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ing, giving way, or the like; subsistence; maintenance; assistance; reënforcement; as, he gave his family a good support, the support of national credit; the assaulting column had the support of a battery. Points of support (Arch.), the horizontal area of the solids of a building, walls, piers, and the like, as compare…

She called the saints to surety, That she would never put it from her finger, Unless she gave it to yourself. Shak.

The act or manner of a swaggerer. He gave a half swagger, half leer, as he stepped forth to receive us. W. Irving.

fidence in the company of strangers. V. Knox. The taciturnity and the short answers which gave so much offense. Macaulay.

dely rush. Spenser. He through a little window cast his sight Through thick of bars, that gave a scanty light. Dryden. Thick-and-thin block (Naut.), a fiddle block. See under Fiddle. -- Through thick and thin, through all obstacles and difficulties, both great and small. Through thick and thin she followed him. Hudibr…

A blow or knock, as with something blunt or heavy; a heavy fall. The watchman gave so great a thump at my door, that I awaked at the knock. Tatler.

ng in one's light or way; hence, suspicion of injury or wrong; offense; resentment. Which gave umbrage to wiser than myself. Evelyn. Persons who feel most umbrage from the overshadowing aristocracy. Sir W. Scott.

Vocal expression; articulation; speech. At length gave utterance to these words. Milton.

of future glory, nor a vague ebullition of feeling. I. Taylor. The poet turned away, and gave himself up to a sort of vague revery, which he called thought. Hawthorne.

y act or conduct; outside show; gloss. And set a double varnish on the fame The Frenchman gave you. Shak. Varnish tree (Bot.), a tree or shrub from the juice or resin of which varnish is made, as some species of the genus Rhus, especially R. vernicifera of Japan. The black varnish of Burmah is obtained from the Melanor…

on from a particular point of view, especially as contrasted with another account; as, he gave another version of the affair.

That seal You ask with such a violence, the king, Mine and your master, with his own hand gave me. Shak. All the elements At least had gone to wrack, disturbed and torn With the violence of this conflict. Milton.

; to keep guard; to act as sentinel. Take ye heed, watch and pray. Mark xiii. 33. The Son gave signal high To the bright minister that watched. Milton.

Something; thing; stuff. [Obs.] And gave him for to feed, Such homely what as serves the simple Spenser.

Obs.] Chaucer. And he coveted to fill his woman of the cods that the hogs eat, and no man gave him. Wyclif (Luke xv. 16). An I had but a belly of any indifferency, I were simply the most active fellow in Europe. My womb, my womb, my womb undoes me. Shak.

ompound word. See under Compound, a. -- Good word, commendation; favorable account. "And gave the harmless fellow a good word." Pope. -- In a word, briefly; to sum up. -- In word, in declaration; in profession. "Let us not love in word, . . . but in deed and in truth." 1 John iii. 8. -- Nuns of the Word Incarnate (…

Gave. See Give. Chaucer.