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A word variously explained as "a little puppet," "a little doll," or "a young butterfly." Cf. Popet. [Obs.] So gay a popelote, so sweet a wench. Chaucer.

To explain by marginal notes; to postil. Tracts . . . postillated by his own hand. C. Knight.

beforehand, or as introductory to the main subject; to offer previously, as something to explain or aid in understanding what follows; especially, to lay down premises or first propositions, on which rest the subsequent reasonings. I premise these particulars that the reader may know that I enter upon it as a very ung…

e music (Mus.), descriptive instrumental music which requires an argument or programme to explain the meaning of its several movements.

To give instruction in religious matters; to interpret or explain Scripture or religious subjects; to preach; to exhort; to expound. Ezek. xxxvii. 7.

n external conditions.The radioactivity of radium is therefore an atomic property, and is explained as result from a disintegration of the atom. This breaking up occurs in at least seven stages; the successive main products have been studied and are called radium emanation or exradio, radium A, radium B, radium C, etc.…

To interpret; to explain; as, to read a riddle.

To find by logical process; to explain or justify by reason or argument; -- usually with out; as, to reason out the causes of the librations of the moon.

al statement, or setting forth, of some matter of fact in any deed or writing in order to explain the reasons on which the transaction is founded; the statement of matter in pleading introductory to some positive allegation. Burn.

To interpret; to explain. [Obs.] My sweven [dream] rede aright. Chaucer.

le mental state tend to recall or suggest one another; -- adopted by many philosophers to explain the phenomena of the association of ideas.

d by rule or rules; steady or uniform in course, practice, or occurence; not subject to unexplained or irrational variation; returning at stated intervals; steadily pursued; orderlly; methodical; as, the regular succession of day and night; regular habits.

To give meaning to; to explain the meaning of; to interpret. [Obs.] Wyclif.

Resolving, or explaining; as, the Resolute Doctor Durand. [Obs.]

e questions; to make clear or certain; to free from doubt; to disentangle; to unravel; to explain; hence, to clear up, or dispel, as doubt; as, to resolve a riddle. "Resolve my doubt." Shak. To the resolving whereof we must first know that the Jews were commanded to divorce an unbelieving Gentile. Milton.…

To explain; to solve; to unriddle. Riddle me this, and guess him if you can. Dryden.

A writer and doctor of the law; one skilled in the law and traditions; one who read and explained the law to the people.

A thing not discovered; what is unknown or unexplained; a mystery. All secrets of the deep, all nature's works. Milton

authoritative instruction among the Hindoos; a book of institutes; especially, a treatise explaining the Vedas. [Written also sastra.]

liquid. -- Shot window, a window projecting from the wall. Ritson, quoted by Halliwell, explains it as a window that opens and shuts; and Wodrow describes it as a window of shutters made of timber and a few inches of glass above them.