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.
Ex-cūr'sus, n. p. 476A dissertation or digression appended to a work, and containing a more full exposition of some important point or topic.Ex-cūṣ'a-ble, a. p. 476Capable or worthy of being excused; pardonable; as, the man is excusable. 2. Admitting of justification or palliation; as, an excusable action.Ex-cūṣ'a-ble-ness, n. p. 476The state or quality of being excusable; pardonableness. Boyle.Ex-cūş'a-bly, adv. p. 476In an excusable manner or degree; pardonably. “Excusably ignorant.” South.Ex’cu-sā’tión, n. p. 476Excuse; apology. [Obs.] Bacon.Ĕx'cu-sā'tor, n. p. 476One who makes, or is authorized to make, an excuse, or to carry an apology; an apologist. [Obs.] Hume.Ex-cū'sa-to-ry, a. p. 476Making excuse; containing excuse or apology; apologetical; as, an excusatory plea.Ex-cūse', v. t. p. 476To free from accusation, or the imputation of fault or blame; to acquit of guilt; to release from a charge; to exculpate; to absolve. A man's persuasion that a thing is duty, will not excuse him from…Ex-cūse', n. p. 476The act of excusing, apologizing, exculpating, pardoning, releasing, and the like; acquittal; release; absolution; apology. “Pleading so wisely in excuse of it.” Shak. 2. That which is offered as a…Ex-cūse'less, a. p. 476Having no excuse; incapable of excuse or apology. Whitlock.Ex-cūse'ment, n. p. 476Excuse. [Obs.] Cowper.Ex-cū'ser, n. p. 476One who offers excuses or pleads for another. 2. One who excuses or forgives another.Ex-cŭss', v. t. p. 476To shake off; to get rid of. [Rare.] “To excuss the notions of a Deity out of their minds.” Stillingfleet. 2. To lay open; to discuss; to decipher. [Obs.] “To take some pains in excussing some old…Ex-cus'sion, n. p. 476The act of excussing; shaking off; discussion; decipherment; seizure and detention by law. [Obs.] Ayliffe.Ex'e-āt p. 476Leave of temporary absence given to a student in the English universities. 2. A permission which a bishop grants to a priest to go out of his diocese. Wharton.Ex'e·cra-ble, a. p. 476Deserving to be execrated; very hateful; detestable; abominable; as, an execrable wretch. Shak.Ex'e·cra·bly, adv. p. 476In a manner to deserve execration; detestably.Ĕx'e·crāte, v. t. p. 476To denounce evil against, or to imprecate evil upon; hence, to detest utterly; to abhor; to abominate; to curse. “They . . . execrate their lot.” Cowper.Ĕx'e-crā'tion, n. p. 476The act of cursing; a curse pronounced; imprecation of evil; utter detestation expressed. Cease, gentle queen, these execrations. Shak. 2. That which is execrated; a detested thing. Ye shall be an…Ex'e·cra-to-ry, n. p. 476A formulary of execration.Ex-eet', v. t. p. 476To cut off or out; to cut away. [Obs.] See EXSECT. Harvey.Ex-cĕ'tion, n. p. 476A cutting off or out. [Obs.] See EXSECTION.Ex'e·eūta-ble, a. p. 476Capable of being executed; feasible. [Rare.]Ex-ĕc'ŭ-tant, n. p. 476One who executes or performs; a performer. [Rare.] “Great executants on the organ.” De Quincey.Ĕx'e-cūte, v. t. p. 476To follow out or through to the end; to carry into complete effect; to complete; to finish; as, to execute a purpose, a plan, design, or scheme. Why delays his hand To execute what his decree fixed…Ex'e-cūte, v. i. p. 477To perform an office or duty; to act one's part. 2. To play on a musical instrument.Ex'e-cū'ter, n. p. 477One who performs or carries into effect. See EXECUTOR.Ex'e-cu'tion, n. p. 477The act of executing; the act of carrying into effect or to completion; performance; achievement; consummation; hence, legal accomplishment; as, the execution of a plan, a work, and the like. The…Ĕx'e-cū'tion-er, n. p. 477One who executes; especially, one who carries into effect a judgment of death; one who inflicts a capital punishment in pursuance of a legal warrant.Ex-ē'cū-tive, a. p. 477Designed or fitted for execution, or carrying into effect; as, executive talent; qualifying for, or pertaining to, the execution of the laws; as, executive power or authority; executive duties. ☞ In…Ex-ē'cu-tive, n. p. 477The officer, whether king, president, or other chief magistrate, who superintends the execution of the laws; the person or persons who administer the government; executive power or authority in…Ex-ē'cu-tive-ly, adv. p. 477In the way of executing, or performing.Ex-ĕc'ū-tor, n. p. 477One who executes or performs; a doer; as, an executor of baseness. Shak. 2. An executioner. [Obs.] The sad-eyed justice, with his surly hum, Delivering o'er to executors pale The lazy, yawning deme.