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An American Dictionary of the English Language

by Noah Webster

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.

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  1. Circum-gy′rate or Circum-gy′re′, v. t.p. 232To roll or turn round; to perform a rotatory or circular motion. [Rare.] Ray.
  2. Circum-gy-rā'tion, n.p. 232The act of turning, rolling, or whirling round. “A certain turbulent and irregular circumgyration.” Holland.
  3. Cir'cum-in-cĕs'sion, n.p. 232(Theol.) The reciprocal existence in each other of the three persons of the Trinity.
  4. Cir'cum-i'tion, n.p. 232A going round. [Obs.] Bailey.
  5. Cĭr'cum-jā'sence, n.p. 232The condition or state of being circumpacent, or of bordering on every side.
  6. Cĭr'cum-jā'cent, a.p. 232Lying round; bordering on every side. “Surrounded with the circumjacent countries.” Fuller.
  7. Cĭr'cum-li-gā'tion, n.p. 232The act of binding round; the bond with which any thing is encompassed. [Obs.] Bailey.
  8. Cir/cum-lit'to-ral, a.p. 232Adjoining the shore.
  9. Cĭr'cum-lo-cū'tion, n.p. 232A circuit or compass of words; a periphrase; the use of a number of words to express an idea, when a suitable term is not at hand, or when a speaker chooses to avoid the use of a single term.…
  10. Cir'cum-lo-cā'tion-al, a.p. 232Relating to, or consisting of, circumlocutions; periphrastic; circuitous.
  11. Cĭr'cum-lōc'ū-to-ry, a.p. 232Pertaining to a circumlocution; consisting or contained in a compass of words; periphrastic. Shenstone.
  12. Cĭr'cum-mūred',, a.p. 232Walled round; encompassed with a wall. Shak.
  13. Cir'cum-nāv'i-ga-ble, a.p. 232Capable of being sailed round. Ray.
  14. Cĭr'cum-nāv'i-gāte, v. t.p. 232To sail round; to pass round by water. “Having circumnavigated the whole earth.” Fuller.
  15. Cir'cum-nāv-i-gā'tion, n.p. 232The act of circumnavigating, or sailing round. Arbuthnot.
  16. Cir'cum-nāv'i-gā'tor, n.p. 232One who sails round.
  17. Cĭr'cum-pli-cā'tion, n.p. 232A folding, winding, or wrapping round, or a state of being inwrapped. [Rare.] Bailey.
  18. Cĭr'cum-pō'lar, a.p. 232About the pole; situated near the pole; as, circumpolar constellations.
  19. Cir'cum-po-sĭ'tion, n.p. 232The act of placing in a circle, or the state of being so placed. Evelyn.
  20. Cĭr'cum-rā'sion, n.p. 232The act of shaving or paring round. [Obs.] Bailey.
  21. Cir'cum-rō'ta-ry, a.p. 233Turning, rolling, or whirling round.
  22. Cir'cum-ro-tā'tion, n.p. 233The act of rolling or revolving round, as a wheel; circumvolution; the state of being whirled round. Gregory.
  23. Cir'cum-rō'ta-to-ry, a.p. 233Turning, rolling, or whirling round. “A variety of circumrotatory flourishes.” Shenstone.
  24. Cir'cum-scīs'sile, a.p. 233(Bot.) Dehiscing or opening by a transverse circular opening round the sides of a pod, &c. Gray.
  25. Cir'cum-scrib'a-ble, a.p. 233Capable of being circumscribed.
  26. Cir'cum-scribe', v. t.p. 233To write, draw, or engrave around. [Rare.] “Thereon is circumscribed this epitaph.” Ashmole. 2. To inclose within a certain limit; to hem in; to surround; to bound; to confine. “To circumscribe royal…
  27. Cir'cum-scrib'er, n.p. 233One who, or that which, circumscribes.
  28. Cir'cum-scrip'ti-ble, a.p. 233Capable of being circumscribed or limited by bounds.
  29. Cir'cum-scrip'tion, n.p. 233A circular inscription. [Rare.] Ashmole. 2. The termination or limits of a body; the exterior line which determines the form or magnitude of a body. Ray. 3. The limitation by conditions, restraints…
  30. Cĭr'cum-scrĭp'tive, a.p. 233Defining the external form; marking or inclosing the limits or superficies of a body. Grew.
  31. Cir'cum-scrip'tive-ly, adv.p. 233In a limited manner.
  32. Cir'cum-spĕct, a.p. 233Attentive to all the circumstances of a case; cautious; prudent; watchful; wary; vigilant. Be wise and circumspect. Shak. Syn.—See CAUTIOUS.
  33. Cir'cum-spēc'tion, n.p. 233Attention to all the facts and circumstances of a case; caution; prudence. “With silent circumspection.” Milton. Syn.—Caution; watchfulness; deliberation; thoughtfulness; wariness; forecast.
