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works, etc., and passes judgment upon them; a reviewer. The opininon of the most skillful critics was, that nothing finer [than Goldsmith's "Traveler"] had appeared in verse since the fourth book of the "Dunciad." Macaulay.

Qualified to criticise, or pass judgment upon, literary or artistic productions. It is submitted to the judgment of more critical ears to direct and determine what is graceful and what is not. Holder.

In a critical manner; with nice discernment; accurately; exactly. Critically to discern good writers from bad. Dryden.

The state or quality of being critical, or of occurring at a critical time.

A contemptible or vicious critic. The rancorous and reptile crew of poeticules, who decompose into criticasters. Swinburne.

Capable of being criticised.

To examine and judge as a critic; to pass literary or artistic judgment upon; as, to criticise an author; to criticise a picture.

One who criticises; a critic.

The rules and principles which regulate the practice of the critic; the art of judging with knowledge and propriety of the beauties and faults of a literary performance, or of a production in the fine arts; as, dramatic criticism. The elements ofcriticism depend on the two principles of Beauty and Truth, one of which i…

Having no crisis; giving no indications of a crisis; as, acritical symptoms, an acritical abscess.

ters of similar form, or different sounds of the same letter, as, a, â, ä, o, ô, etc. "Diacritical points." Sir W. Jones. A glance at this typography will reveal great difficulties, which diacritical marks necessarily throw in the way of both printer and writer. A. J. Ellis.

A remedy which promotes discharges, as an emetic, or a cathartic.

Criticism which includes the study of the contents, literary character, date, authorship, etc., of any writing; as, the higher criticism of the Pentateuch. Called also historical criticism.

One who is critical beyond measure or reason; a carping critic; a captious censor. "Hypercritics in English poetry." Dryden.

Over critical; unreasonably or unjustly critical; carping; captious. "Hypercritical readers." Swift.

In a hypercritical manner.

To criticise with unjust severity; to criticise captiously.

Excessive criticism, or unjust severity or rigor of criticism; zoilism.

See Hypocritical. Swift.

Of or pertaining to a hypocrite, or to hypocrisy; as, a hypocriticalperson; a hypocritical look; a hypocritical action. Hypocritical professions of friendship and of pacific intentions were not spared. Macaulay. -- Hyp`o*crit"ic*al*ly, adv.