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.
Min'ish-ment, n. p. 841The act of diminishing, or the state of being diminished; diminution. [Obs.]Min'is-ter, n. p. 841An underling; a servant; a subordinate; an assistant of inferior rank; an agent. Moses rose up, and his minister Joshua. Ex. xxiv. 13. Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister.…Min'is-ter, v. t. p. 841To furnish or apply; to afford; to supply; to administer. “He that ministereth seed to the sower.” 2 Cor. ix. 10. “That it may minister grace to the hearers.” Eph. iv. 29. We are so willing to…Min'is-ter, v. i. p. 841To act as a servant, attendant, or agent; to attend and serve; to perform service in any office, sacred or secular. I will sanctify, also, both Aaron and his sons, to minister to me in the priest's…Mĭn'is-tē'ri-al, a. p. 841Pertaining to ministry, or to the performance of service, or of executive office; attending for service; attendant; acting at command. “Enlightening spirits and ministerial flames.” Prior. 2.…Min'is-tē'ri-al-ĭst, n. p. 841A supporter of ministers, or a party in power. [Eng.]Min'is-tē'ri-al-ly, adv. p. 841In a ministerial manner or character.Min'is-ter-y, n. p. 841See MINISTRY.Min'is-tra-cy, n. p. 841Ministration. [Obs.]Min'is-tral, a. p. 841Pertaining to a minister; ministerial. [Obs.] Johnson.Min'is-trant, a. p. 841Performing service as a minister; attendant on service; acting under command. “Princedoms and dominations ministrant.” Milton.Min'is-trā'tion, n. p. 841The act of performing service as a subordinate agent; intervention for aid or service; ministry; agency. Their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Acts vi. 1. 2. Office of a minister…Min'is-trā'tive, a. p. 841Serving to aid or assist; ministering.Min'is-tress, n. p. 841A female that ministers.Min'is-try, n. p. 841The act of ministering; ministration; agency; service; instrumentality. He directs the affairs of this world by the ordinary ministry of second causes. Atterbury. 2. The office, duties, or functions…Min'is-try-ship, n. p. 841The state or occupation of a minister; ministry. [Obs.] Swift.Min'i-ūm, n. p. 841A pigment of a beautiful red color, consisting of two equivalents of the protoxide of lead, and one equivalent of the peroxide; red lead.Min'i-ver, n. p. 841The same as MINEVER.Mink, n. p. 841(Zoöl.) A carnivorous quadruped of the weasel tribe, that burrows in the earth on the side of a river or pond. It affords a valuable fur. A smaller, darker variety has sometimes Mountain-brook Mink.Min'ne-sing'er, n. p. 841A love-singer; specifically, one of a class of German poets and musicians who flourished between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries. They were chiefly of noble birth, and made love and beauty the…Min'nock, n. p. 841A word used by Shakespeare, and supposed by Johnson to be the same as MINX. Others have supposed it to be a misprint for mimic.Min'nōw, n. p. 841(Ichth.) A very small fresh-water fish, of several species; — applied also sometimes to the young of larger kinds. ☞ The minnow of England, from which the term is derived, is a species of the…Mi′nor, a. p. 841Inferior in bulk, degree, importance, &c.; less; smaller; of little account; as, minor divisions of a body. 2. (Mus.) Less or lower by a semitone; as, a minor third. Asia Minor (Geog.), the Lesser…Mĭ'nor, n. p. 841A person of either sex under age; one who has not yet arrived at the power of managing his own estate; in England and the United States, one not yet twenty-one years of age. Wharton. 2. (Logic.) The…Mi'nor-āte, v. t. p. 841To diminish. [Obs.]Mī'nor-ā'tion, n. p. 841A lessening; diminution. [Obs.] Browne.Mī′nor-ite, n. p. 841A Franciscan friar.Mi-nŏr'i-ty, n. p. 841The state of being a minor, or under age. See MINOR. 