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.
Pêr'son-a-ble, a. p. 974Having a well-formed body or person; graceful; of good appearance; as, a personable man or woman. “Wise, war-like, personable, kind.” Spenser. 2. (Law.) Enabled to maintain pleas in court. Cowell. 3.…Pêr'son-age, n. p. 974Character assumed or represented. The Venetians, naturally grave, love to give in to the follies of such seasons, when disguised in a false personage. Addison. 2. An individual distinguished by rank…Pêr'son-al, a. p. 974Belonging or pertaining to a person; as, (a.) Belonging to men or women, or to persons and not to things. “Every man so termed by way of personal difference only.” Hooker. (b.) Relating to an…Pêr'son-al, n. p. 974A movable. [Obs.]Pĕr'son-al-īsm, n. p. 974The quality of being personal.Pĕr'son-ăl'i-ty, n. p. 974That which constitutes, or pertains to, a person. Personality is individuality existing in itself, but with a nature as a ground. Coleridge. But personality, as we can conceive it, is essentially a…Pêr'son-al-īze, v. t. p. 974To make personal.Pĕr'son-al-ly, adv. p. 974In a personal or direct manner; by bodily presence; not by representative or substitute; as, to be personally present; to deliver a letter personally; they personally declared their assent to the…Pêr'son-al-ty, n. p. 974The state of being a person; personality. [Rare.] 2. (Law.) Personal estate.Pêr'son-āte, v. t. p. 974To assume the character of; to represent by a fictitious appearance; to represent by a fictitious or assumed character; to counterfeit; to feign; as, a personated devotion. Hammond. 2. To set forth…Pĕr'son-ate, a. p. 974(Bot.) Having a projection in the throat nearly closing the orifice; — said of a bilabiate corolla, as the snapdragon.Pêr'son-ā'tion, n. p. 974The act of personating, or of counterfeiting the person of another. Bacon.Pĕr'son-ā'tor, n. p. 974One who personates. B. Jonson.Pêr'son-ē'i-ty, n. p. 974Personality. [Rare.] I can not meditate too often or too devotionally on the personality of God. Coleridge.Per-sŏn'i-fi-cā'tion, n. p. 974The act of personifying. 2. (Rhet.) A figure, in which an inanimate being is represented as animated, or endowed with personality; prosopopœia; as, “Confusion heard his voice.” Milton.Per-sŏn'i-fy, v. t. p. 974To regard or treat as a person; to represent as a rational being.Pêr'son-ize, v. t. p. 974To personify. [Rare.] Richardson.Personnel, n. p. 974The body of persons employed in some public service, as the army or navy, &c., as distinguished from the matériel.Per-spēc'tive, a. p. 974Pertaining to the science of optics, or vision; optical. [Obs.] Bacon. 2. Pertaining to the art, or in accordance with the laws, of perspective. Perspective plane, the plane on which the…Per-spêc'tive, n. p. 974A glass through which objects are viewed. [Obs.] “The word ἐσόπτρον, in the original of that passage, is not a perspective, but a mirror, or looking-glass.” Browne. 2. That which is seen through an…Per-spêc'-tive-ly, adv. p. 974Optically; through a glass. [Rare.] Shak. 2. According to the rules of perspective.Per-spĕc'to-graph, n. p. 974An instrument for obtaining, or transferring to a picture, the points and outlines of original objects.Pêr/spee-tŏg'ra-phy, n. p. 974The science or art of delineating objects according to the laws of perspective; the theory of perspective.Pêr'spi-ca-ble, a. p. 974Discernible. [Obs.] Herbert.Pêr'spi-câ'ciôus, a. p. 974Quick-sighted; sharp of sight. 