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A number of things collected or closely pressed together; also, a number of things adjacent to each other. A crowd of islands. Pope.

To embrace closely; to foundle. Forby.

A dark blue, edible berry with a white bloom, and its shrub (Gaylussacia frondosa) closely allied to the common huckleberry. The bush is also called blue tangle, and is found from New England to Kentucky, and southward.

A genus of plants (Hemerocallis) closely resembling true lilies, but having tuberous rootstocks instead of bulbs. The common species have long narrow leaves and either yellow or tawny-orange flowers.

Separation; disunion of things closely united. To make divorce of their incorporate league. Shak.

Intent; fixed closely; as, earnest attention.

A large deer, of several species. The European elk (Alces machlis or Cervus alces) is closely allied to the American moose. The American elk, or wapiti (Cervus Canadensis), is closely related to the European stag. See Moose, and Wapiti. Irish elk (Paleon.), a large, extinct, Quaternary deer (Cervus giganteus) with wide…

To inclose or surround; to shelter closely; to place in the midst of something. His house embosomed in the grove. Pope. Some tender flower . . . . Embosomed in the greenest glade. Keble.

A word which is joined to another so closely as to lose its proper accent, as the pronoun thee in prithee (pray thee).

To circumscribe or go round so as to surround closely; to encircle; to inclose; to environ; as, a ring encompasses the finger; an army encompasses a city; a voyage encompassing the world. Shak. A question may be encompassed with difficulty. C. J. Smith. The love of all thy sons encompass thee. Tennyson.…

(Zoöl.), one of breed of large and powerful dogs used by the Eskimos to draw sledges. It closely resembles the gray wolf, with which it is often crossed.

One who explores; one who examines closely; a searcher.

from the Phoenician, the ultimate source being probably Egyptian. Etymologically fis most closely related to p,k,v, and b; as in E. five, Gr. f, L. lupus, Gr. fox, vixen ; fragile, break ; fruit, brook, v. t.; E. bear, L. ferre. See Guide to Pronunciation, sq. root 178, 179, 188, 198, 230.

Closely acquainted or intimate, as a friend or companion; well versed in, as any subject of study; as, familiar with the Scriptures.

A groupe of kindred or closely related individuals; as, a family of languages; a family of States; the chlorine family.

Firmly fixed; closely adhering; made firm; not loose, unstable, or easily moved; immovable; as, to make fast the door. There is an order that keeps things fast. Burke.

To fit; to join; to unite closely, as two pieces of wood, so as to make the surface fit together.

A name given to a group of minerals, closely related in crystalline form, and all silicates of alumina with either potash, soda, lime, or, in one case, baryta. They occur in crystals and crystalline masses, vitreous in luster, and breaking rather easily in two directions at right angles to each other, or nearly so. The…

diers, not abreast, but one after another; -- generally with off. To file with, to follow closely, as one soldier after another in file; to keep pace. My endeavors Have ever come too short of my desires, Yet filed with my abilities. Shak.

Fixed; hence, closely compressed; compact; substantial; hard; solid; -- applied to the matter of bodies; as, firm flesh; firm muscles, firm wood.