2. The smaller number; as, the minority of the Senate or House of Representatives; — opposed to majority; as, the minority was large or small; he…Mī'nos, n. p. 841(Anc. Myth.) A king and lawgiver of Crete, fabled to be the son of Jupiter and Europa, and after death made supreme judge in the lower regions.Min'o-taur, n. p. 841(Antiq.) A fabled monster, half man and half bull.Min'ōw, n. p. 841See MINNOW.Min’ster, n. p. 841The church of a monastery, or one to which a monastery has been attached; sometimes, a cathedral church.Min'strel, n. p. 841One of an order of men, in the middle ages, who subsisted by the arts of poetry and music, and sang to the harp verses composed by themselves or others; a bard; a singer and harper; a musician.Min'strel-sy, n. p. 841The arts and occupation of minstrels; singing and playing. 2. A collective body of minstrels; singers and players; a number of musicians. “The minstrelsy of heaven.” Milton. Nodding their heads…Mint, n. p. 841The place where money is coined; a factory of coin. 2. A place of invention, fabrication, or production; source of unlimited supply; hence, colloquially, unlimited supply. He has a mint of reasons.…Mint, v. t. p. 841To make by stamping, as money; to coin; to make and stamp into money. 2. To invent; to forge; to fabricate; to fashion; to produce.Mint, n. p. 841(Bot.) An aromatic plant of the genus Mentha, of various species, producing, by distillation, a highly odoriferous and pungent essential oil.Mint'age, n. p. 841That which is minted, coined, or stamped. “Stamped in clay, a heavenly mintage.” Sterling. 2. The duty paid to the mint for coining.Mint'er, n. p. 841One who mints; a coiner. 2. An inventor.Mint'-jū'lep, n. p. 841A drink consisting of brandy, sugar, and pounded ice, flavored with sprigs of mint. [U. S.]Mint'-man, n. p. 841One skilled in coining, or in coins; a coiner.Mint'-mās'ter, n. p. 841The master or superintendent of a mint. Boyle. 2. One who invents; the chief fabricator or inventor. “Sole mint-master of current words.” Fuller.Mint'-sauce, n. p. 841Mint chopped up with vinegar and sugar, as a flavoring for lamb. Simmonds.Min’ū-ēnd, n. p. 841(Arith.) The number from which another number is to be subtracted.Min'ū-et, n. p. 841A slow, graceful dance, consisting of a coupee, a high step, and a balance. 2. A tune or air to regulate the movements in the dance so called.Min'um, n. p. 841A small kind of printing types; minion; minim. 2. (Mus.) A note of slow time, containing two crotchets; a minim.Mi'nus, a. p. 842(Math.) Less; also, requiring to be subtracted; negative; as, a minus quantity. Minus sign (Math.), the sign [−] denoting minus, or less, prefixed to negative quantities, or quantities to be…Mi-nŭs'cule, n. p. 842Any very small, minute object; especially, a small letter.Min'ū-ta-ry, a. p. 842Pertaining to, or consisting of, minutes. [Obs.] “Their clock gathering up the least crumb of time, presenting the minutary fractions thereof.” Fuller.Mi-nūte', a. p. 842Very small, little, or slender; of inferior bulk, size, or consequence; slight. 2. Attentive to small things; critical; particular; as, minute observation; minute philosophy. Syn.—Little; diminutive…Mĭn′ute, n. p. 842Something very small; a very slight portion; a jot; a mite; minutia. [Obs.] Who would have dreamt Of a young morsel now? things come in minutes. Beau. & Fl. The smallest minute of his expense shall…Min'ute, v. t. p. 842To set down a short sketch or note of; to jot down; to make a brief summary of. The Empress of Russia, with her own hand, minuted an edict for universal tolerance. Bancroft.Mĭn'ute-bĕll, n. p. 842A bell sounded regularly at intervals of one minute.Mĭn'ute-book, n. p. 842A book of short hints.Min'ute-glāss, n. p. 842A glass, the sand of which measures a minute in running.Mĭn'ute-gūn, n. p. 842A gun discharged every minute, as a signal of distress or mourning.Mĭn'ute-hānd, n. p. 842The hand that points to the minutes on a clock or watch.Mĭn'ute-jăck, n. p. 842A figure which strikes the hour of a clock; — called also jack of the clock-house.Mi-nūte'ly, adv. p. 842In a minute manner; to a small point of time, space, or matter; exactly; nicely.Min’ute-ly, a. p. 842Happening every minute. [Obs.] “Throwing themselves absolutely upon God’s minutely providence.” Hammond.