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Nearest in place; having no similar object intervening. Chaucer. Her princely guest Was next her side; in order sat the rest. Dryden. Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way. Bunyan.

rimarily, in botany, to two opposite leaves, each of which has one edge overlapping the nearest edge of the other, and secondarily to a circle of several leaves or petals which thus overlap.

A body of seats on the floor of a music hall or theater nearest the orchestra; but commonly applied to the whole lower floor of a theater, from the orchestra to the dress circle; the pit.

us apartments in a building; a hall; a corridor. And with his pointed dart Explores the nearest passage to his heart. Dryden. The Persian army had advanced into the . . . passages of Cilicia. South.

the real or apparent orbit of one star revolving around another, at which the former is nearest to the latter.

That point in the orbit of the moon which is nearest to the earth; -- opposed to Ant: apogee. It is sometimes, but rarely, used of the nearest points of other orbits, as of a comet, a planet, etc. Called also epigee, epigeum.

That point of the orbit of a planet or comet which is nearest to the sun; -- opposed to Ant: aphelion.

To determine beforehand, especially to disadvantage; to prejudge. Our dearest friend Prejudicates the business. Shak.

The point on a target at which an archer aims; the mark; the pin. "They that shooten nearest the prick." Spenser.

Next; nearest. Prochein ami or amy ( (Law), the next friend. See under Next.

; to exhibit; to propose; as, to propound a question; to propound an argument. Shak. And darest thou to the Son of God propound To worship thee, accursed Milton. It is strange folly to set ourselves no mark, to propound no end, in the hearing of the gospel. Coleridge.

Toward or nearest, as to a body, or center of motion of dependence; proximate.

Nearest; next immediately preceding or following. "Proximate ancestors." J. S. Harford. The proximate natural causes of it [the deluge]. T. Burnet. Proximate analysis (Chem.), an analysis which determines the proximate principles of any substance, as contrasted with an ultimate analysis. -- Proximate cause. (a) A caus…

Hence: An extract from anything, containing its rarest virtue, or most subtle and essential constituent in a small quantity; pure or concentrated essence. Let there be light, said God; and forthwith light Ethereal, first of things, quintessence pure, Sprung from the deep. Milton.

of troops which is in the rear, or last in order. -- Rear sight (Firearms), the sight nearest the breech. -- To bring up the rear, to come last or behind.

inciples; laborius or continued search after truth; as, researches of human wisdom. The dearest interests of parties have frequently been staked on the results of the researches of antiquaries. Macaulay.

t of the person; as, a wedding ring. Upon his thumb he had of gold a ring. Chaucer. The dearest ring in Venice will I give you. Shak.

Wearily; heavily; firmly. [Obs.] In go the spears full sadly in arest. Chaucer.

The slope of the ditch nearest the parapet; the escarp.

, etc. See under Boarding, Common, District, etc. -- High school, a free public school nearest the rank of a college. [U.S.] -- School board, a corporation established by law in every borough or parish in England, and elected by the burgesses or ratepayers, with the duty of providing public school accomodation for all…