…Ex-ē-cū-tō'ri-al, a. p. 477Pertaining to an executor; executive. Blackstone.Ex-ē'cu-tor-ship, n. p. 477The office of an executor.Ex-ĕc'ū-to-ry, a. p. 477Performing official duties; executive. “The executory duties of government.” Burke. 2. (Law.) Designed to be executed or carried into effect in future, or to take effect on a future contingency; as…Ex'ē'cū-tress, n. p. 477Ex-ĕc'ū-trix p. 477A female executor; a woman appointed by a testator to execute his will.Ex'e'drā' or Ex-ē'drā, n. p. 477(Arch.) (a.) A portico or vestibule. (b.) A recess of a building. 2. (Anc. Arch.) A small room, as in baths and other buildings, appropriated to conversation. Cuvill.Ĕx'e-gē'sis, n. p. 477Exposition; explanation; the science of interpretation; especially, the scientific interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. 2. (Math.) The process of finding the roots of an equation. [Obs.]Ex'e-gēte, n. p. 477One skilled in exegesis; an exegetist.Ĕx'e-ġĕt'ic-al, a. p. 477Pertaining to exegesis; tending to unfold or illustrate; explanatory. Walker.Ĕx'e-ġĕt'ic-al-ly, adv. p. 477By way of explanation.Ĕx'e-ġĕt'ics, n. sing. p. 477The science of interpretation; exegesis. [See Note under MATHEMATICS.]Ĕx'e-ġē'tist, n. p. 477One versed in the science of interpretation; an exegete.Ex-ĕm'plar, n. p. 477A model, original, or pattern, to be copied or imitated; an idea or image formed in the mind of an artist, to which he conforms his work; the ideal model which he attempts to imitate. Such grand…Ex-ĕm'plar, a. p. 477Exemplary. [Obs.] The exemplar piety of the father of a family. Bp. Taylor.Ĕx'em-pla-ri-ly, adv. p. 477In a manner fitted or designed to be copied or shunned; by way of example. She is exemplarily loyal. Howell.Ĕx'em-pla-ri-ness, n. p. 477The state or quality of being exemplary, or fitted to be an example.Ĕx'em-plăr'i-ty, n. p. 477Exemplariness. [Obs.] “The exemplarity of Christ's life.” Sharp.Ĕx'em-pla-ry, n. p. 477A pattern; an exemplar. [Obs.] Donne.Ĕx'em-pla-ry, a. p. 477Acting as an exemplar; serving as a pattern or model, or as a warning or threatening; open to imitation or notice; commendable; conspicuous; as, to be exemplary in life; exemplary justice or…Ex-ĕm'pli-fī'a-ble, a. p. 477That can be exemplified.Ex-ĕm'pli-fi-cā'tion, n. p. 477The act of exemplifying; a showing or illustrating by example. 2. That which exemplifies; a copy; a transcript; an attested copy or transcript, under seal, of a record.Ex-ĕm'pli-fī'er, n. p. 477One who exemplifies by following a pattern.Ex-ĕm'pli-fȳ, v. t. p. 477To show or illustrate by example. He did but . . exemplify the principles in which he had been brought up. Cowper. 2. To copy; to transcribe; to make an attested copy or transcript under seal of a…Ex-ĕmpt', v. t. p. 477To take out or from; to remove from circumstances or conditions in which others are placed; to grant immunity from; to free from obligation; to release; as, to exempt from military duty, or from jury…Ex-ĕmpt', a. p. 477Taken out or removed; free in respect to that which binds and affects others, as a tax, a duty, an evil; released; liberated. They fix thee here a rock, whence they're exempt. Beau. & Fl. True…Ex-ĕmpt', n. p. 477One who is exempted or freed from duty; one not subject. 2. One of four officers of the yeomen of the Royal Guard, having the rank of corporal. [Eng.]Ex-ĕmpt'i-ble, a. p. 477Capable of being exempted; free; privileged. [Obs.] Cotgrave.