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.
Sér'vant, n. p. 1206One who serves, or does service, voluntarily or involuntarily; a person who is employed by another for mental offices, or for other labor; and is subject to his command; a person who labors or exerts…Sér'vant, v. t. p. 1206To subject. [Obs.] Shak.Sér'vant-ess, n. p. 1206A female servant; a maid-servant.Sér'vant-girl, n. p. 1206A female servant; a maid-Sĕr'vant-māid p. 1206servant.Sēr'vant-mān, n. p. 1206A male servant; a man-servant.Sér'vant-ry, n. p. 1206A body of servants; servants collectively. [Rare.]Sērve, v. t. p. 1206To work for; to labor in behalf of; to exert one's self continuously or steadily for the benefit of; to do service for; to act as servant to; to be in the employment of, as an inferior, domestic…Sērve, v. i. p. 1206To be a servant or slave; to be employed in labor or other business for another; to be in subjection. The Lord shall give thee rest . . . from the hard bondage wherein thou wast made to serve. Isa.…Sĕrv'er, n. p. 1206One who serves. 2. A waiter for carrying things on; a salver.Sërv'ice, n. p. 1206The act of serving; the occupation of a servant; the performance of labor for the benefit of another, or at another's command; attendance of an inferior, or hired helper, or slave, &c., on a…Ser'vice-a-ble, a. p. 1207Doing service; promoting happiness, interest, advantage, or any good; useful to any end; adapted to any good end or use; beneficial; advantageous. “Serviceable to religion and learning.” Atterbury.…Ser'-vice-a-ble-ness, n. p. 1207The state or quality of being serviceable; usefulness in promoting good of any kind; beneficialness. All action being for some end, its fitness to be commended or forbidden must be founded upon its…Ser'vice-a-bly, adv. p. 1207In a serviceable manner.Ser'vi-age, n. p. 1207Service; servitude. [Obs.] “Thralldom base and serviage.” Fairfax.Ser'vice-ber'ry, n. p. 1207The berry of the service-tree.Ser'vice-book, n. p. 1207A prayer-book or missal.Ser'vice-pipe, n. p. 1207A pipe connecting mains with a dwelling, as in gas pipes, and the like. Tomlinson.Ser'vice-tree, n. p. 1207(Bot.) One of several species of trees allied to the apple, and found in a wild state, as the American shad-bush, and the European mountain-ash or roan-tree. They all have richly colored fruit, which…Sĕr'vi-ent, a. p. 1207Subordinate. [Obs.] Dyer. Servient tenement or estate (Law), that on which the burden of a servitude or an easement is imposed. See DOMINANT. Gale & Whateley.Serviette, n. p. 1207A napkin for the table.Ser'vile, a. p. 1207Pertaining to, or befitting, a servant or slave; slavish; mean; proceeding from dependence; as, servile fear; servile obedience. 2. Held in subjection; dependent. E'en fortune rules no more a servile…Ser'vile, n. p. 1207(Gram.) An element which forms no part of the original root;—opposed to radical.Ser'vile-ly, adv. p. 1207In a servile manner; slavishly.Ser'vile-ness, n. p. 1207[Fr. servilité, Sp. servilidad, It. servilità, D.Ser-vil'i-ty p. 1207The state or quality of being servile; the condition of a slave or bondman; slavery; baseness; obsequiousness; slavish deference. To be a queen in bondage is more vile Than is a slave in base…Sĕr'ving-board, n. p. 1207A flat piece of timber used in serving ropes.Ser'ving-maid, n. p. 1207A female servant; a menial.Sĕrv'ing-măl'let, n. p. 1207A wooden mallet used in serving ropes.Sĕr'ving-măn, n. p. 1207A male servant; a menial.Ser'vi-tor, n. p. 1207One who serves; a servant; an attendant; one who acts under another; a follower or adherent. “Your trusty and valiant servitor.” Shak. 2. (University of Oxf.) An undergraduate, who is partly…Ser'vi-tor-ship, n. p. 1207The office or condition of a servitor. Boswell.Sĕr'vi-tude, n. p. 1207The state of voluntary or involuntary subjection to a master; service; the condition of a slave; slavery; bondage; hence, a