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plied; as, a positive declaration or promise. Positive words, that he would not bear arms against King Edward's son. Bacon.

ne's own keeping; to have and to hold. Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. Jer. xxxii. 15. Yet beauty, though injurious, hath strange power, After offense returning, to regain Love once possessed. Milton.

groups taken collectively, whose work and theories have in common a tendency to reaction against the scientific and naturalistic character of impressionism and neo- impressionism. In a strict sense the term post-impressionism is used to denote the effort at self-expression, rather than representation, shown in the wor…

ersons and things taken by an enemy in war are restored to their former state when coming again under the power of the nation to which they belonged. Kent.

To perform a certain movement in a dance. [R.] Tennyson. Down the middle, up again, poussette, and cross. J. & H. Smith.

A long boat hook by which barges are propelled against the stream. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

To try artifices or stratagems. He will practice against thee by poison. Shak.

to ward off evil or secure good or success; a precautionary act; as, to take precautions against accident.

considerations than those belonging to it; an unreasonable predilection for, or objection against, anything; especially, an opinion or leaning adverse to anything, without just grounds, or before sufficient knowledge. Though often misled by prejudice and passion, he was emphatically an honest man. Macaulay.…

To fortify beforehand; to guard against objection. [Obs.] Fotherby.

The act of fortifying or guarding against objections. [Obs.]

lude other things; hence, to bias or prejudice; to give a previous inclination to, for or against anything; esp., to induce a favorable opinion beforehand, or at the outset. It created him enemies, and prepossessed the lord general. Evelyn.

To bring an indictment against . [U.S]

es, or has the power of preserving; a presevative agent. To wear tablets as preservatives against the plague. Bacon.

The action of a force against some obstacle or opposing force; a force in the nature of a thrust, distributed over a surface, often estimated with reference to the upon a unit's area. Atmospheric pressure, Center of pressure, etc. See under Atmospheric, Center, etc. -- Back pressure (Steam engine), pressure which resi…

Quickly; immediately; in haste; suddenly. Presto! begone! 'tis here again. Swift.

intend; to design; to plot; to attempt. [Obs.] Such as shall pretend Malicious practices against his state. Shak.

advantage; to have the upper hand, or the mastery; to succeed; -- sometimes with over or against. When Moses held up his hand, Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand, Amalek prevailed. Ex. xvii. 11. So David prevailed over the Philistine. 1 Sam. xvii. 50. This kingdom could never prevail against the united po…

Browne. Preventive service, the duty performed by the armed police in guarding the coast against smuggling. [Eng]

skewer. Pins, wooden pricks, nails, sprigs of rosemary. Shak. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. Acts ix. 5.