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.
Rō'tā, n. p. 1150An ecclesiastical court of Rome, composed of twelve prelates, of whom one must be a German, another a Frenchman, and two Spaniards; the other eight are Italians. It takes cognizance of all suits in…Rō'ta-cism, n. p. 1150A vicious pronunciation of the letter r, produced by trilling the back part of the tongue against the soft palate, common in the northern parts of England, especially near Newcastle;—called also…Rō'tal, a. p. 1150Relating to rotary motion. [Rare.]Rŏ'ta-līte, n. p. 1150(Palæon.) One of a genus of fossil shells, which are spiral, multilocular univalves.Rō'ta-ry, a. p. 1150Turning, as a wheel on its axis; pertaining to, or resembling, the motion of a wheel on its axis; rotatory; as, rotary motion. Rotary engine, a steam-engine in which a continuous motion round an axis…Rō'ta-scōpe, n. p. 1150The same as GYROSCOPE, q. v.Rō'tāte, a. p. 1150(Bot.) Monopetalous, spreading nearly flat, without any tube, or expanding into a nearly flat border, with scarcely any tube; wheel-shaped; as, a rotate corolla.Rō'tāte, v. i. p. 1150To revolve or move round a center. 2. To go out of office, and be succeeded by another or by others.Rō'tāte, v. t. p. 1150To cause to revolve.Rō'tā-ted, a. p. 1150Turned round, as a wheel; wheel-shaped; rotate.Rō'tāte-plāne, a. p. 1150(Bot.) Wheel-shaped and flat, without a tube; as, a rotate-plane corolla. Lee.Ro-tā'tion, n. p. 1150The act of rotating or turning, as a wheel or solid body on its axis, as distinguished from the progressive motion of a body revolving round another body, or a distant point; thus, the daily turning…Rō'ta-tīve, a. p. 1150Turning, as a wheel; rotary. [Rare.] Rotative engine, a steam-engine in which the reciprocating motion of the piston is transformed into a continuous rotary motion, as by means of a connecting-rod…Ro-tā'to-plāne, a. p. 1150(Bot.) Wheel-shaped and flat. Wright.Ro-tā'tor, n. p. 1150(Anat.) That which gives a circular or rolling motion; a muscle producing a rolling motion, or which serves to turn the part to which it is attached about its axis. Coxe.Rō'ta-to-ry, n. p. 1150(Zoöl.) A wheel-animalcule; a rotifer. See ROTIFER. Kirby.Rō'ta-to-ry, a. p. 1150Turning on an axis, as a wheel; rotary. 2. Going in a circle; following in succession; as, rotatory assemblies. Burke. 3. (Opt.) Producing rotation of the plane of polarization; as, the rotatory…Rōte, n. p. 1150(Mus.) A kind of guitar, the notes of which were produced by a small wheel or wheel-like arrangement; an instrument similar to the hurdy-gurdy. “Extracting mistuned dirges from their harps, crowds…Rōte, n. p. 1150A frequent repetition of forms of speech without attention to the meaning; mere repetition; as, to learn by rote. Thy love did read by rote, and could not spell. Shak. Learn Aristotle's rules by…Rōte, n. p. 1150The noise produced by the surf of the sea dashing upon the shore. See Rut. “The sea’s rote.” Mir. for Mag.Rōte, v. t. p. 1150To fix in the memory by means of frequent repetition, or by hearing the repetition of others, without an effort of the understanding to comprehend what is repeated, and without the aid of rules or…Rōte, v. i. p. 1150To go out by rotation or succession; to rotate. [Obs.] Grey.Rōt'gut, n. p. 1150Bad small beer. Halliwell. 2. Any bad spirituous liquor, especially when adulterated so as to be deleterious.Rōth'er-bēasts, n. pl. p. 1150Cattle of the bovine genus; black cattle. [Obs.] Golding.Rōth'er-näil, n. p. 1150A nail with a very full head, used for fastening the rudder irons of ships;—so called by shipwrights.Rōth'er-soil, n. p. 1150The dung of rother-beasts.Rōth'noff-ite, n. p. 1150(Min.) A variety of garnet, brown or black, found in Sweden.Rō'ti-fer, n. p. 1150(Zoöl.) One of a group of microscopic crustaceans, having no limbs, and moving by means of rows of cilia about the head or the anterior extremity.Rō'ti-fōrm, a. p. 1150Wheel-shaped; as, rotiform appendages. 