Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Měr'ca-tūre, n. p. 829Commerce; traffic; trade. [Obs.]Mērce, v. t. p. 829To subject to fine or amercement; to mulct; to amerce. [Obs.]Měr'çe-nā'ri-an, n. p. 829A mercenary. [Obs.] Marston.Mĕr'çe-na-ri-ly, adv. p. 829In a mercenary manner.Měr'çe-na-ri-ness, n. p. 829The quality of being mercenary; venality. Bogle.Měr'çe-na-ry, a. p. 829Acting for reward; serving for pay; paid; hired; hireling; venal. 2. Hence, in a bad sense, moved by considerations of pay or profit; governed by, or proceeding from, greediness of gain; sordid…Měr'çe-na-ry, n. p. 829One who is hired; a hireling; especially a soldier hired into foreign service.Měr'cer, n. p. 829One who deals in silks and woolen cloths.Mēr'cer-ship, n. p. 829The business of a mercer.Mĕr'cer-y, n. p. 829The trade of mercers; the commodities or goods in which a mercer deals.Mēr'chand, v. i. p. 829To trade or traffic. [Obs.] Bacon.Mĕr'chan-dīse, n. p. 829The act or business of trading; trade; traffic; commerce. 2. The objects of commerce; whatever is usually bought or sold in trade, or market, or by merchants; wares; goods; commodities.Mēr'chan-dīze, v. i. p. 829To trade; to carry on commerce.Mĕr'chand-ry, n. p. 829Trade; commerce. [Obs.] Saunderson.Mēr’chant, n. p. 829One who traffics or carries on trade, especially upon a large scale; one who buys goods to sell again; any one who is engaged in the purchase and sale of goods; a trafficker; a trader. Others, like…Měr'chant, v. i. p. 829To trade. [Obs.]Měr'chant, a. p. 829Pertaining to, or employed in, trade or merchandise; as, the merchant service. Merchant bar, certain common sizes of wrought iron and steel bars. See IRON. — Merchant service, the mercantile marine…Mēr'chant-a-ble, a. p. 829Fit for market; such as is usually sold in market, or such as will bring the ordinary price; as, merchantable wheat or timber; — sometimes, a technical designation for a particular kind or class of…Mĕr'chant-ly, a. p. 830Of, pertaining to, or becoming a merchant; suitable to the character or business of a merchant. [Obs.]Mĕr'chant-man, n. p. 830A trading vessel; a ship employed in the transportation of goods, as distinguished from a man-of-war.Mĕr'chant-ry, n. p. 830The body of merchants taken collectively; as, the merchantry of a country.Mĕr'chet or Mer-chê'ta, n. p. 830(O. Eng. Law.) A compensation paid, in Scotland and England, by an inferior tenant to his lord, for the privilege of disposing of his daughters in marriage. [Obs.] ☞ The same practice was also…Měr'ci-a-ble, a. p. 830Merciful. [Obs.] Gower.Měr'çi-ful, a. p. 830Full of mercy; having or exercising mercy; disposed to pity offenders and to forgive their offenses; unwilling to punish for injuries. The Lord passed by before him, and proclaimed, The Lord, the…Mĕr'çi-ful-ly, adv. p. 830In a merciful manner; with compassion or pity; tenderly; mildly.Měr'çi-ful-ness, n. p. 830The quality of being merciful; tenderness toward offenders; readiness to forgive.Měr'çi-fy, v. t. p. 830To pity. [Obs.] Spenser.Měr'ci-less, a. p. 830Destitute of mercy; unfeeling; pitiless; hard-hearted; as, a merciless tyrant. The foe is merciless, and will not pity. Shak. 2. Acting without mercy; unsparing; relentless; cruel; severe; as, the…Měr'çi-less-ly, adv. p. 830In a merciless manner; cruelly.Měr'çi-less-ness, n. p. 830Want of mercy or pity.Mer-cū'ri-al, a. p. 830Having the qualities fabled to belong to Mercury; active; sprightly; full of fire or vigor; as, a mercurial youth; a mercurial nation. 2. Pertaining to Mercury, as god of trade; hence, money-making…Mer-cū'ri-al, n. p. 830A person of mercurial temperament; an active or sprightly person. [Obs.] 2. (Med.) A preparation containing mercury.Mer-cū'ri-al-ist, n. p. 830One under the influence of Mercury, or one resembling Mercury in variety of character. 