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manding excellence; eminence. Though she hated Amphialus, yet the nobility of her courage prevailed over it. Sir P. Sidney. They thought it great their sovereign to control, And named their pride nobility of soul. Dryden.

footing; to be recognized or established; to subsist; to become prevalent or general; to prevail; as, the custom obtains of going to the seashore in summer. Sobriety hath by use obtained to signify temperance in drinking. Jer. Taylor. The Theodosian code, several hundred years after Justinian's time, did obtain in the…

ourse; eloquence. "The oratory of Greece and Rome." Milton. When a world of men Could not prevail with all their oratory. Shak.

r style (Arch.), a name given to the latest variety of English Gothic architecture, which prevailed from the close of the 14th century to the early part of the 16th; -- probably so called from the vertical style of its window mullions.

To use persuasion; to plead; to prevail by persuasion. Shak.

Prevailed upon; influenced by argument or entreaty; convinced. -- Per*suad"ed*ly, adv. -- Per*suad"ed*ness, n.

Having nervous energy; forceful; cogent. This pithy speech prevailed, and all agreed. Dryden. In all these Goodman Fact was very short, but pithy. Addison. Pithy gall (Zoöl.), a large, rough, furrowed, oblong gall, formed on blackberry canes by a small gallfly (Diastrophus nebulosus).

will not take place. (b) To take precedence or priority. Addison. (c) To take effect; to prevail. "If your doctrine takes place." Berkeley. "But none of these excuses would take place." Spenser. -- To take the place of, to be substituted for.

An acute malignant contagious fever, that often prevails in Egypt, Syria, and Turkey, and has at times visited the large cities of Europe with frightful mortality; hence, any pestilence; as, the great London plague. "A plague upon the people fell." Tennyson. Cattle plague. See Rinderpest. -- Plague mark, Plague spot,…

Prevailing among the people; epidemic; as, a popular disease. [Obs.] Johnson. Popular action (Law), an action in which any person may sue for penalty imposed by statute. Blackstone.

Having the ascendency over others; superior in strength, influence, or authority; prevailing; as, a predominant color; predominant excellence. Those help . . . were predominant in the king's mind. Bacon. Foul subordination is predominant. Shak.

in number, strength, influence, or authority; to have controlling power or influence; to prevail; to rule; to have the mastery; as, love predominated in her heart. [Certain] rays may predominate over the rest. Sir. I. Newton.

Having superior influence or power; prevailing; predominant. [R.] Boyle.

Gaining advantage or superiority; having superior force, influence, or efficacy; prevailing; predominant; successful; victorious. Brennus told the Roman embassadors, that prevalent arms were as good as any title. Sir W. Raleigh.

it when he tills the soil. Pope. Price current, or Price list, a statement or list of the prevailing prices of merchandise, stocks, specie, bills of exchange, etc., published statedly or occasionally.

To ravage; to prevail without restraint, or with destruction or fatal effect; as, the plague raged in Cairo.

Mode or system of rule or management; character of government, or of the prevailing social system. I dream . . . of the new régime which is to come. H. Kingsley.

Hence, to be predominant; to prevail. "Pestilent diseases which commonly reign in summer." Bacon.

a former worse state. Relapsing fever (Med.), an acute, epidemic, contagious fever, which prevails also endemically in Ireland, Russia, and some other regions. It is marked by one or two remissions of the fever, by articular and muscular pains, and by the presence, during the paroxism of spiral bacterium (Spirochæte) i…

The style of art which prevailed at this epoch. The Renaissance was rather the last stage of the Middle Ages, emerging from ecclesiastical and feudal despotism, developing what was original in mediæval ideas by the light of classic arts and letters. J. A. Symonds (Encyc. Brit. ).