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or from one state to another; regularly progressive; slow; as, a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline. Creatures animate with gradual life Of growth, sense, reason, all summed up in man. Milton.

ft is made in the end of the scion by two sloping cuts, and the end of the stock is made wedge-shaped to fit the cleft in the scion, which is placed upon it saddlewise. -- Side grafting, a mode of grafting in which the scion, cut quite across very obliquely, so as to give it the form of a slender wedge, is thrust down…

Indentation; roughening; milling, as on edges of coins. Locke.

ceived; kindly disposed toward one from whom a favor has been received; willing to acknowledge and repay, or give thanks for, benefits; as, a grateful heart. A grateful mind By owing, owes not, but still pays. Milton.

One of the essential principles of the hedge hyssop (Gratiola officinalis).

ecome polished or sharpened by friction; as, glass grinds smooth; steel grinds to a sharp edge.

The basis on which anything rests; foundation. Hence: The foundation of knowledge, belief, or conviction; a premise, reason, or datum; ultimate or first principle; cause of existence or occurrence; originating force or agency; as, the ground of my hope.

y the roots; to root out by digging; -- followed by up; as, to grub up trees, rushes, or sedge. They do not attempt to grub up the root of sin. Hare.

To protect the edge of, esp. with an ornamental border; hence, to face or ornament with lists, laces, etc. The body of your discourse it sometime guarded with fragments, and the guards are but slightly basted on neither. Shak.

To form an opinion concerning, without knowledge or means of knowledge; to judge of at random; to conjecture. First, if thou canst, the harder reason guess. Pope.

Any contrivance, especially one having a directing edge, surface, or channel, for giving direction to the motion of anything, as water, an instrument, or part of a machine, or for directing the hand or eye, as of an operator; as:

The upper edge of a vessel's or boat's side; the uppermost wale of a ship (not including the bulwarks); or that piece of timber which reaches on either side from the quarter-deck to the forecastle, being the uppermost bend, which finishes the upper works of the hull. [Written also gunnel.]

A pickax with one sharp point and one cutting edge. Knight.

f triangular form having one of its angles at the fess point and the opposite aide at the edge of the escutcheon. When there is only one gyron on the shield it is bounded by two linea drawn from the fess point, one horizontally to the dexter side, and one to the dexter chief corner.

Formed or acquired by habit or use. An habitual knowledge of certain rules and maxims. South.

h with hair; rough with hair; rough with hair; hirsute. His mantle hairy, and his bonnet sedge. Milton.

An appearance as of a halo of light, surround the edges of dark object

An ancient long-handled weapon, of which the head had a point and several long, sharp edges, curved or straight, and sometimes additional points. The heads were sometimes of very elaborate form. [Written also halbert.]

proximately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect; as, a half dream; half knowledge. Assumed from thence a half consent. Tennyson. Half ape (Zoöl.), a lemur. -- Half back. (Football) See under 2d Back. -- Half bent, the first notch, for the sear point to enter, in the tumbler of a gunlock; the halfcock not…

shape of a half-moon; a crescent. See how in warlike muster they appear, In rhombs, and wedges, and half-moons, and wings. Milton.