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Pretentious; taking much upon one's self; presumptuous. Burke.

Not assuming; not bold or forward; not arrogant or presuming; humble; modest; retiring; as, an unassuming youth; unassuming manners.

Given to false show; assuming or pretending to posses what is not natural or real. He is . . . too spruce, too affected, too odd. Shak.

Assuming man as the center or ultimate end; -- applied to theories of the universe or of any part of it, as the solar system. Draper.

exorbitant claims of rank or estimation; giving one's self an undue degree of importance; assuming; haughty; -- applied to persons. Arrogant Winchester, that haughty prelate. Shak.

To pretend to possess; to take in appearance. Ambition assuming the mask of religion. Porteus. Assume a virtue, if you have it not. Shak.

The act of assuming, or taking to or upon one's self; the act of taking up or adopting. The assumption of authority. Whewell.

Extremely minute; tiny. Atomic philosophy, or Doctrine of atoms, a system which assuming that atoms are endued with gravity and motion accounted thus for the origin and formation of all things. This philosophy was first broached by Leucippus, was developed by Democritus, and afterward improved by Epicurus, and hence is…

to another; to enter into some state or condition, by a change from another state, or by assuming or receiving new properties or qualities, additional matter, or a new character. The Lord God . . . breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. Gen. ii. 7. That error now which is become m…

In a bad sense, too forward; taking undue liberties; over assuming or confident; lacking proper modesty or restraint; rude; impudent. Thou art too wild, too rude and bold of voice. Shak.

Growing white, or assuming a color approaching to white.

on; esp., in alchemy, the state of perfection in the philosopher's stone indicated by its assuming a deep yellow color. Thynne.

Assuming or exhibiting an air of consequence; pretending to importance; pompous; self-important; as, a consequential man. See Consequence, n., 4. His stately and consequential pace. Sir W. Scott. Consequential damage (Law) (a) Damage so remote as not to be actionable (b) Damage which although remote is actionable. (c)…

Assuming or positing the actual existence or reality of the physical or external world. Cosmothetic idealists (Metaph.), those who assume, without attempting to prove, the reality of external objects as corresponding to, and being the ground of, the ideas of which only the mind has direct cognizance. The cosmothetic id…

Assuming the appearance of something; false; spurious; deceitful; hypocritical; as, a counterfeit philanthropist. "An arrant counterfeit rascal." Shak.

or pause by a party to an action, for the judgment of the court on the question, whether, assuming the truth of the matter alleged by the opposite party, it is sufficient in law to sustain the action or defense, and hence whether the party resting is bound to answer or proceed further. Demurrer to evidence, an exceptio…

Near the ground; not high or lofty; not pretentious or magnificent; unpretending; unassuming; as, a humble cottage. THy humble nest built on the ground. Cowley.

ation, or a concealment of one's real character, disposition, or motives; especially, the assuming of false appearance of virtue or religion; a simulation of goodness. Hypocrisy is the necessary burden of villainy. Rambler. Hypocrisy is the homage vice pays to virtue. La Rochefoucauld (Trans. ).

The act of assuming, or state of being clothed with, flesh; incarnation.

The name given to a revolt of French peasants against the nobles in 1358, the leader assuming the contemptuous title, Jacques Bonhomme, given by the nobles to the peasantry. Hence, any revolt of peasants.