Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
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- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Căs'tile-sōap, n. p. 203A kind of fine, hard, white, or mottled soap, made with olive oil and soda.Cas-tĭl'ian, n. p. 203An inhabitant or native of Castile, in Spain. 2. The Spanish language as spoken in Castile.Căst'ing, n. p. 203The act of one who casts or throws. 2. That which is cast in a mold; any thing formed by pouring melted metal into a mold; as, iron castings. 3. The warping of a board. Casting of draperies, the…Cast'ing-nĕt, n. p. 203A net which is cast and drawn, in distinction from a net that is set and left. May.Cast'ing-voice or Cast'ing-vōte, n. p. 203The vote of a presiding officer, in an assembly or council, which decides a question, when the votes of the assembly or house are equally divided between the affirmative and negative. When there was…Cast'ing-weight, n. p. 203A weight that turns a balance when exactly poised.Cast'-ī/ron, n. p. 203Iron run from the smelting furnace, into pigs or ingots, or into molds for various utensils; a compound of carbon and iron.Căs'tle, n. p. 203A fortified residence, especially that of a prince or nobleman; a fortress. The house of every one is to him as his castle and fortress, as well for his defense against injury and violence, as for…Căs'tle, v. t. p. 203In the game of chess, to cover with a castle;—said of the king, when neither piece has been previously moved, and the king has not been in check.Cās'tle, v. i. p. 203In chess, to cover the king with a castle.Căs'tle-buĭld'er, n. p. 203One who forms visionary schemes.Cās'tle-buil'd'ing, n. p. 203The act of building castles in the air.Cās'tled, a. p. 203Furnished with castles; as, a castled elephant. Dryden.Căs'tle-guārd, n. p. 203The guard which defends a castle; as, a numerous castle-guard. 2. A tax or imposition on a dwelling within a certain distance of a castle, for the purpose of maintaining watch and ward in it…Cās'tle-ry, n. p. 203The government of a castle. Blount.Căs'tlet, n. p. 203A small castle. Leland.Căs'tle-ward, n. p. 203Same as CASTLE-GUARD.Cást'ling, n. p. 203That which is brought forth prematurely; an abortion. Browne.Cást'-ŏff, a. p. 203Laid aside; as, cast-off clothes.Cās'tor, n. p. 203(Zo-ol.) A genus of animals, in which the beaver is included. See BEAVER. 2. A substance of a strong, penetrating smell and bitter taste, of a yellowish or light-brown color, obtained from two…Cást'or, n. p. 203A small wheel and swivel for supporting furniture. See CASTER.Căs'tor and Pŏl'lux p. 203An electrical phenomenon, called also Corposant. On the appearance of two at once, they were called Castor and Pollux, and were thought to portend a cessation of the storm. See CORPOSANT.Cās'tor-bēan, n. p. 203(Bot.) The bean or seed of the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis, or Palma Christi), from which the oil is expressed.Cas-tō're-ŭm, n. p. 203Castor; the peculiar substance found in the two inguinal sacs of the beaver.Căs′to-rīne, a. p. 204(Chem.) An animal principle or fatty matter found in castoreum. Gregory.Cās'tor-oil, n. p. 204The oil of the Ricinus communis, or Palma Christi, a plant of the West Indies. The oil is obtained from the nuts or seeds by expression or decoction. It is a mild cathartic. London.Cās'tra-me-tā'tion, n. p. 204(Mil.) The art or act of encamping; the marking or laying out of a camp. Campbell.Cās'trāte, v. t. p. 204To deprive of the testicles; to emasculate; to geld. 2. To take away, as the obscene parts of a writing; to expurgate. My . . . correspondent . . . has sent me the following letter, which I have…Cas-trā'tion, n. p. 204The act of depriving of the testicles. 