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One who goes before, as into the wilderness, preparing the way for others to follow; as, pioneers of civilization; pioneers of reform.

sea, sometimes produced by the meeting of two tides; as, the Portland Race; the Race of Alderney.

eals for sympathy or forgiveness; insensible to the distresses of others; destitute of tenderness; unrelenting; unyielding; unpitying; as, a prey to relentless despotism. For this the avenging power employs his darts,.. Thus will persist, relentless in his ire. Dryden. -- Re*lent"less*ly, adv. -- Re*lent"less*ness, n.…

Sorrow for the misery of another; pity; tenderness. [Poetic] "They weep for ruth." Chaucer. "Have ruth of the poor." Piers Plowman. To stir up gentle ruth, Both for her noble blood, and for her tender youth. Spenser.

te from human abodes and cultivation; in a state of nature; nature; wild; as, a savage wilderness.

olically placed the sins of the people, after which he was suffered to escape into the wilderness. Lev. xvi. 10.

to score the back with a lash. Let us score their backs. Shak. A briar in that tangled wilderness Had scored her white right hand. M. Arnold.

te of being scruppulous; doubt; doubtfulness respecting decision or action; caution or tenderness from the far of doing wrong or ofending; nice regard to exactness and propierty; precision. The first sacrilege is looked on with horror; but when they have made the breach, their scrupulosity soon retires. Dr. H. More. Ca…

chful sense. A sentimental mind is rather prone to overwrought feeling and exaggerated tenderness. Whately.

erland surface is cut or scratched through, so as to form the design from a dark ground underneath.

t; as, the shoot of a shuttle. The Turkish bow giveth a very forcible shoot. Bacon. One underneath his horse to get a shoot doth stalk. Drayton.

The quality or state of being slight; slenderness; feebleness; superficiality; also, formerly, negligence; indifference; disregard.

Expressing gentleness, tenderness, or the like; mild; conciliatory; courteous; kind; as, soft eyes. A soft answer turneth away wrath. Prov. xv. 1. A face with gladness overspread, Soft smiles, by human kindness bred. Wordsworth.

Having softness or tenderness of heart; susceptible of pity or other kindly affection; gentle; meek. -- Soft"-heart`ed*ness, n.

solitary or lonely place; a desert or wilderness. In these deep solitudes and awful cells Where heavenly pensive contemplation dwells. Pope.

The quality or state of being sore; tenderness; painfull; as, the soreness of a wound; the soreness of an affliction.

; to become dull or inactive; as, commerce stagnates; business stagnates. Ready-witted tenderness . . . never stagnates in vain lamentations while there is any room for hope. Sir W. Scott.

. crept under the shoulder of his led horse; . . . "I must stalk," said he. Bacon. One underneath his horse, to get a shoot doth stalk. Drayton.

e direction; especially, to pass the hand gently over by way of expressing kindness or tenderness; to caress; to soothe. He dried the falling drops, and, yet more kind, He stroked her cheeks. Dryden.

To reduce to tenderness; to melt; to soften; as, to subdue ferocity by tears.