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.
Rēc'ti-fi-cā'tion, n. p. 1100The act or operation of rectifying, or of correcting, amending, or setting right, that which is wrong or erroneous; as, the rectification of errors, mistakes, or abuses. After the rectification of…Rĕc'ti-fī'er, n. p. 1100One who, or that which, rectifies; a person who corrects or amends. 2. One who refines substances by repeated distillations. 3. An instrument used for determining the variations of the compass, in…Rēe'ti-fy', v. t. p. 1100To make straight or right; to correct from a wrong, erroneous, or false state; to amend; as, to rectify errors, mistakes, or abuses; to rectify the will, the judgment, opinions; to rectify disorders.…Rĕc'ti-līn'e-al or Rĕc'ti-līn'e-ar, a. p. 1100Right-lined; consisting of a right line, or of right-lines; bounded by right lines; straight; as, a rectilinear figure or course; a rectilinear side or way.Rĕc'ti-lin/e-ār'i-ty, n. p. 1100The quality or state of being right-lined. So it is with the rectilinearity or undulatory motion of light. Coleridge.Rĕc'ti-lĭnĕ'ar-ly, adv. p. 1100In a right line.Rĕc'ti-līn'e-oūs, a. p. 1100Rectilinear. [Obs.] Ray.Rec'tion, n. p. 1100(Gram.) The state, position, or power of a word, in consequence of which another word related to or connected with it must be put in a certain case or mode; government. Gibbs.Rĕc'ti-tūde, n. p. 1100Straightness. [Rare.] Johnson. 2. Rightness of principle or practice; exact conformity to truth, or to the rules prescribed for moral conduct, either by divine or human laws; uprightness of mind…Rec'to, n. p. 1100(Law.) A writ of right. 2. (Print.) The right-hand page;—opposed to verso.Rĕc'tor, n. p. 1100A ruler or governor. [Rare.] God is the supreme rector of the world. Hale. 2. (Episcopal Church.) A clergyman who has the charge and cure of a parish, and has the tithes, &c.; or the parson of an…Rēk'tor-al, a. p. 1100Pertaining to government or rule, or to a rector. Blackstone.Rēc'tor-ate, n. p. 1100The office, rank, or station of a rector; rectorship.Rĕc'tor-ess, n. p. 1100A governess; a rectrix.Rec-tō'ri-al, a. p. 1100Of, or pertaining to, government; relating to a rector; rectoral.Rĕc'tor-ship, n. p. 1100The office or rank of a rector; rectorate. Shak.Rĕc'to-ry, n. p. 1100The province of a rector; a parish church, parsonage, or spiritual living, with all its rights, tithes, and glebes. 2. A rector's mansion or parsonage-house.Rēc'tress, n. p. 1100A governess. B. Jon.Rēctrix, n. p. 1100A governess; a rectoress. 2. (Ornith.) One of the long quill-feathers of the tail in birds.Rē'ctum, n. p. 1100(Anat.) The terminal part of the large intestines;—so named because supposed by the old anatomists to be straight.Rēe/ū-bā/tion, n. p. 1100Act of lying or leaning. [Obs.] Browne.Re-cūle', v. i. p. 1100To fall back; to recoil; to retreat. [Obs.] See RECOIL. Spencer.Re-cûle', n. p. 1100The act of recoiling; retreat.Re-cûle'ment p. 1100Rē-cŭl'ti-vāte, v. t. p. 1100To cultivate again.Re-cūmb', v. i. p. 1100To lean; to recline; to repose. [Obs.] Allen.Re-cŭm'bence, n. p. 1100The state of being recumbent; the act of reposing or resting. Ld. North.Re-cŭm'ben-cy, n. p. 1100Recumbence.Re-cūm'bent, a. p. 1100Leaning; reclining; as, the recumbent posture of the Romans at their meals. 