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Superior excellence; extraordinary excellence.

Excellent in an uncommon degree; very excellent. Drayton.

Excessive, or more than normal, excitation.

Something growing superfluously.

One who tampers; one who deals unfairly.

Lighted with a taper or tapers; as, a tapered choir. [R.] T. Warton.

Brought to a proper temper; as, tempered steel; having (such) a temper; -- chiefly used in composition; as, a good-tempered or bad- tempered man; a well-tempered sword.

One who, or that which, tempers; specifically, a machine in which lime, cement, stone, etc., are mixed with water.

Unequal. [Obs.] Chaucer.

A unit of electric measurement equal to the product of a volt and an ampere. For direct current it is a measure of power and is the same as a watt; for alternating current it is a measure of apparent power.

A woman's cap. [Obs.] Chaucer.

One who whimpers.

One who whispers.

Authoritative; peremptory. [R.] The peddler stopped, and tapped her on the head, With absolute forefinger, brown and ringed. Mrs. Browning.

taste; tart; having the taste of vinegar: as, acid fruits or liquors. Also fig.: Sour-tempered. He was stern and his face as acid as ever. A. Trollope.

Caustic; bitter-tempered' sarcastic; as, acrimonious dispute, language, temper.

A genus of perennial plants belonging to the natural order Liliaceæ, and having erect much branched stems, and very slender branchlets which are sometimes mistaken for leaves. Asparagus racemosus is a shrubby climbing plant with fragrant flowers. Specifically: The Asparagus officinalis, a species cultivated in gardens.…

A general name for a plant of the genus Asphodelus. The asphodels are hardy perennial plants, several species of which are cultivated for the beauty of their flowers.

Positive; affirming confidently; affirmative; peremptory. In a confident and assertive form. Glanvill. As*sert"ive*ly, adv. -- As*sert"ive*ness, n.

mixture; to temper; to regulate, as temperature. If sweet with bitter . . . were not attempered still. Trench.