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The condition or quality of being lame; as, the lameness of an excuse or an argument.

s words. -- White lie, a euphemism for such lies as one finds it convenient to tell, and excuses himself for telling.

25. Wealth maketh many friends. Prov. xix. 4. I will neither plead my age nor sickness in excuse of the faults which I have made. Dryden.

, annoy, or injure another person, or to do a wrongful act without just cause or cause or excuse; a wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others; willfulness. Malice aforethought or prepense, malice previously and deliberately entertained.

mischievous intentions or motives; wrongful and done intentionally without just cause or excuse; as, a malicious act. Malicious abandonment, the desertion of a wife or husband without just cause. Burrill. -- Malicious mischief (Law), malicious injury to the property of another; -- an offense at common law. Wharton.…

A young monk who was excused from performing a portion of a monk's duties. Shipley.

muster. -- To pass muster, to pass through a muster or inspection without censure. Such excuses will not pass muster with God. South.

Without addition, exaggeration, or excuses; not concealed or disguised; open to view; manifest; plain. The truth appears so naked on my side, That any purblind eye may find it out. Shak. All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we to do. Heb. iv. 13.

ical or moral; fate; fatality. So spake the fiend, and with necessity, The tyrant's plea, excused his devilish deeds. Milton.

One who practices or excuses obtrusion. [R.] Gent. Mag.

A reason or excuse; a motive; a persuasion. Whose manner was, all passengers to stay, And entertain with her occasions sly. Spenser. On occasion, in case of need; in necessity; as convenience requires; occasionally. "That we might have intelligence from him on occasion," De Foe.

Instant; ready; extemporaneous; as, an offhand speech; offhand excuses. -- adv.

wing notice or attention upon; to neglect; to pass over without censure or punishment; to excuse. The times of ignorance therefore God overlooked. Acts xvii. 30 (Rev. Ver. ) They overlook truth in the judgments they pass. Atterbury. The pardoning and overlooking of faults. Addison.

To cover with excuses; to conceal the enormity of, by excuses and apologies; to extenuate; as, to palliate faults. They never hide or palliate their vices. Swift.

The act of palliating, or state of being palliated; extenuation; excuse; as, the palliation of faults, offenses, vices.

Mean; vile; worthless; despicable; contemptible; pitiful; trifling; as, a paltry excuse; paltry gold. Cowper. The paltry prize is hardly worth the cost. Byron.

departure) to. [Obs.] Even now about it! I will pardon you. Shak. Pardon me, forgive me; excuse me; -- a phrase used also to express courteous denial or contradiction.

flower of her age." Ecclus. xlii. 9. -- To pass by. (a) To disregard; to neglect. (b) To excuse; to spare; to overlook. -- To pass off, to impose fraudulently; to palm off. "Passed himself off as a bishop." Macaulay. -- To pass (something) on or upon (some one), to put upon as a trick or cheat; to palm off. "She pas…

To take effect; to prevail. "If your doctrine takes place." Berkeley. "But none of these excuses would take place." Spenser. -- To take the place of, to be substituted for.

That which is alleged or pleaded, in defense or in justification; an excuse; an apology. "Necessity, the tyrant's plea." Milton. No plea must serve; 't is cruelty to spare. Denham.