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Webster’s Dictionary (1828)



145 words match “WHY”

WHY adv. 4 definitions
rrogatively. See the Note under What, pron., 1. Turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel Ezek. xxxiii. 11.
WHY-NOT n.
y assigned reason; a sudden conclusive happening. [Obs.] When the church Was taken with a why-not in the lurch. Hudibras. This game . . . was like to have been lost with a why-not. Nugæ Antiq.
WHYDAH BIRD; WHYDAH FINCH n.
The whidah bird.
FORWHY conj.
Wherefore; because. [Obs.]
ACT v.
morals, private duties, or public offices; to bear or deport one's self; as, we know not why he has acted so.
AFIELD adv.
Out of the way; astray. Why should he wander afield at the age of fifty-five! Trollope.
ANGERLY adv.
Angrily. [Obs. or Poetic] Why, how now, Hecate! you look angerly. Shak.
ARGUMENT n.
s.] There is.. no more palpable and convincing argument of the existence of a Deity. Ray. Why, then, is it made a badge of wit and an argument of parts for a man to commence atheist, and to cast off all belief of providence, all awe and reverence for religion South.
ASSOCIATION n.
inked or associated with a thing. Words . . . must owe their powers association. Johnson. Why should . . . the holiest words, with all their venerable associations, be profaned Coleridge.
AUCTION n.
The things sold by auction or put up to auction. Ask you why Phryne the whole auction buys Pope.
BANNS n.
r place prescribed by law, in order that any person may object, if he knows of just cause why the marriage should not take place.
BASE a.
Illegitimate by birth; bastard. [Archaic] Why bastard wherefore base Shak.
BEAT v.
To exercise severely; to perplex; to trouble. Why should any one . . . beat his head about the Latin grammar who does not intend to be a critic Locke.
BESTRIDE v.
or with the legs astride; to stand over That horse that thou so often hast bestrid. Shak. Why, man, he doth bestride the narrow world Like a Colossus. Shak.
BILANDER n.
wo-masted merchant vessel, fitted only for coasting, or for use in canals, as in Holland. Why choose we, then, like bilanders to creep Along the coast, and land in view to keep Dryden.
BREAK v.
to discipline; as, to break a horse to the harness or saddle. "To break a colt." Spenser. Why, then thou canst not break her to the lute Shak.
CAPITULATE v.
tulates with the king . . . to take to wife his daughter Mary. Heylin. There is no reason why the reducing of any agreement to certain heads or capitula should not be called to capitulate. Trench.
CAST v. 2 definitions
ow away. -- To cast down, to throw down; to destroy; to deject or depress, as the mind. "Why art thou cast down. O my soul" Ps. xiii. 5. -- To cast forth, to throw out, or eject, as from an inclosed place; to emit; to send out. -- To cast in one's lot with, to share the fortunes of. -- To cast in one's teeth, to up…
CONDEMN v.
ce to be wrong; to disapprove of; to censure. Condemn the fault, and not the actor of it! Why, every fault's condemned ere it be done. Shak. Wilt thou condemn him that is most just Job xxxiv. 17.
CONJOIN v.
o two parties, is now conjoined in one. Shak. If either of you know any inward impediment why you should not be conjoined. Shak. Let that which he learns next be nearly conjoined with what he knows already. Locke.
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