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That can not be successfully resisted or opposed; superior to opposition; resistless; overpowering; as, an irresistible attraction. An irresistible law of our nature impels us to seek happiness. J. M. Mason.

iber; also, the fiber itself, which is called also pita, and Tampico fiber. [Written also istle.]

s a little bell, or as coins shaken together; to tinkle. The bells she jingled, and the whistle blew. Pope.

k. [Written also kex, and in pl., kecks, kaxes.] Nothing teems But hateful docks, rough thistles, kecksies, burs. Shak.

eyond laconicism; for sometimes I return only yes, or no, to questionary or petitionary epistles of half a yard long. Pope. His sense was strong and his style laconic. Welwood.

Listless indolence; dreaminess. Pope. " German dreams, Italian languors." The Century.

n elongated flattened body, covered with shining scales and terminated by seven unequal bristles. A common species (Lepisma saccharina) is found in houses, and often injures books and furniture. Called also shiner, silver witch, silver moth, and furniture bug.

telligible characters on something adapted to conveyance, as paper, parchment, etc.; an epistle. The style of letters ought to be free, easy, and natural. Walsh.

Containing or consisting of obscene or unchaste language; as, a loose epistle. Dryden. At loose ends, not in order; in confusion; carelessly managed. -- Fast and loose. See under Fast. -- To break loose. See under Break. -- Loose pulley. (Mach.) See Fast and loose pulleys, under Fast. -- To let loose, to free from…

such a native loveliness in the sex as to make them victorious when in the wrong, how resistless their power when they are on the side of truth! Spectator.

"Our Lord cometh;" -- an expression used by St. Paul at the conclusion of his first Epistle to the Corinthians (xvi. 22). This word has been used in anathematizing persons for great crimes; as much as to say, "May the Lord come quickly to take vengeance of thy crimes." See Anathema maranatha, under Anathema.…

(Diabrotiea vittata), which damages the leaves of melon vines. -- Melon cactus, Melon thistle. (a) (Bot.) A genus of cactaceous plants (Melocactus) having a fleshy and usually globose stem with the surface divided into spiny longitudinal ridges, and bearing at the top a prickly and woolly crown in which the small pin…

tropical American herb of the Poppy family (Argemone Mexicana) with much the look of a thistle, but having large yellow or white blossoms. -- Mexican tea (Bot.), an aromatic kind of pigweed from tropical America (Chenopodium ambrosioides).

etc. -- Milk sugar. (Physiol. Chem.) See Lactose, and Sugar of milk (below). -- Milk thistle (Bot.), an esculent European thistle (Silybum marianum), having the veins of its leaves of a milky whiteness. -- Milk thrush. (Med.) See Thrush. -- Milk tooth (Anat.), one of the temporary first set of teeth in young mamma…

See Mistletoe.

Mistletoe. [Obs.] Missel bird, Missel thrush (Zoöl.), a large European thrush (Turdus viscivorus) which feeds on the berries of the mistletoe; -- called also mistletoe thrush and missel.

The mistletoe. [Obs.] Baret.

See Mistletoe.

in India. It has a powerful odor of musk. Called also sondeli, and mondjourou. -- Musk thistle (Bot.), a species of thistle (Carduus nutans), having fine large flowers, and leaves smelling strongly of musk. -- Musk tortoise, Musk turtle (Zoöl.), a small American fresh-water tortoise (Armochelys, or Ozotheca, odorata)…

Painted finch. See Nonpareil. -- Painted lady (Zoöl.), a bright-colored butterfly. See Thistle butterfly. -- Painted turtle (Zoöl.), a common American freshwater tortoise (Chrysemys picta), having bright red and yellow markings beneath.