Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Ap-prōv', v. t. p. 68To be pleased with; to think well of; to admit the propriety or excellence of; as, we approve the measures of administration; an approved writer. 2. To prove; to confirm. [Obs. or rare.] Wouldst thou…Ap-prov'ed-ly, adv. p. 68So as to secure approbation.Ap-prŏve'ment, n. p. 68Approbation; liking. [Obs.] I did nothing without your approvement. Hayward. 2. (Law.) (a.) A confession of guilt by prisoners charged with crime, together with an accusation of their accomplices and…Ap-prōv'er, n. p. 68One who approves. Formerly, one who made proof or trial. 2. (Eng. Law.) (a.) One who confesses a crime and accuses another. See APPROVEMENT. (b.) A bailiff or steward of a manor. Jacobs.Ap-prov'ing-ly, adv. p. 68In an approving manner.Ap-prŏx'i-mant, a. p. 68Approaching. [Obs.] Sir E. Dering.Ap-prŏx'i-mate, a. p. 68Near; next; proximate. [Obs.] 2. (Chem. & Math.) Nearly approaching correctness; not carried out to perfect accuracy; as, approximate results, approximate values. 3. (Zool.) Arranged in the jaws so…Ap-prŏx'i-māte, v. t. p. 68To carry or advance near; to cause to approach. Aikin. To approximate the inequality of riches to the level of nature. Burke.Ap-prŏx'i-māte, v. i. p. 68To come or draw near; to approach. Burke.Ap·prŏx'i·mate-ly, adv. p. 68With near approximation.Ap-prŏx/i-mā'tion, n. p. 68Act of approximating; a drawing, moving, or advancing or being near; approach. The largest capacity and the most noble dispositions are but an approximation to the proper standard and true symmetry…Ap-prŏx'i-mā'tive, a. p. 68Approaching; approximate.Ap-pui', n. p. 68A support or supporter; a prop. [Obs.] If a vine be to climb trees that are of any great height, there would be stays and appuies set to it. Holland.Ăp'pulse or Ap-pūlse', n. p. 68The act of striking against. “In all consonants there is an appulse of the organs.” Holder. 2. Arrival; landing. [Rare.] Bryant. 3. (Astron.) The near approach of two heavenly bodies so that both are…Ap·pŭl'sion, n. p. 68The act of striking against.Ap-pŭl'sive, a. p. 68Striking against; impinging; as, the appulsive influence of the planets. P. Cyc.Ap-pŭl'sive-ly, adv. p. 68By appulsion.Ap-pūr'te-nance, n. p. 68(Law.) That which belongs to something else; an adjunct; an appendage; something annexed to another thing more worthy; in common parlance and legal acceptation, something belonging to another thing…Ap-pūr'te-nant, a. p. 68Belonging; pertaining; incident; as, a right of way appurtenant to land or buildings. Blackstone. Common appurtenant (Law), that which is annexed to land, and is claimed by grant, or prescription…Ăp’ri-cāte, v. i. p. 68To bask in the sun; to sun one's self. [Obs.] Boyle.A-prĭc'i-ty, n. p. 68Sunshine. [Obs.] Blount.A'pri-cōt, n. p. 68[O. Eng. apricock, O. Eng. & Fr. abricot, Sp. albaricoque, albarcoque, albercoque, alvarcoque, It. albercocci, albicocca, Ger. apricose, Ar. al-birqūq, and al-burqūq. Though the Eng. and Fr. form…A'pril, n. p. 68The fourth month of the year.A'pril-fōōl, n. p. 68One who is sportively imposed upon by others on the first of April.A pri-ō'rī p. 68(Logic.) Reasoning a priori is that which deduces consequences from definitions formed, or principles assumed, or which infers effects from causes previously known. This is the reverse of a…A’pron, n. p. 69A cloth, or piece of leather, worn on the fore part of the body, to keep the clothes clean, or defend them from injury. 2. The fat skin covering the belly of a goose or duck. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.…A’proned, a. p. 69Wearing an apron. A cobbler aproned, and a parson gowned. Pope.Ā’pron-măn, n. p. 69A man who wears an apron; a laboring man; a mechanic. Shak.Àp’ro-pôs’, adv. p. 69Opportunely; seasonably. Warburton. 2. By the way; to the purpose;—a word used to introduce an incidental observation, suited to the occasion, though not strictly belonging to the narration.Āpse, n. p. 69(Arch.) An apsis. See Apsis. The mosaic pavement in the apse, begun by Nicholas V., was completed by Paul II. Milman.Ăp'si-dal, a. p. 69(Astron.) Pertaining to the apsides. 2. (Arch.) Pertaining to the apsis of a church; as, the apsidal termination of the chancel.