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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- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
ŏb'li-ga-tō'ri-ly, adv. p. 901Under obligation or by constraint.ŏb'li-ga-tō'ri-ness, n. p. 901The quality of binding or coercing; as, the obligatoriness of a duty.Ŏb'li-ga-to-ry, a. p. 901Binding in law or conscience; imposing duty; requiring performance or forbearance of some act; — often followed by on, the use of to being obsolete. As long as law is obligatory, so long our…O-blĭge', v. t. p. 901To constrain by physical, moral, or legal force; to bind by any restraint. The obliging power of the law is neither founded in, nor to be measured by, the rewards and punishments annexed to it.…ŏb-li-geē', n. p. 901The person to whom another is bound, or the person to whom a bond is given. Blackstone.O-blīġe'ment, n. p. 901Obligation. [Rare.] I will not resist, therefore, whatever it is, either of divine or human obligement, that you lay upon me. Milton.O-blī'ġer, n. p. 901One who obliges.O-blī'ġing, a. p. 901Having the disposition to oblige or do favors, or actually conferring them; hence, civil; complaisant; kind. Mons. Strozzi has many curiosities, and is very obliging to a stranger that desires the…O-blī'ġing-ly, adv. p. 901With civility; kindly; complaisantly.O-blĭg'ing-ness, n. p. 901Binding obligatoriness. [Rare.] “The obligingness of these institutions.” Hammond. 2. Disposition to civility; kindness; complaisance; as, obligingness of character. Walton.Ŏb'li-gôr', n. p. 901The person who binds himself, or gives his bond to another. Blackstone.Ŏb-lig'ū-late, a. p. 901(Bot.) Extended on the inner instead of the outer side of the capitulum, or head; — said of the corollas of some ligulate florets. Henslow.Ŏb-li-quā'tion, n. p. 901The act of becoming oblique, or of turning from a straight line or course; a turning to one side; as, the obliquation of the eyes. 2. Deviation from moral rectitude.Ob-lique', a. p. 901Not erect or perpendicular; not extending at right angles from the base; slanting; inclined. It has a direction oblique to that of the former motion. Cheyne. 2. Not straight forward; indirect…Ob-lique', v. i. p. 901To deviate from a perpendicular line; to move in an oblique direction. “Projecting his person toward it in a line which obliqued from the bottom of his spine.” W. Scott. 2. (Mil.) To move obliquely…Ob-lique'-ān'gled, a. p. 901Having oblique angles; as, an oblique-angled triangle.Ob-lique'ly, adv. p. 901In an oblique manner; not directly; indirectly. Declining from the noon of day, The sun obliquely shoots his burning ray. Pope. His discourse tends obliquely to the detracting from others. Addison.Ob-lique'ness, n. p. 901Obliquity.Ob-lĭq'ui-ty, n. p. 901The condition of being oblique; deviation from a right line; deviation from parallelism or perpendicularity; as, the obliquity of the ecliptic to the equator. 2. Deviation from moral rectitude. To…Ob-lĭt'er-āte, v. t. p. 901To erase or blot out; to efface; as, a writing may be obliterated by erasure, by blotting, or by the slow operation of time or natural causes. 2. To wear out; to destroy by time or other means; as…Ob-lĭt'er-ā'tion, n. p. 901The act of effacing; a blotting out or wearing out; extinction.Ob·lit'er-a-tive, a. p. 901Tending or serving to obliterate; erasing.Ob-liv'i-on, n. p. 901The act of forgetting, or the state of being forgotten; cessation of remembrance; forgetfulness. Among our crimes oblivion may be set. Dryden. The origin of our city will be buried in eternal…Ob-liv'i-al, a. p. 901The same as OBLIVIOUS. [Obs.]Ob-liv'i-ous, a. p. 901Promoting oblivion; causing forgetfulness. “The oblivious pool.” Milton. Behold the wonders of the oblivious lake. Pope. 2. Evincing oblivion; forgetful. “Through age both weak in body and…Ob-liv'i-oŭs-ly, adv. p. 901In an oblivious manner; forgetfully.Ob-liv'i-ōus-ness, n. p. 901The state of being oblivious or forgetful.Ob-lŏc'ū-tor, n. p. 901A gainsayer. (Obs.)