2. (Zoöl.) Having a very short tube, and spreading limb;—said of a monopetalous corolla. Henslow.Rŏt'ten, a. p. 1150Having rotted; putrid; decayed; as, a rotten apple; hence, (a.) Offensive to the smell; fetid; disgusting. You common cry of curs, whose breath I hate As reek of the rotten fen. Shak. (b.) Not firm…Rōt'ten-ly, adv. p. 1150In a rotten manner, or as if rotten; putridly; defectively; fetidly.Rōt'ten-ness, n. p. 1150The state of being rotten; cariousness; putrefaction; unsoundness.Rŏt'ten-stōne, n. p. 1150(Min.) A soft stone, called also Tripoli, from the country from which it was formerly brought, used in all sorts of finer grinding and polishing in the arts, and for cleaning metallic substances.Rōt'ū-lar, a. p. 1150(Anat.) Relating or appertaining to the patella or knee-cap. Dunglison.Ro-tūnd', a. p. 1150Round; circular; spherical. Addison. 2. Hence, complete; entire. 3. (Bot.) Orbicular, a little inclining to be oblong.Ro-tūnd', n. p. 1150A rotunda. [Rare.] “The cause why a rotund has such a noble effect.” Burke.Ro-tūn'dā, n. p. 1150A round building; any erection that is round both on the outside and inside, like the Pantheon at Rome. [Written also rotundo.]Ro-tūnd'i-fō'li-ōūs, a. p. 1150(Bot.) Having round leaves.Ro-tŭnd'i-ty, n. p. 1150[Lat. rotunditas, Fr. rotondité,Ro-tūnd'ness p. 1150Pr. rotonditat, Sp. rotundidad, It. rotondità, ritondità. 1. The state of being rotund; roundness; sphericity; circularity. Strike flat the thick rotundity of the world. Shak. 2. Hence, completeness…Ro-tŭn'do, n. p. 1150See ROTUNDA.Rou-ănne', n. p. 1150A marking or branding iron.Rou'ble, n. p. 1150See RUBLE.Rouche, n. p. 1150A goffered quilling for ladies’ bonnets, &c., of lace, ribbon, and the like. [Written also ruche.] Simmonds.Roué, n. p. 1150One devoted to a life of sensual pleasure; a debauchee; a rake.Rouet, n. p. 1150A small, solid wheel formerly fixed to the pan of firelocks for discharging them. Crobb.Rouge, a. p. 1150Red. [Rare.] Davies.Rouge, n. p. 1150( Chem.) An anhydrous sesquioxide of iron, of a bright red color, used for giving a fine luster to articles of metal or glass. Ure. 2. A cosmetic used for giving a red color to the cheeks or lips…Rouge, v. i. p. 1151To paint the face or cheeks with rouge.Rouge, v. t. p. 1151To paint or tinge with rouge.Rouge'-drāg'on, n. p. 1151An officer of the college of heralds. [Eng.]Rouge'-et-noir', n. p. 1151A game at cards in which persons play against the owner of the table or bank;—so called because the table is divided into small compartments, colored red and black. Hoyle.Rough, a. p. 1151Having inequalities, small ridges, or points on the surface; not smooth or plain; as, a rough board; a rough stone; rough cloth; hence, (a.) Not level; uneven;—said of a piece of land, or of a road.…Rough, n. p. 1151Boisterous or stormy weather. [Obs.] 2. A rude, coarse fellow; a swaggerer; a coarse bully.Rŏugh, adv. p. 1151In a rough manner; rudely. “Sleeping rough in the trenches, and dying stubbornly in their boats.” W. Scott.Rough, v. t. p. 1151To render rough; to give a rough appearance to; to roughen. 2. To break in, as a horse, especially for military purposes. Crabb. Roughing rollers, rollers for reducing, in a rough manner, a bloom of…Rough'-cast, v. t. p. 1151To form in its first rudiments, without revision, correction, and polish. 2. To mold without nicety or elegance, or to form with asperities. 3. To plaster with a mixture of lime and shells or…Rough'-cast, n. p. 1151A rude model; the form of a thing in its first rudiments, or while unfinished. 2. A kind of plastering made of lime, with a mixture of shells or pebbles, used for covering buildings.Rough'-cast'er, n. p. 1151One who rough-casts.Rough'-draw, v. t. p. 1151To draw or delineate coarsely.