Āp'sis, n. p. 69See APSE. [Lat. apsis, absis, Gr. ἄψις, gen. ἁψῖδος, a tying, fastening, the hoop of a wheel, the wheel, a bow, arch, vault, from ἅπτειν, to fasten.] 1. (Astron.) One of the two points of an orbit…Apt, a. p. 69Fit; suitable. “They have not always apt instruments.” Burke. A river . . . apt to be forded by a lamb. Bp. Taylor. 2. Having a tendency; liable;—used of things; as, wheat on moist land is apt to…Ăpt, v. t. p. 69To fit; to suit. [Obs.] “That our speech be apted to necessary edification.” Bp. Taylor.Apt'a-ble, a. p. 69Capable of being adapted. [Obs.] Sherwood.Ap'tāte, v. t. p. 69To make fit. [Obs.] Bailey.Ap'ter-a or Ap'ter-ous, n. pl. p. 69(Entom.) Insects without wings, constituting the seventh order of insects in Linnæus’s system; and including also crustacea, spiders, centipeds, and even worms. But later zoologists have made a…Ăp'ter-al, a. p. 69Destitute of wings. 2. (Arch.) Without lateral columns;—applied to buildings which have no series of columns along their sides, but are either prostyle or amphiprostyle, and opposed to peripteral. P.…Āp'ter-an, n. p. 69(Entom.) One of the Aptera, an order of wingless insects.Āp'ter-ōus, a. p. 69(Entom.) Destitute of wings; apteral;—applied to insects of the order Aptera. 2. (Bot.) Destitute of membranous expansions, as a stem or petiole;—opposed to alate. Brande.Ap'ter-yx, n. p. 69(Ornith.) A bird of New Zealand of the ostrich or brevipennate family, with only short rudiments of wings, armed with a claw, and without a tail. Baird.Ăpt’i-tūde, n. p. 69A natural or acquired disposition for a particular purpose, or tendency to a particular action or effect; as, oil has an aptitude to burn; men acquire an aptitude to particular vices. 2. A general…Ăp'ti-tū'dī-nal, a. p. 69Containing aptitude. [Obs.]Ap'ti-tū'di-nal-ly, adv. p. 69In an aptitudinal manner.Apt'ly, adv. p. 69In an apt or suitable manner; fitly; properly; justly; pertinently; readily.Apt'ness, n. p. 69Fitness; suitableness; as, the aptness of things to their end. 2. Disposition of the mind; propensity; as, the aptness of men to follow example. 3. Quickness of apprehension; readiness in learning…Ăp'tōte, n. p. 69(Gram.) A noun which has no variation of termination or distinction of cases; an indeclinable noun.Ăp'y-rèt'ic, a. p. 69(Med.) Without fever;—applied to days when there is an intermission of fever. Dunglison.Ap'y-rēx'y, n. p. 69(Med.) The absence or intermission of fever.A-py′rōus or Ăp′y-rōus, a. p. 69Incombustible, or sustaining a strong heat without alteration of form or properties. ☞ Apyrous bodies differ from those simply refractory. Refractory bodies may be altered but not fused by heat.…A'quā, n. p. 69Water;—a word much used in pharmacy and the old chemistry, in various significations, determined by the word or words annexed. Aqua fortis (Chem.), same as nitric-acid.—Aqua marine, or aqua marina, a…A-quā′ri-an, n. p. 69(Eccl. Hist.) One of a sect of Christians in the primitive church who consecrated water in the eucharist instead of wine; either under a pretense of abstinence, or because they thought it was…A·quā'rī·um, n. p. 69An artificial pond for rearing aquatic plants. 2. A globe or tank of glass for keeping alive aquatic animals, usually in connection with aquatic plants, rock-work, and shells. Gosse.A·quā'rĭ·ŭs, n. p. 69(Astron.) The Water-bearer; a sign in the zodiac which the sun enters about the 21st of January;—so called from the rains which prevail at that season in Italy and the East.A-quăt'ic or A-quăt'ic-al, a. p. 69Pertaining to or inhabiting water; as, aquatic animals and plants. 2. Frequenting water; as, aquatic fowls. ☞ Aquatical is rarely used.A-quāt'ie, n. p. 69A plant which grows in water, as the flag.Ăq'ua-tīle, a. p. 69Inhabiting the water. [Rare.] Browne.A'qua-tīnt or A'qua-tīn-tā, n. p. 69A method of engraving by the use of aqua fortis, by which an effect is produced resembling a drawing in water colors or Indian ink.A'quā To-fā'ni, n. p. 69A fluid containing arsenic, and used for secret poisoning, made by a woman named Tofana, who lived at Palermo in the middle of the 17th century, and is said to have poisoned more than 600 persons.…Aq'ue-dūct, n. p. 69A conductor, conduit, or artificial channel for conveying water, especially one for supplying large cities with water. ☞ The term is also applied to a structure, similar to the ancient aqueducts, for…