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f gayety. Where strained, sardonic smiles are glozing still, And grief is forced to laugh against her will. Sir H. Wotton. The scornful, ferocious, sardonic grin of a bloody ruffian. Burke. Sardonic grin or laugh, an old medical term for a spasmodic affection of the muscles of the face, giving it an appearance of laugh…

eby the mental habitude of an adversary or opponent is feigned for the purpose of arguing against him. Crabb.

ps, insignificant. The schoolmaster is abroad; and I trust to him, armed with his primer, against the soldier in full military array. Brougham.

sparks, or fine igneous particles. As the electrical globe only scintillates when rubbed against its cushion. Sir W. Scott.

A judicial writ, founded upon some record, and requiring the party proceeded against to show cause why the party bringing it should not have advantage of such record, or (as in the case of scire facias to repeal letters patent) why the record should not be annulled or vacated. Wharton. Bouvier.

rce or quality the laws As to your soul seems good. Shak. The scope of all their pleading against man's authority, is to overthrow such laws and constitutions in the church. Hooker.

s. It is placed at the stern, and furnished with blades having helicoidal surfaces to act against the water in the manner of a screw. See Screw propeller, below.

A feeling of disgust or loathing; a strong prejudice; abhorrence; as, to take a scunner against some one. [Scot. & Prov. Eng.] Carlyle.

A bank or mole to defend against the sea.

ammed. Fabyan. As concerning this sect [Christians], we know that everywhere it is spoken against. Acts xxviii. 22.

Net exposed to danger; safe; -- applied to persons and things, and followed by against or from. "Secure from fortune's blows." Dryden.

urrection; conduct tending to treason, but without an overt act; excitement of discontent against the government, or of resistance to lawful authority. In soothing them, we nourish 'gainst our senate The cockle of rebellion, insolence, sedition. Shak. Noisy demagogues who had been accused of sedition. Macaulay.…

ey, or his usual place of abode. -- To serve a warrant, to read it, and seize the person against whom it is issued. -- To serve a writ (Law), to read it to the defendant, or to leave an attested copy at his usual place of abode. -- To serve one out, to retaliate upon; to requite. "I'll serve you out for this." C. Ki…

e Lord thy God will set thee on hihg. Deut. xxviii. 1. I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother. Matt. x. 35. Every incident sets him thinking. Coleridge.

That which is set off against another thing; an offset. I do not contemplate such a heroine as a set-off to the many sins imputed to me as committed against woman. D. Jerrold.

e a moraler. Shak. Let your zeal, if it must be expressed in anger, be always more severe against thyself than against others. Jer. Taylor.

em round. Shank painter (Naut.), a short rope or chain which holds the shank of an anchor against the side of a vessel when it is secured for a voyage. -- To ride shank's mare, to go on foot; to walk.

A shearing machine; a blade, or a set of blades, working against a resisting edge.

eaking in pieces, or shattering, of a ship or other vessel by being cast ashore or driven against rocks, shoals, etc., by the violence of the winds and waves.

To give a shock to; to cause to shake or waver; hence, to strike against suddenly; to encounter with violence. Come the three corners of the world in arms, And we shall shock them. Shak. A shall never forget the force with which he shocked De Vipont. Sir W. Scott.