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Examination; inquiry. [R.] "A critical examen of the two pieces." Cowper.

Exposition; explanation; especially, a critical explanation of a text or portion of Scripture.

Exacting or requiring immediate aid or action; pressing; critical. "At this exigent moment." Burke.

Not genuine or real; assumed or designed to deceive; counterfeit; hypocritical; as, false tears; false modesty; false colors; false jewelry. False face must hide what the false heart doth know. Shak.

Hypocritical. Shak.

One skilled in the Greek language and literature; as, the critical Hellenist.

s been received as a gift, in order to ascertain his age; -- hence, to accept favors in a critical and thankless spirit. Lowell. -- To take horse. (a) To set out on horseback. Macaulay. (b) To be covered, as a mare. (c) See definition 7 (above).

thyrion; also, above measure, abnormally great, excessive; as, hyperæmia, hyperbola, hypercritical, hypersecretion.

One who is critical beyond measure or reason; a carping critic; a captious censor. "Hypercritics in English poetry." Dryden.

Hypocritically. [R.] Sylvester.

See Hypocritical. Swift.

apable of being reduced to the form of a liquid by pressure; -- said of any gas above its critical point; -- also particularly of oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and carbon monoxide, formerly regarded as incapable of liquefaction at any temperature or pressure.

Not being in truth what one appears to be; not sincere; dissembling; hypocritical; disingenuous; deceitful; false; -- said of persons; also of speech, thought; etc.; as, insincere declarations.

ere; want of sincerity, or of being in reality what one appears to be; dissimulation; hypocritical; deceitfulness; hollowness; untrustworthiness; as, the insincerity of a professed friend; the insincerity of professions of regard. What men call policy and knowledge of the world, is commonly no other thing than dissimul…

To look upon; to view closely and critically, esp. in order to ascertain quality or condition, to detect errors, etc., to examine; to scrutinize; to investigate; as, to inspect conduct.

Characterized by invection; critical; denunciatory; satirical; abusive; railing.

A point of time; esp., one made critical or important by a concurrence of circumstances; hence, a crisis; an exigency. "Extraordinary junctures." Addison. In such a juncture, what can the most plausible and refined philosophy offer Berkeley.

To take particular notice; to observe critically; to note; to remark. Mark, I pray you, and see how this man seeketh maschief. 1 Kings xx. 7.

A Jewish critical work on the text of the Hebrew Scriptures, composed by several learned rabbis of the school of Tiberias, in the eighth and ninth centuries. [Written also Masorah, Massora, and Massorah.]

onor, courage, fortitude, ardor, etc.; disposition; -- usually in a good sense. A certain critical hour which shall... try what mettle his heart is made of. South. Gentlemen of brave mettle. Shak. The winged courser, like a generous horse, Shows most true mettle when you check his course. Pope. To put one one's mettle,…