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An American Dictionary of the English Language

by Noah Webster

Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)

Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865

Entries
95,912
Pages
1,538
Illustrations
2,133

Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.

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  1. Right'-hănd, n.p. 1140The hand opposite to the left, and usually more in use, stronger, more convenient or dexterous,—whence the name.
  2. Right'-hănd'ed, a.p. 1140Using the right hand habitually, or more easily than the left. 2. (Conch.) Having the convolutions turning from right to left; — said of certain shells.
  3. Right-handed screwp. 1140a screw the threads of which wind spirally from left to right, or which advances when turned with a motion the same as that of the hands of a watch. See LEFT-HANDED.
  4. Right'-hănd'ed-ness, n.p. 1140The state or quality of being right-handed; hence, skill; dexterity.
  5. Right'-heärt'ed, a.p. 1140Having right dispositions.
  6. Right'less, a.p. 1140Destitute of right.
  7. Right'ly, adv.p. 1140Straightly; directly. [Obs.] 2. According to justice; according to the divine will or moral rectitude; honestly; uprightly; as, duty rightly performed. 3. Properly; fitly; suitably; appropriately.…
  8. Right'-mīnd'ed, a.p. 1140Having a right or honest mind. Bp. Taylor.
  9. Right'-mind'ed-ness, n.p. 1140The state of being right-minded.
  10. Right'ness, n.p. 1140Straightness; as, the rightness of a line. Bacon. 2. The state of being right; rectitude; righteousness; conformity to truth or to the divine will, which is the standard of moral rectitude. South.
  11. Right'-rŭn'ning, a.p. 1140Straight-running.
  12. Right’ward, adv.p. 1140Toward the right hand or right side; to the right. Rightward and leftward rise the rocks. Southey.
  13. Right'-whale, n.p. 1140(Zoöl.) The common whale (Balæna mysticetus), from whose mouth whalebone is obtained, as distinguished from the spermace'ti whale.
  14. Right′wise, a.p. 1140Righteous. [Obs.] Wycliffe.
  15. Right'wise, v. t.p. 1140To make righteous. [Obs.]
  16. Right'wise-ly, adv.p. 1140Righteously. [Obs.]
  17. Right'wise-ness, n.p. 1140Righteousness. [Obs.]
  18. Rig'id, a.p. 1140Rendered not pliant; having become so firm as not to be easily bent; stiff;— opposed to flexible. Upright beams innumerable Of rigid spears. — Milton. 2. Hence, not lax or indulgent; severe…
  19. Rĭ-gĭd'ĭ-ty, n.p. 1140Want of pliability; the quality of resisting change of form, — opposed to flexibility, ductility, malleability, and softness. 2. Stiffness of appearance or manner; want of ease or airy elegance.…
  20. Rig'id-ly, adv.p. 1140In a rigid manner; stiffly; severely; inflexibly.
  21. Rig'id-ness, n.p. 1140The quality of being rigid; rigidity.
  22. Rig'let, n.p. 1140(Print.) A flat, thin piece of wood; a reglet. See REGLET.
  23. Rig'ma-rōle, n.p. 1140A succession of confused or nonsensical statements; foolish talk; nonsense. [Colloq.] Often one's dear friend talks something which one scruples to call rigmarole. De Quincey.
  24. Rig'ma-rōle, a.p. 1141Consisting of rigmarole; frivolous; nonsensical; foolish.
  25. Rig'ol, n.p. 1141A circle; a diadem. [Obs.] This sleep is sound indeed; this is a sleep That from the golden rigol hath divorced So many English kings. Shak.
  26. Rīg'oll, n.p. 1141A musical instrument formerly in use, consisting of several sticks bound together, but separated by beads, and played upon by a stick furnished with a ball at its end. Moore.
  27. Rig'or, n.p. 1141The becoming stiff or rigid; the state of being rigid; rigidness; stiffness; hardness. The rest his look Bound with Gorgonian rigor not to move. Milton. 2. (Med.) A sense of chilliness, with…
