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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- Illustrations
- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
Splint, n. p. 1275A piece split off; a splinter. 2. (Surg.) A thin piece of wood, or other substance, used to hold or protect an injured part, especially a broken bone when set. 3. (Far.) (a.) One of the rudimentary…Splint, v. t. p. 1275To split into splints, or thin, slender pieces; to splinter. [Obs.] Florio. 2. To fasten or confine with splints, as a broken limb.Splint'-bōne, n. p. 1275(Far.) See SPLINT, 3.Splint'-coal, n. p. 1275See SPLENT-COAL.Splin'ter, n. p. 1275A piece split off; a thin piece (in proportion to its length) of wood, or other solid substance, rent from the main body; as, splinters of a ship's side or mast rent off by a shot.Splin'ter, v. t. p. 1275To split or rend into long, thin pieces; to shiver; as, the lightning splinters a tree. After splintering their lances, they wheeled about, and . . . abandoned the field to the enemy. Prescott. 2. To…Splin'ter, v. i. p. 1275To be split or rent into long pieces.Splin'ter-bār, n. p. 1275A cross-bar in a coach, which supports the springs. 2. The bar to which the whiffletree is attached by means of the roller-bolt.Splin'ter-proof, a. p. 1275(Mil.) Proof against the splinters or fragments of bursting shells.Splĭn'ter-y, a. p. 1275Consisting of splinters, or resembling splinters; as, the splintery fracture of a mineral, which discovers scales, arising from splits or fissures, parallel to the line of fracture.Split, v. t. p. 1275To divide longitudinally or lengthwise; to separate from end to end by force; to rive; to cleave; as, to split a piece of timber; to split a board. 2. To tear asunder by violence; to burst; to rend.…Split, v. i. p. 1275To part asunder; to suffer disruption; to burst; as, vessels split by the freezing of water in them. 2. To burst with laughter. Each had a gravity would make you split. Pope. 3. To be broken; to be…Split, n. p. 1275A crack, rent, or longitudinal fissure. 2. A breach or separation, as in a political party. [Colloq.] 3. A splinter; a fragment. [Obs.] “Be crushed to splits.” Ford. 4. (Weaving.) One thread in plain…Splĭt, p. a. p. 1275Divided; fractured. 2. (Bot.) Divided deeply, and into a determinate number of segments; cleft. Lindley. Split in two, split in three, &c., (Bot.), cleft into two, three, &c., parts respectively…Splĭt'ter, n. p. 1275One who splits.Splûrġe, n. p. 1275A blustering demonstration, or great effort. [Colloq. U. S.] Bartlett.Splŭt'ter, n. p. 1275A bustle; a stir. [Colloq. and low.]Splŭt'ter, v. i. p. 1275To speak hastily and confusedly. [Colloq. and low.] Carlton.Splŭt'ter-er, n. p. 1275One who splutters, or speaks hastily and confusedly.Spŏd'o-mān'cy, n. p. 1275Divination by means of ashes.Spŏd'o-măn'tic, a. p. 1275Relating to divination by means of ashes. C. Kingsley.Spŏd'ŭ-mēne, n. p. 1275(Min.) A mineral consisting chiefly of silica, alumina, and the rare earth lithia.Spŏf'fīsh, a. p. 1275Earnest and active in matters of no moment. [Eng.] “A spoffish little man.” Dickens.Spoil, v. t. p. 1275To plunder; to strip by violence; to rob;—with of before the indirect object; as, to spoil one of his goods or possessions. My sons their old, unhappy sire despise. Spoiled of his kingdom, and…Spoil, v. i. p. 1275To practice plunder or robbery. Outlaws, which, lurking in woods, used to break forth to rob and spoil. Spencer. 2. To lose the valuable qualities; to be corrupted; to decay; as, fruit will soon…Spoil, n. p. 1275That which is taken from others by violence; especially, the plunder taken from an enemy; pillage; booty. Gentle gales, Fanning their odoriferous wings, dispense Native perfumes, and whisper whence…Spoil'a-ble, a. p. 1275Capable of being spoiled.Spoil'-bank, n. p. 1275A bank formed by the earth taken from an excavation, as of a canal.Spoil'er, n. p. 1275One who spoils; a plunderer; a pillager; a robber. 