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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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Elf, n. p. 436An imaginary being, supposed to exert a mysterious power over man; a diminutive spirit, supposed to inhabit wild and desert places, and to delight in mischievous tricks. Every elf, and fairy sprite…Elf, v. t. p. 436To entangle in an intricate manner, as the hair. “Elf all my hair in knots.” Shak.Ĕlf'-ăr'rōw, n. p. 436A flint in the shape of an arrowhead, vulgarly supposed to be shot by fairies; — called also elf-bolt and elf-shot.Elf'-child, n. p. 436A child supposed to be left by elfs, in room of one they had stolen.Elf'-lŏck, n. p. 436Hair twisted into knots, as if the work of fairies.Elf'in, a. p. 436Relating or pertaining to elves.Elf'in, n. p. 436A little elf or urchin.Elf'ish, a. p. 436Elf-like; mischievous, as though caused by elves. “Elfish light.” Coleridge.E-Lĭç'it, v. t. p. 436To draw out; to bring to light; to bring out against the will; to make clear and convincing, by discussion or argument; as, to elicit truth by discussion.E-lic'it, a. p. 436Drawn out; made real; brought to light; open; evident. [Obs.] “An elicit act of equity.” Bp. Taylor.E-lĭc'i-tāte, v. t. p. 436To elicit. [Obs.]. Sir T. More.E-lic'i-tā'tion, n. p. 436The act of eliciting; the act of drawing out. [Obs.] Bp. Bramhall.E-līde′, v. t. p. 436To break or dash in pieces; to crush; as, to elide the force of an argument. [Obs.] Hooker. 2. (Gram.) To cut off or suppress, as a syllable.Ĕl/i-gi-bĭl'i-ty, n. p. 436Capability of being elected or chosen to an office; legal qualification; as, the eligibility of a candidate. 2. Worthiness or fitness to be chosen; the state or quality of a thing which renders it…Ēl'i-gi-ble, a. p. 436Proper to be chosen; qualified to be elected; legally qualified; as, eligible to office. 2. Worthy to be chosen or selected; desirable; preferable; as, an eligible situation for a house. “The more…Ĕl'i-gi-ble-ness, n. p. 436Fitness to be chosen in preference to another; suitableness; desirableness.Ĕl'i-gi-bly, adv. p. 436In a manner to be worthy of choice; suitably.Ēl’i-māte or Ē-lĭ’māte, v. t. p. 436To render smooth; to polish. [Obs.]E-lĭm′ĭ-nant, n. p. 436(Math.) The result of eliminating n variables between n homogeneous equations of any degree;—called also resultant.E-lĭm’ĭ-nāte, v. t. p. 436To thrust out of doors; to expel; to discharge, or throw off; to set at liberty. [Obs.] Lovelace. 2. (Alg.) To cause to disappear from an equation; as, to eliminate an unknown quantity. 3. To set…E-lim'i-nā'tion, n. p. 436The act of expelling or throwing off; the act of discharging or secreting by the pores; as, the elimination of errors, or of humors. 2. (Alg.) The causing a quantity to disappear from an equation…Ē/lin-guā'tion, n. p. 436(O. Eng. Law.) The punishment of cutting out the tongue. Ogilvie.E-lĭn'guid, a. p. 436Tongue-tied; not having the power of speech. [Obs.]E-liq'ua-ment, n. p. 436A liquid obtained from fat, or fat fish, by pressure.Ĕl'i-quā'tion, n. p. 436(Metallurgy.) The operation by which a more fusible substance is separated from one that is less so, by means of a degree of heat sufficient to melt the one and not the other, as an alloy of copper…E-Lĭs'ion, n. p. 436Division; separation. [Obs.] Bacon. 2. (Gram.) The cutting off or suppression, for the sake of meter or euphony, of a vowel or syllable, especially a vowel at the end of a word standing before…E-lĭ'sor, n. p. 436(Eng. Law.) An elector or chooser; one of two persons appointed by the court to return a jury when the sheriff and the coroners are incompetent.Élite, n. p. 436A choice or select body; as, the élite of society.E-lĭx', v. t. p. 436To extract. [Obs.] “The purest elixed juice of rich conceit.” Marston.E-lix'āte, v. t. p. 436To boil; to seethe; hence, to extract by boiling or seething. [Obs.] Cockeram.