  28. Rig'or-ism, n.p. 1141Rigidity in principle or practice. 2. Severity, as of style, or the like. Jefferson.
  29. Rĭg’or-ist, n.p. 1141One who is very rigorous;—a name sometimes given to an extreme Jansenist. Brande.
  30. Rig'or-ous, a.p. 1141Manifesting, exercising, or favoring rigor; allowing no abatement or mitigation; scrupulously accurate; exact; strict; severe; as, a rigorous officer of justice; a rigorous execution of law; a…
  31. Rig'or-oüs-ly, adv.p. 1141In a rigorous manner; without relaxation, abatement, or mitigation; with scrupulous nicety; rigidly. “The sad sentence rigorously urged.” Milton. The people would examine his works more rigorously…
  32. Rig'or-ous-ness, n.p. 1141The state of being rigorous; severity; exactness.
  33. Rile, v. t.p. 1141To render turbid; to stir up; to roil. 2. To make angry; to vex. ☞ The proper orthography of this word is roil; but rile is not uncommon, especially in colloquial and humorous language.
  34. Rilievo, n.p. 1141(Sculp. & Arch.) Prominence of figures; relief. See RELIEF, 5. [Written also relievo.]
  35. Rill, n.p. 1141A small brook; a rivulet; a streamlet.
  36. Rill, v. i.p. 1141To run in a small stream, or in streamlets. [Rare.] Prior.
  37. Rill'et, n.p. 1141A small stream; a rivulet. “This by-stream, which, as a rillet, is deducted from the main channel of my studies.” Burton.
  38. Rĭm, n.p. 1141The border, edge, or margin of a thing; as, the rim of a kettle or basin; — usually applied to things which are circular or curving. 2. The lower part of the belly or abdomen. [Obs. or rare.] Browne.
  39. Rĭm, v. t.p. 1141To furnish with a rim.
  40. Rī'mā, n.p. 1141(Anat.) A chink or cleft.
  41. Rim′bāse, n.p. 1141(Mil.) A short cylinder connecting a trunnion with the body of a cannon. [See Illust. of Cannon.]
  42. Rime, n.p. 1141White or hoar frost; congealed dew or vapor. Toward morning it had changed to a slight frost, and the ground and the trees were now covered with rime. De Quincey.
  43. Rime, n.p. 1141A rent or long aperture; a chink; a fissure. [Obs.]
  44. Rime, v. i.p. 1141To freeze or congeal into hoar frost.
  45. Rime, n.p. 1141A step or round of a ladder; a rung.
  46. Rime, n.p. 1141Rhyme. [Obs.] See RHYME.
  47. Rim'er, n.p. 1141A carpenter's tool for shaping the rimes of a ladder. Simmonds.
  48. Rī-mōse′, a.p. 1141Full of rimes or chinks. 2. (Nat. Hist.) Abounding with long, nearly parallel clefts, cracks, or chinks, like those in the bark of trees.
  49. Rī-mŏs'i-ty, n.p. 1141The state of being rimose or chinky.
  50. Rīm'ous, a.p. 1141Rimose.
  51. Rĭm'ple, n.p. 1141A fold or wrinkle. See RUMPLE.
  52. Rĭm'ple, v. t.p. 1141To rumple; to wrinkle.
  53. Rim’y, a.p. 1141Abounding with rime; frosty.
  54. Rind, n.p. 1141The external covering or coat. Thou canst not touch the freedom of this mind With all thy charms, although this corporal rind Thou hast unmanacled. Milton. Specifically, (a.) The external cover of…
  55. Rind, v. t.p. 1141To remove the rind of; to bark; to decorticate. [Obs.]
  56. Rin'dle, n.p. 1141A small water-course or gutter. Ash.
  57. Rind'less, a.p. 1141Without a rind.
  58. Rind'y, a.p. 1141Having a thin rind or thick skin. Ash.
  59. Rĭnfor-zān'do, a.p. 1141(Mus.) Increasing; strengthening; — a direction indicating a sudden increase of force; abbreviated Fz., Sf. [Written also forzando and sforzando.]
  60. Ring, n.p. 1141A circle, or a circular line, or any thing in the form of a circular line or hoop. 2. Specifically, a circular ornament of gold or other precious material, worn or hung upon the finger, the ear, or…