Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Ass'ish, a. p. 84Resembling an ass; asinine; stupid. “Such ... appear to be of the assish kind.” Udal. “An assish phrase.” Mrs. Cowden Clarke.As-sist’, v. t. p. 84To give support to in some undertaking or effort, or in time of distress; to succor. Assist me, knight; I am undone. Shak. Syn.—To help; aid; second; back; support; further; relieve; succor…As-sist', v. i. p. 84To lend aid; to help. With God not parted from him, as was feared, But favoring and assisting to the end. Milton. 2. To be present; to attend; as, to assist at a public meeting. [A Gallicism.]…As-sist'ance, n. p. 84Help; aid; furtherance; succor; a contribution of support in bodily strength or other means. “Without the assistance of a mortal hand.” Shak. 2. An assistant; a helper. [Obs. and rare.] Wat Tyler…As-sist’ant, a. p. 84Helping; lending aid or support; auxiliary. “Genius and learning . . . are mutually and greatly assistant to each other.” Beattie.As-sist'ant, n. p. 84One who aids, or who contributes his strength or other means to further, the designs or welfare of another; an auxiliary. “In one respect I'll thy assistant be.” Shak. 2. An attendant. [Rare.]…As-sist'ant-ly, adv. p. 84In a manner to give aid.As-sist'er, n. p. 84One that lends aid; a helper.As-size', n. p. 84Originally, an assembly of knights and other substantial men, with a bailiff or justice, in a certain place and at a certain time, for public business. 2. (Law.) (a.) A special kind of jury or…As-sīze′, v. t. p. 84To fix the weight, measure, or price of, by an ordinance or regulation of authority. 2. To fix the rate of; to assess, as taxes. Berners.As-sīze'ment, n. p. 85A legalized inspection of weights and measures, and affixing of the price of bread, &c., according to its quality and weight. Simmonds.As-sīz'er, n. p. 85An officer who has the care or inspection of weights and measures. Chambers.As-sīz'or, n. p. 85In Scotland, a juror. Bailey.As-sō'ber, v. t. p. 85To make or keep sober. [Obs.]As-sō'cia-bil'i-ty, n. p. 85The quality of being associable, or capable of association; associableness.As-sō'cia-ble, a. p. 85Capable of being associated or joined. 2. Sociable; companionable. 3. (Med.) Liable to be affected by sympathy, or to receive from other parts correspondent feelings and affections. “The stomach, the…As-sō'cia-ble-ness, n. p. 85Associability.As-sō'ci-āte, v. t. p. 85To join in company, as a friend, companion, partner, or confederate; as, to associate others with us in business, or in an enterprise. 2. To unite in the same mass; as, particles of matter associated…As-sō'ci-āte, v. i. p. 85To unite in company; to keep company, implying intimacy; as, congenial minds are disposed to associate. 2. To unite in action, or to be affected by the action of a different part of the body. Darwin.As-sō'ci-ate, a. p. 85Closely connected or joined with some other, as in interest, purpose, employment, or office; as, an associate judge. While I descend . . . to my associate powers. Milton. 2. (Med.) Connected by habit…As-sō'ci-ate, n. p. 85A companion; one frequently in company with another, implying intimacy or equality; a mate; a fellow. 2. A partner in interest, as in business; or a confederate in a league. 3. Any thing closely or…As-sō'ci-ate-shīp, n. p. 85The state or office of an associate.As-sō/ci-ā'tion, n. p. 85The act of associating, or state of being associated; union; connection, whether of persons or things. “Some . . . bond of association.” Hooker. Antiochus being put besides all hope of association…As-sō'ci-ā'tion-al, a. p. 85Pertaining to an association. [An Americanism.]As-sō'ci-a-tive, a. p. 85Having the quality of associating, or of being affected by sympathy; as, the associative faculty. Hugh Miller.As-sō'ci-ā'tor, n. p. 85A confederate; a partner; an associate. [Obs.] How Pennsylvania's air agrees with Quakers, And Carolina's with associators. Dryden.As-soil’, v. t. p. 85To free from difficulty, from guilt, or from the consequences of guilt; to solve; to absolve; to release; to acquit; to set at liberty. [Obs.] Any child might soon be able to assoil this riddle. Bp.