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hed by efforts of the mind or body; capable of being compassed or accomplished by efforts directed to the object. The highest pitch of perfection attainable in this life. Addison.

To direct the attention to; to fix the mind upon; to give heed to; to regard. [Obs.] The diligent pilot in a dangerous tempest doth not attend the unskillful words of the passenger. Sir P. Sidney.

An examination by listening either directly with the ear (immediate auscultation) applied to parts of the body, as the abdomen; or with the stethoscope (mediate ~), in order to distinguish sounds recognized as a sign of health or of disease.

Having the mandibular arch articulated directly to the cranium, as in the skulls of the Amphibia.

Backward; in a backward direction; as, emitted aversely.

Of or pertaining to an uncle. In these rare instances, the law of pedigree, whether direct or avuncular, gives way. I. Taylor.

Aside; off; in another direction. The axis of rotation is inclined away from the sun. Lockyer.

On the weather side, or toward the wind; in the direction from which the wind blows; -- opposed to alee; as, helm aweather ! Totten.

Turned or twisted toward one side; not in a straight or true direction, or position; out of the right course; distorted; obliquely; asquint; with oblique vision; as, to glance awry. "Your crown's awry." Shak. Blows them transverse, ten thousand leagues awry. Into the devious air. Milton.

e of, or resembling, an axis; around an axis. To take on an axial, and not an equatorial, direction. Nichol.

opposite sides. -- Synclinal axis, a line from which the strata slope upward in opposite directions, so as to form a valley. -- Axis cylinder (Anat.), the neuraxis or essential, central substance of a nerve fiber; -- called also axis band, axial fiber, and cylinder axis. -- Axis in peritrochio, the wheel and axle, o…

A door in the back part of a building; hence, an indirect way. Atterbury.

oil engine during the exhaust or the compression stroke, tending to drive the piston in a direction reverse to that in which it should travel; also, an explosion in the exhaust passages of such ah engine.

n the back part of a house, as distinguished from the front stairs; hence, a private or indirect way.

Backhanded; indirect; oblique. [R.]

Indirect; awkward; insincere; sarcastic; as, a backhanded compliment.

State of being backhanded; the using of backhanded or indirect methods.

unchanged position when the leveling instrument has been taken to a new position; a sight directed backwards to a station previously occupied. Cf. Foresight, n., 3.

Private; indirect; secret; intriguing; as if finding access by the back stairs. A backstairs influence. Burke. Female caprice and backstairs influence. Trevelyan.

Directed to the back or rear; as, backward glances.