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him; an offense against personal dignity; unmerited contemptuous treatment; contumely; incivility or injury, accompanied with insult. How might a prince of my great hopes forget So great indignities you laid upon me Shak. A person of so great place and worth constrained to endure so foul indignities. Hooker.…

The quality or state of being mannerly; civility; complaisance. Sir M. Hale.

Manliness; dignity; comeliness; civility. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.] -- Mense"ful, a. -- Mense"less, a.

The common title of civility in France in speaking to, or of, a man; Mr. or Sir. [Represented by the abbreviation M. or Mons. in the singular, and by MM. or Messrs. in the plural.]

Attention; respectful treatment; civility. To take notice of, to perceive especially; to observe or treat with particular attention.

om. At dances These young folk kept their observances. Chaucer. Use all the observance of civility. Shak. Some represent to themselves the whole of religion as consisting in a few easy observances. Rogers. O I that wasted time to tend upon her, To compass her with sweet observances! Tennyson.

; to keep; to heed; to obey; to comply with; as, to observe rules or commands; to observe civility. Ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. Ex. xii. 17. He wolde no such cursedness observe. Chaucer. Must I budge Must I observe you Shak. With solemn purpose to observe Immutably his sovereign will. Milton.…

of anticipating another's wishes, desires, etc., in the way of favor or courtesy; hence, civility; obligingness. [Obs.] Sterne.

To return, as an argument, accusation, censure, or incivility; as, to retort the charge of vanity. And with retorted scorn his back he turned. Milton.

est condition of servitude. -- Your humble servant, or Your obedient servant, phrases of civility often used in closing a letter. Our betters tell us they are our humble servants, but understand us to be their slaves. Swift.

a cask to pieces and pack the staves. -- To shake hands, to perform the customary act of civility by clasping and moving hands, as an expression of greeting, farewell, good will, agreement, etc. -- To shake out a reef (Naut.), to untile the reef points and spread more canvas. -- To shake the bells. See under Bell.…

inadequate or inferior proportions; small; poor. Scanty and underproportioned returns of civility. Collier.

The quality or state of being urbane; civility or courtesy of manners; politeness; refinement. The marquis did the honors of his house with the urbanity of his country. W. Irving.

friendship, ceremony, curiosity, or the like, usually longer than a call; as, a visit of civility or respect; a visit to Saratoga; the visit of a physician.

One who visits; one who comes or goes to see another, as in civility or friendship. "This great flood of visitors." Shak.