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An ambiguous speech; a figure in which a word is used an equivocal sense. [R.]

Immediate; express; plain; unambiguous. He howhere, that I know, says it in direct words. Locke. A direct and avowed interference with elections. Hallam.

Without circumlocution or ambiguity; absolutely; in express terms. No man hath hitherto been so impious as plainly and directly to condemn prayer. Hooker.

An ambiguity of meaning; a disagreement of difference in opinion. Sir T. Browne.

Characterized by ambiguity; dubious; as, a doubtful expression; a doubtful phrase.

Uncertainty of meaning; ambiguity; indefiniteness. " The doubtfulness of his expressions." Locke.

welve peers of France, companions of Charlemagne in war. [Written also douzepere.] [Obs.] Big-looking like a doughty doucepere. Spenser.

pedo boats. This was the first battleship of the type characterized by a main armament of big guns all of the same caliber. She has a displacement of 17,900 tons at load draft, and a speed of 21 knots per hour.

The sweetbrier (R. rubiginosa).

s crime; flagitious villainy; an atrocity. These clamorous enormities which are grown too big and strong for law or shame. South.

A word or expression capable of different meanings; an ambiguous term; an equivoque. In languages of great ductility, equivocals like that just referred to are rarely found. Fitzed. Hall.

one's opinions in terms which admit of different senses, with intent to deceive; to use ambiguous expressions with a view to mislead; as, to equivocate is the work of duplicity. All that Garnet had to say for him was that he supposed he meant to equivocate. Bp. Stillingfleet.

An ambiguous term; a word susceptible of different significations. Coleridge.

distinctly stated; plain in language; open to the understanding; clear; not obscure or ambiguous; express; unequivocal; as, an explicit declaration. The language of the charter was too explicit to admit of a doubt. Bancroft.

ctly and distinctly stated; declared in terms; not implied or left to inference; made unambiguous by intention and care; clear; not dubious; as, express consent; an express statement. I have express commandment. Shak.

vent; destiny; especially, the final lot; doom; ruin; death. The great, th'important day, big with the fate Of Cato and of Rome. Addison. Our wills and fates do so contrary run That our devices still are overthrown. Shak. The whizzing arrow sings, And bears thy fate, Antinous, on its wings. Pope.

The aspect or countenance; assurance. To look with forehead bold and big enough Upon the power and puissance of the king. Shak.

Having a double meaning; ambiguous; equivocal. Cross forked (Her.), a cross, the ends of whose arms are divided into two sharp points; -- called also cross double fitché. A cross forked of three points is a cross, each of whose arms terminates in three sharp points. -- Forked counsel, advice pointing more than one way…

back out in a cowardly fashion. [Colloq.] To funk right out o' political strife. Lowell (Biglow Papers).

Bulky, big. [Obs.] Burton. -- Gi*gan"tic*al*ly, adv.