Search the Dictionary

erness; to deal roughly with. [Colloq.] -- To take up the glove, to accept a challenge or adopt a quarrel. -- To throw down the glove, to challenge to combat.

Not called for by the circumstances; without reason, cause, or proof; adopted or asserted without any good ground; as, a gratuitous assumption. Acts of gratuitous self-humiliation. De Quincye. -- Gra*tu"i*tous*ly, adv. -- Gra*tu"i*tous*ness, n.

An irregular mode of carrying on war, by the constant attacks of independent bands, adopted in the north of Spain during the Peninsular war.

ated by the "International Convention for the Pacific Settle of International Disputes.", adopted by the International Peace Conference of 1899. It is composed of persons of known competency in questions of international law, nominated by the signatory powers. From these persons an arbitration tribunal is chosen by the…

erature proper represented the movement of the Renaissance, and early in the 16th century adopted the name Humanist as their distinctive title. Schaff- Herzog.

A philosopher who treats chiefly of matter; one who adopts or teaches hylism.

fire was distributed to rooms above. This contrivance, first used in bath, was afterwards adopted in private houses.

A tentative theory or supposition provisionally adopted to explain certain facts, and to guide in the investigation of others; hence, frequently called a working hypothesis.

An artificial international language, selected by the "Delegation for the Adoption of an Auxillary International Language" (founded at Paris in 1901), made public in 1907, and subsequently greatly revised and extended by a permanent committee or "Academy." It combines systematically the advantages of previous schemes w…

umed character, or under an assumed title; -- said esp. of great personages who sometimes adopt a disguise or an assumed character in order to avoid notice. 'T was long ago Since gods come down incognito. Prior. The prince royal of Persia came thither incognito. Tatler.

In the United States, a holiday, the 4th of July, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on that day in 1776.

ssions, religion, etc. In consequence of that intercommunity of paganism . . . one nation adopted the gods of another. Bp. Warburton.

iation called the International. International code (Naut.), a common system of signaling adopted by nearly all maritime nations, whereby communication may be had between vessels at sea. -- International copyright. See under Copyright. -- International law, the rules regulating the mutual intercourse of nations. Inte…

A sort of humor, ridicule, or light sarcasm, which adopts a mode of speech the meaning of which is contrary to the literal sense of the words.

oint Rules of Congress, U. S. -- Joint resolution (Parliamentary Practice), a resolution adopted concurrently by the two branches of a legislative body. "By the constitution of the United States and the rules of the two houses, no absolute distinction is made between bills and joint resolutions." Barclay (Digest). --…

o named because composed of Julian years. -- Julian year, the year of 365 days, 6 hours, adopted in the Julian calendar, and in use until superseded by the Gregorian year, as established in the reformed or Gregorian calendar.

viz., twenty-right or twenty-nine inches by thirtysix; -- so called because that size was adopted by Sir Godfrey Kneller for the portraits he painted of the members of the Kitcal Club. Fairholt.

The name adopted in the southern part of the United States by a secret political organization, active for several years after the close of the Civil War, and having for its aim the repression of the political power of the freedmen; -- called also Kuklux Klan.

The standard adopted by the Emperor Constantine after his conversion to Christianity. It is described as a pike bearing a silk banner hanging from a crosspiece, and surmounted by a golden crown. It bore a monogram of the first two letters (CHR) of the name of Christ in its Greek form. Later, the name was given to vario…

A member of the Church of England, in the time of Charles II., who adopted more liberal notions in respect to the authority, government, and doctrines of the church than generally prevailed. They were called "men of latitude;" and upon this, men of narrow thoughts fastened upon them the name of latitudinarians. Bp. Bur…