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An event which may or may not occur; that which is possible or probable; a fortuitous event; a chance. The remarkable position of the queen rendering her death a most important contingency. Hallam.

Possible, or liable, but not certain, to occur; incidental; casual. Weighing so much actual crime against so much contingent advantage. Burke.

nterbalance; as, a mortgage which fully covers a sum loaned on it; a law which covers all possible cases of a crime; receipts than do not cover expenses.

in pitching coins to or towards the ceiling of a room so that they shall fall as near as possible to a certain crack in the floor. [Gamblers' Cant, U. S.]

o be received or indured; that which is allotted to one; a portion. O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me. Matt. xxvi. 39.

wooden handle at top. The object of the player is to lay his stone as near to the mark as possible, to guard that of his partner, which has been well laid before, or to strike off that of his antagonist. Pennant (Tour in Scotland. 1772). Curling irons, Curling tong, an instrument for curling the hair; -- commonly heate…

erficial and untrustworthy. He could obtain from one morose cynic, whose opinion it was impossible to despise, scarcely any not acidulated with scorn. Macaulay.

As remote as possible, as if at the opposite end of a diameter; directly adverse.

om the prosecution of anything; a determent; as, the revolution was commenced under every possible discouragement. "Discouragements from vice." Swift.

otives; -- with from; as, I could not dissuade him from his purpose. I have tried what is possible to dissuade him. Mad. D' Arblay.

s or solids, by heat in a retort or still, and the condensation of the products as far as possible by a cool receiver, alembic, or condenser; rectification; vaporization; condensation; as, the distillation of illuminating gas and coal, of alcohol from sour mash, or of boric acid in steam.

Of all things on earth; possible; conceivable. What earthly benefit can be the result Pope.

is ours or they are ours. It was difficult in such a country to track the enemy. It was impossible to drive him to bay. Macaulay.

she can not perform. Emerson. A danger lest the young enthusiast . . . should essay the impossible. J. C. Shairp.

fusibility; -- said of an alloy or mixture which has the lowest melting point which it is possible to obtain by the combination of the given components.

Liable or deserving to be excommunicated; making excommunication possible or proper. "Persons excommunicable ." Bp. Hall. What offenses are excommunicable Kenle.

To extirpate. [Obs.] It is impossible to extirp it quite, friar. Shak .

Extended or contracted as much as possible; -- said of intervals; as, an extreme sharp second; an extreme flat forth. Extreme and mean ratio (Geom.), the relation of a line and its segments when the line is so divided that the whole is to the greater segment is to the less. -- Extreme distance. (Paint.) See Distance.,…

rue Christian, -- called a practical, evangelical, or saving faith. Without faith it is impossible to please him [God]. Heb. xi. 6. The faith of the gospel is that emotion of the mind which is called "trust" or "confidence" exercised toward the moral character of God, and particularly of the Savior. Dr. T. Dwight. Fait…

An equal in power, rank, character, etc. It is impossible that ever Rome Should breed thy fellow. Shak.