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An American Dictionary of the English Language

Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)

Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865

Entries
95,912
Pages
1,538
Illustrations
2,133

Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.

  1. Ac-cû'bi-tûs, n.p. 13(Arch.) A room annexed to large churches as a place of repose for the clergy. Weale.
  2. Ac-cûmb', v. i.p. 13To recline, as at table. [Obs.] Bailey.
  3. Ac-cŭm'ben-cy, n.p. 13The state of being accumbent or reclining. [Rare.]
  4. Ac-cūm'bent, a.p. 13Leaning or reclining, as the ancients did at their meals. The Roman . . . accumbent posture in eating was introduced after the first Punic war. Arbuthnot. 2. (Bot.) Lying against, as one part of a…
  5. Ac-cŭm'bent, n.p. 13One who reclines, as at meals. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
  6. Ac-cū'mu-lāte, v. t.p. 13To heap up in a mass; to pile; to collect or bring together; as, to accumulate a sum of money. Syn.— To collect; pile up; amass; gather; aggregate; heap together.
  7. Ac-cū'mu-lāte, v. i.p. 13To grow to a great size, number, or quantity; to increase greatly. Ill fares the land, to hastening ills a prey, Where wealth accumulates, and men decay. Goldsmith.
  8. Ac-cū'mu-lāte, a.p. 13Collected into a mass or quantity. Bacon.
  9. Ac-cū'mu-lā'tion, n.p. 13The act of accumulating, the state of being accumulated, or that which is accumulated; as, an accumulation of earth or of evils. 2. (Law.) The concurrence of several titles to the same thing, or of…
  10. Ac-cû'mu-lā'tive, a.p. 13Causing accumulation; accumulating; cumulative.
  11. Ac-cû'mu-la-tive-ly, adv.p. 13In an accumulative manner.
  12. Ac-cû'mu-lā'tor, n.p. 13One who accumulates, gathers, or amasses.
  13. Ac'cu-ra-cy, n.p. 13The state of being accurate; precision which results from care; exact conformity to truth, or to a rule or model; freedom from mistake; exactness; nicety; correctness; as, the value of testimony…
  14. Ac'cu-rate, a.p. 13In exact or careful conformity to truth, or to a standard, rule, or model; free from failure, error, or defect; as, an accurate calculator; an accurate measure; an accurate expression. 2. Precisely…
  15. Ac'cu-rate-ly, adv.p. 13In an accurate manner; with precision; without error or defect.
  16. Ac'cu-rate-ness, n.p. 13The state or quality of being accurate; accuracy; exactness; nicety; precision.
  17. Ac-cŭrse', v. t.p. 13To devote to destruction; to imprecate misery or evil upon. Hildebrand accursed and cast down from his throne Henry IV. Raleigh.
  18. Ac-cûrs'ed, p. a.p. 13Doomed to destruction or misery. “An accursed city.” Josh. v. 17. 2. Worthy of the curse; detestable; execrable; hateful. “Deeds accursed.” Collins. Keep from the accursed thing. Josh. vi. 18.
  19. Ac-cū'sa-ble, a.p. 13Liable to be accused or censured; chargeable with a crime or fault; blamable; — followed by of. Browne.
  20. Ac-cū'sal, n.p. 13Accusation. [Rare.]
  21. Ac-cū'sant, n.p. 13One who accuses; an accuser. Hall.
  22. Ac/cu-sā'tion, n.p. 13The act of accusing or charging with a crime or offense. We come not by way of accusation. To taint that honor every good tongue blesses. Shak. 2. That of which one is accused; the charge of an…
  23. Ac-cŭ'sa-tive, a.p. 13Producing accusations; accusatory. “This hath been a very accusative age.” Sir E. Dering. 2. (Gram.) Applied to the fourth case of Greek and Latin nouns, being that on which the action of a verb…
  24. Ac-cū'sa-tive, n.p. 13(Gram.) The fourth case of Greek and Latin nouns, corresponding to the objective case in English.
  25. Ac-cū'sa-tive-ly, adv.p. 13In an accusative manner. 2. In relation to the accusative case in grammar.
  26. Ac-cu'sa-tō'ri-al, a.p. 13Accusatory. Ogilvie.
  27. Ac-cū'sa-to-ry, a.p. 13Pertaining to, or containing, an accusation; as, an accusatory libel. Ayliffe.
  28. Ac-cūse', n.p. 13Accusation. [Obs.] “By false accuse doth level at my life.” Shak.
