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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. As-pīr'ant, a.p. 82Aspiring.
  2. As-pīr'ant, n.p. 82One who aspires, pants, or seeks with eagerness. “Successful aspirant after earthly things.” Warburton.
  3. Ăs'pi-rāte, v. t.p. 82To pronounce with a breathing or forcing out of breath. We aspirate the words horse and house.
  4. Ăs'pi-rāte, v. i.p. 82To give or impart a strong breathing. “Our W and H aspirate.” Dryden.
  5. Ăs’pi-rate, n.p. 82A letter marked with an asper, or note of breathing. 2. A mark of aspiration (῾) used in Greek; the asper, or rough breathing. Bentley. 3. An elementary sound produced by the breath alone, without…
  6. As'pi-rate, a.p. 82Pronounced with a rough breathing. They are not aspirate, i. e., with such an aspiration as h. Holder.
  7. Ăs/pi-rā'tion, n.p. 82The pronunciation of a letter with a full or strong emission of breath. If aspiration be defined to be an impetus of breathing. Wilkins. 2. The act of aspiring or of ardently desiring; strong wish or…
  8. Ăs'pi-rā'tor, n.p. 82(Chem.) An apparatus for passing air through liquids by means of suction.
  9. As-pĭr'a-to-ry, a.p. 82Pertaining to breathing; suited to the inhaling of air.
  10. As-pīre', v. i.p. 82To desire with eagerness; to pant; to long;—followed by to or after; as, to aspire to a crown, or after immortality. Aspiring to be gods, if angels fell, Aspiring to be angels, men rebel. Pope. 2. To…
  11. As-pīre′, v. t.p. 82To pant for; to long or try to reach; to aspire to. [Obs.] That gallant spirit hath aspired the clouds. Shak.
  12. As-pīre′, n.p. 82Aspiration. [Obs.] “Choke my devout aspires.” Browne.
  13. As-pīr'er, n.p. 82One who aspires.
  14. As-pīr'ing-ly, adv.p. 82In an aspiring manner.
  15. As-pir'ing-ness, n.p. 82The state of being aspiring.
  16. Ăs/por-tā'tion, n.p. 82(Law.) The felonious removal of goods from the place where they were deposited. ☞ Adjudged to be larceny, though the goods are not carried from the house or apartment. Blackstone.
  17. A-squint', adv.p. 82To the corner or angle of the eye; obliquely; toward one side; not in the straight line of vision: as, to look asquint.
  18. Ass, n.p. 82(Zool.) A quadruped of the genus Equus (E. asinus), having a peculiarly harsh bray, long, slouching ears, and being usually of an ash color, with a black bar across the shoulders. The tame or…
  19. Ăs'sa-fēt'i-dă, n.p. 82See ASAFETIDA.
  20. Ăs'sa-gāi or Ăs'se-gāi, n.p. 82An instrument of warfare among the Kaffirs.
  21. Ăs-sā'ip. 82(Mus.) A direction equivalent to very; as, adagio assai, very slow. Moore.
  22. As-sāi'l, v. t.p. 82To attack with violence, or in a hostile manner; to assault; as, to assail a man with blows; to assail a city with artillery. A thousand battles have assailed thy banks. Byron. 2. To attack morally…
  23. As-sāil'a-ble, a.p. 82Capable of being assailed, attacked, or invaded.
  24. As-sāil'ant, n.p. 82One who assails, attacks, or assaults. “An assailant of the church.” Macaulay.
  25. As-sāi'lant, a.p. 82Assaulting; attacking; assailing. Milton.
  26. As-sāil'er, n.p. 82One who assails.
  27. Ăs-sāil'ment, n.p. 82Attack; particularly, an attack of disease. [Rare.] His most frequent assailment was the headache. Johnson.
  28. Ăs/sam-ĕse', n. sing. & pl.p. 82(Geog.) A native or an inhabitant of Assam, or Asam.
  29. Ăs'sam-ĕs'e', a.p. 82(Geog.) Pertaining to Assam, or to its inhabitants.
  30. Ăs-sārt', n.p. 82(Old Law.) The offense of grubbing up trees, and thus destroying thickets or coverts of a forest. Spelman. Cowell. 2. A tree plucked up by the roots. Ash. 3. A piece of land cleared. Ash.
  31. Ăs-sārt', v. t.p. 82To grub up, as trees; to commit an assart upon. Ashmole.
