Är'ti-cle1, n.
(är'tĭ-kl), n. [Fr. & Pr. article, Lat. articulus, dim. of artus, a joint; Gr. ἄρθρον, from ἀραρίσκω, to join, to fit.]
Sense 1. A distinct portion of an instrument, discourse, literary work, or any other writing, consisting of two or more particulars, or treating of various topics; hence, a clause in a contract, account, system of regulations, treaty, or the like; a particular charge or item in an account; a term, condition, or stipulation in a contract; a concise statement; as, articles of agreement; an account consisting of many articles; an article in a magazine or cyclopedia.
Sense 2. A distinct part. “Upon each article of human duty.” Paley. “Each article of time.” Habington.
The articles which compose the blood. Darwin.
Sense 3. A particular one of various things; as, an article of merchandise; salt is a necessary article.
They would fight not for articles of faith, but for articles of food. Landor.
Sense 4. Precise point of time; moment; as, in the article of death [Lat. in articulo mortis]. Clarendon.
This fatal news coming to Hick's Hall upon the article of my Lord Russell's trial, was said to have had no little influence on the jury and all the bench to his prejudice. Evelyn.
Sense 5. (Gram.) A certain part of speech; one of the three words, a, an, the, used before nouns to limit or define their application. A (or an) is called the indefinite article, the the definite article.
Sense 6. Comprehension. [Obs. and rare.] “A soul of great article.” Shak.
Articles of confederation, the compact which was first made by the original thirteen states of the United States. They were adopted March 1, 1781, and remained the supreme law until March, 1789.—Articles of impeachment, an instrument which, in cases of impeachment, performs the same office which an indictment does in a common criminal case.—Articles of war, the code or regulations for the government of the army in Great Britain, and of the army and navy in the United States.—Articles of the navy, the code or regulations for the government of the navy in Great Britain.—Lords of articles (Scot. Hist.), a committee of the parliament, whose business was to prepare and digest all matters that were to be laid before it, including the preparation of all bills for laws;—called also lords articulars. Robertson.—The thirty-nine articles, statements of the tenets (thirty-nine in number) held by the church of England, assent to which is the condition of church-fellowship.