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.
Cŏn'tra-bănd'ist, n. p. 285One who traffics illegally; a smuggler in time of war.Cŏn'tra-băs'so, n. p. 285(Mus.) The largest kind of bass-viol, usually called the double-bass, or violone. Brande.Con-trăct', v. t. p. 285To draw together or nearer; to reduce to a less compass; to abridge; to shorten; to lessen; as, to contract the area of a field or territory; to contract one's sphere of action, or one's faculties.…Con-trăct', v. i. p. 286To be drawn together; to be reduced in compass; to be narrowed, shortened, or curtailed; to shrink. “Years contracting to a moment.” Wordsworth. 2. To make an agreement; to covenant; to agree; to…Con-trăct'ed, a. p. 286Affianced; betrothed. [Obs.] Shak.Cŏnʹtract, n. p. 286(Law.) The agreement of two or more persons, upon a sufficient consideration or cause, to do, or to abstain from doing, some act; an agreement in which a party undertakes to do, or not to do, a…Con-trāct'ed, p. a. p. 286Drawn together; narrow; abridged; betrothed; mean.Con-tráct'ed-ly, adv. p. 286In a contracted manner.Con-trăct'ed-ness, n. p. 286The state of being contracted; narrowness; meanness; excessive selfishness.Con-træct'i-bil'i-ty, n. p. 286Capability of being contracted; quality of suffering contraction; as, the contractibility and dilatability of air. Arbuthnot.Con-trăct'i-ble, a. p. 286Capable of contraction. Small air-bladders dilatable and contractible. Arbuthnot.Con-träct'i-ble-ness, n. p. 286The quality of being contractible; contractibility.Con-trăc'tile, a. p. 286Tending to contract; having the power of shortening or of drawing into smaller dimensions. “The heart’s contractile force.” Brookes.Con/trac-til'i-ty, n. p. 286The inherent quality or force by which bodies shrink or contract. Beddoes.Con-træ'tion, n. p. 286The act of contracting, drawing together, or shrinking; the act of shortening, narrowing, or lessening, extent or dimensions. Unarmed, they might Have easily, as spirits, evaded swift By quick…Con-trăct'ive, a. p. 286Tending to contract; serving to contract. The heart, as said, from its contractive cave On the left side, ejects the bounding wave. Blackmore.Con-trāct'or, n. p. 286One who contracts; one of the parties to a bargain; one who covenants to do any thing for another; specifically, one who contracts or engages to perform any work or service for the public, at a…Cŏn’tra-dance, n. p. 286A dance in which the partners are arranged in opposition, or in opposite lines. [Written also, but corruptly, country-dance.]Cōn'tra-dict', v. t. p. 286To assert the contrary of; to oppose in words; to gainsay; to deny. It is not lawful to contradict a point of history which is known to all the world. Dryden. 2. To be directly contrary to; to…Cŏn`tra-dĭct'a-ble, a. p. 286Capable of being contradicted; deniable.Cŏn`tra-dict'er, n. p. 286One who contradicts or denies; an opposer. Swift.Cŏn′tra-dĭc′tion, n. p. 286An assertion of the contrary to what has been said or affirmed; denial. All the number of his fair demands Shall be accomplished without contradiction. Shak. 2. Direct opposition or repugnancy…Principle of contradiction p. 286the axiom or law of thought that a thing can not be and not be at the same time; or a thing can not be what it is not; A is not (not—A).Cōn/tra-dĭc'tion-al, a. p. 286Inconsistent. [Rare.] Milton.Cōn’tra-dic’tious, a. p. 286Filled with contradictions; inconsistent. [Rare.] “An absurd, contradictions thing.” Sharp. 