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One who or that which intensifies or strengthens; in photography, an agent used to intensify the lights or shadows of a picture.

To give vigor to; to strengthen; to animate; to give life and energy to. Christian graces and virtues they can not be, unless fed, invigorated, and animated by universal charity. Atterbury.

In ordnance, a strengthening band surrounding and reënforcing the tube in which the charge is fired.

A bent piece of iron inserted to strengthen the joints of a wall.

lasting kingdom. Ps. cxiv. 13. When Jehoram was risen up to the kingdom of his father, he strengthened himself. 2 Chron. xxi. 4.

To place persons or things along the side of for security or defense; to strengthen by adding; to fortify; as, to line works with soldiers. Line and new repair our towns of war With men of courage and with means defendant. Shak.

forming the woven border or selvedge of cloth, particularly of broadcloth, and serving to strengthen it; hence, a strip of cloth; a fillet. " Gartered with a red and blue list. "

Of or pertaining to mental culture; serving to improve or strengthen the mind. [R.]

A line above or below a hanging net, to which the net is attached in order to strengthen it.

To fortify; to strengthen. [Obs.]

A concession to an adversary in order to strengthen one's own argument.

A framework of heavy timber surrounding an opening in a deck, to strengthen it for the support of a mast, pump, capstan, or the like. Dormant, or Silent, partner. See under Dormant, a.

f cloth, or other suitable material, sewed or otherwise fixed upon a garment to repair or strengthen it, esp. upon an old garment to cover a hole. Patches set upon a little breach. Shak.

To drive piles into; to fill with piles; to strengthen with piles. To sheet-pile, to make sheet piling in or around. See Sheet piling, under 2nd Piling.

Formerly, a body of men who fired together; also, a small square body of soldiers to strengthen the angles of a hollow square.

An auxiliary rope to strengthen a mast. Preventer bolts, or Preventer plates (Naut.), fixtures connected with preventers to reënforce other rigging. -- Preventer stay. (Naut.) Same as Preventer, 3.

klaying), a course of bricks laid diagonally between the face courses in a thick wall, to strengthen.

ecstasy. Music, when thus applied, raises in the mind of the hearer great conceptions; it strengthens devotion, and advances praise into rapture. Addison. You grow correct that once with rapture writ. Pope.

A piece of canvas sewed across a sail to strengthen it in the part where the eyelet holes for reefing are made. Totten.

To strengthen with new force, assistance, material, or support; as, to reënforce an argument; to reënforce a garment; especially, to strengthen with additional troops, as an army or a fort, or with additional ships, as a fleet. [Written also reinforce.]