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or adversary; clemency. Examples of justice must be made for terror to some; examples of mercy for comfort to others. Bacon.

A word formerly used to express thankfulness, with surprise; many thanks. Gramercy, Mammon, said the gentle knight. Spenser.

See Gramercy. [Obs.]

To thank. [Obs.] She him remercied as the patron of her life. Spenser.

Floating at random; in a drifting condition; at the mercy of wind and waves. Also fig. So on the sea shall be set adrift. Dryden. Were from their daily labor turned adrift. Wordsworth.

Tending to affront or offend; offensive; abusive. How affrontive it is to despise mercy. South.

The oblong chest of acacia wood, overlaid with gold, which supported the mercy seat with its golden cherubs, and occupied the most sacred place in the sanctuary. In it Moses placed the two tables of stone containing the ten commandments. Called also the Ark of the Covenant.

inherent in, a person or thing; an essential or necessary property or characteristic. But mercy is above this sceptered away; . . . It is an attribute to God himself. Shak.

Something characteristic; a mark; a token. Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge. Shak.

Fig.: A ray; a gleam; as, a beam of comfort. Mercy with her genial beam. Keble.

joyous; to confer prosperity or happiness upon; to grant divine favor to. The quality of mercy is . . . twice blest; It blesseth him that gives and him that takes. Shak. It hath pleased thee to bless the house of thy servant, that it may continue forever before thee. 1 Chron. xvii. 27 (R. V. )

villain; a serf; a bondman. Carnal, greedy people, without such a precept, would have no mercy upon their poor bondsmen. Derham.

-- To cast one's self on or upon to yield or submit one's self unreservedly to. as to the mercy of another. -- To cast out, to throy out; to eject, as from a house; to cast forth; to expel; to utter. -- To cast the lead (Naut.), to sound by dropping the lead to the botton. -- To cast the water (Med.), to examine the…

orth. Sisters of Charity (R. C. Ch.), a sisterhood of religious women engaged in works of mercy, esp. in nursing the sick; -- a popular designation. There are various orders of the Sisters of Charity.

cheerful birds of sundry kind Do chant sweet music. Spenser. A cheerful confidence in the mercy of God. Macaulay. This general applause and cheerful shout. Shak.

A symbolical winged figure of unknown form used in connection with the mercy seat of the Jewish Ark and Temple. Ez. xxv. 18.

sposition to forgive and spare, as offenders; mildness of temper; gentleness; tenderness; mercy. Great clemency and tender zeal toward their subjects. Stowe. They had applied for the royal clemency. Macaulay.

and trust upon confidence of one another's integrity. South. A cheerful confidence in the mercy of God. Macaulay.

o convey the idea of promptness and force. Coup de grace (ke gr Etym: [F.], the stroke of mercy with which an executioner ends by death the sufferings of the condemned; hence, a decisive, finishing stroke. -- Coup de main (ke m Etym: [F.] (Mil.), a sudden and unexpected movement or attack. -- Coup de soleil (k Etym:…

nkle; to distort. [Obs.] Till like a boy you see him cringe his face, And whine aloud for mercy. Shak.