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.
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.…Grāft, v. t. p. 583To insert, as a cutting from one tree in a branch or stem of another; to propagate by insertion or inoculation; to unite by budding; hence, to implant or incorporate, as a bud upon a stem. [Formerly…Grāft, v. i. p. 583To insert scions from one tree, or kind of tree, into another.Gräft'er, n. p. 583One who inserts scions on foreign stocks, or propagates fruit by ingrafting.Grāil, n. p. 583A book of offices in the Roman Catholic church; a gradual. Warton. 2. A broad, open dish or cup; also, a chalice. [Obs.] Nares. The Holy Grail, according to some legends of the middle ages, was the…Grāil, n. p. 584Small particles of earth; gravel. “Lying down upon the sandy grail.” Spenser.Grāīn, n. p. 584A single small, hard seed; a kernel; especially of certain plants, like corn and wheat, which are used for food. 2. The fruit of certain kindred plants which constitute the chief food of man, viz.…Grāin, v. t. p. 584To paint in imitation of the grain of wood; to color deeply or permanently; to dye. 2. To form into grains, as powder, sugar, and the like.Grāīn, v. i. p. 584To yield fruit. [Obs.] Gower. 2. To form grains, or to assume a granular form, as the result of partial crystallization.Grāīn, v. & n. p. 584The same as GROAN. [Obs.]Grāīn'age, n. p. 584Duties on grain.Grāined, a. p. 584Divided into small particles or grains. 2. Roughened. [Obs.] Shak. 3. Dyed in grain; ingrained. Persons lightly dipped, not grained, in generous honesty, are but pale in goodness. Browne. 4. (Bot.)…Grāin'er, n. p. 584A lixivium obtained by infusing pigeon's dung in water, used by tanners to give flexibility to skins;—called also bate. Ure. 2. One who paints in imitation of the grain of wood.Grāin'ing, n. p. 584Indentation. Leake. 2. A process in leather-dressing by which the skin is softened and the grain raised. 3. A kind of painting in imitation of the grain or fibers of wood. 4. (Ichth.) A small fish…Grāin'-mōth, n. p. 584(Entom.) A minute moth, of which two species are known, Tinea granella and Butalis cerealella, whose larvæ or grubs devour grain in storehouses. The moths have narrow, fringed wings, of a satiny…Grāins, n. pl. p. 584A kind of harpoon, with several barbed points. Simmonds.Grāin'-stăff, n. p. 584A quarter-staff.Grāin'y, a. p. 584Full of grains or corn; full of kernels. We watched the emmet to her grainy nest. Rogers.Grāip, n. p. 584A dung-fork. [Scot.] Burns. 2. A fork for lifting potatoes or other tubers from the ground. Simmonds.Grāith, v. t. p. 584To prepare; to make ready. [Obs.] See GREITH. Chaucer.Grāl'la-tō'ri-al or Grāl'la-tō-ry, a. p. 584Pertaining to the grallatores, or waders.Grā'tile, a. p. 584Gral-latory. [Rare.]Grām, a. p. 584Angry. [Obs.] Chaucer.Grām, n. p. 584GRAMME.Grām, n. p. 584A species of grain on which horses are fed. [East Indies.]Grām'a-rȳe, n. p. 584The art of necromancy. W. Scott.Gra-mër'cy, interj. p. 584A word formerly used to express thankfulness, with surprise. The gain, the lucre, the revenues that we get must not be imputed to our labor; we may not say, “Gramercy, labor.” Latimer. Gramercy…Grām'i-nā'ceous, a. p. 584Pertaining to the grasses; gramineous.Gra-mīn'e-al or Gra-mīn'e-ous, a. p. 584(Bot.) Like, or pertaining to, grass, or to the tribes of grasses characterized by having a jointed stem, a husky calyx, termed glume, and a single seed; grassy.Grām'i-ni-fō'li-ōūs, a. p. 584Bearing leaves resembling those of grass.Grām/i-nīvō-roụs, a. p. 584Feeding or subsisting on grass, and the like food; — said of horses, cattle, and other animals.Grām'ma-lōgue, n. p. 584(Phonography.) A letter-word; a word represented by a logogram; as, it, represented by |, that is, t. Pitman.Grām'mar, n. p. 584The science of language; the theory of human speech; the study of forms of speech, and their relations to one another. 2. The art of speaking or writing with propriety or correctness, according to…