2. (Med.) A physician addicted to the excessive use of mercury.Mer-cū'ri-al-ize, v. t. p. 830(Med.) To affect with mercury. 2. (Photography.) To treat with mercury; to expose to the vapor of mercury.Mer-cū'ri-al-ize, v. i. p. 830To be humorous or fantastic. [Obs.]Mer-cū'ri-al-ly, adv. p. 830In a mercurial manner.Mer-cū'ri-fi-cā'tion, n. p. 830(Metal.) The process or operation of obtaining the mercury from metallic minerals in its fluid form. 2. The act of mixing with quicksilver.Mer-cū'ri-fy, v. t. p. 830To obtain mercury from, as metallic minerals, which may be done by any application of intense heat that expels the mercury in fumes, which are afterward condensed. 2. To combine or mingle mercury…Měr'cu-rïsm, n. p. 830A communication of news; an announcement. [Obs.] Browne.Měr'cu-ry, n. p. 830(Rom. Myth.) The son of Jupiter and Maia, the messenger and interpreter of the gods, and the god of eloquence and of commerce; —called by the Greeks Hermes. 2. (Chem.) A certain metal, white like…Mèr'eu-ry, v. t. p. 830To wash with a preparation of mercury. [Obs.] B. Jonson.Mĕr'cu·ry's-fīn/ger, n. p. 830(Bot.) Wild saffron.Mĕr'cy, n. p. 830Disposition to overlook injuries, or to treat an offender better than he deserves; inclination to forego justice, to remit penalty, or to forgive obligation, out of compassion for the offender or…Mēr'cy-sēat, n. p. 830The place of mercy or forgiveness; the propitiatory; the covering of the ark of the covenant, among the Jews.Mèrd, n. p. 830Ordure; dung. [Obs.] Burton.Mēre, a. p. 830Unmixed; pure; entire; absolute. Then entered they the mere, main sea. Chapman. The sorrows of this world would be mere and unmixed. Bn. Taylor. 2. Only this, and nothing else; such, and no more…Mēre, n. p. 830A pool or lake. Like softened airs that, blowing, steal, When meres begin to uncongeal, The sweet church bells began to peal. Tennyson.Mēre, n. p. 830A boundary. Bacon.Mēre, v. t. p. 830To divide, limit, or bound. [Obs.] Spencer.Mère'goutte, n. p. 830Wine, oil, &c., of the first running, before pressure. [Obs.] Holland.Mēre'ly, adv. p. 830Purely; unmixedly; absolutely; utterly; entirely. Ulysses was to force forth his access, Though merely naked. Chapman. 2. Not otherwise than; simply; barely; solely. Prize not your life for other…Mēre'stĕad, n. p. 830The land within the boundaries of a farm; farm. Busy with hewing and building, with garden-plot and with merestead. Busy with breaking the glebe, and mowing the grass in the meadows. Longfellow.Mère'-stōne, n. p. 830A stone designating a limit or boundary; a landmark. [Rare.] Bacon.Mĕr'e-tri'cious, a. p. 830Pertaining to prostitutes; having to do with harlots; lustful; as, meretricious arts. 2. Resembling the arts of a harlot; alluring by false show; gaudily and deceitfully ornamental; tawdry; showy…Mĕr'e-tri'ciōus-ly, adv. p. 830In a meretricious manner; with deceitful allurements.Mĕr'e-tri′cious-ness, n. p. 830The quality of being meretricious; the art of a prostitute.Mer-gân'ser, n. p. 830(Ornith.) A duck having a straight, narrow, and slender bill, wide at the base and hooked at the tip. These ducks form the genus Mergus. The hooded merganser is the Mergus (or Sophodytes) cucullatus.…Mèrge, v. t. p. 830To cause to be swallowed up; to immerse; to immerge; to sink. “To merge particular conspiracies in more general associations.” Burke. The plaintiff became the purchaser, and merged his term in the…Mèrge, v. i. p. 830To be sunk, swallowed up, or lost. This native irresolution had merged in stronger motives. I. Taylor.Mēr'ger, n. p. 830One who, or that which, merges or swallows up. 2. (Law.) A drowning, sinking, or absorption of one estate, or one contract, in another. Darvill.