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A series of real events invested with a dramatic unity and interest. "The drama of war." Thackeray. Westward the course of empire takes its way; The four first acts already past, A fifth shall close the drama with the day; Time's noblest offspring is the last. Berkeley. The drama and contrivances of God's providence. S…

A current of air moving through an inclosed place, as through a room or up a chimney. Thackeray. He preferred to go and sit upon the stairs, in . . . a strong draught of air, until he was again sent for. Dickens.

See Dryly. Thackeray.

erry with him. Gem. xliii. 34. Bolingbroke always spoke freely when he had drunk freely. Thackeray. To drink to, to salute in drinking; to wish well to, in the act of taking the cup; to pledge in drinking. I drink to the general joy of the whole table, And to our dear friend Banquo. Shak.

tage; to drive a person to his own door. How . . . proud he was to drive such a brother! Thackeray.

. S. Sharp. That astonishing ease with which fine ladies drop you and pick you up again. Thackeray. The connection had been dropped many years. Sir W. Scott. Dropping the too rough H in Hell and Heaven. Tennyson.

uating; undetermined. "Dubious policy." Sir T. Scott. A dubious, agitated state of mind. Thackeray.

ting readiness of apprehension; stupid; doltish; blockish. "Dull at classical learning." Thackeray. She is not bred so dull but she can learn. Shak.

erbold Have eat our substance. Tennyson. His wretched estate is eaten up with mortgages. Thackeray.

Disposed to embrace; fond of caressing. [R.] Thackeray.

of; as, to encore a song or a singer. [Rebecca] insisted upon encoring one of the duets. Thackeray.

Entirely. "Too long to print in entire." Thackeray.

from the pipes; electricity escapes from its conductors. To escape out of these meshes. Thackeray.

Gay ornaments; frippery; gewgaws. [Colloq.] Thackeray.

ladies to come over in a family way, and dine with some other plain country gentlefolks" Thackeray. -- In the family way, pregnant. [Colloq.]

which is unreal). He fancied he was welcome, because those arounde him were his kinsmen. Thackeray.

rdful of restraint; reckless; wild; dissipated; dissolute; as, a fast man; a fast liver. Thackeray. Fast and loose, now cohering, now disjoined; inconstant, esp. in the phrases to play at fast and loose, to play fast and loose, to act with giddy or reckless inconstancy or in a tricky manner; to say one thing and do ano…

Rather fast; also, somewhat dissipated. [Colloq.] Thackeray.

sold at a low figure. [Colloq.] With nineteen thousand a year at the very lowest figure. Thackeray.

shrewd or artful person. [Slang] Fielding. Will is an old file spite of his smooth face. Thackeray. Bastard file, Cross file, etc. See under Bastard, Cross, etc. -- Cross-cut file, a file having two sets of teeth crossing obliquely. -- File blank, a steel blank shaped and ground ready for cutting to form a file. --…