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r admiration; a flattering speech or attention; a ceremonious greeting; as, to send one's compliments to a friend. Tedious waste of time, to sit and hear So many hollow compliments and lies. Milton. Many a compliment politely penned. Cowper. To make one a compliment, to show one respect; to praise one in a flattering w…

Complimentary. [Obs.] Languages . . . grow rich and abundant in complimental phrases, and such froth. Sir H. Wotton. -- Com`pli*men"tal*ly, adv. [Obs.] Boyle. -- Com`pli*men"tal*ness, n. [Obs.] Hammond.

Expressive of regard or praise; of the nature of, or containing, a compliment; as, a complimentary remark; a complimentary ticket. "Complimentary addresses." Prescott.

Complimentary. [R.] Boswell.

One who compliments; one given to complimenting; a flatterer.

Containing excessive praise or compliment; servilely praising; flattering; as, an adulatory address. A mere rant of adulatory freedom. Burke.

Indirect; awkward; insincere; sarcastic; as, a backhanded compliment.

Respects; compliments. [Obs.]

A feast; a sumptuous entertainment of eating and drinking; often, a complimentary or ceremonious feast, followed by speeches.

Cross; coarse; indelicate; as, a broad compliment; a broad joke; broad humor.

To drink deeply or freely in compliment; to take in a carousal; to engage in drunken revels. He had been aboard, carousing to his mates. Shak.

Compliments; greetings. [Obs.] Hearty commends and much endeared love to you. Howell.

A message of affection or respect; compliments; greeting. [Obs.] Hark you, Margaret; No princely commendations to my king Shak.

A compliment. [Obs.] Shak. Arithmetical compliment of a logarithm. See under Logarithm. -- Arithmetical complement of a number (Math.), the difference between that number and the next higher power of 10; as, 4 is the complement of 6, and 16 of 84. -- Complement of an arc or angle (Geom.), the difference between that…

Complimentary; courteous. [Obs.] Shak. Complemental air (Physiol.), the air (averaging 100 cubic inches) which can be drawn into the lungs in addition to the tidal air, by the deepest possible inspiration. -- Complemental males (Zoöl.), peculiar small males living parasitically on the ordinary hermaphrodite individual…

One skilled in compliments. [Obs.] B. Jonson.

To be ceremoniously courteous; to make one's compliments. [Obs.] Shak.

on in power; conduct or address designed to gain favor; courtliness of manners; civility; compliment; flattery. No solace could her paramour intreat Her once to show, ne court, nor dalliance. Spenser. I went to make my court to the Dike and Duches of Newcastle. Evelyn.

m; established by common usage; conventional; habitual. Even now I met him With customary compliment. Shak. A formal customary attendance upon the offices. South.

pecially, one who inscribes a book to the favor of a patron, or to one whom he desires to compliment.