2. One who corrupts, mars, or renders useless.Spoil'ful, a. p. 1275Wasteful; rapacious. [Poet. and rare.] Spenser.Spōke, imp. p. 1275of speak. See SPEAK.Spōke, n. p. 1275The radius or ray of a wheel; one of the small bars which are inserted in the hub, or nave, and which serve to support the rim or felly. 2. The spar, or round, of a ladder. 3. A contrivance for…Spōke, v. t. p. 1275To furnish with spokes; as, to spoke a wheel.Spōk'en, p. p. p. 1275of speak. See SPEAK.Spōke'shāve, n. p. 1275A kind of drawing-knife for dressing the spokes of wheels, the shells of blocks, and other curved work. Buchanan.Spōkes'man, n. p. 1275One who speaks for another. He shall be thy spokesman unto the people. Ex. iv. 16.Spō'li-a-ry, n. p. 1275(Rom. Antiq.) (a.) A place in the amphitheater where the clothes were stripped from the slain gladiators, who were dragged thither. Andrews. (b.) A private room at the baths. Crabb.Spō'li-āte, v. t. p. 1275To plunder; to pillage; to destroy.Spō'li-āte, v. i. p. 1275To practice plunder; to commit robbery.Spō'li-ā'tion, n. p. 1275The act of plundering; robbery; destruction; deprivation; despoliation. A glittering fragment which owed all its value to the spoliation of some spurned and forgotten qualities. J. Taylor. 2. Robbery…Spō'li-ā'tive, a. p. 1275(Med.) Serving to take away or diminish; as, spoliative blood-letting. Dunglison.Spō'li-ā'tor, n. p. 1275One who spoliates.Spō'li-a-to-ry, a. p. 1275Tending to spoil; destructive; spoliative.Spon-dā'ic or Spon-dā'ic-al, a. p. 1275Pertaining to a spondee; consisting of spondees. 2. Composed of spondees in excess; as, a spondaic hexameter, which has a spondee instead of a dactyl in the fifth foot.Spōn'dee, n. p. 1275(Pros.) A poetic foot of two long syllables.Spŏn'dyl or Spŏn'dyle, n. p. 1275(Anat.) A joint of the back-bone; a vertebra. Coxe.Spōng, n. p. 1275An irregular, narrow, projecting part of a field, whether planted or in grass. [Prov. Eng.]Spōn'ge, n. p. 1275A porous or fibrous substance, regarded as of the nature of a compound animal, found adhering to rocks, shells, &c., under water. It consists of a reticulated horny tissue, usually with spicules of…Spōnge, v. t. p. 1275To cleanse, or wipe, with a sponge; as, to sponge a slate or a cannon. 2. To wipe out with a sponge, as letters or writing; to efface; to destroy all trace of.Spōnge, v. i. p. 1275To suck in, or imbibe, as a sponge. 2. To gain by mean arts, by intrusion, or hanging on; as, an idler who sponges on his neighbor. 3. To be converted, as dough, into a light, spongy mass by the…Spŏn'ge-cāke, n. p. 1275A kind of sweet cake, which is very light and spongy.Spōn'ge'let, n. p. 1275See SPONGIOLE.Spōn'ge-oūs, a. p. 1275Resembling sponge; having the nature or qualities of sponge.Spōn'ger, n. p. 1275One who uses a sponge. 2. A parasitical dependent; a hanger-on.Spōn'ge'-tree, n. p. 1275(Bot.) An evergreen tree of the genus Acacia (A. Farnesiana), found in St. Domingo. London.Spŏn'gi-fōrm, a. p. 1275Resembling a sponge; soft and porous; porous.Spōn'gi-ness, n. p. 1275The quality or state of being spongy, or porous, like sponge.Spōn'ging-house, n. p. 1275(Law.) A bailiff's house to put debtors in before being taken to jail, or until they compromise with their creditors.Spōn'gi-ōle, n. p. 1275(Bot.) An expansion of minute parts, formerly supposed to exist at the termination of radicles, resembling a sponge, for absorbing the nutriment of plants;—called also spongelet.Spŏn'gi-ōse' or Spŏn'gi-ōus p. 1276Spŏn'gi-ōus, a. [Fr. spongieux, Pr. espongios, spongios, Sp. & Pg. esponjoso, It. spongioso, Lat. spongiosus. See SPONGE.] Somewhat spongy; sponge-like; full of small cavities like sponge; as…