Search the Dictionary

h; promotion in desirable qualities; progress toward what is better; melioration; as, the improvement of the mind, of land, roads, etc. I look upon your city as the best place of improvement. South. Exercise is the chief source of improvement in all our faculties. Blair.

Reduction from a better to a worse state; as, disimprovement of the earth.

Ill use or employment; use for a bad purpose.

the earth with an acceleration of velocity; -- opposed to retardation. A period of social improvement, or of intellectual advancement, contains within itself a principle of acceleration. I. Taylor. (Astr. & Physics.) Acceleration of the moon, the increase of the moon's mean motion in its orbit, in consequence of which…

ceives an addition by growth, or by labor, has a right to the part or thing added, or the improvement (provided the thing is not changed into a different species). Thus, the owner of a cow becomes the owner of her calf.

Improvement or progression, physically, mentally, morally, or socially; as, an advance in health, knowledge, or religion; an advance in rank or office.

The act of advancing, or the state of being advanced; progression; improvement; furtherance; promotion to a higher place or dignity; as, the advancement of learning. In heaven . . . every one (so well they love each other) rejoiceth and hath his part in each other's advancement. Sir T. More. True religion . . . propose…

The act of ameliorating, or the state of being ameliorated; making or becoming better; improvement; melioration. "Amelioration of human affairs." J. S. Mill.

Tending to ameliorate; producing amelioration or improvement; as, ameliorative remedies, efforts.

the details or provisions of a bill or measure while on its passage, professedly for its improvement.

Improvement of common lands, by inclosing and converting them to the uses of husbandry for the advantage of the lord of the manor. Blackstone.

Left a distance by, in progress of improvement Hence: Inferior to in dignity, rank, knowledge, or excellence, or in any achievement. I was not a whit behind the very chiefest apostles. 2 Cor. xi. 5.

To gain advantage; to make improvement; to profit; as, he will benefit by the change.

in the plural. Their betters would hardly be found. Hooker. For the better, in the way of improvement; so as to produce improvement. "If I have altered him anywhere for the better." Dryden.

A making better; amendment; improvement. W. Montagu.

n astronomer. Calippic period, a period of seventy-six years, proposed by Calippus, as an improvement on the Metonic cycle, since the 6940 days of the Metonic cycle exceeded 19 years by about a quarter of a day, and exceeded 235 lunations by something more.

A company licensed for the purpose of carrying out improvements, by means of loans and advances upon real securities. ]

The art or act of cultivating; improvement for agricultural purposes or by agricultural processes; tillage; production by tillage.

The state of being cultivated; result of cultivation; physical improvement; enlightenment and discipline acquired by mental and moral training; civilization; refinement in manners and taste. What the Greeks expressed by their humanitas, we less happily try to express by the more artificial word culture. J. C. Shairp. T…

od of 76 years, or four Metonic cycles; -- so called from Calippus, who proposed it as an improvement on the Metonic cycle. -- Cycle of eclipses, a priod of about 6,586 days, the time of revolution of the moon's node; -- called Saros by the Chaldeans. -- Cycle of indiction, a period of 15 years, employed in Roman and…