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e marine (Naut.), an awkward, lubbery person; one of a mythical body of marine cavalry. [Slang] -- Horse mussel (Zoöl.), a large, marine mussel (Modiola modiolus), found on the northern shores of Europe and America. -- Horse nettle (Bot.), a coarse, prickly, American herb, the Solanum Carolinense. -- Horse parsley. (…

The language of the Hottentots, which is remarkable for its clicking sounds. Hottentot cherry (Bot.), a South African plant of the genus Cassine (C. maurocenia), having handsome foliage, with generally inconspicuous white or green flowers. Loudon. -- Hottentot's bread. (Bot.) See Elephant's foot (a), under Elephant.…

The branches of polite or elegant learning; as language, rhetoric, poetry, and the ancient classics; belles-letters.

All right; in a good condition; also, even; square. [Slang, U. S.]

hypallage, of which Virgil is fonder than any other writer, is much the gravest fault in language. Landor.

The language of the Icelanders. It is one of the Scandinavian group, and is more nearly allied to the Old Norse than any other language now spoken.

ither things or thoughts. I. Taylor (The Alphabet). You might even have a history without language written or spoken, by means of ideograms and gesture. J. Peile.

The syntactical or structural form peculiar to any language; the genius or cast of a language. Idiom may be employed loosely and figuratively as a synonym of language or dialect, but in its proper sense it signifies the totality of the general rules of construction which characterize the syntax of a particular language…

Of or pertaining to, or conforming to, the mode of expression peculiar to a language; as, an idiomatic meaning; an idiomatic phrase. -- Id`i*o*mat"ic*al*ly, adv.

An idiom; a form, mode of expression, or signification, peculiar to a language. Scholars sometimes give terminations and idiotisms, suitable to their native language, unto words newly invented. M. Hale.

An artificial international language, selected by the "Delegation for the Adoption of an Auxillary International Language" (founded at Paris in 1901), made public in 1907, and subsequently greatly revised and extended by a permanent committee or "Academy." It combines systematically the advantages of previous schemes w…

aculty usually termed the plastic or creative power; the fancy. The imagination of common language -- the productive imagination of philosophers -- is nothing but the representative process plus the process to which I would give the name of the "comparative." Sir W. Hamilton. The power of the mind to decompose its conc…

Conduct or language unbecoming the person, the society, or the circumstances; rudeness; incivility. We should avoid the vexation and impertinence of pedants who affect to talk in a language not to be understood. Swift.

ngodly; profane; wanting in reverence for the Supreme Being; as, an impious deed; impious language. When vice prevails, and impious men bear away, The post of honor is a private station. Addison.

congruous; inappropriate; indecent; as, an improper medicine; improper thought, behavior, language, dress. Follow'd his enemy king, and did him service, Improper for a slave. Shak. And to their proper operation still, Ascribe all Good; to their improper, Ill. Pope.

That which is improper; an unsuitable or improper act, or an inaccurate use of language. But every language has likewise its improprieties and absurdities. Johnson. Many gross improprieties, however authorized by practice, ought to be discarded. Swift.

Unchaste; lewd; unclean; obscene; as, impure language or ideas. "Impure desires." Cowper.

That which is, or which renders anything, impure; foul matter, action, language, etc.; a foreign ingredient. Foul impurities reigned among the monkish clergy. Atterbury.

Incorporating or tending to incorporate; as, the incorporative languages (as of the Basques, North American Indians, etc. ) which run a whole phrase into one word. History demonstrates that incorporative unions are solid and permanent; but that a federal union is weak. W. Belsham.

most incorrect to heaven. Shak. The wit of the last age was yet more incorrect than their language. Dryden.