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llness of tone; -- a direction for the performance of music, indicated by the mark, or by writing the word on the score.

A size of writing paper. See under Paper.

A cipher writing. Same as Cryptograph.

The act or art of writing in secret characters; also, secret characters, or cipher.

Running; flowing. Cursive hand,a running handwriting.

ecause keeping within the circle of a singe subject. Also, any series or coterie of poets writing on one subject. Milman.

A contrivance for producing manifold copies of writing or drawing. The writing or drawing is done with a style carrying a small wheel at the end which makes minute punctures in the paper, thus converting it into a stencil. Copies are transferred with an inked roller.

The art of writing or engraving upon gems.

Relatingto, emanating from or resembling, the poet Dante or his writings.

A mark or line [--], in writing or printing, denoting a sudden break, stop, or transition in a sentence, or an abrupt change in its construction, a long or significant pause, or an unexpected or epigrammatic turn of sentiment. Dashes are also sometimes used instead of marks or parenthesis. John Wilson.…

That addition to a writing, inscription, coin, etc., which specifies the time (as day, month, and year) when the writing or inscription was given, or executed, or made; as, the date of a letter, of a will, of a deed, of a coin. etc. And bonds without a date, they say, are void. Dryden.

A kind of small writing table, generally somewhat ornamental, and forming a piece of furniture for the parlor or boudoir. A much battered davenport in one of the windows, at which sat a lady writing. A. B. Edwards.

, a language which is no longer spoken or in common use by a people, and is known only in writings, as the Hebrew, Greek, and Latin. -- Dead letter. (a) A letter which, after lying for a certain fixed time uncalled for at the post office to which it was directed, is then sent to the general post office to be opened. (…

A writing acknowledging a debt; a writing or certificate signed by a public officer, as evidence of a debt due to some person; the sum thus due.

Capable of being deciphered; as, old writings not decipherable.

A sealed instrument in writing, on paper or parchment, duly executed and delivered, containing some transfer, bargain, or contract.

ortant features or portions of; as, to deface a monument; to deface an edifice; to deface writing; to deface a note, deed, or bond; to deface a record. "This high face defaced." Emerson. So by false learning is good sense defaced. Pope.

mation; injurious to reputation; calumnious; slanderous; as, defamatory words; defamatory writings.

Of or pertaining to the people; popular; common. Demotic alphabet or character, a form of writing used in Egypt after six or seven centuries before Christ, for books, deeds, and other such writings; a simplified form of the hieratic character; -- called also epistolographic character, and enchorial character. See Encho…

A printing and a writing paper of particular sizes. See under Paper.