2. Of acute discernment; keen.Pēr'/spi-cā'/ciōus-ly, adv. p. 974In a perspicacious manner; discerningly.Pēr'spi-cā'ciōŭs-ness, n. p. 974Acuteness of sight; perspicacity.Pêr'spi-câ'çi-ty, n. p. 974The state of being perspicacious; acuteness of sight or discernment. We should attribute to him determinate perspicacity. I. Taylor.Pêr'spi-ca-cy, n. p. 974Same as PERSPICACITY. [Obs.]Per-spî'cience, n. p. 974The act of looking with sharpness. [Obs.]Pĕr'spi-çil, n. p. 974An optic glass; a telescope. [Obs.] Crashaw.Pēr'spi-cū'i-ty, n. p. 974The state of being perspicuous, or clear: transparency; clearness, especially of statement; easiness to be understood; freedom from obscurity or ambiguity. Syn.—Clearness; perspiciousness; plainness…Per-spĭc'ū-ōŭs, a. p. 975Capable of being seen through; transparent; translucent. [Rare.] Peacham. 2. Clear to the understanding; capable of being clearly understood; not obscure or ambiguous;—applied both to language and…Per-spĭc'ū-ōus-ly, adv. p. 975In a perspicuous manner; clearly; plainly.Per-spĭc'ū-oŭs-ness, n. p. 975The state of being perspicuous; plainness; freedom from obscurity.Per-spīr'a-bĭl'i-ty, n. p. 975The quality of being perspirable.Per-spīr'a-ble, a. p. 975Capable of being perspired, or evacuated through the pores of the skin. 2. Emitting perspiration. [Rare.] Bacon.Pĕr/spi-rā'tion, n. p. 975The act of perspiring. 2. That which is perspired; sweat.Per-spīr'a-tive, a. p. 975Performing the act of perspiration; perspiring.Per-spīr'a-to-ry, a. p. 975Pertaining to perspiration; causing perspiration.Per-spīre', v. i. p. 975To evacuate the fluids of the body through the pores of the skin; to sweat; as, a person perspires freely. 2. To be evacuated or excreted insensibly through the excretories of the skin; as, a fluid…Per-spīre', v. t. p. 975To emit or evacuate insensibly through the excretories of the skin; to sweat.Per-strēp'er-oŭs, a. p. 975Noisy; violent; sharp-tongued; obstreperous. [Obs.] You are too perstreperous, saucebox. Ford.Per-strĭn'ge', v. t. p. 975To graze; to glance on. [Obs.] 2. To criticise severely. [Rare.] The Dean of Peterborough preached on the feast of Pentecost, perstringing those of Geneva for their irreverence of the Blessed Virgin.…Per-suād′a-ble, a. p. 975Capable of being persuaded.Per-suād'a-bly, adv. p. 975In a persuadable manner; so as to be persuaded.Per-suāde', v. t. p. 975To influence by argument, advice, entreaty, or expostulation; to draw or incline to a determination by presenting sufficient motives. We will persuade him, be it possible. Shak. I should be glad if I…Per-suāde’, n. p. 975Persuasion. [Obs. and rare.] The king’s entreats, persuades of friends, Nor aught that can be named, Can move him. Beau. & Fl.Per-suād'ed-ly, adv. p. 975In a persuaded manner; assuredly. He's our own, Surely, nay, most persuadedly. Ford.Per-suād'ed-ness, n. p. 975The state of being persuaded or convinced; persuasion. [Rare.]Per-suād’er, n. p. 975One who, or that which, persuades or influences another; that which incites Hunger and thirst at once, Powerful persuaders. Milton.Per-suā'si-bil'i-ty, n. p. 975Capability of being persuaded.Per-suā'si-ble, a. p. 975Capable of being persuaded or influenced by reasons offered.Per-suā'si-ble-ness, n. p. 975The quality of being persuasible.Per-suā'sion, n. p. 975The act of persuading; the act of influencing the mind by arguments or reasons offered, or by any thing that moves the mind or passions, or inclines the will to a determination. For thou hast all the…Per-suā'sĭve, a. p. 975Tending to persuade; having the power of persuading; influencing the mind or passions; as, persuasive eloquence; persuasive evidence. “The sound, yet young, of his persuasive words.” Milton.Per-suā'sĭve, n. p. 975That which persuades; an incitement; an exhortation.Per-suā'sĭve-ly, adv. p. 975In a persuasive manner; convincingly. Milton.Per-suā'sive-ness, n. p. 975The quality of being persuasive.Per-suā'so-ry, a. p. 975Having power or tendency to persuade; persuasive. Browne.