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g; low; vulgar; as, a reptile race or crew; reptile vices. There is also a false, reptile prudence, the result not of caution, but of fear. Burke. And dislodge their reptile souls From the bodies and forms of men. Coleridge.

puted vile in your sight Job xviii. 3. The king your father was reputed for A prince most prudent. Shak.

; yielding; not disposed to resist or murmur. A firm, yet cautious mind; Sincere, thought prudent; constant, yet resigned. Pope.

Having nice discernment and powers of judging; prudent; grave; sagacious. All you sage counselors, hence! Shak.

The quality or state of being sage; wisdom; sagacity; prudence; gravity. Ascham.

tutor being seasoned with the love of the truth." Fuller. Season their younger years with prudent and pious principles. Jer. Taylor.

a man keep my saying, he shall never see death. John viii. 51. Improvement in visdom and prudence by seeing men. Locke.

foolish." (d) When the substantive is emphasized: "Native practical intelligence, natural prudence, mother wit, tact in behavior, acuteness in the observation of character, in contrast to habits of acquired learning or of speculation." -- Moral sense. See under Moral, (a). -- The inner, or internal, sense, capacity of…

A certain quantity; a portion; a part; a division; as, a small share of prudence.

e, foolish; silly. "You have simple wits." Shak. The simple believeth every word; but the prudent man looketh well to his going. Prov. xiv. 15.

ath bounds and stays." Herbert. The wisdom, stay, and moderation of the king. Bacon. With prudent stay he long deferred The rough contention. Philips.

The quality or state of being steady. Steadiness is a point of prudence as well as of courage. L'Estrange.

to sprain; as, to strain a horse by overloading; to strain the wrist; to strain a muscle. Prudes decayed about may track, Strain their necks with looking back. Swift.

he highest degree; most eminent; surpassing all other; supreme; as, superlative wisdom or prudence; a woman of superlative beauty; the superlative glory of the divine character.

usly communicates information of the private concerns of others; one who tells that which prudence should suppress.

Adapted or likely to excite terror, awe, or dread; dreadful; formidable. Prudent in peace, and terrible in war. Prior. Thou shalt not be affrighted at them; for the Lord thy God is among you, a mighty God and terrible. Deut. vii. 21.

Without thrift; not prudent or prosperous in money affairs. -- Thrift"less*ly, adv. -- Thrift"less*ness, n.

ological sense, as a word; to make a trope of. [R.] If . . . Minerva be tropologized into prudence. Cudworth.

Not prudent; not discreet; ill advised. Shak.

Impolitic; imprudent. [Obs.] Shak.