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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- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
At'ter-āte or At'ter-rāte, v. t. p. 90To wear away, as earth by the action of water. Hence, 2. To form by the wearing and transporting action of water.At'ter-ā'tion or At'ter-rā'tion, n. p. 90The operation of forming land by the action of the sea in wearing away the earth in one place and depositing it in another. [Obs.] Ray.At-tĕst',, v. t. p. 90To bear witness to; to certify; to affirm to be true or genuine; as, to attest the truth of a writing; to attest a copy of record. Facts . . . attested by particular pagan authors. Addison. 2. To…At-tĕst’, n. p. 90Witness; testimony; attestation. [Rare.] “The attest of eyes and ears.” Shak.At'tes-tā'tion, n. p. 90Testimony; witness; a solemn or official declaration, verbal or written, in support of a fact; evidence. The truth appears from the attestation of witnesses, or of the proper officer. The…At-tĕst'ĕr, n. p. 90One who attests; an attestor.At-tĕst'ive, a. p. 90Attesting; furnishing evidence. [R.]At-tēst'or, n. p. 90One who attests.Ăt'tic, a. p. 90Pertaining to Attica, in Greece, or to its principal city, Athens; marked by such qualities as were characteristic of the Athenians. Thus, Attic wit, Attic salt, a poignant, delicate wit, peculiar to…At'tic, n. p. 90(Arch.) (a.) A story in the upper part of a house, with small windows either in or above the cornice; also, frequently applied to the garret. (b.) A low order, commonly used over a principal order…At'tic-al, a. p. 90Pertaining to Athens; pure; classical; refined; Attic. [Obs.] Hammond.Ăt'ti-cĭsm, n. p. 90The peculiar style and idiom of the Greek language, used by the Athenians; refined and elegant Greek; concise and elegant expression. 2. A particular attachment to the Athenians.Ăt'ti-cīze, v. t. p. 90To conform or make conformable to the language or idiom of Attica; as, adjectives in ως, when Atticized, become ως.Ăt'ti-cīze, v. i. p. 90To use Atticisms, or the idiom of the Athenians. 2. To side with the Athenians, or to subserve the interests of Athens. Smith's Thucydides.At-tig'ū-oüs, a. p. 90Touching; bordering; contiguous. [Obs.]At-tĭng'e', v. t. p. 90To touch lightly. [Obs.] Coles.At-tīre’, v. t. p. 90To dress; to array; to adorn; especially, to adorn with elegant or splendid garments. “Finely attired in a robe of white.” Shak. With the linen miter shall he be attired. Lev. xvi. 4.At-tīre', n. p. 90Dress; clothes; habit; but appropriately, ornamental dress. “Earth in her rich at-tire.” Milton. Can a bride forget her attire? Jer. ii. 32. 2. (Her.) The horns of a deer. 3. (Bot.) The internal…At-tir'er, n. p. 91One who attires.At-ti′tle, v. t. p. 91To entitle. [Obs.] Gower.At'ti-tūde, n. p. 91The posture or position of a person, or the manner in which the parts of his body are disposed; as, a threatening attitude; an attitude of entreaty. 2. Posture or position of things, in a…At'ti-tā'di-nal, a. p. 91Pertaining to attitude.Ăt-ti-tū'di-nā'ri-an, n. p. 91One who attitudinizes.At'ti-tū'di-nize, v. i. p. 91To assume affected attitudes. Maria, who is the most picturesque figure, was put to attitudinize at the harp. Mrs. H. More.At'tle, n. p. 91(Mining.) Rubbish or refuse consisting of broken rock containing little or no ore. Weale.At-tōl'lent, a. p. 91Lifting up; raising; as, an attollent muscle. Derham.At-tōl'lent, n. p. 91(Anat.) A muscle which raises some part, as the ear, the eyeball, or the upper eyelid;— otherwise called levator or elevator.At-tōnçe', adv. p. 91Once for all; at once; immediately. [Obs.] Spenser.At-tōne', v. & adv. p. 91See ATONE.At-torn', v. i. p. 91(Feudal Law.) To turn, or transfer homage and service from one lord to another. This is the act of feudatories, vassals, or tenants, upon the alienation of the estate. Blackstone. 