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Worth of esteem or respect; deserving our good opinion or regard. A lady said of her two companions, that one was more amiable, the other more estimable. Sir W. Temple.

stem of principles and rules concerting duty, whether true or false; rules of practice in respect to a single class of human actions; as, political or social ethics; medical ethics. The completeness and consistency of its morality is the peculiar praise of the ethics which the Bible has taught. I. Taylor.…

d, a fact, or the truth; perfectly conforming; neither exceeding nor falling short in any respect; true; correct; precise; as, the clock keeps exact time; he paid the exact debt; an exact copy of a letter; exact accounts. I took a great pains to make out the exact truth. Jowett (Thucyd. )

in accounts or business. He had . . . that sort of exactness which would have made him a respectable antiquary. Macaulay.

A title of honor or respect; -- more common in the form excellency. I do greet your excellence With letters of commission from the king. Shak.

Superior in kind or degree, irrespective of moral quality; -- used with words of a bad significance. [Obs. or Ironical] "An excellent hypocrite." Hume. Their sorrows are most excellent. Beau. & Fl.

own name, and he is intrusted with the possession and control of the goods; and in these respects he differs from a broker. Story. Wharton. My factor sends me word, a merchant's fled That owes me for a hundred tun of wine. Marlowe.

To deteriorate in respect to vigor, activity, resources, etc.; to become weaker; as, a sick man fails.

brane. -- False papers (Naut.), documents carried by a ship giving false representations respecting her cargo, destination, ect., for the purpose of deceiving. -- False passage (Surg.), an unnatural passage leading off from a natural canal, such as the urethra, and produced usually by the unskillful introduction of i…

Honorable descent; noble or respectable stock; as, a man of family.

Orderly; comely; respectable. [Obs.] Halliwell.

The prevailing mode or style, especially of dress; custom or conventional usage in respect of dress, behavior, etiquette, etc.; particularly, the mode or style usual among persons of good breeding; as, to dress, dance, sing, ride, etc., in the fashion. The innocent diversions in fashion. Locke. As now existing, fashion…

A respectful mode of address to an old man. And Joash the king og Israel came down unto him [Elisha], . . . and said, O my father, my father! 2 Kings xiii. 14.

Respectful reverence for men of authority or worth. I will put my fear in their hearts. Jer. xxxii. 40. I will teach you the fear of the Lord. Ps. xxxiv. 11. render therefore to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due . . . fear to whom fear. Rom. xiii. 7.

fence, or Virginia rail fence. -- To be on the fence, to be undecided or uncommitted in respect to two opposing parties or policies. [Colloq.]

An assumption of a possible thing as a fact, irrespective of the question of its truth. Wharton.

The form of a syllogism with respect to the relative position of the middle term.

Respecting an end or object to be gained; respecting the purpose or ultimate end in view. Final cause. See under Cause.

Astron.), such stars as always retain nearly the same apparent position and distance with respect to each other, thus distinguished from planets and comets.

To dip, the flag, to mlower it and quickly restore it to its place; -- done as a mark of respect. -- To hang out the white flag, to ask truce or quarter, or, in some cases, to manifest a friendly design by exhibiting a white flag. -- To hang the flag half-mast high or half-staff, to raise it only half way to the mas…