Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
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- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Gŏv'ern-mĕnt'al, a. p. 582Pertaining to government; made by government. Hamilton.Gōv'ern-or, n. p. 582One who governs; especially, (a.) One who is invested with supreme authority in the state; a chief ruler or magistrate; as, the governor of Pennsylvania. (b.) One who has the care or guardianship of…Gŏv'ern-or-ship, n. p. 582The office of a governor.Gow'an, n. p. 582(Bot.) The daisy, or mountain daisy. [Scot.] “And pulled the gowans fine.” Burns. 2. (Min.) Decomposed granite.Gowk, v. t. p. 582To stupefy. [Obs.] B. Jon.Gowk, n. p. 582Same as GAWK, q. v.Gowl, v. i. p. 582To howl. [Obs.] Wycliffe.Gown, n. p. 582A loose, flowing upper garment; especially, (a.) The ordinary outer dress of a woman; as, a calico or silk gown. (b.) The official robe of certain professional men and scholars, including university…Gowned, a. p. 582Dressed in a gown; clothed; clad. One arm aloft, Gowned in pure white that fitted to the shape. Tennyson.Gown'man or Gowns'man, n. p. 582One whose professional habit is a gown, as a divine or lawyer, and particularly a member of an English university; hence, a civilian, in distinction from a soldier. Pope.Gowt, n. p. 582Same as GO-OUT, q. v.Gōz'zard, n. p. 582One who attends geese. [Low.] Malone.Grăb, n. p. 582(Naut.) A vessel used on the Malabar coast, having two or three masts. 2. [See infra.] A sudden grasp or seizure.Grăb, v. t. & i. p. 582To gripe suddenly; to seize; to snatch; to clutch.Grāb'ber, n. p. 582One who seizes, or grabs.Grāb'ble, v. i. p. 582To grope; to feel with the hands. He puts his hands into his pockets, and keeps a grabbling and fumbling. Selden. 2. To lie prostrate on the belly; to sprawl on the ground; to grovel. Ainsworth.Grāçe, n. p. 582The exercise of love, kindness, or good-will; disposition to benefit or serve another; favor bestowed or privilege conferred. Or each, or all, may win a lady’s grace. Dryden. To bow and sue for grace…Grāce, v. t. p. 583To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify. Great Jove and Phœbus graced his noble line. Pope. We are graced with wreaths of victory. Shak. 2. To dignify or raise by an act of favor; to honor.…Grāce'-cūp, n. p. 583The cup or health drank after saying grace. Prior.Grā'ced, p. a. p. 583Beautiful; graceful. Sidney. 2. Virtuous; regular; chaste. [Obs.] Shak.Grāce'ful, a. p. 583Displaying grace or beauty in form or action; elegant; easy; agreeable in appearance; as, a graceful walk; a graceful deportment; a graceful speaker; a graceful air. High o'er the rest in arms the…Grāce'ful-ly, adv. p. 583In a graceful manner; elegantly; with a natural ease and propriety; as, to walk or speak gracefully.Grā'ce'ful-ness, n. p. 583The quality or state of being graceful; elegance of manner or deportment.Grāce'less, a. p. 583Wanting in grace or excellence; departed from, or deprived of, divine grace; hence, depraved; degenerate; corrupt. In a graceless age, things of highest praise, . . . to make them infamous and…Grāce'less-ly, adv. p. 583In a graceless manner.Grâ'ce'less-ness, n. p. 583The state of being graceless; destitution of grace; profligacy.Grăc'ile or Grăc'i-lent, a. p. 583Slender; thin. [Obs.] Bailey.Gra-çĭl'i-ty, n. p. 583The state of being gracilent; slenderness. [Obs. or rare.] As the niches became narrower, the saints rose to disproportionate stature, shrank to meager gracility. Milman.Grā'cious, a. p. 583Abounding in grace or mercy; kind to the ill-deserving, the poor, the lowly; expressing or manifesting love, or bestowing mercy; characterized by grace; merciful; condescending. Thou art a God ready…Grā'ciōus-ly, adv. p. 583In a gracious manner; kindly; favorably; mercifully. His testimony he graciously confirmed. Dryden.Grā'ciōus-ness, n. p. 583The quality or state of being gracious; kindness; condescension.Grăck'le or Grăk'le, n. p. 583(Ornith.) A bird of the genus Gracula, allied to the blackbird. G. religiosa is found in India. The rusty gräkle of the United States is the Quiscalus ferrugineus.Gra-dā'tion, n. p. 583The act of progressing by regular steps or orderly arrangement; the state of being graded or arranged in ranks. 