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t; to exculpate; to absolve; to acquit. A man's persuasion that a thing is duty, will not excuse him from guilt in practicing it, if really and indeed it be against Gog's law. Abp. Sharp.

Having no excuse; not admitting of excuse or apology. Whillock.

Excuse. [Obs.] Gower.

One who offers excuses or pleads in extenuation of the fault of another. Swift.

To receive or admit and agree to; to assent to; as, I accept your proposal, amendment, or excuse.

To produce or urge as a reason, plea, or excuse; as, he refused to lend, alleging a resolution against lending.

To extenuate; to palliate. [R.] He alleviates his fault by an excuse. Johnson.

To make an apology or excuse; to make acknowledgment of some fault or offense, with expression of regret for it, by way of amends; -- with for; as, my correspondent apologized for not answering my letter. To apologize for his insolent language. Froude.

anity. It is not my intention to make an apology for my poem; some will think it needs no excuse, and others will receive none. Dryden.

To assign or show cause; to give a reason; to make excuse. [Obs.] Spenser.

tor; to matronize. Fortunately Lady Bell Finley, whom I had promised to chaperon, sent to excuse herself. Hannah More.

That which conceals; a disguise or pretext; an excuse; a fair pretense; a mask; a cover. No man is esteemed any ways considerable for policy who wears religion otherwise than as a cloak. South. Cloak bag, a bag in which a cloak or other clothes are carried; a portmanteau. Shak.

priate; as, a clumsy person; a clumsy workman; clumsy fingers; a clumsy gesture; a clumsy excuse. But thou in clumsy verse, unlicked, unpointed, Hast shamefully defied the Lord's anointed. Dryden.

That which covers or hides the real character of anything; semblance; excuse; disguise; appearance. They had let down the boat into the sea, under color as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship. Acts xxvii. 30. That he should die is worthy policy; But yet we want a color for his death. Shak.…

ntest, etc.); as, he came off with honor; hence, substantively, a come off, an escape; an excuse; an evasion. [Colloq.] (e) To pay over; to give. [Obs.] (f) To take place; to happen; as, when does the race come off

A subterfuge; an excuse.

urn aside from the right path; to transgress; to offend. [R.] Thy abundant goodness shall excuse This deadly blot on thy digressing son. Shak.

part of a discourse deviating from its main design or subject. The digressions I can not excuse otherwise, than by the confidence that no man will read them. Sir W. Temple.

To exempt; to excuse; to absolve; -- with from. It was resolved that all members of the House who held commissions, should be dispensed from parliamentary attendance. Macaulay. He appeared to think himself born to be supported by others, and dispensed from all necessity of providing for himself. Johnson.…

To excuse for nonappearance in court. "I 'll not essoin thee." Quarles.