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A thrust or push; an attempt to stab or strike an adversary. Shak.

In piquet, the right of the elder hand to count thirty in hand, or to play before the adversary counts one.

polite; as, to polish life or manners. Milton. To polish off, to finish completely, as an adversary. [Slang] W. H. Russell.

A gladiator armed with a net for entangling his adversary and a trident for despatching him.

To exceed an adversary's wager in card playing. [Obs.]

The grand adversary of man; The Devil, or Prince of darkness; the chief of the fallen angels; the archfiend. I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven. Luke x. 18.

A figure of speech whereby the mental habitude of an adversary or opponent is feigned for the purpose of arguing against him. Crabb.

A heavy swinging blow from the side, which disables an adversary. [Slang.]

The game played with singlesticks, in which he who first brings blood from his adversary's head is pronounced victor; backsword; cudgeling.

Not easily subdued; unyielding; stubborn; obstinate; pertinacious; as, a stiff adversary. It is a shame to stand stiff in a foolish argument. Jer. Taylor. A war ensues: the Cretans own their cause, Stiff to defend their hospitable laws. Dryden.

Sly; artful; cunning; crafty; subtle; as, a subtile person; a subtile adversary; a subtile scheme. [In this sense now commonly written subtle.]

o inform against; hence, to calumniate. [Obs.] Sycophanting and misnaming the work of his adversary. Milton.

During the time that; while. [Archaic] Chaucer. Fuller. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him. Matt. v. 25.