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Webster’s Dictionary (1828)



1,000+ words match “FORMER”

GUDGEON n. 6 definitions
The pin of iron fastened in the end of a wooden shaft or axle, on which it turns; formerly, any journal, or pivot, or bearing, as the pintle and eye of a hinge, but esp. the end journal of a horizontal.
GUERDON n. 2 definitions
lot. Byron. He shall, by thy revenging hand, at once receive the just guerdon of all his former villainies. Knolles.
GUINEA n. 2 definitions
A district on the west coast of Africa (formerly noted for its export of gold and slaves) after which the Guinea fowl, Guinea grass, Guinea peach, etc., are named.
GUISE n. 3 definitions
peaking or acting; custom; fashion; manner; behavior; mien; mode; practice; -- often used formerly in such phrases as: at his own guise; that is, in his own fashion, to suit himself. Chaucer. The swain replied, "It never was our guise To slight the poor, or aught humane despise." Pope.
GYRFALCON n.
F. Islandicus, both of which are circumpolar. The black and the gray are varieties of the former. See Illust. of Accipiter. [Written also gerfalcon, gierfalcon, and jerfalcon.]
H n. 2 definitions
also, to modify the sounds of some other letters, as when placed after c and p, with the former of which it represents a compound sound like that of tsh, as in charm (written also tch as in catch), with the latter, the sound of f, as in phase, phantom. In some words, mostly derived or introduced from foreign languages…
HAEMATOXYLIN n.
gwood. It is obtained as a yellow crystalline substance, C16H14O6, with a sweetish taste. Formerly called also hematin.
HAIDUCK n.
Formerly, a mercenary foot soldier in Hungary, now, a halberdier of a Hungarian noble, or an attendant in German or Hungarian courts. [Written also hayduck, heiduc, heiduck, and heyduk.]
HALL n. 8 definitions
Cleared passageway in a crowd; -- formerly an exclamation. [Obs.] "A hall! a hall!" B. Jonson.
HAMMER n. 11 definitions
That part of a gunlock which strikes the percussion cap, or firing pin; the cock; formerly, however, a piece of steel covering the pan of a flintlock musket and struck by the flint of the cock to ignite the priming.
HAMMOCK n. 2 definitions
also adjectively; as, hammock land. [Southern U. S.] Bartlett. Hammock nettings (Naut.), formerly, nets for stowing hammocks; now, more often, wooden boxes or a trough on the rail, used for that purpose.
HARA-KIRI n.
Suicide, by slashing the abdomen, formerly practiced in Japan, and commanded by the government in the cases of disgraced officials; disembowelment; -- also written, but incorrectly, hari-kari. W. E. Griffis.
HARBINGER n. 3 definitions
One who provides lodgings; especially, the officer of the English royal household who formerly preceded the court when traveling, to provide and prepare lodgings. Fuller.
HARPER n. 2 definitions
A brass coin bearing the emblem of a harp, -- formerly current in Ireland. B. Jonson.
HARTBEEST n.
A large South African antelope (Alcelaphus caama), formerly much more abundant than it is now. The face and legs are marked with black, the rump with white. [Written also hartebeest, and hartebest.]
HARTSHORN n. 2 definitions
& C.-- Spirits of hartshorn (Chem.), a solution of ammonia in water; -- so called because formerly obtained from hartshorn shavings by destructive distillation. Similar ammoniacal solutions from other sources have received the same name.
HARVEST n. 4 definitions
t on the stems of wheat and other plants. -- Harvest queen, an image pepresenting Ceres, formerly carried about on the last day of harvest. Milton. -- Harvest spider. (Zoöl.) See Daddy longlegs.
HAVANA a. 2 definitions
Of or pertaining to Havana, the capital of the island of Cuba; as, an Havana cigar; -- formerly sometimes written Havannah. -- n.
HAWK n. 9 definitions
inted wings. Many are of large size and grade into the eagles. Some, as the goshawk, were formerly trained like falcons. In a more general sense the word is not infrequently applied, also, to true falcons, as the sparrow hawk, pigeon hawk, duck hawk, and prairie hawk.
HEARTH n. 3 definitions
the furnace by the blast. -- Hearth money, Hearth penny Etym: [AS. heoredhpening], a tax formerly laid in England on hearths, each hearth (in all houses paying the church and poor rates) being taxed at two shillings; -- called also chimney money, etc. He had been importuned by the common people to relieve them from th…
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