Search the Dictionary

An irregular, tortuous folding of an organ or part; as, the convolutions of the intestines; the cerebral convolutions. See Brain.

To contract violently and irregulary, as the muscular parts of an animal body; to shake with irregular spasms, as in excessive laughter, or in agony from grief or pain. With emotions which checked his voice and convulsed his powerful frame. Macaulay.

Any violent and irregular motion or agitation; a violent shaking; a tumult; a commotion. Those two massy pillars, With horrible convulsion, to and fro He tugged, he shook, till down they came. Milton. Times of violence and convulsion. Ames.

or attended with, convulsions or spasms; characterized by convulsions; convulsionary. An irregular, convulsive movement may be necessary to throw off an irregular, convulsive disease. Burke.

, inhabiting different parts of the Russian empire and furnishing valuable contingents of irregular cavalry to its armies, those of Little Russia and those of the Don forming the principal divisions.

Cramped; irregular; as, crabbed handwriting. -- Crab"bed*ly, adv. -- Crab"bed*ness, n.

To cause to undulate irregularly, as crape or water; to wrinkle; to cause to ripple. Cf. Crimp. The lover with the myrtle sprays Adorns his crisped tresses. Drayton. Along the crisped shades and bowers. Milton. The crisped brooks, Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold. Milton.

Having a crisped appearance; irregularly curled or twisted.

An irregular soldier, generally from Croatia.

Having the grain or fibers run diagonally, or more or less transversely an irregularly, so as to interfere with splitting or planing. If the stuff proves crossgrained, . . . then you must turn your stuff to plane it the contrary way. Moxon.

To contract irregularly; to show wrinkless after being crushed together; as, leaves crumple.

being deformed; want of proper form or symmetry; any unnatural form or shape; distortion; irregularity of shape or features; ugliness. To make an envious mountain on my back, Where sits deformity to mock my body. Shak.

A state in which the thoughts, expressions, and actions are wild, irregular, and incoherent; mental aberration; a roving or wandering of the mind, -- usually dependent on a fever or some other disease, and so distinguished from mania, or madness.

h were a perfect ellipsoid and homogeneous, -- caused by the attraction of a mountain, or irregularities in the earth's density.

Irregular in form; -- opposed to uniform; anomalous; hence, unlike; dissimilar; as, to difform corolla, the parts of which do not correspond in size or proportion; difform leaves. The unequal refractions of difform rays. Sir I. Newton.

Irregularity of form; diversity of form; want of uniformity. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.

To deny, as a claim; to refuse. The payment was irregularly made, if not disclaimed. Milman.

Inordinate; irregular; vicious. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Neglect of order or system; irregularity. From vulgar bounds with brave disorder part, And snatch a grace beyond the reach of art. Pope.

In a disorderly manner; without law or order; irregularly; confusedly. Withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly. 2 Thess. iii. 6. Savages fighting disorderly with stones. Sir W. Raleigh.