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.
Căn’tred or Căn’tref, n. p. 193A hundred villages, as in Wales. Davies.Căn′ty, a. p. 193Cheerful; sprightly; merry. [Scot. and Prov. Eng.] Contented with little, and canty with mair. Burns. Then at her door the canty dame Would sit. Wordsworth.Căn'vas, n. p. 193A coarse cloth made of hemp or flax, used for tents, sails of ships, painting, and other purposes. By glimmering lanes and walls of canvas led. Tennyson. 2. A clear, unbleached cloth, wove regularly…Căn'vas, a. p. 193Made of canvas or coarse cloth; as, a canvas tent.Căn'vas-băck, n. p. 193(Ornith.) A species of sea-duck, Fulgula valisneriana, highly esteemed for the delicacy of its flesh, found in the rivers of the Chesapeake Bay and adjoining waters, and deriving its name from the…Căn'vas-climb'er, n. p. 193A sailor that goes aloft to handle sails.Căn'vass, v. t. p. 193<br>1. To sift; to strain; to examine thoroughly; to search or scrutinize; as, to canvass the votes for senators.<br>2. To take up for discussion; to debate.<br>An opinion that we are likely soon to…Căn'vass, v. i. p. 193To solicit votes or interest; to use efforts to obtain an office or position; to seek, followed by for; as, to canvass for a seat in parliament; to canvass for a friend. Bacon.Căn'vass, n. p. 193Close inspection to know the state of; as, a canvass of votes. Bacon. 2. Examination in the way of discussion or debate; as, a thorough canvass of a subject. 3. A seeking, solicitation, or effort to…Căn'vass-er, n. p. 193One who solicits votes, or goes about to make interest. Burke. 2. One who examines the returns of votes for a public officer.Cā'ny, a. p. 193Consisting of cane, or abounding with canes. 2. Made of canes; as, cany wagons. Milton.Căn'yŏn, n. p. 193See CANON.Can-zō'ne, n. p. 193(Mus.) A song or air in two or three parts, with passages of fugue and imitation. [Rare.]Căn'zo-nĕt', n. p. 193(Mus.) A little or short song, in one, two, or three parts.Caout'chîne, n. p. 193(Chem.) A highly inflammable, volatile, oily liquid, obtained by distillation from caoutchouc. Gregory.Caout'chouc, n. p. 193A vegetable substance obtained from incisions made in several plants, affording a milky juice, as the Urceola elastica, a tree of tropical Asia, the Ficus elastica, a species of fig in Nepaul, and…Caout'chouc, a. p. 193Of, or pertaining to, caoutchouc.Caout'chou-cine, n. p. 193See CAOUTCHINE.Căp, n. p. 193[A-S. cappe, cap, cape, hood, D. kap, Ger. kappe; O. H. Ger. chappā, cloak, Icel. kápa, toga, Pr., Sp., & Pg. capa, It. cappa, Fr. cape, chape, cloak, L. Lat. capa, cappa, Bisc. capu, capea…Căp, v. t. p. 193To cover the top or end; to spread over. The bones next the joint are capped with a cartilaginous substance. Derham. 2. To deprive of a cap. Spenser. 3. To render complete; to bring to the highest…Căp, v. i. p. 193To uncover the head in reverence or civility. Shak.Cā'pa-bĭl'i-ty, n. p. 193The quality of being capable; capacity; capableness. A capability to take a thousand views of a subject is to be reconciled with distinctness . . . of judgment. H. Taylor.Cā'pa-ble, a. p. 193Possessing ability, qualification, or susceptibility; having capacity; adapted; suited; as, a room capable of holding a large number; a man capable of lifting heavy weights; a castle capable of…Cā'pa-ble-ness, n. p. 193The state or quality of being capable; capacity; power of understanding; knowledge. Killingbeck.Ca-păç'i-fy, v. t. p. 193To qualify. [Rare.] “The benefits he is capacified and designed for.” Barrow.Ca-pā'cioūs, a. p. 193Having capacity; able to contain; large; roomy; spacious; extended; broad; as, a capacious vessel, room, &c.; a capacious bay or harbor. In the capacious recesses of his mind. Bancroft. 2. Having…Ca-pā'ciōus-ly, adv. p. 193In a capacious manner or degree.Ca-pā'ciōüs-ness, n. p. 193The quality of being capacious, as of a vessel, a reservoir, a bay, a mind, &c.Ca-păc'i-tāte, v. t. p. 193To render capable; to qualify; to enable; as, to capacitate to observe errors; to capacitate for usefulness; to capacitate for a deanery. Watts. Wood.Ca-păc/i-tā'tion, n. p. 193Act of making capable. [R.]Ca-pāc'i-ty, n. p. 193The power of receiving or containing; extent of room or space; passive power;—used in reference to physical things. Had our palace the capacity To camp this host. Shak. The capacity of the exhausted…Căp'-a-pie’ p. 193From head to foot; all over. He was armed cap-a-pie, and wore a suit of burnished steel. Prescott.Ca-pār'i-son, n. p. 193A cloth or covering laid over the saddle or harness of a horse; often rich and decorated; trappings. Their horses clothed with rich caparison. Dryden. 