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A German foot soldier in foreign service in the 15th and 16th centuries; a soldier of fortune; -- a term used in France and Western Europe.

as, to laugh away regret. (b) To waste in hilarity. "Pompey doth this day laugh away his fortune." Shak. -- To laugh down. (a) To cause to cease or desist by laughter; as, to laugh down a speaker. (b) To cause to be given up on account of ridicule; as, to laugh down a reform. -- To laugh one out of, to cause one by…

A balance. [Obs.] Fortune all in equal launce doth sway. Spenser.

A wager. "My fortunes against any lay worth naming."

h; to lower; to degrade; as, to lessen a kingdom, or a population; to lessen speed, rank, fortune. Charity . . . shall lessen his punishment. Calamy. St. Paul chose to magnify his office when ill men conspired to lessen it. Atterbury.

on his brow were graven lines austere. Byron. He tipples palmistry, and dines On all her fortune-telling lines. Cleveland.

A limit or boundary; a border. The very list, the very utmost bound, Of all our fortunes. Shak.

or make the most of life; to be in a state of happiness. What greater curse could envious fortune give Than just to die when I began to live Dryden.

To part with unintentionally or unwillingly, as by accident, misfortune, negligence, penalty, forfeit, etc.; to be deprived of; as, to lose money from one's purse or pocket, or in business or gaming; to lose an arm or a leg by amputation; to lose men in battle. Fair Venus wept the sad disaster Of having lost her favori…

The state of losing or having lost; the privation, defect, misfortune, harm, etc., which ensues from losing. Though thou repent, yet I have still the loss. Shak

That which happens without human design or forethought; chance; accident; hazard; fortune; fate. But save my life, which lot before your foot doth lay. Spenser.

Low condition, especially as to manner of life. The lowliness of my fortune has not brought me to flatter vice. Dryden.

Slipperiness; instability; as, the lubricity of fortune. L'Estrange.

al; a course or series of such events regarded as occurring by chance; chance; hap; fate; fortune; often, one's habitual or characteristic fortune; as, good, bad, ill, or hard luck. Luck is often used for good luck; as, luck is better than skill. If thou dost play with him at any game, Thou art sure to lose; and of tha…

In a lucky manner; by good fortune; fortunately; -- used in a good sense; as, they luckily escaped injury.

Good fortune; favorable issue or event. Locke.

Being without luck; unpropitious; unfortunate; unlucky; meeting with ill success or bad fortune; as, a luckless gamester; a luckless maid. Prayers made and granted in a luckless hour. Dryden. -- Luck"less*ly, adv. -- Lock"less*ness, n.

Favored by luck; fortunate; meeting with good success or good fortune; -- said of persons; as, a lucky adventurer. " Lucky wight." Spenser.

or supports; means of sustenance; supply of necessaries and conveniences. Those of better fortune not making learning their maintenance. Swift.

a desirable state or condition; the material of which something may be made; as, early misfortune was the making of him.