Search the Dictionary

ring himself on the old tentants of his family, who, wretched as was their own condition, could not refuse a portion of their pittance to one whom they still regarded as their rightful lord. Macaulay.

designed to gain favor; courtliness of manners; civility; compliment; flattery. No solace could her paramour intreat Her once to show, ne court, nor dalliance. Spenser. I went to make my court to the Dike and Duches of Newcastle. Evelyn.

Could; was able; knew or known; understood. [Obs.] Above all other one Daniel He loveth, for he couth well Divine, that none other couth; To him were all thing couth, As he had it of God's grace. Gower.

A werd rhyming with another word. His similes in order set And every crambo he could get. Swift. Dumb crambo, a game in which one party of players give a word which rhymes with another, which last to be guessed by the opposing party, who represent in dumb show what they think it to be.

p bone, the patella of a sheep; -- formerly used as a charm for the cramp. Halliwell. "He could turn cramp bones into chess men." Dickens. -- Cramp ring, a ring formerly supposed to have virtue in averting or curing cramp, as having been consecrated by one of the kings of England on Good Friday.

f the mind; a conceit. He ruined himself and all that trusted in him by crotchets that he could never explain to any rational man. De Quincey.

company crowded about the fire. Addison. Images came crowding on his mind faster than he could put them into words. Macaulay.

rumple paper. They crumpled it into all shapes, and diligently scanned every wrinkle that could be made. Addison.

ing; to shed tears; to bawl, as a child. Ye shall cry for sorrow of heart. Is. lxv. 14. I could find it in my heart to disgrace my man's apparel and to cry like a woman. Shak.

ar I'll cuff you, if you strike again. Shak. They with their quills did all the hurt they could, And cuffed the tender chickens from their food. Dryden.

To thicken; to congeal. Then Mary could feel her heart's blood curdle cold. Southey.

lf-indulgence, and that appearances to the contrary are superficial and untrustworthy. He could obtain from one morose cynic, whose opinion it was impossible to despise, scarcely any not acidulated with scorn. Macaulay.

ruce; trim; smart; neat in dress or appearance; lively. He wondered how so many provinces could be held in subjection by such a dapper little man. Milton. The dapper ditties that I wont devise. Spenser. Sharp-nosed, dapper steam yachts. Julian Hawthorne.

ak. Why then did not the ministers use their new law Bacause they durst not, because they could not. Macaulay. Who dared to sully her sweet love with suspicion. Thackeray. The tie of party was stronger than the tie of blood, because a partisan was more ready to dare without asking why. Jowett (Thu

To engage in strife or combat; to fight. [Obs.] Chaucer. Well could he tourney and in lists debate. Spenser.

; as, to decline an offer; to decline a contest; he declined any participation with them. Could I Decline this dreadful hour Massinger.

swer; also of jurors, witnesses, etc. In default of, in case of failure or lack of. Cooks could make artificial birds and fishes in default of the real ones. Arbuthnot. -- To suffer a default (Law), to permit an action to be called without appearing to answer.

Deformed; misshapen; shapeless; horrid. [Obs.] Sight so deform what heart of rock could long Dry-eyed behold Milton.

ft, and delve.] [Obs.] The delfts would be so flown with waters, that no gins or machines could . . . keep them dry. Ray.

ng forth; -- often with of. She was delivered safe and soon. Gower. Tully was long ere he could be delivered of a few verses, and those poor ones. Peacham.