Library

Dictionary

An American Dictionary of the English Language

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.

  1. Cŏm'pi-lā'tor, n.p. 261A collector. [Obs.] Chaucer.
  2. Com-pīle', v. t.p. 261To put together; to compose; to construct; to build; to frame. [Obs.] Before that Merlin died, he did intend A brazen wall in compass to compile. Spenser. 2. To contain or comprise. [Obs.] After so…
  3. Com-pīle'ment, n.p. 261The act of piling together or heaping; coacervation. [Rare.] Woodward.
  4. Com-pīl'er, n.p. 261A collector of parts of authors, or of separate papers or accounts; one who forms a book or composition from various authors or separate papers.
  5. Com-plā'cençe or Com-plā'cen-cy, n.p. 261A feeling of quiet pleasure; satisfaction; gratification. The inward complacence we find in acting reasonably and virtuously. Atterbury. Others proclaim the infirmities of a great man with…
  6. Com-plā'cent, a.p. 261Accompanied with pleasure; gratified; displaying satisfaction. They look up with a sort of complacent awe to kings. Burke.
  7. Com'pla-cen'tial, a.p. 262Marked by complacence; accommodating. “Complacential regards.” Cogan.
  8. Com'pla-cen'tial-ly, adv.p. 262In a complacential or accommodating manner.
  9. Com-plâ'cent-ly, adv.p. 262In a complacent manner.
  10. Com-plain', v. i.p. 262To express distress, pain, or censure; to lament; to murmur; to find fault; — commonly used with of. O loss of sight, of thee I most complain. Milton. 2. To make a formal assertion of injuries; to…
  11. Com-plāin', v. t.p. 262To lament; to bewail. [Obs.] They might the grievance inwardly complain, But outwardly they needs must temporize! Daniel.
  12. Com-plāin'a-ble, a.p. 262Capable of being complained of. [Rare.] Feltham.
  13. Com-plāin'ant, n.p. 262One who makes complaint. “Eager complainants.” Collier. 2. (Law.) (a.) One who commences a legal process by a complaint. (b.) The actor or party suing in equity, answering to the plaintiff at common…
  14. Com-plāin'er, n.p. 262One who complains or laments; one who finds fault; a murmurer. Beattie.
  15. Com-plāin'ful, a.p. 262Full of complaint. [Rare.]
  16. Com-plāint′, n.p. 262Expression of grief, regret, pain, censure, or resentment; lamentation; murmuring. I have, and most unwillingly, of late Heard many grievous, I do say, my lord, Grievous complaints of you. Shak. 2.…
  17. Com-plāint'ful, a.p. 262Full of complaint. [Obs.]
  18. Cŏm'plai-sănce', n.p. 262A deportment indicative of a desire to please; obliging compliance with the wishes of others; courtesy; civility. These [ladies] compose half the world, and are by the just complaisance and gallantry…
  19. Còm'plai-sant, a.p. 262Desirous to please; courteous; obliging; as, a complaisant gentleman. There are to whom my satire seems too bold, Scarce to wise Peters complaisant enough, And something said of Chartres much too…
  20. Cŏm'plai-sant-ly, adv.p. 262In a complaisant manner; with civility. Pope.
  21. Cŏm'plai-sant-ness, n.p. 262The quality of complaisance; civility. [Rare.]
  22. Cōm'pla-nate, a.p. 262Flattened to a level surface.
  23. Cōm'pla-nāte, v. t.p. 262To make level; to reduce to an even surface. Derham.
  24. Com-plāne', v. t.p. 262To complanate. [Rare.]
  25. Cŏm'ple-ment, n.p. 262That which fills up, completes, or supplies a deficiency; the quantity or number required to fill a thing or make it complete; fullness or completeness. “To exceed his complement and number appointed…
  26. Cŏm'ple-mĕnt'al, a.p. 262Supplying, or tending to supply, a deficiency; fully completing. “Complemental ceremony.” Prynne.
  27. Cŏm'ple-mĕnt'a-ry, a.p. 262Serving to fill out or to complete; as, complementary colors or numbers.
  28. Cŏm'ple-mĕn't'a-ry, n.p. 262One skilled in compliments. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
  29. Com-ple'te, a.p. 262Filled up; free from deficiency; entire; perfect; consummate. “Complete perfections.” Milton. 2. Finished; ended; concluded; as, the edifice is complete. This course of vanity almost complete. Prior.…
