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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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
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.Ĕl'o-cū'tive, a. p. 437Having the power of eloquent speaking. [Obs.] Feltham.Éloge, n. p. 437A funeral oration; a panegyric on the dead.Ēl'o-gist, n. p. 437A eulogist. [Obs.]El'ōj'ē-ūm or El'o-gy, n. p. 437The praise bestowed on a person or thing; panegyric; eulogy. Dodsley.