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r one's self especially from property belonging to another, confided to one's care; -- an expression taken from the practice of birds which collect feathers for the lining of their nests. -- To feather an oar (Naut), to turn it when it leaves the water so that the blade will be horizontal and offer the least resistanc…

A nonsensical exclamation attributed to giants and ogres; hence, any expression calculated to impose upon the timid and ignorant. "Impudent fee-faw-fums." J. H. Newman.

Wanting force, vigor, or efficiency in action or expression; not full, loud, bright, strong, rapid, etc.; faint; as, a feeble color; feeble motion. "A lady's feeble voice." Shak.

ccomplishment; as, felicity in painting portraits, or in writing or talking. "Felicity of expression." Bp. Warburton.

Intensity of feeling or expression; glowing ardor; passion; holy zeal; earnestness. Hooker. Winged with fervor of her love. Shak.

Used in a sense that is tropical, as a metaphor; not literal; -- applied to words and expressions.

One who uses or interprets figurative expressions. Waterland.

A severe or contemptuous remark; an expression of sarcastic scorn; a gibe; a sarcasm. I, who love to have a fling, Both at senate house and king. Swift.

To use florid language; to indulge in rhetorical figures and lofty expressions; to be flowery. They dilate . . . and flourish long on little incidents. J. Watts.

position, Correlation, etc. -- Force and arms Etym: [trans. of L. vi et armis] (Law), an expression in old indictments, signifying violence. -- In force, or Of force, of unimpaired efficacy; valid; of full virtue; not suspended or reversed. "A testament is of force after men are dead." Heb. ix. 17. -- Metabolic forc…

Established method of expression or practice; fixed way of proceeding; conventional or stated scheme; formula; as, a form of prayer. Those whom form of laws Condemned to die. Dryden.

A symbolic expression (by means of letters, figures, etc.) of the constituents or constitution of a compound.

reduce to, or express in, a formula; to put in a clear and definite form of statement or expression. G. P. Marsh.

In truth; in fact; certainly; very well; -- formerly used as an expression of deference or respect, especially to woman; now used ironically or contemptuously. A fit man, forsooth, to govern a realm! Hayward. Our old English word forsooth has been changed for the French madam. Guardian.

One or more aliquot parts of a unit or whole number; an expression for a definite portion of a unit or magnitude. Common, or Vulgar, fraction, a fraction in which the number of equal parts into which the integer is supposed to be divided is indicated by figures or letters, called the denominator, written below a line,…

witness; one of the ancient privileges of a freeman; free and common law; -- an obsolete expression signifying substantially the same as the American expression civil rights. Abbot.

To be vexed; to be chafed or irritated; to be angry; to utter peevish expressions. He frets, he fumes, he stares, he stamps the ground. Dryden.

Any expression of displeasure; as, the frowns of Providence; the frowns of Fortune.

the diameter. If x be a symbol to which different numerical values can be assigned, such expressions as x2, 3x, Log. x, and Sin. x, are all functions of x. Algebraic function, a quantity whose connection with the variable is expressed by an equation that involves only the algebraic operations of addition, subtraction,…

, idle prate; chatter; unmeaning talk; loquaciousness. [Colloq.] Gift of gab, facility of expression. [Colloq.]