Search the Dictionary

To a very great degree; beyond what is usual; surpassingly. It signifies more than very.

Excelling; surpassing others in some good quality or the sum of qualities; of great worth; eminent, in a good sense; superior; as, an excellent man, artist, citizen, husband, discourse, book, song, etc.; excellent breeding, principles, aims, action. To love . . . What I see excellent in good or fair. Milton.…

The state of surpassing or going beyond limits; the being of a measure beyond sufficiency, necessity, or duty; that which exceeds what is usual or prover; immoderateness; superfluity; superabundance; extravagance; as, an excess of provisions or of light. To gild refined gold, to paint the lily, To throw a perfume on th…

ry to the fundamental principles of a free government, and the States are prohibited from passing such laws by the Constitution of the United States. Burrill. Kent.

Carefully selected or sought out; hence, of distinguishing and surpassing quality; exceedingly nice; delightfully excellent; giving rare satisfaction; as, exquisite workmanship. Plate of rare device, and jewels Of reach and exquisite form. Shak. I have no exquisite reason for 't, but I have reason good enough. Shak.…

Surpassing; exceeding; surmounting. [Obs.]

Passing belief; exceedingly great; as, a fabulous price. Macaulay. Fabulous age, that period in the history of a nation of which the only accounts are myths and unverified legends; as, the fabulous age of Greek and Rome. -- Fab"u*lous*ly, adv. -- Fab"u*lous*ness, n.

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 batsman. (b) A batted ball that falls inside the foul lines; -- called a…

entrance of toll bridges, exhibition grounds, etc., for registering the number of persons passing it. (b) An opening in the door of a street car for purchasing tickets of the driver or passing fares to the conductor. Knight.

Any like assumption made for convenience, as for passing more rapidly over what is not disputed, and arriving at points really at issue.

Florid; figurative; involving passing discords by the freer melodic movement of one or more parts or voices in the harmony; as, figurate counterpoint or descant. Figurate counterpoint or descant (Mus.), that which is not simple, or in which the parts do not move together tone for tone, but in which freer movement of on…

experience; to discover by the intellect or the feelings; to detect; to feel. "I find you passing gentle." Shak. The torrid zone is now found habitable. Cowley.

A luminous meteor, resembling a ball of fire passing rapidly through the air, and sometimes exploding.

A passing humor; a caprice; a sudden and unusual effort, activity, or motion, followed by relaxation or insction; an impulse and irregular action. The fits of the season. Shak.

ake of snow, tallow, or fish. "Lottle flakes of scurf." Addison. Great flakes of ice encompassing our boat. Evelyn.

overed and left bare by the tide; a shoal; a shallow; a strand. Half my power, this night Passing these flats, are taken by the tide. Shak.

The process of forming metal into sheets by passing it between rolls. Flatting coat, a coat of paint so put on as to have no gloss. -- Flatting furnace. Same as Flattening oven, under Flatten. -- Flatting mill. (a) A rolling mill producing sheet metal; esp., in mints, the ribbon from which the planchets are punched.…

Passing swiftly away; not durable; transient; transitory; as, the fleeting hours or moments.

The act or flying; a passing through the air by the help of wings; volitation; mode or style of flying. Like the night owl's lazy flight. Shak.

A general name for organ stops in which the sound is caused by wind passing through a flue or fissure and striking an edge above; -- in distinction from reedwork.