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A being conceived of as possessing supernatural power, and to be propitiated by sacrifice, worship, etc.; a divinity; a deity; an object of worship; an idol. He maketh a god, and worshipeth it. Is. xliv. 15. The race of Israel . . . bowing lowly down To bestial gods. Milton.

oach. New opinions Divers and dangerous, which are heresies, And, not reformed, may prove pernicious. Shak. After the study of philosophy began in Greece, and the philosophers, disagreeing amongst themselves, had started many questions . . . because every man took what opinion he pleased, each several opinion was calle…

s distinguished from religious; believing in the perfectibility of man's nature without supernatural aid.

Above or transcending physical laws; supernatural. Those who do not fly to some hyperphysical hypothesis. Sir W. Hamilton.

To impregnate; to make fruitful. [Obs.] His perniciousss words, impregned With reason. Milton. Semele doth Bacchus bear Impregned of Jove. Dr. H. More.

Serving to kindle or set on fire. [R.] Part incentive reed Provide, pernicious with one touch of fire. Milton.

alities; to corrupt; to contaminate; to taint by the communication of anything noxious or pernicious. Cowper. Infected Ston's daughters with like heat. Milton.

applied esp. to one who does not believe in the inspiration of the Scriptures, and the supernatural origin of Christianity. The infidel writer is a great enemy to society. V. Knox.

A supernatural divine influence on the prophets, apostles, or sacred writers, by which they were qualified to communicate moral or religious truth with authority; a supernatural influence which qualifies men to receive and communicate divine truth; also, the truth communicated. All Scripture is given by inspiration of…

To infuse into the mind; to communicate to the spirit; to convey, as by a divine or supernatural influence; to disclose preternaturally; to produce in, as by inspiration. And generous stout courage did inspire. Spenser. But dawning day new comfort hath inspired. Shak.

Moved or animated by, or as by, a supernatural influence; affected by divine inspiration; as, the inspired prophets; the inspired writers.

Introduced or inserted among others; additional; supernumerary. "Intercalary spines." Owen. This intercalary line . . . is made the last of a triplet. Beattie. Intercalary day (Med.), one on which no paroxysm of an intermittent disease occurs. Mayne.

The incoming or first attack of anything hurtful or pernicious; as, the invasion of a disease.

A person, object, influence, or supernatural being which is supposed to bring bad luck or to cause things to go wrong. [Slang]

fering from the Bell process in using manganese as well as iron oxide, and performed in a Pernot furnace. Called also the Bell-Krupp process.

ducible from a study of the nature and natural relations of human beings independent of supernatural revelation or of municipal and social usages. -- Law of the land, due process of law; the general law of the land. -- Laws of honor. See under Honor. -- Laws of motion (Physics), three laws defined by Sir Isaac Newto…

Supernatural agency in a poem, or a superhuman being introduced to perform some exploit. Addison. Elementary machine, a name sometimes given to one of the simple mechanical powers. See under Mechanical. -- Infernal machine. See under Infernal. -- Machine gun.See under Gun. -- Machine screw, a screw or bolt adapted f…

The supernatural means by which the action of a poetic or fictitious work is carried on and brought to a catastrophe; in an extended sense, the contrivances by which the crises and conclusion of a fictitious narrative, in prose or verse, are effected. The machinery, madam, is a term invented by the critics, to signify…

name for all of the pretended arts which claim to produce effects by the assistance of supernatural beings, or departed spirits, or by a mastery of secret forces in nature attained by a study of occult science, including enchantment, conjuration, witchcraft, sorcery, necromancy, incantation, etc. An appearance made by…

re than human power; imposing or startling in performance; producing effects which seem supernatural or very extraordinary; having extraordinary properties; as, a magic lantern; a magic square or circle. The painter's magic skill. Cowper.