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vered or regained; capable of being brought back to a former condition, as from sickness, misfortune, etc.; obtainable from a debtor or possessor; as, the debt is recoverable; goods lost or sunk in the ocean are not recoverable. A prodigal course Is like the sun's; but not, like his, recoverable. Shak. If I am recovera…

e, total change in circumstances or character; especially, a change from better to worse; misfortune; a check or defeat; as, the enemy met with a reverse. The strange reverse of fate you see; I pitied you, now you may pity me. Dryden. By a reverse of fortune, Stephen becomes rich. Lamb.

Afflictive; calamitous; causing sorrow; as, a sad accident; a sad misfortune.

Harm; damage; injury; hurt; waste; misfortune. [Written also scathe.] But she was somedeal deaf, and that was skathe. Chaucer. Great mercy, sure, for to enlarge a thrall, Whose freedom shall thee turn to greatest scath. Spenser. Wherein Rome hath done you any scath, Let him make treble satisfaction. Shak.…

To avert, as a misfortune; hence, as a supplicatory exclamation, forbid! [Obs.] God shield that it should so befall. Chaucer. God shield I should disturb devotion! Shak.

Where the deep transported mind may soar. Milton. Valor soars above What the world calls misfortune. Addison.

portance. She instructed him how he should keep state, and yet with a modest sense of his misfortunes. Bacon. Can this imperious lord forget to reign, Quit all his state, descend, and serve again Pope.

ercome, exhausted, or changed in character; to sustain; as, to support pain, distress, or misfortunes. This fierce demeanor and his insolence The patience of a god could not support. Dryden.

p; also, to come upon or befall; to fasten on; to attack; to seize; -- said of a disease, misfortune, or the like. This man was taken of the Jews. Acts xxiii. 27. Men in their loose, unguarded hours they take; Not that themselves are wise, but others weak. Pope. They that come abroad after these showers are commonly ta…

To harass with commotion; to disquiet; to worry. [Obs.] It is her fatal misfortune . . . to be miserably tossed and turmoiled with these storms of affliction. Spenser.

To vex by bringing to notice, or reminding of, a fault, defect, misfortune, or the like; to revile; to reproach; to upbraid; to taunt; as, he twitted his friend of falsehood. This these scoffers twitted the Christian with. Tillotson. Æsop minds men of their errors, without twitting them for what is amiss. L'Estrange.…

ression; to have fortitude under the evils of life; to have patience under pain, or under misfortunes; to behave like a Christian under reproaches and injuries; under the pains and penalties of the law; the condition under which one enters upon an office; under the necessity of obeying the laws; under vows of chastity.…

Not fortunate; unsuccessful; not prosperous; unlucky; attended with misfortune; unhappy; as, an unfortunate adventure; an unfortunate man; an unfortunate commander; unfortunate business. -- n.

Ill luck; misfortune. [Obs.] "The cause of her unhap." Sir P. Sidney.

Misfortune; calamity; sickness. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Want of success; failure; misfortune. Prof. Wilson.

No thanks; ill will; misfortune. [Obs.] Unthank come on his head that bound him so. Chaucer.

e phrase with a wanion, apparently equivalent to with a vengeance, with a plague, or with misfortune. [Obs.] B. Jonson. Latimer.

not wish them to a fairer death. Shak. I wish it may not prove some ominous foretoken of misfortune to have met with such a miser as I am. Sir P. Sidney. Let them be driven backward, and put to shame, that wish me evil. Ps. xl. 14.