Dictionary
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.
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.…Ex'pis-cā'tion, n. p. 482The act of expiscating or fishing out; a fishing. [Obs.] Chapman.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…Ex-plāin′, v. i. p. 482To give explanations.Ex-plāin'a-ble, a. p. 482Capable of being explained or made plain to the understanding; capable of being interpreted. Browne.Ex-plāin'er, n. p. 482One who explains; an expounder or expositor; a commentator; an interpreter.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.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…Ex-plān'a-tive, a. p. 482Explanatory. [R.] Warburton.Ex-plān'a-to-ri-ness, n. p. 482The quality of being explanatory.Ex-plān'a-to-ry, a. p. 482Serving to explain; containing explanation; as, explanatory notes. Swift.Ex-plāt' or Ex-plate', v. t. p. 482To make plain; to explain; to unfold. [Obs.] “Explatest the knotty laws.” B. Jonson.Ex-plē'tion, n. p. 482Accomplishment; fulfillment. [Obs.] Killingbeck.Ex'ple-tive, a. p. 482Filling up: hence, added merely for the purpose of filling up; superfluous. “Expletive phrases to plump his speech.” Barrow.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.Ĕx'ple-tĭve-ly, adv. p. 482In the manner of an expletive.Ĕx'ple-to-ry, a. p. 482Serving to fill up; expletive; superfluous; as, an expletory word. Burnet.Ĕx'pli-ca-ble, a. p. 482Capable of being explicated, unfolded, or accounted for; admitting explanation. Burke.Ex'pli-ca-ble-ness, n. p. 482The quality of being explicable.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…Ex'pli-cate, a. p. 482Evolved; unfolded. Bp. Taylor.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…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.Ex'pli-cā'tor, n. p. 482One who unfolds or explains; an expounder; an explainer.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.…Ex'pli-cit p. 482An abbreviation for explicitus; formerly used at the conclusion of a book, as finis is now, to indicate the end.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.Ex-plĭç'it-ness, n. p. 482The quality of being explicit; clearness; direct expression of ideas or intention, without reserve or ambiguity.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.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…Ex-plōd'er, n. p. 482One who explodes; a hisser; one who rejects.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.Ex-ploit', v. t. p. 482To achieve. [Obs.] He made haste to exploit some warlike service. Holland.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.Ex-ploit'üre, n. p. 482The act of exploiting or accomplishing; achievement. [Obs.] Udal.Ex-plō'rāte, v. t. p. 482To explore. [Obs.] See EXPLORE. Browne.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.Ĕx'plo-rā'tor, n. p. 482One who explores; one who searches or examines closely.Ex-plōr'a-to-ry, a. p. 482Serving to explore; searching; examining; explorative. Walton.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…Ex-plōre'ment, n. p. 482Exploration. [Obs.] Browne.Ex-plōr'er, n. p. 482One who explores.Ex-plōr'ing, p. a. p. 482Employed in, or designed for, exploration. “Exploring parties.” Bancroft.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…Ex-plō'sive, a. p. 483Driving or bursting out with violence and noise; causing explosion; as, the explosive force of gunpowder.Ex-plō'sive-ly, adv. p. 483In an explosive manner.Ex-pō'li-ā'tion, n. p. 483A spoiling; a wasting. See SPOLIATION. Bp. Hall.Ex-pŏl'ish, v. t. p. 483To polish thoroughly; to smooth or scrape off. [Obs.] Heywood.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…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…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…Ĕx'pōrt, n. p. 483The act of exporting; exportation; as, to prohibit the export of wheat or tobacco. 2. That which is exported; a commodity conveyed from one country or state to another in traffic;—used chiefly in the…Ex-pōrt'a-ble, a. p. 483Capable of being exported.Ĕx'pōr-tā'tion, n. p. 483The act of exporting; the act of conveying goods and productions from one country or state to another in the course of commerce; as, the exportation of lumber or other products. Bancroft.Ex-pōrt'er, n. p. 483One who exports; the person who ships goods, wares, and merchandise of any kind to a foreign country, or who sends them to market in a distant country or state;—opposed to importer.Ex-pōs'al, n. p. 483Exposure. [Obs.] Swift.Ex-pōse', v. t. p. 483To set forth; to lay out; to place in a position to be seen; as, to expose goods for sale; to expose pictures to public inspection. 2. To lay forth to view, as an opinion, or the like; to make…Exposé, n. p. 483An exposing or laying open; a formal statement, recital, or exposition.Ex-pōs'ed-ness, n. p. 483The act of exposing, or state of being exposed, laid open, or unprotected; as, an exposedness to sin or temptation.Ex-pōs'er, n. p. 483One who exposes.