brick for stone, and slime . . . for mortar. Gen. xi. 3.

ct an accused person. There can be no other meaning in this expression, however some may pretend to strain it. Swift.