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company with any one. Shak. He never seemed to avail himself of my sympathy other than by mere companionship. W. Irwing

conscious volition; as, consensual motions. Consensual contract (Law), a contract formed merely by consent, as a marriage contract.

main land; specifically (Phys. Geog.), a large body of land differing from an island, not merely in its size, but in its structure, which is that of a large basin bordered by mountain chains; as, the continent of North America.

Attempts to attract admoration, notice, or love, for the mere gratification of vanity; trifling in love. "Little affectations of coquetry." Addison.

lkaloid obtained from croton oil by boiling it with water and magnesia, since found to be merely a magnesia soap of the oil. Watts.

f Bacchus in a circle. -- Cyclic poets, certain epic poets who followed Homer, and wrote merely on the Trojan war and its heroes; -- so called because keeping within the circle of a singe subject. Also, any series or coterie of poets writing on one subject. Milman.

Pretentious rhetorical display, with more sound than sense; as, mere declamation.

ion of the plant. Arbuthnot. In pharmacy decoction is opposed to infusion, where there is merely steeping. Latham.

In a demure manner; soberly; gravely; -- now, commonly, with a mere show of gravity or modesty. They . . . looked as demurely as they could; for 't was a hanging matter to laugh unseasonably. Dryden.

in the concrete as opposed to abstract; thus, 7 feet is a denominate quantity, while 7 is mere abstract quantity or number. See Compound number, under Compound.

I . . . made you my guardians, my depositaries. Shak. The depositaries of power, who are mere delegates of the people.J.S. Mill.

That which is despaired of. "The mere despair of surgery he cures." Shak.

l; -- opposed to circumstantial, or indirect, evidence. -- This distinction, however, is merely formal, since there is no direct evidence that is not circumstantial, or dependent on circumstances for its credibility. Wharton. -- Direct examination (Law), the first examination of a witness in the orderly course, upon…

Ancient heretics who held that Christ's body was merely a phantom or appearance.

lled or fulled, to render more compact or fine; -- said of cloth; as, double-milled kerseymere.

keeping, from eating draff and husks. Shak. The draff and offal of a bygone age. Buckle. Mere chaff and draff, much better burnt. Tennyson.

snow] pure and white, Soft falling, falling, through the night, Have draped the woods and mere. Bungay.

rsued the amusing theme, Till Fancy colored it and formed a dream. Pope. It is not them a mere dream, but a very real aim which they propose. J. C. Shairp.

relating to the mere right of property, as distinguished from the right of possession; as, droitural actions. [Obs.] Burrill.

es on hand, or is not salable; an article of slow sale, or in no demand. "But sermons are mere drugs." Fielding. And virtue shall a drug become. Dryden.