  34. Cir'cum-spēet'ive, a.p. 233Looking round every way; cautious; careful of consequences; watchful of danger. “Circumspective eyes.” Pope.
  35. Cir'cum-spĕct'ive-ly, adv.p. 233With watchfulness to guard against danger; cautiously; heedfully.
  36. Cir'cum-spēet'ly, adv.p. 233With watchfulness every way; with attention to guard against surprise or danger; cautiously.
  37. Cir'cum-spĕct'ness, n.p. 233Vigilance in guarding against evil from every quarter; caution; circumspection. It [travel] forces circumspectness on those abroad, who at home are nursed in security. Wotton.
  38. Cir'cum-stance, n.p. 233The condition of things surrounding or attending an event. With all circumstance they tell us when and who first set foot upon this island. Milton. 2. One of the things surrounding, attending, or…
  39. Cir'cum-stance, v. t.p. 233To place relatively, or in a particular situation. The proposition is, that two bodies so circumstanced will balance each other. Whewell.
  40. Cir'cum-stānt, a.p. 233Standing or placed around; surrounding. [Rare.] “Circumstant bodies.” Digby.
  41. Cir'cum-stănʹti-a-ble, a.p. 233Capable of being circumstantiated. [Obs.] Bp. Taylor.
  42. Cir'cum-stăn’tial, a.p. 233Consisting in, or pertaining to, circumstances, or particular incidents. The usual character of human testimony is substantial truth under circumstantial variety. Paley. 2. Abounding with…
  43. Cir'cum-stān’tial, n.p. 233Something incidental to the main subject, but of less importance; opposed to an essential;— generally in the plural; as, the circumstantials of religion. Addison.
  44. Cir'cum-stān/ti-āl/i-ty, n.p. 233The appendage of circumstances; the state of any thing as modified by circumstances. Johnson. 2. Particularly in exhibiting circumstances; minuteness.
  45. Cir'cum-stān/tial-ly, adv.p. 233According to circumstances; not essentially; accidentally. 2. In every circumstance or particular; minute. “To set down somewhat circumstantially, not only the events, but the manner of my trials.”…
  46. Cir'cum-stān’ti-āte, v. t.p. 233To place in particular circumstances; to invest with particular accidents or adjuncts. [Rare.] If the act were otherwise circumstantiated, it might will that freely which now it wills reluctantly.…
  47. Cĭr'cum-ter-rā'ne-oŭs, a.p. 233Being or dwelling around the earth. “Circumterraneous demons.” Halliwell.
  48. Cir'cum-ŭn'du-lāte, v. t.p. 233To flow round, as waves. [Rare.]
  49. Cir'cum-vāl'lāte, v. t.p. 233To surround with a rampart.
  50. Cir'cum-val-lā'tion, n.p. 233(Mil.) (a.) The act of surrounding with a wall or rampart. (b.) A line of field works surrounding the camp of a besieging army, to guard the camp against any attack of an enemy attempting to relieve…
  51. Cir'cum-vēc'tion, n.p. 233The act of carrying any thing around. [Obs.]
  52. Cir'cum-vent', v. t.p. 233To gain advantage over, by arts, stratagem, or deception; to deceive; to delude. I circumvented whom I could not gain. Dryden.
  53. Cir'cum-vēn’tion, n.p. 233The act of prevailing over another by arts, address, or fraud; deception; fraud; imposture; delusion. “A school in which he learns sly circumvention.” Cowper.
  54. Cir'cum-vēnt'ive, a.p. 233Deceiving by artifices; deluding.
  55. Cir'cum-vēst', v. t.p. 233To cover round, as with a garment. “Circumvested with much prejudice.” Wotton.
  56. Cir'cum-vo-lā'tion, n.p. 233The act of flying round. [Rare.]
  57. Cir'cum-vo-lū'tion, n.p. 233The act of rolling round; the state of being rolled. 2. A thing rolled round another. Arbuthnot. 3. (Anat.) One of the sinuous elevations on the surface of the brain in the higher animals.
  58. Cir'cum-vōlve', v. t.p. 233To roll round; to cause to revolve; to put into a circular motion. Whene'er we circumvolve our eyes. Herrick.
  59. Cir'cum-vŏlve', v. i.p. 233To roll round; to revolve.
  60. Cĭr'cus, n.p. 233(Roman Antiq.) An open or inclosed space, or the edifice inclosing it, in which games and shows were exhibited. 2. A circular inclosure for the exhibition of feats of horsemanship. 3. The company of…