  29. Ac-cūse', v. t.p. 13To charge with, or declare to have committed a crime or offense; in law, to charge with an offense, judicially or by a public process; as, to accuse one of a high crime or misdemeanor. Nor can they…
  30. Ac-cūse'ment, n.p. 13Accusation. [Obs.]
  31. Ac-cū'ser, n.p. 13One who accuses or blames; specifically, an officer who prefers an accusation against another for some offense, in the name of the government, before a tribunal having cognizance of the offense.
  32. Ac-cŭs'tom, v. t.p. 13To make familiar by use; to habituate or inure. I shall always fear that he who accustoms himself to fraud in little things, wants only opportunity to practice it in greater. Adventurer. Syn.—To…
  33. Ac-cŭs'tom, v. i.p. 13To cohabit; to have sexual commerce. [Obs. and rare.] The British woman boldly thus answered: . . . We with the best men accustom openly; you with the basest commit private adulteries. Milton.
  34. Ac-cŭs'tom, n.p. 13Custom. [Obs.] Milton.
  35. Ac-cŭs'tom-a-ble, a.p. 13Of long custom; habitual; customary. [Rare.] “Accustomable residence in one climate.” Hale.
  36. Ac-cŭs'tom-a-bly, adv.p. 13According to custom or habit. [Rare.] Latimer.
  37. Ac-cūs'tom-ançe, n.p. 13Custom; habitual use or practice. [Obs.]
  38. Ac-cüs'tom-a-ri-ly, adv.p. 13According to custom or common practice; customarily. [Rare.] Cleveland.
  39. Ae-cūs'tom-a-ry, a.p. 13Usual; customary. [See CUSTOMARY.] [Rare.] “The ordinary and accustomary swearing then in use.” Findley.
  40. Ac-cūs'tomed, a.p. 13Familiar through frequent use; usual; customary. “An accustomed action.” Shak.
  41. Ac-cūs'tom-ed-ness, n.p. 13Habituation. [Rare.] Accustomedness to sin hardens the heart. Pearce.
  42. Āçe, n.p. 13A unit; a single point on a card or die; or the card or die so marked; as, the ace of diamonds. 2. Hence, a very small quantity or degree; a particle; an atom. I'll not wag an ace further. Dryden. To…
  43. A-çĕl'da-mā, n.p. 13A field said to have lain south of Jerusalem, purchased with the bribe which Judas took for betraying his Master, and therefore called the field of blood;—sometimes used in a figurative sense. The…
  44. A-cĕn’tric, a.p. 13Not centered. Buchanan.
  45. Ăç'e-phal or A-çéph'a-lan, n.p. 13(Zoöl.) An animal of the sub-kingdom Mollusca. See MOLLUSK.
  46. A-çeph'a-lī, n. pl.p. 13(Eccl. Hist.) (a.) A faction among the Eutychians (a Christian sect in the fifth century), when deprived of their head or bishop. (b.) Bishops and certain clergymen not under regular control. (c.) A…
  47. A-cĕph'a-list, n.p. 13One who acknowledges no head or superior.
  48. A-çeph'a-loüs, a.p. 13Without a head; headless; as certain fetuses;—applied specifically to animals of the class or division Acephala. 2. (Bot.) Having the style spring from the base, instead of the apex, as is the case…
  49. Āce'-point, n.p. 13The side of a card or die that has but one spot.
  50. A'cer, n.p. 13(Bot.) A genus of trees, including the several species of maple. Baird.
  51. A-çerb', a.p. 13Sour, bitter, and harsh to the taste, as unripe fruit; sour, with astringency or roughness. Quincy.
  52. A-çerb'āte, v. t.p. 13To make sour, bitter, or harsh to the taste.
  53. A-çerb'i-tūde, n.p. 13Sourness and harshness. [Obs.] Bailey.
  54. A-çĕrb'i-ty, n.p. 13Sourness of taste, with bitterness and astringency, like that of unripe fruit. 2. Hence, harshness, bitterness, or severity;—applied to persons or things; as, acerbity of temper; acerbity of pain.…
  55. A-cĕr'ic, a.p. 13Pertaining to, or obtained from, the maple; as, aceric acid. Ure.
  56. Ac'er-ōse', a.p. 14(Bot.) (a.) Having the nature of chaff; chaffy. (b.) Having the shape of a needle, as the leaf of the pine. Gray.
  57. Aç'er-ōus, a.p. 14Same as ACEROSE.
  58. A-cĕr'val, a.p. 14Pertaining to a heap. [Rare.]
  59. A-çër'vâte, v. t.p. 14To heap up. [Obs.]
  60. A-çĕr'vate, a.p. 14Heaped, or growing in heaps, or in closely compacted clusters.