Library

Dictionary

An American Dictionary of the English Language

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.

  1. Sôrt'ançe, n.p. 1261Suitableness; agreement. [Obs.] Shak.
  2. Sôrt'er, n.p. 1261One who sorts; one who arranges by sorts or kinds.
  3. Sôr'tie, n.p. 1261(Mil.) The issuing of a body of troops from a besieged place to attack the besiegers; a sally.
  4. Sôr'ti-lēge, n.p. 1261The act or practice of drawing lots; divination by drawing lots. “A woman infamous for sortileges and witcheries.” W. Scott.
  5. Sôr'ti-lê'giòus, a.p. 1261Of, or pertaining to, sortilege.
  6. Sor-tĭl'e-gy, n.p. 1261Sortilege. [Rare.] “The whole practice and doctrine of sortilegy.” De Quincey.
  7. Sor-ti′tion, n.p. 1261Selection or appointment by lot. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.
  8. Sôrt'ment, n.p. 1261The act of sorting; distribution into classes or kinds. [Obs.] 2. A parcel sorted; an assortment. [Obs.]
  9. Sō'rus, n.p. 1261(Bot.) One of the fruit-dots, or small clusters of minute capsules, on the back of the fronds of ferns.
  10. Sō'ry, n.p. 1261(Chem.) Sulphate of iron. [Obs.] Ure.
  11. Sō'-sō, a.p. 1261Neither very good nor very bad; middling good; passable; tolerable; indifferent; mediocre. He [Burns] certainly wrote some so-so verses to the Tree of Liberty. Prof. Wilson.
  12. Sŏss, v. i.p. 1261To fall at once into a chair or seat; to sit lazily. [Obs.] Swift.
  13. Sŏss, v. t.p. 1261To throw in a negligent or careless manner; to toss. [Obs.] Swift.
  14. Sŏss, n.p. 1261A lazy fellow. [Obs.] 2. A heavy fall. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell. 3. Any thing dirty or muddy; a dirty puddle. [Prov. Eng.]
  15. Sōs'te-nū'to, p. a.p. 1261(Mus.) Sustained;—applied to a movement the sounds of which are to be sustained to the utmost of the nominal value of the time; also, to a movement the tones of which are to be somewhat prolonged or…
  16. Sŏt, n.p. 1261A stupid person; a blockhead; a dull fellow; a dolt. [Obs.] South. In Egypt oft has seen the sot bow down, And reverence some deified baboon. Oldham. 2. A person stupefied by excessive drinking; an…
  17. Sŏt, a.p. 1261Sottish; foolish; stupid. [Obs.] “Rich, but sot.” Marston.
  18. Sŏt, v. t.p. 1261To stupefy; to infatuate; to besot. [Rare.] I hate to see a brave, bold fellow sotted. Dryden.
  19. Sŏt, v. i.p. 1261To tipple to stupidity. [Rare.]
  20. So-tăd'ic, n.p. 1261A composition in the style of, or resembling, the compositions of the Greek poet Sotades, who was infamous for his obscenity.
  21. Sōte, a.p. 1261Sweet. [Obs.] Fairfax.
  22. So-tĕ′/rĭ-ŏl′o-gy, n.p. 1261[Gr. σωτηρία, safety, from σωτήριος, saving, from σωτήρ, a savior, from σώζειν, to save, and λόγος, discourse.] A discourse on health, or the science of promoting and preserving health. 2. [Gr.…
  23. Sŏth'ic, a.p. 1261Of, or pertaining to, Sothis, the dog-star. Sothic year, the Egyptian year of 365 days and 6 hours; —so called from Sothis, the dog-star, at whose heliacal rising it was supposed to commence. Bryant.
  24. Sŏt'tish, a.p. 1261Like a sot; doltish; very foolish. How ignorant are sottish pretenders to astrology! Swift. 2. Dull or stupid with intemperance. Syn. — Dull; stupid; senseless; doltish; infatuate.
  25. Sŏt'tish-ly, adv.p. 1262In a sottish manner; stupidly; senselessly; without reason.
  26. Sŏt'tish-ness, n.p. 1262The state or quality of being sottish; dullness in the exercise of reason; stupidity. Few consider into what degree of sottishness and confirmed ignorance men may sink themselves. South. 2. Stupidity…
  27. Sotto Vocep. 1262(Mus.) With a restrained voice or moderate force.
  28. Sou, n.p. 1262A French money of account, and a copper coin, in value the 20th part of a livre, or of a franc.