Ēlix-ā'tion, n. p. 436Act of boiling or stewing; decoction; also, concoction in the stomach; digestion. [Obs.] Burton.E-līx'ir, n. p. 436(Med.) A tincture with more than one base; a compound tincture or medicine, composed of various substances, held in solution by alcohol in some form. 2. (Alchemy.) A liquor for transmuting metals…E-lĭz'a-bĕth'an, a. p. 436Pertaining to Queen Elizabeth or her times, and to a style of architecture then prevalent; as, the Elizabethan writers.Ēlk, n. p. 436(Zoöl.) A quadruped of the stag kind, with very large, spreading, branched or palmated horns; the Cervus alces, of Europe, and the Cervus Canadensis, or moose, of the northern United States.Ēlke, n. p. 436(Or-nith.) A species of bird; Cygnus ferus; the wild swan, or hooper.Ĕlk'-nŭt, n. p. 436(Bot.) A plant; the Hamiltonia oleifera: called also oil'-nŭt.Ēll, n. p. 436A measure, of different lengths in different countries, used chiefly for measuring cloth. The English ell is 45 inches; the Flemish ell, 27; the Scotch, 37.2; the French, 54.El-lăg'ic, a. p. 436Pertaining to, or derived from, gall-nuts.Ellagic acid p. 436a weak, insipid acid, obtained from gall-nuts.El-lēb'o-rīne, n. p. 436(Chem.) A resin of very acrid taste, obtained from the Helleborus hiemalis.}El'lenge or El'linge, a. p. 436Cheerless; sad. (Obs.) P. Plowman.Ĕl'lenge-ness or Ĕl'linge-ness, n. p. 436Loneliness; dullness; cheerlessness. [Obs.] “Full of ellengeness.” Chaucer.El-lipse', n. p. 436(Geom.) An oval or oblong figure, bounded by a regular curve, which corresponds to an oblique projection of a circle, or an oblique section of a cone through its opposite sides.El-lĭp′/sis, n. p. 436(Gram.) Omission; a figure of syntax, by which one or more words are omitted; as, the heroic virtues I admire, for, the heroic virtues which I admire. 2. (Geom.) One of the conic sections; an…El-lip'so-grāph, n. p. 436An instrument to describe an ellipse; — called also trammel. Gwilt.El-lip'soid, n. p. 436(Geom.) A solid figure, all plane sections of which are ellipses or circles. Ellipsoid of revolution, a solid figure generated by the revolution of an ellipse about one of its axes. It is called a…Ĕl'lip-soid'al, a. p. 436Pertaining to an ellipsoid; having, or approximating to, the form of an ellipsoid.El-lip'tie or El-lip'tie-al, a. p. 436Pertaining to an ellipse; having the form of an ellipse; oblong, with rounded ends. The planets move in elliptical orbits. Cheyne. 2. Having a part omitted; defective; as, an elliptical phrase.…El-lip'tic-al-ly, adv. p. 437According to the form of an ellipse. 2. (Gram.) With a part omitted; defectively; as, elliptically expressed.El-lip-tĭc'i-ty, n. p. 437Deviation from the form of a circle or sphere; especially, in reference to the figure of the earth, the difference between the equatorial and polar semi-diameters, divided by the equatorial; thus…El-lip'tic-lān'çe-o-late, a. p. 437(Bot.) Having a form intermediate between elliptic and lanceolate.Elm, n. p. 437(Bot.) A tree of the genus Ulmus, of several species, much employed as a shade tree, particularly in America. The English elm is U. campestris; the common American, U. Americana; the slippery, or red…Elm'en, a. p. 437Of, or belonging to, elms. [Obs.]Ēl'mō's-fīre, n. p. 437A luminous meteor sometimes appearing in the atmosphere; occasionally also seen about the masts and rigging of vessels, and called by the sailors, when two are present, Castor and Pollux; when only…Ĕlm'y, a. p. 437Abounding with elms. Warton.Ēl'o-cā'tion, n. p. 437A removal from the usual place of residence, 2. Departure from the usual state; an ecstasy.E-lŏc'ū-lar, a. p. 437(Bot.) Having but one cell; not divided by partitions.Ĕl/o-cū'tion, n. p. 437The power of expression by words; expression of thought by speech. [Rare.] Whose taste . . . at first essay, Gave elocution to the mute, and taught The tongue not made for speech to speak thy praise.…El'o-cū'tiōn-a-ry, a. p. 437Pertaining to elocution.Ĕl'o-cū'tion-ist, n. p. 437One who is versed in elocution; a teacher of elocution.