…As-soil', v. t. p. 85To soil; to stain. [Obs. or poet.] Ne'er assoil my cobwebbed shield. Wordsworth.As-soil'ment, n. p. 85Act of assoiling; absolution. More.As-soil'zie, v. t. p. 85(Scots Law.) To pronounce innocent of; to acquit; to absolve. God assoilzie him for the sin of bloodshed. W. Scott.As'so-nance, n. p. 85Resemblance of sounds. “The disagreeable assonance of ‘sheath’ and ‘sheathed’.” Steevens. 2. (Pros.) A peculiar species of rhyme, consisting in the correspondence of the last accented vowel and of…Ăs'so-nant, a. p. 85Having a resemblance of sounds. 2. (Pros.) Pertaining to the peculiar species of rhyme called assonance; not consonant.As-sôrt', v. t. p. 85To separate and distribute into classes, as things of a like kind, nature, or quality, or which are suited to a like purpose; as, to assort goods. ☞ It is sometimes, though rarely, applied to persons…As-sôrt', v. i. p. 85To agree; to be in accordance; to be adapted; to suit. Mitford.As-sôrt'ment, n. p. 85The act of distributing into sorts, kinds, or classes, or of selecting and arranging things. 2. A mass or quantity distributed into kinds or sorts; or a number of things assorted. 3. A variety of…As-sŏt’, v. t. p. 85To infatuate; to besot; to beguile; to bewitch; to delude. [Obs.] “Some ecstasy assotted had his sense.” Spenser.As-söt’, a. p. 85Infatuated; foolish. [Obs.] “Willie, I ween thou be assot.” Spenser.As-suāge', v. t. p. 85To soften, in a figurative sense; to allay, mitigate, ease, or lessen, as pain or grief; to appease or pacify, as passion or tumult. “Refreshing winds the summer’s heat assuage.” Addison. “To assuage…As-suā'ge', v. i. p. 85To abate or subside. “The waters assuaged.” Gen. viii. 1.As-sua'ge-ment, n. p. 85Mitigation; abatement.As-suā'ger, n. p. 85One who assuages.As-suā'sive, a. p. 85Softening; mitigating; tranquilizing; persuasive. Music her soft assuasive voice applies. Pope.As-sŭb’ju-gāte, v. t. p. 85To bring into subjection. [Obs.]As'sue-fac'tion, n. p. 85The act of accustoming. [Obs.] Custom and studies affirm the soul like wax, and by assuefaction introduce a nature. Bp. Taylor.Ăs'sue-tūde, n. p. 85Custom; habit; habitual use. Assuetude of things hurtful doth make them lose their force to hurt. Bacon.As-sūme’, v. t. p. 85To receive or adopt. [Rare.] The sixth was a young knight of lesser renown and lower rank, assumed into that honorable company. W. Scott. 2. To take, or take upon one’s self. The god assumed his…As-sūme',, v. i. p. 85To be arrogant; to claim more than is due. Burnet. 2. (Law.) To undertake. Burrill.As-sūm'ent, n. p. 85A patch; an addition; a piece put on. [Obs.] Lewis.As-sūm'er, n. p. 85One who assumes.As-süm'p'sit, n. p. 85(Law.) (a.) A promise or undertaking, founded on a consideration. This promise may be oral or in writing not under seal. It may be express or implied. (b.) An action to recover damages for a breach…As-sūmpt′, v. t. p. 85To take up; to raise. [Obs. and rare.] Sheldon.As-sŭmpt', n. p. 85That which is assumed; an assumption. [Obs.] The sum of all your assumpts is this. Chillingworth.As-sŭmp'tion, n. p. 85The act of assuming, or taking to or upon one's self. “The assumption of authority.” Whewell. 2. The act of taking for granted, or supposing a thing without proof; supposition. This gives no sanction…As-sūmp'tive, a. p. 85Assumed, or capable of being assumed; or pertaining to assumption. Assumptive arms (Hér.), such as a person has a right, with the approbation of his sovereign and of the heralds, to assume, in…As-sūmpt'ive-ly, adv. p. 85By way of assumption.As-sur'ance, n. p. 85The act of assuring; a declaration tending to inspire credit; a pledge furnishing any ground of full confidence. Whereof he hath given assurance to all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.…As-sure', v. t. p. 85To make sure or certain; to render confident by a promise, declaration, or other evidence. His promise that thy seed shall bruise our foe . . . Assures me that the bitterness of death Is past.…As-sūred′, a. p. 85Certain; indubitable; not doubting; bold to excess; insured. Bacon. Shak.As-sur'ed-ly, adv. p. 85Certainly; indubitably. “The siege assuredly I'll raise.” Shak.As-sur'ed-ness, n. p. 85The state of being assured; certainty; full confidence.