Ŏb'lōng, a. p. 901Having greater length than breadth.Ob'long, n. p. 901A rectangular figure which is longer than it is broad; hence, any figure longer than it is broad. The best figure of a garden I esteem an oblong upon a descent. Sir W. Temple.Ŏb'long-ish, a. p. 902Somewhat oblong.Ŏb'long-ly, adv. p. 902In an oblong form.Ŏb'long-ness, n. p. 902The state of having greater length than breadth.Ob'long-ō'vate, a. p. 902(Bot.) Between oblong and obovate, but inclined to the latter.Ob-lō'qui-oŭs, a. p. 902Containing obloquy; reproachful. [Obs.] Naunton.Ōb'lo-quy, n. p. 902Censorious speech; reproachful language; language that casts contempt on men or their actions. Shall names that made your city the glory of the earth be mentioned with obloquy and detraction?…Ŏb'luĕ-tā'tion, n. p. 902A struggle or striving against; resistance. [Obs.] Fotherby.Ŏb'mu-tēs'çençe, n. p. 902Loss of speech; silence. Browne. 2. A keeping silence. Paley.Ob-nŏx'ious, a. p. 902Liable to censure; exposed to punishment; reprehensible; blameworthy. “Obnoxious authors.” Fell. All are obnoxious, and this faulty land, Like fainting Hester, does before you stand Watching your…Ob-nŏx'ious-ly, adv. p. 902In an obnoxious manner.Ob-nŏx'ious-ness, n. p. 902The condition of being obnoxious; liability; odiousness; offensiveness.Ob-nū'bi-lāte, v. t. p. 902To cloud; to obscure. [Obs.] Burton.Ob-nū'bi-lā'tion, n. p. 902The act or operation of making dark or obscure. [Obs.] Beddoes.Ō’bo-e, n. p. 902A portable wind instrument of music sounded by means of a reed, and in form somewhat like a clarionet; a hautboy. Moore.Ŏb'ōle, n. p. 902The weight of twelve grains; or, according to some, of ten grains. [Written also obol.]Ŏb'o-līze, v. t. p. 902The same as OBELIZE, q. v.ŏb'o-lūs, n. p. 902(Antiq.) (a.) A small silver coin of Athens, the sixth part of a drachma, about three cents in value. (b.) An ancient weight, the sixth part of a drachm.Ob-ō'vate, a. p. 902(Bot.) Inversely ovate; ovate with the narrow end downward; as, an obovate leaf.Ob-rĕp'tion, n. p. 902The act of creeping on with secrecy or by surprise. [Obs.]Ŏb'rep-tī'tiŏŭs, a. p. 902Done or obtained by surprise; with secrecy, or by concealment of the truth. [Rare.]Ob'ro-gāte, v. t. p. 902To propose or proclaim a new and contrary law, instead of annulling the old one. [Obs.]Ob-scēne', a. p. 902Offensive to chastity and delicacy; expressing or presenting to the mind or view something which delicacy, purity, and decency forbid to be exposed; impure; as, obscene language; obscene pictures. 2.…Ob-scēne'ly, adv. p. 902In a manner offensive to chastity or purity; impurely; unchastely.Ob-scēne'ness or Ob-scēn'i-ty, n. p. 902That quality in words or things which presents what is offensive to chastity or purity of mind; ribaldry; impurity; lewdness. To wash the obscenities of night away. Dryden. No pardon vile obscenity…Ob-scū'rant, n. p. 902One who obscures; one who hinders or prevents enlightenment or the progress of knowledge. I will venture to appeal to these self-obscurants, whose faith dwells in the land of the shadow of darkness.…Ob-sēūr'ant-īsm, n. p. 902The system or the principles of one who desires to extinguish the lights of reason and inquiry among the people; and who opposes the progress of knowledge.Ob-sēūr'ant-ist, n. p. 902One who seeks to obscure the light of knowledge; one who opposes the progress of knowledge and enlightenment; an obscurant. “An author of the obscurantist or pseudo-conservative school.” C. Kingsley.Ŏb'scu-rā'tion, n. p. 902The act of obscuring. 2. The state of being obscured; as, the obscuration of the moon in an eclipse.Ob-scūre', a. p. 902Covered over, shaded, darkened; destitute of light; imperfectly illuminated. Whoso curseth his father or his mother, his lamp shall be put out in obscure darkness. Prov. xx. 20. 2. Living in…Ob-scūre', v. t. p. 902To render obscure; to darken; to make dim; to conceal; to hide from view; to make less intelligible, legible, visible, glorious, beautiful, or illustrious. They are couched in a pit hard by Herne's…