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d; austere; -- said of temper, character, and the like, or of persons. Neither melt nor endear him, but leave him as hard, rugged, and unconcerned as ever. South.

Like a saint; becoming a holy person. So dear to Heaven is saintly chastity. Milton.

tters, borders, etc., to be used as samples, or to display the skill of the worker. Susie dear, bring your sampler and Mrs. Schumann will show you how to make that W you bothered over. E. E. Hale.

ge. Madam, I know when, Instead of five, you scored me ten. Swift. Nor need I tallies thy dear love to score. Shak.

Scotland [Poetic] O Scotia! my dear, my native soil! Burns.

n; to trick; to deceive; to make a fool of; to cheat. [Slang] Dickens. To sell one's life dearly, to cause much loss to those who take one's life, as by killing a number of one's assailants. -- To sell (anything) out, to dispose of it wholly or entirely; as, he had sold out his corn, or his interest in a business.…

s; -- an ancient form of oath, corresponding to 'Od's bodikins (dim. of body, i.e., God's dear body). Beau & Fl.

rated; not pure; not genuine. So truth, while only one supplied the state, Grew scare and dear, and yet sophisticate. Dryden.

One who is dear to another; a darling; -- a term of endearment. "Wherefore frowns my sweet" B. Jonson.

A darling; -- a word of endearment. Shak.

To please; to gain reception; to succeed. Each wit may praise it for his own dear sake, And hint he writ it, if the thing should take. Addison.

Exciting kind concern; dear; precious. I love Valentine, Whose life's as tender to me as my soul! Shak.

Pressing; stringent; not easy; firmly held; dear; -- said of money or the money market. Cf. Easy, 7.

to the time of Mr. Jones to give a toast . . . who could not refrain from mentioning his dear Sophia. Fielding.

Anything small; -- frequently applied as a term of endearment to a little child.

Feature; lineament; trait. Of many faces, eyes, and hearts, To have the touches dearest prized. Shak.

n inferior person or agent; a subordinate; hence, a mean, sorry fellow. Milton. he fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, But in ourselves, that we are underlings. Shak.

ch [of Zipporah, Ex. iv. 25] is not a speech of reproach or indignation, but of uxorial endearment. Geddes.

ility; likelihood. Verisimilitude and opinion are an easy purchase; but true knowledge is dear and difficult. Glanvill. All that gives verisimilitude to a narrative. Sir. W. Scott.

l my change come. Job xiv. 14. They also serve who only stand and wait. Milton. Haste, my dear father; 't is no time to wait. Dryden.