  30. Com-plēte′, v. t.p. 262To bring to a state in which there is no deficiency; to perfect; to consummate; to accomplish; as, to complete a task, or a poem; to complete a course of education. “Bred only and completed to the…
  31. Com-plēte'ly, adv.p. 262In a complete manner; fully; entirely. Swift.
  32. Com-plēte'ment, n.p. 262The act of completing; a finishing. [Obs.] Dryden.
  33. Com-plēte'ness, n.p. 262The state of being complete; perfection. Watts.
  34. Com-plè'tion, n.p. 262The act, process, or state of being complete; as, the completion of an undertaking; the completion of an education. “The completion of some repairs.” Prescott. 2. Fulfillment; accomplishment…
  35. Com-plē'tive, a.p. 262Making complete. Harris.
  36. Com·plē'to·ry, a.p. 262Serving to fulfill; accomplishing. “Completory of ancient presignifications and predictions.” Barrow.
  37. Cŏm'ple-to-ry, n.p. 262(Eccl.) The evening service; the compline of the Roman Catholic church. Hooper.
  38. Cŏm'plex, a.p. 262Composed of two or more parts; composite; not simple; as, a complex being; a complex idea. Ideas thus made up of several simple ones put together, I call complex; such as beauty, gratitude, a man, an…
  39. Cŏm′plex, n.p. 262Assemblage; collection; complication. [Rare.] This parable of the wedding supper comprehends in it the whole complex of all the blessings and privileges exhibited by the gospel. South.
  40. Com-plĕxed’, a.p. 262Complex. Browne.
  41. Com-plex'ed-ness, n.p. 262The state or quality of being complex; complication; as, the complexedness of moral ideas. Locke.
  42. Com-plex'ion, n.p. 262The state of being complex; complexity; connection of parts; frame or texture. Though the terms of propositions may be complex, yet where the composition of the whole argument is thus plain, simple…
  43. Com·plèx'ion-al, a.p. 262Depending on, or pertaining to, complexion. Spectator.
  44. Com-plèx'ion-al-ly, adv.p. 262By complexion. Browne.
  45. Com-plex'ion-a-ry, a.p. 262Pertaining to the complexion, or to the care of it. Taylor.
  46. Com-plex'ioned, a.p. 262Having a complexion; — used in composition. A flower is the best-complexioned grass, as a pearl is the best-colored clay. Fuller.
  47. Com-plĕx′i-ty, n.p. 262The state of being complex; intricacy; entanglement. Men are every now and then put by complexity of human affairs into strange situations. Burke.
  48. Cŏm'plex-ly, adv.p. 262In a complex manner; not simply.
  49. Cŏm'plex-ness, n.p. 262The state of being complex; complexity. A. Smith.
  50. Com·plēx'ūre, n.p. 262The involution or complication of one thing with others. Montaigne.
  51. Com-plēx'us, n.p. 262(Anat.) A long, broad muscle situated along the back part and side of the neck.
  52. Com-pli'a-ble, a.p. 262Inclined to comply or yield; compliant. The Jews . . . had made their religion compliable, and accommodated to their passion. Jortin.
  53. Com-pliʹance, n.p. 262The act of complying; a yielding, as to a request, wish, desire, demand, or proposal; concession; submission. Let the king meet compliance in your looks, A free and ready yielding to his wishes.…
  54. Com-pli'ant, a.p. 262Yielding; bending; pliant. “The compliant boughs.” Milton. 2. Yielding to request or desire; civil; obliging.
  55. Com-pli'ant-ly, adv.p. 262In a yielding manner.
  56. Com'pli-ca-cy, n.p. 262A state of being complex or intricate. Mitford.
  57. Cŏm'pli-cāte, v. t.p. 262To fold or twist together; to interweave. Nor can his complicated sinews fail. Young. 2. To render complex; to involve. Avarice and luxury very often become one complicated principle of action.…
  58. Cŏm'pli-cate, a.p. 262Composed of two or more parts united; complex; complicated. Though the particular actions of war are complicate in fact, yet they are separate and distinct in right. Bacon. 2. (Bot.) Folded together…
  59. Cŏm'pli-cate-ly, adv.p. 262In a complex manner.
  60. Cŏm'pli-cate-ness, n.p. 262The state of being complicate; involution; intricacy; perplexity. Hale.