2. Gay or rich clothing. My heart groans beneath…Ca-păr'i-son, v. t. p. 193To cover with a caparison or decorated cloth, as a horse. The steeds, caparisoned with purple, stand. Dryden. 2. To adorn with rich dress; to dress. I am caparisoned like a man. Shak.Căp'-cāse, n. p. 193A small traveling case or band-box. A cap-case for your linen and your plate, With a strange lock that opens with amen. B. & Fl.Cāpe, n. p. 194A neck of land, extending some distance into the sea; a headland. 2. [Fr. cape. See CAP.] The part of a garment hanging from the neck behind and over the shoulders. “With a small compassed cape.”…Cāpe, v. i. p. 194(Naut.) To head or point; as, the ship capes southwest by south.Cā'pe, n. p. 194(Law.) A judicial writ touching a plea of land and tenements. It takes its name from its opening word. Bouvier.Cā'pel, n. p. 194(Mining.) A kind of stone composed of quartz, schorl, and hornblende.Căp'e-lān, n. p. 194Cāp'e-līn p. 194A small species of fish of the trout family (Mallotus villosus) found off the coasts of Greenland, Iceland, and Newfoundland; it is used as a bait for the cod. [Written also caplin.] Pennant.Căp'el-lāne, n. p. 194The curate of a chapel; a chaplain. [Obs.] Inform them of the dignities and duties of the preceptor, sacrist, sub-sacrist, capellane, ostiary. Fuller.Căp'el-lĕt, n. p. 194(Far.) A kind of swelling, like a wen, growing on the point of the elbow of a horse, probably occasioned by bruises in lying down. White.Cā'per, v. i. p. 194To leap or jump about in a sprightly manner; to spring; to dance. He capers, he dances, he has eyes of youth. Shak.Cā'per, n. p. 194A frolicsome leap or spring; a skip; a jump;—as in mirth or dancing. “Though he does not cut capers.” Addison. 2. (Naut.) A vessel formerly used by the Dutch, principally as a privateer. Wright.Cā'per, n. p. 194(Bot.) The flower-bud or unexpanded flower of the caper-bush (Capparis spinosa), much used for pickling. London.Cā'per-bush or Cā'per-tree, n. p. 194(Bot.) A genus of low shrubs (Capparis), some of which produce berries, and others pods; most of the species are very showy when in flower. London.Cā'per-cāll'sie, n. p. 194(Ornith.) A species of grouse (Tetrao urogallus) of large size and delicious flavor, of which the general color is black and green, with white marks on the wing and tail;—called also cock of the…Cā'per-claw, v. t. p. 194To treat with cruel playfulness, as a cat treats a mouse. [Obs.] He caperclaweth Beza very sore. Birch.Cā'per-cūt'ting, n. p. 194A leaping or dancing in a frolicsome manner. Beau. & Fl.Cā'per-er, n. p. 194One who capers, leaps, and skips about, or dances. The nimble caperer on the cord. Dryden.Cā'per-sauce, n. p. 194Sauce or catchup made of capers.Cā'per-tēa, n. p. 194A kind of black tea, of which the caper-congou and scented caper are two varieties. S. W. Williams.Cā'pi-as, n. p. 194(Law.) A writ or process commanding the officer to take the body of the person named in it, that is, to arrest him;—also called writ of capias. ☞ One principal kind of capias is a writ by which…Ca-pĭb'a-rá, n. p. 194The cabiai. See CABIAI.Cāp'il-lā'ceoŭs, a. p. 194Having long filaments; resembling a hair. See CAPILLARY.Cāp'il-lāire', n. p. 194A kind of sirup extracted from the maiden-hair. 2. Any simple sirup flavored with orange-flower water.Ca-pil'la-mēnt, n. p. 194(Bot.) A filament, or a small, fine thread, like a hair, that grows in the middle of a flower. 2. One of the fine fibers or filaments of which the nerves are composed. Berkeley.Cāp'il-lār'i-ty, n. p. 194The state or condition of being capillary.Cāp'il-la-ry or Ca-pil'la-ry, a. p. 194Resembling a hair; fine, minute, small in diameter; long and very slender; as, the capillary vessels of animals and plants. 2. Pertaining to capillary tubes or vessels; as, capillary action.…