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The act of distorting, or twisting out of natural or regular shape; a twisting or writhing motion; as, the distortions of the face or body.

To turn from a regular or designed course. [Obs.] And disturb His inmost counsels from their destined aim. Milton.

An interruption of a state of peace or quiet; derangement of the regular course of things; disquiet; disorder; as, a disturbance of religious exercises; a disturbance of the galvanic current.

band of revelers to a flute accompaniment; hence, in general, a poem written in a wild irregular strain. Bentley.

To make a brief abstract of and inscribe in a book; as, judgments regularly docketed.

Low in style, and irregular in measure; as, doggerel rhymes. This may well be rhyme doggerel, quod he. Chaucer.

Any exercise, physical or mental, enforced with regularity and by constant repetition; as, a severe drill in Latin grammar.

ll quantities of a fluid to a test tube or other vessel. -- Dropping fire, a continued irregular discharge of firearms. -- Dropping tube, a tube for ejecting any liquid in drops.

Such as (a thing) ought to be; fulfilling obligation; proper; lawful; regular; appointed; sufficient; exact; as, due process of law; due service; in due time.

In a due, fit, or becoming manner; as it (anything) ought to be; properly; regularly.

ms or laws; deviating from an appointed sphere or way; departing from the usual course; irregular; anomalous; odd; as, eccentric conduct. "This brave and eccentric young man." Macaulay. He shines eccentric, like a comet's blaze. Savage. Eccentric anomaly. (Astron.) See Anomaly. -- Eccentric chuck (Mach.), a lathe chuc…

The termination of the past participle of regular, or weak, verbs; also, of analogous participial adjectives from nouns; as, pigmented; talented.

An oval or oblong figure, bounded by a regular curve, which corresponds to an oblique projection of a circle, or an oblique section of a cone through its opposite sides. The greatest diameter of the ellipse is the major axis, and the least diameter is the minor axis. See Conic section, under Conic, and cf. Focus.…

Intercalation; the insertion of days, months, or years, in an account of time, to produce regularity; as, the embolism of a lunar month in the Greek year.

own observation; especially, in medicine, one who deviates from the rules of science and regular practice; an ignorant and unlicensed pretender; a quack; a charlatan. Among the Greek physicians, those who founded their practice on experience called themselves empirics. Krauth-Fleming. Swallow down opinions as silly pe…

That which engages or occupies a person; fixed or regular service or business; employment. The whole employ of body and of mind. Pope. In one's employ, in one's service.

growth and elongation at the summit, having the wood in the form of bundles or threads, irregularly distributed throughout the whole diameter, not forming annual layers, and with no distinct pith. The leaves of the endogens have, usually, parallel veins, their flowers are mostly in three, or some multiple of three, par…

Having the surface covered with irregular, impressed lines.

To enroll and bind one's self for military or naval service; as, he enlisted in the regular army; the men enlisted for the war.

l toy; a card on which confused or imperfect figures are drawn, but which form to the eye regular figures when the card is rapidly revolved. See Thaumatrope.