  29. Squ'bah, n.p. 1262The same as SUBAH. See SUBAH.
  30. Sŭb'ah-dar, n.p. 1262See SUBAHDAR.
  31. Sōbrette, n.p. 1262A chamber-maid; a female servant or attendant.
  32. Sōu-chŏng', n.p. 1262A kind of black tea.
  33. Sŏugh, v. i.p. 1262To whistle or sigh, as the wind.
  34. Sough, n.p. 1262A small drain; an adit. Buchanan.
  35. Sōugh, n.p. 1262A hollow murmur or roaring; a buzzing; as, a sough in the ears. “Or listen to the whispering leaves or the solemn sough of the forest.” W. Howitt. 2. Hence, a rumor or flying report. W. Scott.
  36. Sought, imp. & p. p.p. 1262of seek. See SEEK.
  37. Sōul, n.p. 1262The spiritual, rational, and immortal part in man; that part of man which enables him to think, and which renders him a subject of moral government; — sometimes, in distinction from the higher nature…
  38. Sōul, v. t.p. 1262To indue with a soul. [Obs.] Chaucer.
  39. Sōul, v. i.p. 1262To afford suitable sustenance. [Obs.] [Written also sowl.] Warner.
  40. Sōul'-bĕll, n.p. 1262The passing-bell. Bp. Hall.
  41. Sōuled, a.p. 1262Instinct with soul or feeling. “Grecian chiefs . . . largely souled.” Dryden.
  42. Sōul'-fōot, n.p. 1262The same as SOUL-SCOT. [Obs.]
  43. Sōul'less, a.p. 1262Without a soul, or without greatness or nobleness of mind; mean; spiritless. Slave, soulless villain. Shak.
  44. Sōul'-scŏt or Sōul'-shŏt, n.p. 1262A funeral duty, or money paid by the Roman Catholics, in former times, for a requiem for the soul. Ayliffe.
  45. Sound, a.p. 1262Entire; unbroken; free from imperfection, defect, or decay; perfect of the kind; as, sound timber; sound fruit; a sound apple or melon; a sound tooth; a sound ship; a sound body. 2. Healthy; not…
  46. Sound, adv.p. 1262Soundly; heartily. So sound he slept that naught might him awake. Spenser.
  47. Sound, n.p. 1262The air-bladder of a fish.
  48. Sound, n.p. 1262(Geog.) A narrow passage of water, or a strait between the main land and an isle; or a strait connecting two seas, or connecting a sea or lake with the ocean; as, the sound which connects the Baltic…
  49. Sound, n.p. 1262The cuttle-fish. Ainsworth.
  50. Sound, n.p. 1262(Surg.) Any elongated instrument, usually metallic, by which cavities of the body are sounded or explored; especially, an instrument which surgeons introduce into the bladder, in order to discover…
  51. Sound, v. t.p. 1262To measure the depth of; to fathom; especially, to ascertain the depth of by means of a line and plummet. 2. To seek to interpret or discern the intentions or secret wishes of; to examine; to try; to…
  52. Sound, v. i.p. 1262To use the line and lead in searching the depth of water. The shipmen . . . sounded, and found it twenty fathoms. Acts xxvii. 27, 28.
  53. Sound, n.p. 1262The perceived object occasioned by the impulse or vibration of a material substance affecting the ear; a sensation or perception of the mind received through the ear, and produced by the impulse or…
  54. Sound, v. i.p. 1262To make a noise; to utter a voice; to make an impulse of the air that shall strike the organs of hearing with a perceptible effect. “And first taught speaking trumpets how to sound.” Dryden. How…
  55. Sound, v. t.p. 1262To cause to make a noise; to play on; as, to sound a trumpet or a horn. 2. To utter audibly; to cause to exist as a sound; as, to sound a note with the voice, or with an instrument. 3. To order or…
  56. Sound, n.p. 1262The same as Swoon. [Obs.] Spenser.
  57. Sound'a-ble, a.p. 1262Capable of being sounded.
  58. Sound'-bōard, n.p. 1262A sounding-board. To many a row of pipes the sound-board breathes. Milton.
  59. Sound'-bōard'ing, n.p. 1262See SOUNDING-BOARD.
  60. Sound'er, n.p. 1262One who sounds.