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Of or pertaining to constitutional complexion. A moral rather than a complexional timidity. Burke.

ning. This is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather light, because their deeds were evil. John iii. 19.

ow; to grieve in sympathy; -- followed by with. Your friends would have cause to rejoice, rather than condole with you. Sir W. Temple.

ial; the Senate confirms a treaty. That treaty so prejudicial ought to have been remitted rather than confimed. Swift.

A relation; esp. a person connected with another by marriage rather than by blood; -- used in a loose and indefinite, and sometimes a comprehensive, sense.

o consider; as, to consult one's wishes. We are . . . to consult the necessities of life, rather than matters of ornament and delight. L'Estrange.

he excess that a purchaser would be willing to pay for a commodity over that he does pay, rather than go without the commodity; -- called also consumer's rent.

A religious or either sex devoted to prayer and meditation, rather than to active works of charity.

ontexture of all created beings. Dryden. He was not of any delicate contexture; his limbs rather sturdy than dainty. Sir H. Wotton.

ovenants to do anything for another; specifically, one who contracts to perform work on a rather large scale, at a certain price or rate, as in building houses or making a railroad.

te; a proposition, fact, or condition incompatible with another; as, slender proofs which rather show the contrary. See Converse, n., 1. Locke.

. Thus necessity invented stools, Convenience next suggested elbow chairs. Cowper. We are rather intent upon the end of God's glory than our own conveniency. Jer. Taylor.

s; surplus; something added or superfluous. [Obs.] Now come, my Ariel; bring a corollary, Rather than want a spirit. Shak.

Chiding; reproof; reproach. [Obs.] Angry, passionate correption being rather apt to provoke, than to amend. Hammond.

nd under. A well-couched invective. Milton. I had received a letter from Flora couched in rather cool terms. Blackw. Mag.

A hovel; a hut; a cottage. Why rather, Sleep, liest thou in smoky cribs, . . . Than in the perfumed chambers of the great Shak.

imate companion; a familiar frend. [Colloq.] He soon found his former cronies, though all rather the worse for the wear and tear of time. W. Irving.

saw, the teeth of which are so set as to adapt it for sawing wood crosswise of the grain rather than lengthwise. (b) A saw managed by two men, one at each end, for cutting large logs crosswise.

; immature. "Crudeprojects." Macualay. Crude, undigested masses of suggestion, furnishing rather raw materials for composition. De Quincey. The originals of Nature in their crude Conception. Milton.

A stall for cattle. [Obs.] I would rather have such . . . .in cubor kennel than in my closet or at my table. Landor.