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or reason for support; not authorized; false; as, groundless fear; a groundless report or assertion. -- Ground"less*ly, adv. -- Ground"less*ness, n.

A cluster, crowd, or throng; an assemblage, either of persons or things, collected without any regular form or arrangement; as, a group of men or of trees; a group of isles.

To increase in size by a natural and organic process; to increase in bulk by the gradual assimilation of new matter into the living organism; -- said of animals and vegetables and their organs.

nst a specified contingency, or at all avents; to give a guarantee concerning; to engage, assure, or secure as a thing that may be depended on; to warrant; as, to guarantee the execution of a treaty. The United States shall guarantee to every State in this Union a republican form of government. Constitution of the U. S…

One who carries on, or assists in carrying on, irregular warfare; especially, a member of an independent band engaged in predatory excursions in war time.

The act or result of guiding; the superintendence or assistance of a guide; direction; government; a leading. His studies were without guidance and without plan. Macaulay.

An association of men belonging to the same class, or engaged in kindred pursuits, formed for mutual aid and protection; a business fraternity or corporation; as, the Stationers' Guild; the Ironmongers' Guild. They were originally licensed by the government, and endowed with special privileges and authority.…

The hall where a guild or corporation usually assembles; a townhall.

Habitual association, intercourse, or familiarity. To write well, one must have frequent habitudes with the best company. Dryden.

A bully; a bravo; a ruffian; an assassin. [Obs.] Milton.

Combining forms indicating relation or resemblance to blood, association with blood; as, hæmapod, hæmatogenesis, hæmoscope.

ately a half, whether more or less; partial; imperfect; as, a half dream; half knowledge. Assumed from thence a half consent. Tennyson. Half ape (Zoöl.), a lemur. -- Half back. (Football) See under 2d Back. -- Half bent, the first notch, for the sear point to enter, in the tumbler of a gunlock; the halfcock notch. -…

The official stamp of the Goldsmiths' Company and other assay offices, in the United Kingdom, on gold and silver articles, attesting their purity. Also used figuratively; -- as, a word or phrase lacks the hall-mark of the best writers.

ic civilization of central Europe, variously dated at from 1000 to 1500 b. c. and usually associated with the Celtic or Alpine race. It was characterized by expert use of bronze, a knowledge of iron, possession of domestic animals, agriculture, and artistic skill and sentiment in manufacturing pottery, ornaments, etc.…

ompete successfully or on even conditions. [Obs.] Shak. -- To lay hands on, to seize; to assault. -- To lend a hand, to give assistance. -- To lift, or put forth, the hand against, to attack; to oppose; to kill. -- To live from hand to mouth, to obtain food and other necessaries as want compels, without previous pr…

A somersault made with the assistance of the hands placed upon the ground.

An association; a league or confederacy. Hanse towns (Hist.), certain commercial cities in Germany which associated themselves for the protection and enlarging of their commerce. The confederacy, called also Hansa and Hanseatic league, held its first diet in 1260, and was maintained for nearly four hundred years. At on…

A speech addressed to a large public assembly; a popular oration; a loud address a multitude; in a bad sense, a noisy or pompous speech; declamation; ranting. Gray-headed men and grave, with warriors mixed, Assemble, and harangues are heard. Milton.

Hardihood; boldness; firmness; assurance. Spenser. Plenty and peace breeds cowards; Hardness ever Of hardiness is mother. Shak. They who were not yet grown to the hardiness of avowing the contempt of the king. Clarendon.

Confident; full of assurance; in a bad sense, morally hardened; shameless.