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; facility; liberty; naturalness; -- said of manner, style, etc.; as, ease of style, of behavior, of address. True ease in writing comes from art, not chance. Pope. Whate'er he did was done with so much ease, In him alone 't was natural to please. Dryden. At ease, free from pain, trouble, or anxiety. "His soul shall dw…

to look with grudging upon; to begrudge. I have seen thee fight, When I have envied thy behavior. Shak. Jeffrey . . . had actually envied his friends their cool mountain breezes. Froude.

g mode or style, especially of dress; custom or conventional usage in respect of dress, behavior, etiquette, etc.; particularly, the mode or style usual among persons of good breeding; as, to dress, dance, sing, ride, etc., in the fashion. The innocent diversions in fashion. Locke. As now existing, fashion is a form of…

A woman of light behavior; a gill-flirt. [Obs.] Shak. You heard him take me up like a flirt-gill. Beau. & Fl.

The practice of folly; the behavior of a fool; absurdity. Folly in fools bears not so strong a note, As foolery in the wise, when wit doth dote. Shak.

The behavior, dress, or other indication of a fop; coxcombry; affectation of show; showy folly.

Behavior like that of a fox; [Obs.] Chaucer.

A pledge or surety for the good behavior of freemen, -- each freeman who was a member of an ancient decennary, tithing, or friborg, in England, being a pledge for the good conduct of the others, for the preservation of the public peace; a free surety.

on the Venetians in the Levant, but have their cloth in Venice itself. Addison. My good behavior had so far gained on the emperor, that I began to conceive hopes of liberty. Swift.

Foolish and awkward; clumsy; clownish; as, gawky behavior. -- n. A fellow who is awkward from being overgrown, or from stupidity, a gawk.

Manner; custom; behavior. [Obs.] Chaucer.

As a whole; in gross; for the most part. His general behavior vain, ridiculous. Shak.

ed as belonging to high birth and breeding; free from vulgarity, or lowness of taste or behavior; adapted to a refined or cultivated taste; polite; well-bred; as, genteel company, manners, address.

respect, dignity, courage, courtesy, politeness of manner, a graceful and easy mien and behavior, etc.; good breeding.

Course of life; behavior; doings; ways. His eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. Job xxxiv. 21. Going barrel. (Horology) (a) A barrel containing the mainspring, and having teeth on its periphery to drive the train. (b) A device for maintaining a force to drive the train while the timepiece is bei…

Customary way of speaking or acting; custom; fashion; manner; behavior; mien; mode; practice; -- often used formerly in such phrases as: at his own guise; that is, in his own fashion, to suit himself. Chaucer. The swain replied, "It never was our guise To slight the poor, or aught humane despise." Pope.…

ion; as, habit is second nature; also, peculiar ways of acting; characteristic forms of behavior. A man of very shy, retired habits. W. Irving.

-- To strike hands, to make a contract, or to become surety for another's debt or good behavior. -- To take in hand. (a) To attempt or undertake. (b) To seize and deal with; as, he took him in hand. -- To wash the hands of, to disclaim or renounce interest in, or responsibility for, a person or action; as, to wash o…

Rough and coarse; boorish. [R.] Cynical and hirsute in his behavior. Life of A. Wood.

decorum and decency require; indecent; indelicate; obscene; lewd; as, immodest persons, behavior, words, pictures, etc. Immodest deeds you hinder to be wrought, But we proscribe the least immodest thought. Dryden.