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Any proceeding designed to ascertain truth, to determine character, qualification, etc.; examination; trial; as, to engage a person on probation. Hence, specifically: (a) The novitiate which a person must pass in a convent, to probe his or her virtue and ability to bear the severities of the rule. (b) The trial of a mi…

To ascertain, mark, and establish the boundary lines of, as lands. [Local, U. S. (North Carolina and Tennessee).] "To procession the lands of such persons as desire it." Burrill.

A proceeding prescribed by statute for ascertaining and fixing the boundaries of land. See 2d Procession. [ Local, U. S.] Bouvier.

stor. [R.] The threefold distinction of profectitious, adventitious, and professional was ascertained. Gibbon.

enser. You shall have many proofs to show your skill. Ford. Formerly, a very rude mode of ascertaining the strength of spirits was practiced, called the proof. Ure.

To try or to ascertain by an experiment, or by a test or standard; to test; as, to prove the strength of gunpowder or of ordnance; to prove the contents of a vessel by a standard measure. Thou hast proved mine heart. Ps. xvii. 3.

at the rate of about 29.5 feet in a second. H. N. Martin. -- To feel one's pulse. (a) To ascertain, by the sense of feeling, the condition of the arterial pulse. (b) Hence, to sound one's opinion; to try to discover one's mind.

trument used chiefly at sea to measure the altitude of the sun or other celestial body in ascertaining the vessel's position. It consists of a frame in the form of an octant having a graduated scale upon its arc, and an index arm, or alidade pivoted at its apex. Mirrors, called the index glass and the horizon glass, ar…

tion, a question put to a parliamentary assembly upon the motion of a member, in order to ascertain whether it is the will of the body to vote at once, without further debate, on the subject under consideration.

oint. -- Range finder (Gunnery), an instrument, or apparatus, variously constructed, for ascertaining the distance of an inaccessible object, -- used to determine what elevation must be given to a gun in order to hit the object; a position finder. -- Range of cable (Naut.), a certain length of slack cable ranged alon…

To ratify. [Obs.] "To rate the truce." Chapman. To rate a chronometer, to ascertain the exact rate of its gain or loss as compared with true time, so as to make an allowance or computation depended thereon.

ng any matter, for inquiry in a cause, to a master or other officer, in order that he may ascertain facts and report to the court.

ine, explore, or investigate; as, a messenger reports to his employer what he has seen or ascertained; the committee reported progress. There is no man that may reporten all. Chaucer.

ction, as of troops under arms or of a naval force, by a high officer, for the purpose of ascertaining the state of discipline, equipments, etc.

Seeking information; authorized to examine witnesses or ascertain facts; as, a rogatory commission. Woolsey.

ff or recite a list or roll of names of persons belonging to an organization, in order to ascertain who are present or to obtain responses from those present.

An instrument for ascertain the quantity of saccharine matter in any solution, as the juice of a plant, or brewers' and distillers' worts. [Written also saccharometer.]

Knowledge; lnowledge of principles and causes; ascertained truth of facts. If we conceive God's or science, before the creation, to be extended to all and every part of the world, seeing everything as it is, . . . his science or sight from all eternity lays no necessity on anything to come to pass. Hammond. Shakespeare…

e with the mind; to observe; to discern; to distinguish; to understand; to comprehend; to ascertain. Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren. Gen. xxxvii. 14. Jesus saw that he answered discreetly. Mark xii. 34. Who 's so gross That seeth not this palpable device Shak.

An instrument for measuring angular distances between objects, -- used esp. at sea, for ascertaining the latitude and longitude. It is constructed on the same optical principle as Hadley's quadrant, but usually of metal, with a nicer graduation, telescopic sight, and its arc the sixth, and sometimes the third, part of…