2. The act of expurgating or removing, as some part from a book, writing, &c.Cas-trā'to, n. p. 204(Mus.) A male person castrated for the purpose of improving his voice for a singer; an artificial, or male, soprano. Swift.Căs'trel, n. p. 204(Ornith.) A kind of hawk resembling the sparrow-hawk. See KESTREL.Cas-trēn'sial, a. p. 204Belonging to a camp. “Castrensial mansions.” Browne.Cas-trēn'sian, a. p. 204Belonging to a camp. [Rare.] Bailey.Cāst'-steel, n. p. 204Steel that has been fused in a crucible, and then cast into bars. Ure.Căs'ū-al, a. p. 204Happening or coming to pass without design, and without being foreseen or expected; accidental; fortuitous; coming by chance. “Casual breaks in the general system.” W. Irving. 2. Coming without…Căsʹu-al-ly, adv. p. 204Without design; accidentally; fortuitously; occasionally.Căs'ū-al-ness, n. p. 204The quality of being casual.Căs′u-al-ty, n. p. 204That which comes without design, or without being foreseen; an event inevitable, and not to be guarded against; contingency. “Losses that befall them by mere casualty.” Raleigh. 2. Any injury of the…Casualty-ward p. 204a ward in a hospital devoted to the treatment of injuries received by accident. Syn. —Accident; contingency; misfortune.Cāʹsu-ist, n. p. 204One who studies and resolves cases of conscience. The judgement of any casuist or learned divine concerning the state of a man's soul, is not sufficient to give him confidence. South. Hunger and fear…Căs'ū-ist, v. i. p. 204To play the casuist. Milton.Căs'ū-ist'ic or Căs'ū-ist'ic-al, a. p. 204Relating to cases of conscience, or to cases of doubtful propriety. “A known rule of casuistical divinity.” Sharp.Căsʹ/u-ist-ry, n. p. 204The science or doctrine of cases of conscience; the science of resolving cases of doubtful propriety, or of determining the lawfulness or unlawfulness of what a man may do by rules and principles…Căt, n. p. 204(Zoöl.) An animal of certain species of the genera Felis and Lynx. The domestic cat is the Felis domestica. The wild cat (Felis catus) is much larger than the domestic cat, and is a strong, ferocious…Căt, v. t. p. 204(Naut.) To bring up to the cat-head; as, to cat an anchor. See ANCHOR. Totten.Căt'a-bäp'tist, n. p. 204(Eccl.) One who opposes baptism. [Obs.] Featley.Căt'a-bā'zĭon, n. p. 204A chamber or vault under the altar of a Greek church, where relics are kept.Căt'a-caus'tic, a. p. 204(Geom. & Optics.) Relating to a caustic curve formed by reflection. See CAUSTIC. Nichol.Căt'a-caus'tic, n. p. 204A caustic curve formed by reflection of light. Nichol.Căt'a-chrē'sis, n. p. 204(Rhet.) An abuse of a trope, or of words; a figure by which one word is wrongly put for another, or by which a word is too far wrested from its true signification; a harsh or far-fetched metaphor…Căt'a-chrĕs'tic or Căt'a-chrĕs'tic-al, a. p. 204Belonging to a catachresis; forced; far-fetched; wrested from its natural sense. “[A] catachrestical and improper way of speaking.” Bp. Taylor.Căt'a-chrĕs'tic-al-ly, adv. p. 204In a catachrestical or forced manner.Căt'a-clysm, n. p. 204An extensive overflow or sweeping flood of water; a deluge. Hale.Căt'a-clĭs'mal, a. p. 204Of, or belonging to, a cataclysm or deluge.Căt'a-cōmb, n. p. 204A cave, grotto, or subterraneous place anciently used for the burial of the dead. ☞ The term is supposed to have been applied originally to the tombs under the church of St. Sebastian in Rome. The…Căt/a-cous'tics, n. sing. p. 204That part of acoustics which treats of reflected sounds or echoes. Hutton.Cāt'a-di-ōp'trie or Cāt'a-di-ōp'trie-al, a. p. 204Pertaining to or involving both the reflection and refraction of light; as, a catadioptric telescope. Hutton.Căt'a-drōme, n. p. 204<br>1. A race-course.<br>2. (Mech.) A machine for raising or lowering heavy weights. Francis.Căt'a-dūpe, n. p. 204A cataract, or waterfall. [Obs.] “The Egyptian catadupes.” Brewer.Căt'a-făl'co, n. p. 204A temporary structure of carpentry, decorated with paintings and sculpture representing a tomb, or cenotaph, and used in funeral solemnities. Gravill.