2. (Modern Law.) To…At-tor’ney, n. p. 91(Lit.) One who takes the turn or place of another. And will have no attorney but myself. Shak. 2. (Law.) One who is legally appointed by another to transact any business for him. An attorney is…At-tor'ney, v. t. p. 91To perform by proxy; to employ as a proxy. [Obs.] Shak.At-tor'ney-gĕn'er-al, n. p. 91(Law.) An officer of the state empowered to act in all cases in which the state is a party. Bouvier.At-tor'ney-ship, n. p. 91The office of an attorney; agency for another. Shak.At-torn'ment, n. p. 91(Law.) The act of a feudatory, vassal, or tenant, by which he consents, upon the alienation of an estate, to receive a new lord or superior, and transfers to him his homage and service; the agreement…At-trāct′, v. t. p. 91To draw to, or cause to tend to; especially to cause to approach, adhere, or combine; or to cause to resist division, separation, or decomposition. All bodies and all parts of bodies mutually attract…At-träct', n. p. 91Attraction. [Obs.] Hudibras.At-trăct'a-bĭl'i-ty, n. p. 91The quality of being attractable, or of being subject to the law of attraction. Sir W. Jones.At-trāct'a-ble, a. p. 91Capable of being attracted; subject to attraction. Kerr.At-trăct'ic or At-trăct'ic-al, a. p. 91Having power of attraction; attractive. [Obs.] Ray.At-trăct'ĭle, a. p. 91Having power to attract. Med. Rep.At-trăct'ing-ly, adv. p. 91In an attracting manner.At-trăc'tion, n. p. 91(Physics.) An invisible power in a body by which it draws any thing to itself; the power in nature acting mutually between bodies or ultimate particles, tending to draw them together, or to produce…At-trăct'ive, a. p. 91Having the power or quality of attracting or drawing; as, the attractive force of bodies. Newton. 2. Attracting or drawing by moral influence; alluring; inviting; engaging. “Attractive graces.”…At-trăct'ive, n. p. 91That which attracts or incites. “An attractive of love.” Baxter. The gospel speaks nothing but attractives and invitation. South.At-trăct'ive-ly, adv. p. 91In an attractive manner; with the power of attracting.At-tract'ive-ness, n. p. 91The quality of being attractive or engaging. South.At-trāct'or, n. p. 91One who, or that which, attracts.At'tra-hent, a. p. 91Attracting; drawing; attractive.At’tra-hent, n. p. 91That which attracts or draws, as a magnet. The motion of the steel to its attrahent. Glanville. 2. (Med.) A substance formerly supposed to possess the property of drawing the humors to the part where…At-trāp', v. t. p. 91To clothe; to adorn with trappings; to array. [Obs.] Spenser. 2. [Fr. attraper, to catch.] To entrap; to insnare. [Obs.] Grafton.At'trec-tā'tion, n. p. 91Frequent handling; constant performance. [Obs.] Bp. Taylor.At-trib'ū-ta-ble, a. p. 91Capable of being attributed, ascribed, or imputed; ascribable; imputable; as, the fault is not attributable to the author.At-trib'ūte, v. t. p. 91To attach, in contemplation or as due; to impute; to assign; to ascribe; to consider as belonging. We attribute nothing to God that hath any repugnancy or contradiction in it. Tillotson. Syn.—See…Ăt'tri-būte, n. p. 91That which is attributed; that which is considered as belonging to, or inherent in, a person or thing; an essential or necessary property or characteristic. But mercy is above this sceptered sway; It…At'tri-bū'tion, n. p. 91The act of attributing, or the quality attributed; ascription; commendation.At-trib′ū-tive, a. p. 91Attributing; pertaining to, or expressing, an attribute. “Attributive justice.”At-trĭb'ū-tive, n. p. 91(Gram.) (a.) A word significant of an attribute, as an adjective, verb, or participle denoting the attribute of a substance, or an adverb denoting the attribute of an attribute. (b.) A modifying word…At-trib′ū-tive-ly, adv. p. 91(Gram.) In an attributive manner.At-trīte', a. p. 91Worn by rubbing or friction. Milton. 2. (Theol.) Repentant only from fear of punishment;—opposed to contrite.