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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.

  1. Ex-pir'a-ble, a.p. 482Liable to expire; capable of being brought to an end.
  2. Ex-pir'ant, n.p. 482One who expires or is expiring.
  3. Ĕx/pi-rā'tion, n.p. 482The act of expiring; as, (a.) A breathing out or expulsion of air from the lungs through the mouth or nose, in the process of respiration; as, a forcible expiration. “It [air] is sent forth by way of…
  4. Ex-pĭ'ra-to-ry, a.p. 482Pertaining to, or employed in, the emission or expiration of breath from the lungs.
  5. Ex-pīre', v. t.p. 482To breathe out; to emit from the lungs; to throw out from the mouth or nostrils in the process of respiration;—opposed to inspire. Anatomy exhibits the lungs in a continual motion of inspiring and…
  6. Ex-pire′, v. i.p. 482To emit the breath, especially, to emit the last breath; to breathe out the life; to die; as, to expire calmly; to expire in agony. 2. To come to an end; to cease; to terminate; to perish; to become…
  7. Ĕx'pi·rēe', n.p. 482A convict who has served out his time of punishment.
  8. Ex-pir'ing, p. a.p. 482Breathing out air from the lungs; emitting fluid or volatile matter; exhaling; breathing the last breath; dying; ending; terminating. 2. Pertaining to, or uttered at, the time of dying; as, expiring…
  9. Ĕx'pi-ry, n.p. 482Expiration. [Scot.] You have already survived the law which you studied, and its expiry doubtless has not been without a legacy. W. Scott.
  10. Ex-písʹcāte, v. t.p. 482To fish out; to ascertain or acquire by artful or underhand means. “To expiscate principles or methods.” [Rare.] Nichol. Expiscating if the renowned extreme They force on us will serve their turn.…
  11. Ex'pis-cā'tion, n.p. 482The act of expiscating or fishing out; a fishing. [Obs.] Chapman.
  12. Ex-plain', v. t.p. 482To spread out in a flattened form; to make plain or flat. [Obs.] The . . . horse-chestnut is . . . ready to explain its leaf. Evelyn. 2. To make plain, manifest, or intelligible; to clear of…
  13. Ex-plāin′, v. i.p. 482To give explanations.
  14. Ex-plāin'a-ble, a.p. 482Capable of being explained or made plain to the understanding; capable of being interpreted. Browne.
  15. Ex-plāin'er, n.p. 482One who explains; an expounder or expositor; a commentator; an interpreter.
  16. Ēx'pla-nate, a.p. 482(Bot.) Spreading or extending outwardly in a flat form. Gray. 2. (Entom.) Having the sides of the prothorax so depressed and dilated as to form a broad margin;— said of certain insects. Maunder.
  17. Ex'pla-nā'tion, n.p. 482The act of explaining, expounding, or interpreting; the act of clearing from obscurity and making intelligible; as, the explanation of a passage in Scripture, or of a contract or treaty. 2. That…
  18. Ex-plān'a-tive, a.p. 482Explanatory. [R.] Warburton.
  19. Ex-plān'a-to-ri-ness, n.p. 482The quality of being explanatory.
  20. Ex-plān'a-to-ry, a.p. 482Serving to explain; containing explanation; as, explanatory notes. Swift.
  21. Ex-plāt' or Ex-plate', v. t.p. 482To make plain; to explain; to unfold. [Obs.] “Explatest the knotty laws.” B. Jonson.
  22. Ex-plē'tion, n.p. 482Accomplishment; fulfillment. [Obs.] Killingbeck.
  23. Ex'ple-tive, a.p. 482Filling up: hence, added merely for the purpose of filling up; superfluous. “Expletive phrases to plump his speech.” Barrow.
  24. Ĕx'ple-tĭve, n.p. 482A word or syllable not necessary to the sense, but inserted to fill a vacancy, or for ornament. Expletives their feeble aid do join. Pope.
  25. Ĕx'ple-tĭve-ly, adv.p. 482In the manner of an expletive.
  26. Ĕx'ple-to-ry, a.p. 482Serving to fill up; expletive; superfluous; as, an expletory word. Burnet.
  27. Ĕx'pli-ca-ble, a.p. 482Capable of being explicated, unfolded, or accounted for; admitting explanation. Burke.
  28. Ex'pli-ca-ble-ness, n.p. 482The quality of being explicable.
  29. Ex'pli-cāte, v. t.p. 482To unfold; to expand; to lay open. [Obs.] “They explicate the leaves.” Blackmore. 2. To unfold the meaning or sense of; to explain; to clear of difficulties or obscurity; to interpret. The last verse…
  30. Ex'pli-cate, a.p. 482Evolved; unfolded. Bp. Taylor.
  31. Ex’pli·cā’tĭon, n.p. 482The act of opening, unfolding, or explaining; explanation; exposition; interpretation. “In way of explication.” Shak. 2. The sense given by an expositor or interpreter. “A rationalistic explication…
  32. Ex'pli-cā'tive or Ex'pli-cā'to-ry, a.p. 482Serving to unfold or explain; tending to lay open to the understanding; explanatory. Watts.