2. Reposing; inactive; idle. Young.Re-cŭm'bent-ly, adv. p. 1100In a recumbent posture.Re-cŭ'per-a-ble, a. p. 1100Recoverable. [Rare.] Chaucer.Re-cû'per-ā'tion, n. p. 1100Recovery, as of any thing lost.Re-cû'per-a-tive or Re-cû'per-a-to-ry, a. p. 1100Tending to recovery; pertaining to recovery.Re-cûr', v. i. p. 1100To come back; to return again or repeatedly; to come again to mind. When any word has been used to signify an idea, the old idea will recur in the mind when the word is heard. Watts. 2. To occur at a…Re-cūre′, v. t. p. 1100To recover; to regain; to repossess. [Obs.] Their powers, With due repast, they had recured well. Spenser. 2. To restore as from weariness, sickness, or the like; to recover; to cure. In western…Re-cūre', n. p. 1100Cure; recovery. [Obs.] But whom he hits without recure he dies. Fairfax.Re-cūre'less, a. p. 1100Incapable of cure or remedy. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.Re-cūr'rence, n. p. 1100Re-cūr'ren-cy p. 1100The act of recurring, or the state of being recurrent; return; resort; the having recourse. In the use of this, as of every kind of alleviation, I shall insensibly go on from a rare to a frequent…Re-cūr'rent, a. p. 1100Returning from time to time; recurring; as, recurrent pains of a disease. Recurrent crystal (Crystallog.), a crystal whose faces, being counted in annular ranges from one extremity to the other…Re-cūr'sant, a. p. 1100(Her.) Moving or coursing backward; — said of an eagle displayed with the back toward the spectator’s face.Re-cūr'sion, n. p. 1100The act of recurring; return. [Obs.] Boyle.Re-cûrv'āte, v. t. p. 1100To bend or curve back; to recurve. Pennant.Re-cŭr'vate, a. p. 1100(Bot.) Bent or curved backward or outward; recurved.Re/cur-vā'tion, n. p. 1100The act of recurving, or the state of being recurved; a bending or flexure backward.Re-cūrve', v. t. p. 1100To bend back.Re-cûrved', a. p. 1100Bent or curved outward or backward; especially, bent backward or downward.Re-cūr'vi-rōs'ter, n. p. 1100(Ornith.) A bird whose beak or bill bends upward, as the avoset.Re-cūr'v'i-ty, n. p. 1100Recurvation.Re-cūr'v'ous, a. p. 1100Bent or curved backward. Derham.Re-cū'san-cy, n. p. 1100Non-conformity. See RECUSANT. Coke.Re-cū'sant, a. p. 1100Obstinate in refusal; specifically, in English history, refusing to acknowledge the supremacy of the king, or to conform to the established rites of the church; as, a recusant lord. It stated him to…Re-cū'sant, n. p. 1100One obstinate in refusal; one standing out stubbornly against general practice or opinion. “The last rebellious recusants among the family of nations.” De Quincy. 2. (Eng. Hist.) A person who refuses…Réc'ū-sā'tion, n. p. 1100Refusal. [Obs.] 2. (Law.) The act of refusing a judge, or challenging that he shall not try the cause, on account of his supposed partiality. Blackstone.Re-cū'sa-tive, a. p. 1101Tending or inclined to recuse; denying; negative. [Rare.]Re-cūse′, v. t. p. 1101(Law.) To refuse or reject, as a judge; to challenge that the judge shall not try the cause. [Obs.] Digby.Re-cūs'sion, n. p. 1101The act of beating or striking back.Rēd, a. p. 1101Of the color of blood, or of a tint resembling that color; of the hue of that part of the rainbow, or solar spectrum, which is furthest from violet. Your color, I warrant you, is red as any rose.…Rēd, n. p. 1101The color of blood, or of that part of the spectrum which is furthest from violet, or a tint resembling these. “Celestial rosy red, lovers’ proper hue.” Milton. 2. (pl.) (Med.) The catamenial…Rĕd, v. t. p. 1101To put in order;— generally with up; as, to red or red up a house. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.