ARBITRARY a.
Despotic; absolute in power; bound by no law; harsh and unforbearing; tyrannical; as, an arbitrary prince or government. Dryden. Arbitrary constant, Arbitrary function (Math.), a quantity of function that is introduced into the solution of a problem, and to which any value or form may at will be given, so that the solu…
ARCHES n.
pl. of Arch, n. Court of arches, or Arches Court (Eng. Law), the court of appeal of the Archbishop of Canterbury, whereof the judge, who sits as deputy to the archbishop, is called the Dean of the Arches, because he anciently held his court in the church of St. Mary-le-Bow (de arcubus). It is now held in Westminster. M…
ARTICLE n.
en States of the United States. They were adopted March 1, 1781, and remained the supreme law until March, 1789. -- Articles of impeachment, an instrument which, in cases of impeachment, performs the same office which an indictment does in a common criminal case. -- Articles of war, rules and regulations, fixed by la…
ARTIFICIAL a.
bon. Artificial arguments (Rhet.), arguments invented by the speaker, in distinction from laws, authorities, and the like, which are called inartificial arguments or proofs. Johnson. -- Artificial classification (Science), an arrangement based on superficial characters, and not expressing the true natural relations sp…