  33. Ex'pli-cā'tor, n.p. 482One who unfolds or explains; an expounder; an explainer.
  34. Ex-plĭc'it, a.p. 482Not implied merely, or conveyed by implication; distinctly stated; plain in language; open to the understanding; clear; not obscure or ambiguous; express; as, an explicit proposition or declaration.…
  35. Ex'pli-citp. 482An abbreviation for explicitus; formerly used at the conclusion of a book, as finis is now, to indicate the end.
  36. Ex-plic'it-ly, adv.p. 482In an explicit manner; plainly; expressly; without disguise or reservation of meaning; not by inference or implication; as, he explicitly avows his intention.
  37. Ex-plĭç'it-ness, n.p. 482The quality of being explicit; clearness; direct expression of ideas or intention, without reserve or ambiguity.
  38. Ex-plōde', v. i.p. 482To burst with a loud report; to detonate, as gunpowder, or a shell filled with powder or the like material.
  39. Ex-plōde', v. t.p. 482To cause to explode; to touch off; as, to explode powder by touching it with a red-hot iron. 2. To drive out with violence and noise, as by powder. But late the kindled powder did explode The massy…
  40. Ex-plōd'er, n.p. 482One who explodes; a hisser; one who rejects.
  41. Ex-ploit', n.p. 482A deed or act; especially, a heroic act; a deed of renown; a great or noble achievement; a feat; as, the exploits of Alexander, of Cesar, of Washington. Ripe for exploits and mighty enterprises. Shak.
  42. Ex-ploit', v. t.p. 482To achieve. [Obs.] He made haste to exploit some warlike service. Holland.
  43. Ĕx'ploi-tā'tion, n.p. 482The process by which ores and minerals of value are won from their natural position, often at great depths below the surface, and brought where they can be rendered available. [Rare.] J. D. Whitney.
  44. Ex-ploit'üre, n.p. 482The act of exploiting or accomplishing; achievement. [Obs.] Udal.
  45. Ex-plō'rāte, v. t.p. 482To explore. [Obs.] See EXPLORE. Browne.
  46. Ex'plo-rā'tion, n.p. 482The act of exploring, penetrating, or ranging over for purposes of discovery, especially of geographical discovery; as, the exploration of unknown countries. “An exploration of doctrine.” Bp. Hall.
  47. Ĕx'plo-rā'tor, n.p. 482One who explores; one who searches or examines closely.
  48. Ex-plōr'a-to-ry, a.p. 482Serving to explore; searching; examining; explorative. Walton.
  49. Ex-plōre’, v. t.p. 482To seek for or after; to strive to attain by search; to look wisely and carefully for. [Obs.] Explores the lost, the wandering sheep directs. Pope. 2. To search through; to penetrate or range over…
  50. Ex-plōre'ment, n.p. 482Exploration. [Obs.] Browne.
  51. Ex-plōr'er, n.p. 482One who explores.
  52. Ex-plōr'ing, p. a.p. 482Employed in, or designed for, exploration. “Exploring parties.” Bancroft.
  53. Ex-plō'sion, n.p. 482The act of exploding, bursting with loud noise, or detonating; a sudden inflaming with force and a loud report; as, the explosion of gunpowder. 2. (Steam-eng.) The shattering of a boiler by a sudden…
  54. Ex-plō'sive, a.p. 483Driving or bursting out with violence and noise; causing explosion; as, the explosive force of gunpowder.
  55. Ex-plō'sive-ly, adv.p. 483In an explosive manner.
  56. Ex-pō'li-ā'tion, n.p. 483A spoiling; a wasting. See SPOLIATION. Bp. Hall.
  57. Ex-pŏl'ish, v. t.p. 483To polish thoroughly; to smooth or scrape off. [Obs.] Heywood.
  58. Ex-pō'nent, n.p. 483(Alg.) A number, letter, or any quantity written on the right hand of and above another quantity, and denoting how many times the latter is repeated as a factor to produce the power indicated; thus…
  59. Ex'po-nēn'tial, a.p. 483Pertaining to exponents; involving variable exponents; as, an exponential expression. Exponential curve, a curve whose nature is defined by means of an exponential equation.—Exponential equation, an…
  60. Ex-pōrt', v. t.p. 483To carry away; to remove. [Obs.] They export honor from a man, and make him a return in envy. Bacon. 2. To carry from a state or country, as wares in commerce; to send out, as valuable commodities…