state of slavish dependence. You would have sold your king to slaughter…Ser'vi-tūre, n. p. 1207Servants collectively; servants. [Obs.] Milton.Sĕs'a-me, n. p. 1207(Bot.) An annual herbaceous plant of the genus Sesamum, from the seeds of which an oil is expressed.Sēa'-me-grāss, n. p. 1207(Bot.) A tall grass [Triglochin dactyloides], growing sometimes six feet high. It is found in the middle and northern parts of the United States:—called also genus-grass.Ses'a-moid or Ses'a-moid'al, a. p. 1207(Anat.) Resembling in form the seeds of sesame:—said of the small bones found in the substance of the tendons at the articulations of the great toes, and sometimes at the joints of the thumbs, and in…Sĕs'a-mum, n. p. 1207(Bot.) A genus of herbaceous plants, the seeds of which are sometimes used for food, and also furnish a valuable oily grain.Sē'seam, n. p. 1207(Bot.) A leguminous plant; a species of Sesbania or Erythrina. Lindl.Sereb-lī, n. p. 1207(Bot.) A genus of plants; meadow seedlings; butterwort.Ses'qui- p. 1207(Chem.) A prefix denoting the proportion of three equivalents of the substance to the name of which it is prefixed to two equivalents of the other element, or proximate principle; as, sesquioxide.…Ses'qui-al'ter, a. p. 1207Sesquialteral.Sĕs'qui-ăl'ter or Sĕs'qui-ăl'ter-ȧ, n. p. 1207(Mus.) A stop, on the organ, containing three ranks of pipes. P. Cyc.Sĕs'qui-ăl'ter-al or Sĕs'qui-ăl'ter-ate, a. p. 1207One and a half of another. Sesquialteral floret (Bot.), a large, fertile floret, accompanied with a small, abortive one.—Sesquialteral ratio (Math.), the ratio of one and a half to one; thus 9 and 6…Sĕs'qui-ăl'ter-oŭs, a. p. 1207Sesquialteral.Sĕs'qui-brō'mide, n. p. 1207(Chem.) A compound of bromine with another element, in the proportions of three equivalents of bromine to two of the other element.Se'squi-car'bonate, n. p. 1207(Chem.) A salt composed of three equivalents of carbonic acid with two equivalents of any base.Ses'qui-chlo'ride, n. p. 1207(Chem.) A compound of chlorine with another element, in the proportions of three equivalents of chlorine to two of the other element.Sesqui-cyanide, n. p. 1207(Chem.) A compound of cyanogen with some element, in the proportions of three equivalents of cyanogen to two of the other element.Ses'qui-dū'pli-cate, a. p. 1207Twice and a half. Sesqui-duplicate ratio (Math.), the ratio of two and a half to one, or where the greater term contains the lesser twice and a half, as that of 30 to 20.Ses-qui'ō-dīde, n. p. 1207(Chem.) A compound of iodine with another element, in the proportions of three equivalents of iodine to two of the other element.Sēs'qui-ox'ide, n. p. 1207(Chem.) A compound of oxygen with some other element, in the proportions of three equivalents of the oxygen to two of the other element.Ses-quip'e-dal or Ses-quip-e-dā'li-an, a. p. 1207Measuring or containing a foot and a half; as, a sesquipedalian pigmy;—sometimes humorously or derisively applied to long words.Ses'qui-pe-dal'i-ty, n. p. 1207The condition or quality of being sesquipedal. [Rare.] Sterne. 2. The use of sesquipedalian words; style characterized by the use of long words.Ses-quip'li-cate, a. p. 1207A ratio compounded of the sesquialterate; — a term applied to ratios; thus, a and a′ are in the sesquiplicate ratio of b and b′, when a is to a′ as the square root of the cube of b is to the square…Ses'qui-salt, n. p. 1207(Chem.) A salt having three equivalents of one component and two of another.Ses'qui-sul'phide or Ses'qui-sul'phu-ret, n. p. 1207(Chem.) A compound of sulphur with some other element, in the proportions of three equivalents of sulphur to two of the other element.Ses'qui-ter'tial, a. p. 1207Sesquiterium.Ses'qui-ter'tian or Ses'qui-ter'tion-al, a. p. 1207Having the ratio of one and one third to one.Ses'qui-tone, n. p. 1207(Mus.) A minor third, or interval of three semitones. Busby.