Search the Dictionary

Characteristic quality of a woman, such as softness, luxuriousness, delicacy, or weakness, which is unbecoming a man; womanish delicacy or softness; -- used reproachfully of men. Milton.

Having some characteristic of a woman, as delicacy, luxuriousness, etc.; soft or delicate to an unmanly degree; womanish; weak. The king, by his voluptuous life and mean marriage, became effeminate, and less sensible of honor. Bacon. An effeminate and unmanly foppery. Bp. Hurd.

Pertaining to, resembling, or characteristic of, the stag, or Cervus elaphus.

Fig.: Electrifying energy or characteristic.

Affected with elephantiasis; characteristic of elephantiasis.

(see Segmentation, and Illust. of Cell Division, under Division). This mode of growth is characteristic of many forms of cells, both animal and vegetable.

A quality or characteristic peculiar to the English. M. Arnold.

om Ytterby in Sweden. Symbol Er. Atomic weight 165.9. Its salts are rose-colored and give characteristic spectra. Its sesquioxide is called erbia.

Of the Hedgehog family; like, or characteristic of, a hedgehog.

Containing the essence or characteristic portion of a substance, as of a plant; highly rectified; pure; hence, unmixed; as, an essential oil. "Mine own essential horror." Ford.

A light, volatile, mobile, inflammable liquid, (C2H5)2O, of a characteristic aromatic odor, obtained by the distillation of alcohol with sulphuric acid, and hence called also sulphuric ether. It is powerful solvent of fats, resins, and pyroxylin, but finds its chief use as an anæsthetic. Called also ethyl oxide.ethyl e…

That branch of knowledge which has for its subject the characteristics of the human family, developing the details with which ethnology as a comparative science deals; descriptive ethnology. See Ethnology.

nsidered as a natural endowment; the spirit which actuates manners and customs; also, the characteristic tone or genius of an institution or social organization.

An instrument in which are combined the characteristic tones of the organ and various other instruments. [R.]

or infusion made by drawing out from any substance that which gives it its essential and characteristic virtue; essence; as, extract of beef; extract of dandelion; also, any substance so extracted, and characteristic of that from which it is obtained; as, quinine is the most important extract of Peruvian bark.…

Special mental endowment; characteristic knack. He had a ready faculty, indeed, of escaping from any topic that agitated his too sensitive and nervous temperament. Hawthorne.

Free from any marked characteristic; average; middling; as, a fair specimen. The news is very fair and good, my lord. Shak. Fair ball. (Baseball) (a) A ball passing over the home base at the height called for by the batsman, and delivered by the pitcher while wholly within the lines of his position and facing the batsm…

Characteristic of, or relating to, fanaticism; fanatic. - Fa*nat"ic*al*ly, adv. -- Fa*nat"ic*al*ness, n.

f a thing, as of a landscape, a picture, a treaty, or an essay; any marked peculiarity or characteristic; as, one of the features of the landscape. And to her service bind each living creature Through secret understanding of their feature. Spenser.

Characteristic of cats; sly; stealthy; treacherous; as, a feline nature; feline manners.