  32. As-säs'sin, n.p. 82One who kills, or attempts to kill, by surprise or secret assault. “The vile assassin and adulterous dame.” Pope.
  33. Ăs-sās'sin, v. t.p. 82To assassinate. [Obs.] Stillingfleet.
  34. As-säs’sin-āte, v. t.p. 82To kill, or attempt to kill, by surprise or secret assault; to murder by sudden violence, or to attack with murderous intent. I am ravished, and like to be assassinated. Dryden. 2. To waylay, or take…
  35. As-säs'sin-ate, n.p. 82An assassination, murder, or murderous assault. [Obs.] “If I had made an assassinate upon your father.” B. Jonson. “Assassinates and popular insurrections.” Pope. 2. An assassin; a murderer. [Obs.]…
  36. As-săs'si-nā'tion, n.p. 82The act of assassinating; a killing, or murdering, by surprise or secret assault; murder by violence.
  37. As-săs′sin-ā′tor, n.p. 82An assassin.
  38. As-săs'sin-oŭs, a.p. 82Murderous. [Obs.] Milton.
  39. Ăs-sāʹtion, n.p. 82A roasting. [Obs.] Browne.
  40. As-sault', n.p. 82A violent onset or attack with physical means, as blows, weapons, &c.; as, to make an assault upon a man, a house, or a town. The Spanish general prepared to renew the assault. Prescott. 2. A violent…
  41. As-sault', v. t.p. 83To make an assault upon; to attack with great physical violence. Insnared, assaulted, overcome, led bound. Milton. 2. To attack with moral means, or with a view of producing moral effects; to attack…
  42. As-sault'a-ble, a.p. 83Capable of being assaulted; assailable. Williams.
  43. As-sault'er, n.p. 83One who assaults, or violently attacks; an assailant. Bp. Hall.
  44. As-sāy', n.p. 83Trial; attempt; essay. [Obs.] I am withal persuaded that it may prove much more easy in the assay than it now seems at distance. Milton. 2. An adventure or enterprise; experience. [Obs.] Through many…
  45. As-sāy', v. t.p. 83To subject, as an ore, alloy, or other metallic compound, to chemical examination, in order to determine the amount of a particular metal contained in it. 2. To apply; to try. [Obs.] “Soft words to…
  46. As-sāy’, v. i.p. 83To attempt, try, or endeavor. “She thrice assayed to speak.” Dryden. [In this sense essay is now used.]
  47. As-sāy'er, n.p. 83One who assays; specifically, one who examines metallic ores or compounds, for the purpose of determining the amount of any particular metal in the same, especially of gold or silver.
  48. As-sāy'-mās'ter, n.p. 83An assayer; an officer appointed to determine the amount of gold or silver in coin or bullion.
  49. Ăs/sec-tā'tion, n.p. 83Attendance or waiting upon. [Obs.] Bailey.
  50. As-se-cū'rance, n.p. 83Assurance. [Obs.] Sheldon.
  51. As'se-cu-rā'tion, n.p. 83Assurance; freedom from doubt; certainty. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
  52. As-se-cūre', v. t.p. 83To make sure. [Obs.] Bullokar.
  53. As-se-cû'tion, n.p. 83An obtaining or acquiring. [Obs.] Ayliffe.
  54. As-sĕm'blage, n.p. 83The act of assembling, or the state of being assembled. [Rare.] “In sweet assemblage every blooming grace.” Fenton. 2. A collection of individuals, or of particular things; as, a political…
  55. As-sĕm'blance, n.p. 83Resemblance; likeness; representation. [Obs.] Care I for the . . . assemblance of a man? give me the spirit. Shak. 2. An assembling. [Obs.] “To weep the cause of their assemblance.” Spenser.
  56. As-sĕm'ble, v. t.p. 83To collect into one place or body; to bring or call together; to convene; to congregate. Thither he assembled all his train, Milton.
  57. As-sĕm'ble, v. i.p. 83To meet or come together; to convene, as a number of individuals. “The churls assemble.” Dryden.
  58. As-sĕm'ble, v. t.p. 83To liken; to compare. [Obs.] “Bibles may be assembled to pitch.” Latimer.
  59. As-sĕm'bler, n.p. 83One who assembles.
  60. As-sĕm’bly, n.p. 83A company of persons collected together in one place, and usually for some common purpose; as, religious, political, and social assemblies. 2. An assemblage. [Obs.] Howell. 3. (Mil.) A beat of the…