2. Inclined to contradict; disposed to deny or cavil. [Rare.]Cōn'tra-dĭc'tious-ness, n. p. 286The quality of being contradictious. [Rare.]Cōn'tra-dic'tive, a. p. 286Containing contradiction; opposed; contradictory. “Not contradictive to the canon.” Feltham.Cōn'tra-dĭct'ive-ly, adv. p. 286By contradiction.Cōn’tra-dict’or, n. p. 286One who contradicts; a contradictor.Cōn'/tra-dĭc'to-ri-ly, adv. p. 286In a contradictory manner. Sharp.Cōn'/tra-dĭet'o-ri-ness, n. p. 286The quality of being contradictory; opposition. Whitaker.Cōn'tra·dic·tō'ri·oŭs, a. p. 286Contradictory. [Obs.]Cōn’tra-die-tō’ri-oŭs-ly, adv. p. 286In a contradictory manner; with contradiction. [Obs.]Cōn'tra-dĭct'o-ry, a. p. 286Affirming the contrary; implying a denial of what has been asserted; opposing in terms. “Contradictory assertions.” South. 2. Inconsistent; contrary; repugnant. “Schemes . . . contradictory to common…Cōn'tra-dĭct'o-ry, n. p. 286A proposition or thing which denies or opposes another; contrariety; inconsistency. It is common with princes to will contradictories. Bacon.Cōn′tra-dis-tinct′, a. p. 286Distinguished by opposite qualities. [Obs.] Goodwin.Cŏn’tra-dis-tĭnc’tion, n. p. 286Distinction by contrast. We speak of sins of infirmity in contradistinction to those of presumption. South.Cōn/tra-dis-tīnct/ive, a. p. 286Distinguishing by contrast. “Contradistinctive pronouns.” Harris.Cŏn’tra-dis-tĭn’guish, v. t. p. 286To distinguish by contrast. These are our complex ideas of soul and body, as contradistinguished. Locke.Cŏn/tra-fis’sure, n. p. 286(Surg.) A fissure or fracture on the side opposite to that which received the blow, or at some distance from it. Coxe.Cōn'tra-hent, a. p. 286Entering into covenant; contracting; as, contrahent parties. [Obs.] Mede.Cōn’tra-in’di-cant, n. p. 286(Med.) Something indicating that the usual mode of treating a subject or matter, as a disease, is not to be followed. Burke.Cŏn’tra-in’di-cāte, v. t. p. 286(Med.) To indicate as some method of treatment, contrary to that which the general tenor of the case would seem to require, as in a disease. Contra-indicating symptoms must be observed. Harvey.Cŏn′/tra-īn′/di-cā′tion, n. p. 286(Med.) An indication that forbids the method of treatment which the nature of the case might seem to render necessary, as in a disease.Con-trāl'to, n. p. 286(Mus.) (a.) The part sung by the highest male or lowest female voices; the alto or counter-tenor. (b.) The voice or singer performing this part; as, her voice is a contralto; she is a contralto.Con-trāl’to, a. p. 286(Mus.) Belonging or relating to a contralto, or to the part in music called contralto; as, a contralto voice.Cōn'/tra-mūre, n. p. 286(Fort.) An outer wall. Chambers.Cōn’tra-nāt’ū-ral, a. p. 286Opposite to nature. [Rare.] Bp. Rust.Cŏn’tra-nī’ten-cy, n. p. 286Resistance against pressure or force; reaction. [Obs.] Bailey.Cōn'tra-pōs̄e', v. t. p. 286To set in opposition, or over against. [Obs.]Cōn′tra-po-si′tion, n. p. 286A placing over against; opposite position. Potter.Cōn′tra-pūn′tal, a. p. 286(Mus.) Pertaining to counterpoint. [Rare.]Cŏn’tra-pūn’tist, n. p. 286(Mus.) One skilled in counterpoint. Mason.Cŏn’tra-rĕg’ū-lā’rĭ-ty, n. p. 286Contrariety to rule; opposition to regularity. [Rare.] Norris.Cōn'/tra-re-mōn'/strant, n. p. 286One who remonstrates in opposition or answer to a remonstrant. [Rare.] They did the synod wrong to make this distinction of contr(a)-remonstrants and remonstrants. Hales.Con-trā'ri-ant, a. p. 286Contradictory; opposite; inconsistent; contrary. [Obs.] “Without one hostile or contrariant prepossession.” Southey.Con-trā'ri-ant-ly, adv. p. 286In a contrary manner; contrarily. [Obs.]Cōn’tra-ries, n. pl. p. 286(Logic.) Propositions opposed in quality only, but of which the falsehood of one does not establish the truth of the other. “If two universals differ in quality, they are contraries; as, every vine…Cōn-tra-rī'e-ty, n. p. 286The state or quality of being contrary; opposition; repugnance. There is a contrariety between those things that conscience inclines to, and those that entertain the senses. South. 2. Something which…Cŏn′tra-ri-ly, adv. p. 286In a contrary manner; in opposition; on the other side; in opposite ways.