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To stand facing or in front of; to face; esp. to face hostilely; to oppose with firmness.

A collection or mass of separate things. A foul and pestilent congregation of vapors. Shak.

A meeting of individuals, whether friendly or hostile; an encounter. [Obs.] Here Pallas urges on, and Lausus there;congress in the field great Jove withstands. Dryden.

Conveying or generating disease; pestilential; poisonous; as, contagious air.

Contraband of war, that which, according to international law, cannot be supplied to a hostile belligerent except at the risk of seizure and condemnation by the aggrieved belligerent. Wharton.

To enter into or maintain a hostile contest; to struggle; to combat; especially, to strive or contend on equal terms or with success; to match; to equal; -- usually followed by with. Host coped with host, dire was the din of war. Philips. Their generals have not been able to cope with the troops of Athens. Addison.…

A pen for animals; esp., an inclosure made with wagons, by emigrants in the vicinity of hostile Indians, as a place of security for horses, cattle, etc.

sound to a putrid state; spoiled; tainted; vitiated; unsound. Who with such corrupt and pestilent bread would feed them. Knolles.

A short weapon used for stabbing. This is the general term: cf. Poniard, Stiletto, Bowie knife, Dirk, Misericorde, Anlace.

tant and warlike Bantu tribe, and the Hill Damaras, who are Hottentots and mixed breeds hostile to the Bantus.

Aiming or willing to destroy; implacable; desperately hostile; flagitious; as, deadly enemies. Thy assailant is quick, skillful, and deadly. Shak.

The destruction of any large proportion, as of people by pestilence or war. Milman.

A flowing; also, a hostile incursion. [Obs.] Sir M. Hale.

Incursion; sudden attack; especially, hostile invasion from sea; - - often followed by upon or on; as, to make a descent upon the enemy. The United Provinces . . . ordered public prayer to God, when they feared that the French and English fleets would make a descent upon their coasts. Jortin.

or wantonly; to consume; to swallow up; to use up; to waste; to annihilate. Famine and pestilence shall devour him. Ezek. vii. 15. I waste my life and do my days devour. Spenser.

cut with a concave edge, for fixing the entasis and curvature of a shaft. -- Diminishing stile (Arch.), a stile which is narrower in one part than in another, as in many glazed doors.

To disunite in opinion or interest; to make discordant or hostile; to set at variance. If a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom can not stand. Mark iii. 24. Every family became now divided within itself. Prescott.

either by chance, suddenly, or deliberately; especially, to meet in opposition or with hostile intent; to engage in conflict with; to oppose; to struggle with; as, to encounter a friend in traveling; two armies encounter each other; to encounter obstacles or difficulties, to encounter strong evidence of a truth. Then…

One hostile to another; one who hates, and desires or attempts the injury of, another; a foe; an adversary; as, an enemy of or to a person; an enemy to truth, or to falsehood. To all good he enemy was still. Spenser. I say unto you, Love your enemies. Matt. v. 44. The enemy (Mil.), the hostile force. In this sense it i…

Involved; esp., involved in a hostile encounter; as, the engaged ships continued the fight. Engaged column. (Arch.) Same as Attached column. See under Attach, v. t.