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To draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to shorten, narrow, or lesen; as, to contract one's shpere of action. In all things desuetude doth contract and narrow our faculties. Dr. H. More.

To confine in a coop; hence, to shut up or confine in a narrow compass; to cramp; -- usually followed by up, sometimes by in. The Trojans coopet within their walls so long. Dryden. The contempt of all other knowledge . . . coops the understanding up within narrow bounds. Locke.

An allowance made for inaccuracy in an instrument; as, chronometer correction; compass correction. Correction line (Surv.), a parallel used as a new base line in laying out township in the government lands of the United States. The adoption at certain intervals of a correction line is necessitated by the convergence of…

The covered way lying round the whole compass of the fortifications of a place. [R.]

To be or become broken down or in, or pressed into a smaller compass, by external weight or force; as, an eggshell crushes easily.

The circle or compass of the arts and sciences (originally, of the seven so-called liberal arts and sciences); circle of human knowledge. Hence, a work containing, in alphabetical order, information in all departments of knowledge, or on a particular department or branch; as, a cyclopedia of the physical sciences, or o…

d of determining the place of a ship from a record kept of the courses sailed as given by compass, and the distance made on each course as found by log, with allowance for leeway, etc., without the aid of celestial observations. -- Dead rise, the transverse upward curvature of a vessel's floor. -- Dead rising, an ell…

e. -- Circle of declination, a circle parallel to the celestial equator. -- Declination compass (Physics), a compass arranged for finding the declination of the magnetic needle. -- Declination of the compass or needle, the horizontal angle which the magnetic needle makes with the true north-and-south line.…

g; to draw a plan of; to delineate; to trace or mark out; as, to describe a circle by the compasses; a torch waved about the head in such a way as to describe a circle.

a body falling freely, in consequence of the rotation of the earth. -- Deviation of the compass, the angle which the needle of a ship's compass makes with the magnetic meridian by reason of the magnetism of the iron parts of the ship. -- Deviation of the line of the vertical, the difference between the actual direct…

A miner's compass. Dial bird (Zoöl.), an Indian bird (Copsychus saularius), allied to the European robin. The name is also given to other related species. -- Dial lock, a lock provided with one or more plates having numbers or letters upon them. These plates must be adjusted in a certain determined way before the lock…

The entire compass of tones. Through all the compass of the notes it ran, The diapason closing full in man. Dryden.

Relating to the measurement of the tactile sensibility of parts; as, diaphemetric compasses. Dunglison.

An instrument for dividing lines, describing circles, etc., compasses. See Compasses.

Used in making drawings; as, draught compasses.

nox, or the corresponding point on the earth; that one of the four cardinal points of the compass which is in a direction at right angles to that of north and south, and which is toward the right hand of one who faces the north; the point directly opposite to the west. The east began kindle. E. Everett.…

g a part omitted; as, an elliptical phrase. Elliptic chuck. See under Chuck. -- Elliptic compasses, an instrument arranged for drawing ellipses. -- Elliptic function. (Math.) See Function. -- Elliptic integral. (Math.) See Integral. -- Elliptic polarization. See under Polarization.

To encircle; to encompass; to inclose. Low at his feet a spacious plain is placed, Between the mountain and the stream embraced. Denham.

To gird; to encompass. Shak.

To surround; to encompass; to encircle; to hem in; to be round about; to involve or envelop. Dwelling in a pleasant glade, With mountains round about environed. Spenser. Environed he was with many foes. Shak. Environ me with darkness whilst I write. Donne.