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That part which embraces the main action of a play, poem, and the like, and leads on to the catastrophe; -- opposed to protasis.

's self with a view to maintain; to make one's own; to take up the cause of; to adopt; to embrace. "He espoused that quarrel." Bacon. Promised faithfully to espouse his cause as soon as he got out of the war. Bp. Burnet.

One who espouses; one who embraces the cause of another or makes it his own.

To inclose within folds or plaitings; to envelop; to infold; to clasp; to embrace. A face folded in sorrow. J. Webster. We will descend and fold him in our arms. Shak.

y assured of anything for a truth, without having examined, what is there that he may not embrace for truLocke. Most of our ingenious young men take up some cried-up English poet for their model. Dryden. But let her go for an ungrateful woman. Philips.

esistance; obtained by compulsion; effected by force; as, forcible entry or abduction. In embraces of King James . . . forcible and unjust. Swift. Forcible entry and detainer (Law), the entering upon and taking and withholding of land and tenements by actual force and violence, and with a strong hand, to the hindrance…

nvolving, brethren; becoming to brothers; brotherly; as, fraternal affection; a fraternal embrace. -- Fra*ter"nal*ly, adv. An abhorred, a cursed, a fraternal war. Milton. Fraternal love and friendship. Addison.

Characteristic of a goat; goatlike. Give your chaste body up to the embraces Of goatish lust. Massinger. -- Goat"ish*ly, adv. -- Goat"ish*ness, n.

A grappling; close fight or embrace. [Obs.] Spenser.

A gripe or seizure of the hand; a seizure by embrace, or infolding in the arms. "The grasps of love." Shak.

To seize and hold fast; to embrace closely. Wouldst thou gripe both gain and pleasure Robynson (More's Utopia).

To embrace about the neck; to salute; to greet. [Obs.] Each other kissed glad And lovely halst. Spenser.

To press closely within the arms; to clasp to the bosom; to embrace. "And huggen me in his arms." Shak.

One who hugs or embraces.

That branch of surveying which embraces the determination of the contour of the bottom of a harbor or other sheet of water, the depth of soundings, the position of channels and shoals, with the construction of charts exhibiting these particulars.

Embracery. [Obs.]

To clasp within; to hold fast to; to embrace or encircle. [Written also enclasp.] The flattering ivy who did ever see Inclasp the huge trunk of an aged tree. F. Beaumont.

genus the species, the whole a part, an argument or reason the inference; to contain; to embrace; as, this volume of Shakespeare includes his sonnets; he was included in the invitation to the family; to and including page twenty-five. The whole included race, his purposed prey. Milton. The loss of such a lord includes…

s roll down the horizon, will the serene light of God flow upon us, and the blue infinite embrace us again. J. Martineau.

To clasp with the arms; to embrace. Noble Banquo, . . . let me infold thee, And hold thee to my heart. Shak.