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That which nourishes; anything which promotes growth and repairs the natural waste of animal or vegetable life; food; aliment. The stomach returns what it has received, in strength and nutriment diffused into all parts of the body. South.

A careless and blasphemous use of the name of the divine Being, or anything divine or sacred, by way of appeal or as a profane exclamation or ejaculation; an expression of profane swearing. "A terrible oath" Shak.

d to have objective authority, that is, authority belonging to itself, and not drawn from anything in our nature. Calderwood (Fleming's Vocabulary).

Anything offered or presented in worship or sacred service; an offering; a sacrifice. A peculiar ... oblation given to God. Jer. Taylor. A pin was the usual oblation. Sir. W. Scott.

the faculty of observing or taking notice; the act of seeing, or of fixing the mind upon, anything. My observation, which very seldom lies. Shak.

One who observes, or pays attention to, anything; especially, one engaged in, or trained to habits of, close and exact observation; as, an astronomical observer. The observed of all observers. Shak. Careful observers may foretell the hour, By sure prognostic, when to dread a shower. Swift.

That which stands in the way, or opposes; anything that hinders progress; a hindrance; an obstruction, physical or moral. If all obstacles were cut away. And that my path were even to the crown. Shak.

Anything that obstructs or closes a passage; esp., that which obstructs natural passages in the body; as, a medicine which acts as an obstruent.

To offer as the reason of anything; to pretend. [Obs.] Dryden

Anything necessarily involved in, or answering to, another; the more apparent or conspicuous of two possible sides, or of two corresponding things. The fact that it [a belief] invariably exists being the obverse of the fact that there is no alternative belief. H. Spencer.

The act of immediate inference, by which we deny the opposite of anything which has been affirmed; as, all men are mortal; then, by obversion, no men are immortal. This is also described as "immediate inference by privative conception." Bain.

Anything that happens; an occurrence. [Obs.] These we must meet with in obvious occurrents of the world. Sir T. Browne.

Denoting that from which anything proceeds; indicating origin, source, descent, and the like; as, he is of a race of kings; he is of noble blood. That holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God. Luke i. 35. I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered unto you. 1 Cor. xi. 23.…

hich is performed, intended, or assigned to be done, by a particular thing, or that which anything is fitted to perform; a function; -- answering to duty in intelligent beings. They [the eyes] resign their office and their light. Shak. Hesperus, whose office is to bring Twilight upon the earth. Milton. In this experime…

A sum, account, or value set off against another sum or account, as an equivalent; hence, anything which is given in exchange or retaliation; a set-off.

Denoting performance or action by contact with the surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by means of; with; as, to play on a violin or piano. Hence, figuratively, to work on one's feelings; to make an impression on the mind.

Anything set on, or added, as an ornament or as a useful appendage. [Obs.] Johnson.

Anything so constructed or manufactured (in needlework, carpentry, metal work, etc.) as to show openings through its substance; work that is perforated or pierced.

Anything which induces rest or inaction; that which quiets uneasiness. They chose atheism as an opiate. Bentley.

A writing upon the back of anything, as upon the back of a leaf or sheet already written upon on one side. [R.] Scudamore.