Search the Dictionary

An extra first toe, or rudiment of a toe, on the preaxial side of the hallux.

An extra first digit, or rudiment of a digit, on the preaxial side of the pollex.

Obstruction, dimness, or defect of sight. [Obs.] Milton.

t not striking or impressing; of a pleasing and attractive form a color; having slight or diminutive beauty; neat or elegant without elevation or grandeur; pleasingly, but not grandly, conceived or expressed; as, a pretty face; a pretty flower; a pretty poem. This is the prettiest lowborn lass that ever Ran on the gree…

y used without I. Shak. What was that scream for, I prithee L'Estrange. Prithee, tell me, Dimple-chin. E. C. Stedman.

A vertebral rudiment in front of the atlas in some reptiles.

Situated in front of the notochord; -- applied especially to parts of the cartilaginous rudiments in the base of the skull.

A rudimentary branchia, or gill. -- Pseu`do*bran"chi*al, a.

One of the rudimentary front wings of certain insects (Stylops). They resemble the halteres, or rudimentary hind wings, of Diptera.

Nearsighted, or dim-sighted; seeing obscurely; as, a purblind eye; a purblind mole. The saints have not so sharp eyes to see down from heaven; they be purblindand sand-blind. Latimer. O purblind race of miserable men. Tennyson. -- Pur"blind`ly, adv. -- Pur"blind`ness, n.

To clear of sediment, as a boiler, or of air, as a steam pipe, by driving off or permitting escape.

put by money. -- To put down. (a) To lay down; to deposit; to set down. (b) To lower; to diminish; as, to put down prices. (c) To deprive of position or power; to put a stop to; to suppress; to abolish; to confute; as, to put down rebellion of traitors. Mark, how a plain tale shall put you down. Shak. Sugar hath put d…

Any species of serpentiform lizards of the family Pygopodidæ, which have rudimentary hind legs near the anal cleft, but lack fore legs.

g limited; that which qualifies by limiting; modification; restriction; hence, abatement; diminution; as, to use words without any qualification.

Hence, to soften; to abate; to diminish; to assuage; to reduce the strength of, as liquors. I do not seek to quench your love's hot fire, But qualify the fire's extreme rage. Shak.

the question "How much"; measure in regard to bulk or amount; determinate or comparative dimensions; measure; amount; bulk; extent; size. Hence, in specific uses:

To abate or diminish. [Obs.] --n.

To draw off from the lees or sediment, as wine. It is in common practice to draw wine or beer from the lees (which we call racking), whereby it will clarify much the sooner. Bacon. Rack vintage, wine cleansed and drawn from the lees. Cowell.

The rudimentary stem of a plant which supports the cotyledons in the seed, and from which the root is developed downward; the stem of the embryo; the caulicle.

An order of birds in which the wings are small, rudimentary, or absent, and the breastbone is destitute of a keel. The ostrich, emu, and apteryx are examples.