2. Any degree or relative position in an order or series. The several gradations of the…Gra-dā'tion-al, a. p. 583According to gradation. [Rare.]Gra-dā'tioned, a. p. 583Formed by gradation, or with gradations.Grād'a-to-ry, a. p. 583Proceeding step by step; gradual. Seward. 2. Adapted for progressive or forward motion.Grād'a-to-ry, n. p. 583A step from the cloisters into the church. Ainsworth.Grāde, n. p. 583A step or degree in any series, rank, or order; relative position or standing; as, grades of military rank; crimes of every grade. While questions, periods, and grades, and privileges are never once…Grāde, v. t. p. 583To reduce to a level, or to an evenly progressive ascent, as the line of a canal or road.Grāde'ly, a. p. 583Decent; orderly. [Prov. Eng.]. Halliwell.Grāde'ly, adv. p. 583Decently; orderly. [Prov. Eng.]Grā'di-ent, a. p. 583Moving by steps; walking; as, gradient automata. Wilkins. 2. Rising or descending by regular degrees of inclination; as, the gradient line of a railroad.Grā'dī-ent, n. p. 583The rate of ascent or descent in a road, &c.; grade. 2. A part of a road which slopes upward or downward; a portion of a way not level; a grade.Grā′din or Grā-dīne′, n. p. 583A seat raised over another. “The gradines of the amphitheater.” Layard. 2. An indented chisel used by sculptors.Grād'ū-al, a. p. 583Proceeding by steps or degrees; advancing, step by step, in ascent or descent; progressive; slow; as, a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline. Creatures animate with gradual life Of…Grād'ū-al, n. p. 583An order of steps. Dryden. 2. An ancient book of hymns and prayers; so called because some of the anthems were chanted on the steps (gradus) of the pulpit. Hook.Grād'ū-āl'i-ty, n. p. 583The state of being gradual; regular progression. [Obs.] Browne.Grād'ū-al-ly, adv. p. 583In a gradual manner; step by step; by degrees. 2. In degree. [Obs.] Human reason doth not only gradually, but specifically, differ from the fantastic reason of brutes. Grew.Grād'ū-āte, v. t. p. 583To mark with degrees; to divide into regular steps, grades, or intervals, as a scale, a thermometer, and the like. 2. To admit or elevate to a certain grade or degree; especially, in a college or…Grăd'ū-āte, v. i. p. 583To pass to, or to receive, a degree in a college or university. 2. To pass by degrees; to change gradually; as, sandstone which graduates into gneiss; carnelian sometimes graduates into quartz.…Grăd'ū-ate, n. p. 583One who has been admitted to a degree in a college or university, or by some professional incorporated society.Grăd'ū-ate, a. p. 583Arranged by successive steps or degrees; graduated. Beginning with the genus, passing through all the graduate and subordinate stages. Tatham.Grăd'ū-ate-shĭp, n. p. 583The state of a graduate. Milton.Grăd'ū-ā'tion, n. p. 583The act of graduating; as, graduation of a scale, or of qualities, graduation at a college, &c. 2. The art of dividing into degrees, or other definite parts, as scales, the limbs of astronomical and…Grăd'ū-ā'tor, n. p. 583One who graduates; as, a graduator of mathematical instruments. 2. An instrument for dividing any line, right or curve, into small, regular intervals. 3. A vessel for accelerating the formation of…Grā'dus, n. p. 583A dictionary of prosody, designed as an aid in writing Greek or Latin poetry.Gräff, n. p. 583A ditch or moat. [Obs.] Clarendon.Grāff, n. & v. p. 583Same as GRAFT, q. v.Grāf'fer, n. p. 583(Law.) A notary or scrivener. Bouvier.Grāft, n. p. 583A small shoot or scion of a tree inserted in another tree, as the stock which is to support and nourish it. These unite and become one tree, but the graft determines the kind of fruit.…