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enury; as, a scarcity of grain; a great scarcity of beauties. Chaucer. A scarcity of snow would raise a mutiny at Naples. Addison. Praise . . . owes its value to its scarcity. Rambler. The value of an advantage is enhanced by its scarceness. Collier.

, or course of action, done for effect; a theatrical display. Probably no lover of scenes would have had very long to wait De Quincey. Behind the scenes, behind the scenery of a theater; out of the view of the audience, but in sight of the actors, machinery, etc.; hence, conversant with the hidden motives and agencies…

to reject as unworthy of regard; to despise; to contemn; to disdain. I scorn thy meat; 't would choke me. Shak. This my long sufference, and my day of grace, Those who neglect and scorn shall never taste. Milton. We scorn what is in itself contemptible or disgraceful. C. J. Smith.

The description or representation of anything as it would appear if cut through by any intersecting plane; depiction of what is beyond a plane passing through, or supposed to pass through, an object, as a building, a machine, a succession of strata; profile.

accept a price or reward for, as for a breach of duty, trust, or the like; to betray. You would have sold your king to slaughter. Shak.

grave feels not your pious sorrows. Rowe. They were a senseless, stupid race. Swift. They would repent this their senseless perverseness when it would be too late. Clarendon. --- Sense"less*ly, adv. -- Sense"less*ness, n.

ntality of the proper organs; liable to be affected physsically or mentally; impressible. Would your cambric were sensible as your finger. Shak.

le objects; addressing the senses; suggesting pictures or images of sense. To this poetry would be made precedent, as being less subtle and fine, but more simple, sensuous, and passionate. Milton.

bscurely sepulchered. And so sepulchered in such pomp dost lie That kings for such a tomb would wish to die. Milton.

onsequence; event; effect; result; as, let the sun cease, fail, or swerve, and the sequel would be ruin.

wo masters. Matt. vi. 24. Had I but served my God with half the zeal I served my king, he would not in mine age Have left me naked to mine enemies. Shak.

ce; the condition of a slave; slavery; bondage; hence, a state of slavish dependence. You would have sold your king to slaughter, His princes and his peers to servitude. Shak. A splendid servitude; . . . for he that rises up early, and goeSouth.

ch several ship a victory did gain. Dryden. Each might his several province well command, Would all but stoop to what they understand. Pope.

derogatory to reputation; to put to shame. Were there but one righteous in the world, he would . . . shame the world, and not the world him. South.

A sharp tool or weapon. [Obs.] If butchers had but the manners to go to sharps, gentlemen would be contented with a rubber at cuffs. Collier.

r. The soldiers were sharply assailed with wants. Hayward. You contract your eye when you would see sharply. Bacon.

To divide; to distribute; to apportion. [Obs.] To which God of his bounty would shift Crowns two of flowers well smelling. Chaucer.

A cowhouse; a shippen. [Prov. Eng.] Bessy would either do fieldwork, or attend to the cows, the shippon, or churn, or make cheese. Dickens.

er shafts upon shields thick. Chaucer The natural world, should gravity once cease, . . . would instantly shiver into millions of atoms. Woodward.

a shock; to meet in violent encounter. "They saw the moment approach when the two parties would shock together." De Quincey.