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Special circumstance; minute detail; particular. "Even descending to particularities." Sir P. Sidney.

e transferred from one state or condition to another; to change possession, condition, or circumstances; to undergo transition; as, the business has passed into other hands. Others, dissatisfied with what they have, . . . pass from just to unjust. Sir W. Temple.

To put or set in a particular rank, office, or position; to surround with particular circumstances or relations in life; to appoint to certain station or condition of life; as, in whatever sphere one is placed. Place such over them to be rulers. Ex. xviii. 21.

h obtains, or is intended to obtain, the favor of the vulgar; claptrap. Popularities, and circumstances which . . . sway the ordinary judgment. Bacon.

Derived from an object by itself; not dependent on changing circumstances or relations; absolute; -- opposed to relative; as, the idea of beauty is not positive, but depends on the different tastes individuals.

State or condition, whether of external circumstances, or of internal feeling and will; disposition; mood; as, a posture of defense; the posture of affairs. The several postures of his devout soul. Atterbury.

Philosophical; dealing with causes, reasons, and effects, rather than with details and circumstances; -- said of literature. "Pragmatic history." Sir W. Hamilton. "Pragmatic poetry." M. Arnold. Pragmatic sanction, a solemn ordinance or decree issued by the head or legislature of a state upon weighty matters; -- a term…

ature, the pragmatic, or philosophical, method. The narration of this apparently trifling circumstance belongs to the pragmatism of the history. A. Murphy.

A preceding circumstance or condition; an antecedent; hence, a prognostic; a token; a sign. [Obs.]

by an assumption of leave or authority not granted; to go beyond what is warranted by the circumstances of the case; to venture beyond license; to take liberties; -- often with on or upon before the ground of confidence. Do not presume too much upon my love. Shak. This man presumes upon his parts. Locke.…

ous; arrogant. [R.] Sir T. Browne. Presumptive evidence (Law), that which is derived from circumstances which necessarily or usually attend a fact, as distinct from direct evidence or positive proof; indirect or circumstantial evidence. "Presumptive evidence of felony should be cautiously admitted." Blackstone. The dis…

Show; ostentation; glory. Pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war. Shak.

An instrument for examining the depth or other circumstances of a wound, ulcer, or cavity, or the direction of a sinus, of for exploring for bullets, for stones in the bladder, etc. Parr. Probe, or Probe-pointed, scissors (Surg.), scissors used to open wounds, the blade of which, to be thrust into the orifice, has a bu…

Formerly, one who had the charge of writing the acts of the martyrs, and the circumstances of their death; now, one of twelve persons, constituting a college in the Roman Curia, whose office is to register pontifical acts and to make and preserve the official record of beatifications.

Such prior insult or injury as may be supposed, under the circumstances, to create hot blood, and to excuse an assault made in retort or redress.

yment, or which enables him to sustian any character with success; an enabling quality or circumstance; requisite capacity or possession. There is no qualification for government but virtue and wisdom, actual or presumptive. Burke.

parts, things, or person; four things taken collectively; a group of four words, phrases, circumstances, facts, or the like. Delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers. Acts xii. 4. Ye elements, the eldest birth Of Nature's womb, that in quaternion run. Milton. The triads and quaternions with which he loaded his sen…

s occurs when a ray of light is passed through crystals of some substances, under certain circumstances. Conical refraction is of two kinds; external conical refraction, in which the ray issues from the crystal in the form of a cone, the vertex of which is at the point of emergence; and internal conical refraction, in…

Required by the nature of things, or by circumstances; All truth requisite for men to know. Milton.

oceed, spring, or rise, as a consequence, from facts, arguments, premises, combination of circumstances, consultation, thought, or endeavor. Pleasure and peace do naturally result from a holy and good life. Tillotson. Resulting trust (Law), a trust raised by implication for the benefit of a party granting an estate. Th…