Search the Dictionary

nobility, or certain high officers of state belonging to the noble estate in the national representation of Hungary, and formerly of Poland.

The representation of a mantle, or the drapery behind and around a coat of arms: -- called also lambrequin.

A representation of the surface of the earth, or of some portion of it, showing the relative position of the parts represented; -- usually on a flat surface. Also, such a representation of the celestial sphere, or of some part of it.

A representation of a sea view.

of something by a false or unreal show; pretentious show; disguise. That masquerade of misrepresentation which invariably accompanied the political eloquence of Rome. De Quincey.

Having legs of a different tincture from that of the body; -- said of a bird in heraldic representations.

A written representation of facts, addressed to the government, or to some branch of it, or to a society, etc., -- often accompanied with a petition.

An enlarged representation of a microscopic object, produced by throwing upon a sensitive plate the magnified image of an object formed by a microscope or other suitable combination of lenses.

An actor in such representations.

That which gives a true representation, or in which a true image may be seen; hence, a pattern; an exemplar. She is mirour of all courtesy. Chaucer. O goddess, heavenly bright, Mirror of grace and majesty divine. Spenser.

To represent incorrectly (almost always, unfacorably); to give a false erroneous representation of, either maliciously, ignirantly, or carelessly. Swift.

A miniature representation of a thing, with the several parts in due proportion; sometimes, a facsimile of the same size. In charts, in maps, and eke in models made. Gascoigne. I had my father's signet in my purse, Which was the model of that Danish seal. Shak. You have the models of several ancient temples, though the…

Representation by lines without color; an outline drawing.

n Spain, in which the arch had the form of a horseshoe, and the ornamentation admitted no representation of animal life. It has many points of resemblance to the Arabian and Persian styles, but should be distinguished from them. See Illust. under Moresque.

Delicacy or softness in the representation of flesh.

To excite to action by the presentation of motives; to rouse by representation, persuasion, or appeal; to influence. Minds desirous of revenge were not moved with gold. Knolles. No female arts his mind could move. Dryden.

Exhibition or representation of the muscles. [R.] A good piece, the painters say, must have good muscling, as well as coloring and drapery. Shaftesbury.

A dramatic representation of a Scriptural subject, often some event in the life of Christ; a dramatic composition of this character; as, the Chester Mysteries, consisting of dramas acted by various craft associations in that city in the early part of the 14th century. "Mystery plays," so called because acted by craftsm…

A representation of the positions of the heavenly bodies as the moment of one's birth, supposed to indicate his future destinies; a horoscope. The Nativity, the birth or birthday of Christ; Christmas day. -- To cast, or calculate, one's nativity (Astrol.), to find out and represent the position of the heavenly bodies…

raped or unclothed portion; esp. (Fine Arts), the human figure represented unclothed; any representation of nakedness; -- chiefly used in the plural and in a bad sense. There are no such licenses permitted in poetry any more than in painting, to design and color obscene nudities. Dryden.