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.
Er'i-nite, n. p. 462(Min.) A native arseniate of copper, of an emerald-green color; — so called from Erin, or Ireland, where it occurs.E-rĭn'nys, n. p. 462A Fury; the goddess of discord; and hence, discord. Shak.Er'i-ōm'e-ter, n. p. 462An optical instrument for measuring the diameters of minute particles or fibers, from the size of the colored rings produced by the diffraction of the light in which the objects are viewed.Ēr'i-ōph'o-rŭm, n. p. 462(Bot.) A genus of plants, the seeds of some species of which are surrounded with delicate, hair-like bristles, forming a white, cotton-like tuft. Gray.E-rĭph'i-ă, n. p. 462(Zoöl.) A genus of short-tailed crustaceans.E-ris'tie or E-ris'tie-al, a. p. 462Pertaining to disputes; controversial. [Obs. or rare.] A specimen of admirable special pleading in the court of eristic logic. Coleridge.Ē'rix, n. p. 462See ERYX.Ẽrke, n. p. 462Idle; slothful; lazy; indolent. [Obs.] Chaucer.Ẽr'me-lĭn or Ẽr'mi-lĭn, n. p. 462Ermine. See ERMINE.Ẽr'mĭne, n. p. 462(Zoöl.) An animal of the genus Mustela (M. erminea), allied to the weasel; an inhabitant of northern climates, in Europe and America. In winter, the fur is white, but the tip of the tail is of the…Er'mined, a. p. 462Clothed or adorned with the fur of the ermine. Pope.Er'mine-moth, n. p. 462(Entom.) A kind of moth;— so called on account of the resemblance of its covering to the fur of the ermine.Er'mit, n. p. 462A hermit. [Obs.] Bp. Taylor.Ĕrn or Erne, n. p. 462The sea-eagle or osprey; — so called in Scotland. ☞ The name is also applied to other eagles, particularly the common golden eagle.Ērne, n. p. 462A place or receptacle. [Obs.]E-rōde', v. t. p. 462To eat into or away; to corrode; as, canker erodes the flesh. The blood, being too sharp or thin, erodes the vessels. Wiseman.E-rōd'ed, p. a. p. 462Eaten away; gnawed. 2. (Bot.) Having the edge irregularly jagged, as if gnawed or eaten. London.E-rōd'ent, n. p. 462(Med.) A medicine which eats away extraneous growths; a caustic.E-rō'di-um, n. p. 462(Bot.) A genus of plants including the heron's-bill.Ēr'o-gāte, v. t. p. 462To lay out, as money; to give; to bestow upon. [Obs.]Ēr'o-gā'tion, n. p. 462The act of giving or bestowing. [Obs.] Sir T. Elyot.E-rōse′, a. p. 462(Bot.) Having sinuses in the margin, as if gnawed; eroded. Martyn.E-rō'ṣion, n. p. 462The act or operation of eating away. 2. The state of being eaten away; corrosion; canker.E-rō'sive, a. p. 462Having the property of eating away, or corroding; corrosive. Humble.E-rŏs'trate, a. p. 462(Bot.) Without a beak. Gray.Ĕr'o-tēme, n. p. 462(Rhet.) A mark indicating a question; a note of interrogation.Ēr'o-tē'sis, n. p. 462(Rhet.) A figure of speech by which a strong affirmation, often a strong affirmation of the contrary, is implied under the form of an earnest interrogation, as in the following lines:— Must I give…E-rŏt'ic or E-rŏt'ic-al, a. p. 462Pertaining to, or prompted by, love; treating of love; amatory.E-rōt'ic, n. p. 462An amorous composition or poem.Er'o-to-mā'ni-a or Er'o-tōm'a-ny, n. p. 462Melancholy caused by love.Ĕr'pe-tōl'o-gĭst, n. p. 462One who writes on, or is versed in the natural history of, reptiles; an herpetologist.Er′pe-tōl′o-g’y, n. p. 462That part of natural history which treats of reptiles; herpetology.Ĕr'pe-ton, n. p. 462(Zoöl.) A genus of serpents. See HERPETON.Err, v. i. p. 462To wander from the right way; to deviate from the true or appointed path; to wander; to ramble. But errs not Nature from this gracious end, From burning suns when livid deaths descend? Pope. 2. To…Ĕr'ra-ble, a. p. 462Liable to error; fallible. [R.] Bailey.Er'ra-ble-ness, n. p. 462Liability to error. Mountagu.Er'rand, n. p. 462A special business intrusted to a messenger; a mandate; an order; a message; a commission; as, the servant was sent on an errand; he told his errand; he has done the errand; also, one's purpose in…Er'rant, a. p. 462Deviating from an appointed course, or from a direct path; wandering; roving; rambling. To be revealed by errant sprights. Shak. 2. Wild; extravagant; notorious; arrant; as, an errant fool. Sir…Ĕr'rant, n. p. 462One who wanders about. [Obs.] “Lady errants.” Fuller.Ĕr'rant-ry, n. p. 462A wandering; a roving or rambling about. Addison. 2. The employment of a knight-errant. Johnson.Er-rā'tā, n. pl. p. 462See ERRATUM.Er-răt'ic or Er-răt'ic-al, a. p. 462Having no certain course; roving about without a fixed destination; deviating from a wise or the common course in opinion or conduct; eccentric; as, erratic conduct. 2. Moving; not fixed or…Er-rāt'ic, n. p. 462One who wanders, especially from rectitude; a rogue. [Obs.] Cockeram. 2. (Geol.) Any stone or material that has been borne away by natural agencies from its original site; a bowlder. In the plural…Er-răt'ic-al-ly, adv. p. 462Without rule, order, or established method; irregularly.Er-rāt'ic-al-ness, n. p. 462The state or quality of being erratic.Er-rā'tion, n. p. 462A wandering. [Obs.] Cockerm.Er-rā'tum, n. p. 462An error or mistake in writing or printing. A single erratum may knock out the brains of a whole passage. Cooper.Ĕr'rhine, a. p. 462(Med.) Affecting the nose, or designed to be snuffed into the nose; occasioning discharges from the nose.Er'rhine, n. p. 462(Med.) A medicine designed to be snuffed up the nose, to promote discharges of mucus; a sternutatory.Er-rō'ne-oŭs, a. p. 462Deviating from a right course; wandering; roving; not conformed to truth or justice; erring; wrong; as, an erroneous view. 2. Deviating from the right way; irregular. “Erroneous circulation of…Er-rō'ne-ōus-ly, adv. p. 462By mistake; not rightly; falsely.Er-rō'ne-ōus-ness, n. p. 462The state of being erroneous, wrong, or false; deviation from right; as, the erroneousness of a judgment.Er'ror, n. p. 462A wandering or deviation from the right course or standard; misapprehension; perversion; mistake; blunder. His judgment was often in error, though his candor remained unimpeached. Bancroft. 2. Want…Ĕr'ror, v. t. p. 462To determine or decide to be erroneous, as a decision of a court.Ĕr'ror-ist, n. p. 462One who errs, or who encourages and propagates error.Ẽrs, n. p. 462(Bot.) A plant; bitter vetch. Johnson.Ẽrse, n. p. 462The language of the descendants of the Gaels or Celts in the Highlands of Scotland.Ẽrse, a. p. 462Pertaining to the ancient inhabitants of Scotland.Ẽrsh, n. p. 462Stubble of grain. [Written also earsh.] [Prov. Eng.]Erst, adv. p. 462First; at first; at the beginning. 2. In early times; once; formerly; long ago.