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.
Spū'ri-ous-ly, adv. p. 1280In a spurious manner; counterfeitly; falsely.Spū'ri-ous-ness, n. p. 1280The state or quality of being spurious, counterfeit, false, or not genuine; as, the spuriousness of drugs, or of writings. 2. The state of being bastard, or not of legitimate birth; illegitimacy; as…Spūr'less, a. p. 1280Having no spurs; without spurs.Spûr'ling, n. p. 1280(Ichth.) A spirling. See SPIRLING. Tusser.Spûr'ling-line, n. p. 1280(Neut.) The line which forms the communication between the wheel and the telltale.Spûrn, v. t. p. 1280To drive back or away, as with the foot; to kick. I spurn thee like a cur. Shak. 2. To reject with disdain; to scorn to receive or accept; to treat with contempt. The rule of knighthood I disdain and…Spûrn, v. i. p. 1280To kick or toss up the heels. The drunken chairman in the kennel spurns. Gay. 2. To manifest disdain in rejecting any thing; to make contemptuous opposition; to manifest disdain in resistance. “Nay…Spûrn, n. p. 1280A kick; a blow with the foot. [Rare.] What defense can properly be used in such a despicable encounter as this but either the slap or the spurn? Milton. 2. Disdainful rejection; contemptuous…Spûrn'er, n. p. 1280One who spurns.Spûrn'ey, n. p. 1280A certain plant.Spûrn'-wa'ter, n. p. 1280(Naut.) A channel at the end of a deck to restrain the water.Spûrre, n. p. 1280(Ornith.) A spur; a sea-swallow. See SPUR, 9.Spūrred, p. a. p. 1280Wearing spurs, or having shoots like spurs. 2. Affected with spur or ergot; as, spurred rye.Spûr'rer, n. p. 1280One who uses spurs.Spūr'rey, n. p. 1280See SPURRY.Spūr'ri-er, n. p. 1280One whose occupation is to make spurs. The saddlers and spurriers would be ruined by thousands. Macauley.Spûr'-roy'al, n. p. 1280A gold coin, first made in the reign of Edward IV., and having a star on the reverse, resembling the rowel of a spur. In the reigns of Elizabeth and James I., its value was fifteen shillings.…Spûr'ry, n. p. 1280(Bot.) A plant (the Spergula arvensis), which is sometimes cultivated in Europe for fodder.Spûrt, v. t. p. 1280To throw out, as a liquid in a stream; to drive or force out with violence, as a liquid from a pipe or small orifice; as, to spurt water from the mouth, or other liquid from a tube.Spûrt, v. i. p. 1280To gush or issue out in a stream, as liquor from a cask; to rush from a confined place in a small stream. Then the small jet, which hasty hands unlock, Spurts in the gardener’s eyes who turns the…Spûrt, n. p. 1280A shoot; a bud. [Obs.] Holland. 2. A sudden or violent ejection or gushing of a liquid substance from a tube, orifice, or other confined place; a jet. 3. A sudden or short occasion or exigency…Spürt'le, v. t. p. 1280To shoot in a scattering manner. [Obs.] Drayton.Spūr'-wāy, n. p. 1280A horse-path; a narrow way; a bridle-road; a way for a single beast. [Rare.]Spûr'-wheel, n. p. 1280(Mach.) A wheel in which the teeth are perpendicular to the axis, and in the direction of the radii.Spu-tā'tion, n. p. 1280The act of spitting. Harvey.Spü'ta-tive, a. p. 1280Inclined to spit; spitting much. [Obs.] Wotton.Spite, v. t. p. 1280To dispute; to discuss. [Obs.]Spüt'ter, v. i. p. 1280To spit, or to emit saliva from the mouth in small or scattered portions, as in rapid speaking. 2. To throw out moisture in small, detached parts. “Like the green wood . . . sputtering in the flame.”…Congreve p. 1280Spŭt'ter, v. t. p. 1280To throw out with haste and noise; to utter with indistinctness. “In the midst of caresses, and without the least pretended incitement, to sputter out the basest accusations.” Swift.Spăt'ter, n. p. 1280Moist matter thrown out in small particles.Spŭt'ter-er, n. p. 1280One who sputters.Spū'tum, n. p. 1280That which is expectorated; a salival discharge from the mouth, with mucus from the nose, and sometimes with secretions from the larynx and bronchia; spittle; saliva.Spÿ, n. p. 1280One who keeps a constant watch of the conduct of others. “These wretched spies of wit.” Dryden. 2. (Mil.) A person sent into an enemy’s camp to inspect their works, ascertain their strength or their…Spy, v. t. p. 1280To gain sight of; to discover at a distance, or in a state of concealment; to espy; to see. One, in reading, skipped over all sentences where he spied a note of admiration. Swift. 2. To discover by…Spy, v. i. p. 1280To search narrowly; to scrutinize. It is my nature's plague To spy into abuse. Shak.Spÿ'-bōat, n. p. 1280A boat sent to make discoveries and bring intelligence. Arbuthnot.Spy'-glass, n. p. 1280A small telescope for viewing distant terrestrial objects.Spy'ism, n. p. 1280The act or business of spying. [Rare.]Spy'-mŏn'ey, n. p. 1280Money paid to a spy; the reward for private or secret intelligence.Squab, a. p. 1280Fat; thick; plump; bulky. Nor the squab daughter nor the wife were nice. Betterton. 2. Unfledged; unfeathered; as, a squab pigeon.Squab, n. p. 1280A young pigeon or dove. 2. A person of a short, fat figure. Gorgonius sits abdominous and wan, Like a fat squab upon a Chinese fan. Cowper. 3. A thickly stuffed cushion; especially one used for the…Squab, adv. p. 1280Striking at once; with a heavy fall; plump. [Vulgar.] The eagle dropped the tortoise squab upon a rock. L'Estrange.Squab, v. i. p. 1280To fall plump; to strike at one dash, or with a heavy stroke. [Obs.]Squa-bāsh’, v. t. p. 1280To crush; to quash. [Rare.] His [Gifford’s] satire of the Baviad and Mæviad squabashed, at one blow, a set of coxcombs who might have humbugged the world long enough. W. Scott.Squab'bish, a. p. 1280Thick; fat; heavy. Harvey.Squab'ble, v. i. p. 1280To contend for superiority; to scuffle; to struggle; to wrangle; to quarrel. 2. To debate peevishly; to dispute. The sense of these propositions is very plain, though logicians might squabble a whole…Squab'ble, v. t. p. 1280(Print.) To put awry; to disarrange or mix, so that the letters of one line get into any of the adjacent lines;—said of lines or a page or form of type. Stower. Savage.Squab'ble, n. p. 1280A scuffle; a wrangle; a brawl; a petty quarrel.Squab'bler, n. p. 1280One who squabbles; a contentious person; a brawler.Squab'by, a. p. 1280Short and thick; squabbish.Squab'-chick, n. p. 1280A young chicken before it is fully fledged.Squab'-pie, n. p. 1280A pie made of squabs or young pigeons.Squāe'co, n. p. 1280A bird of the genus Ardea (A. comata); a species of heron.Squad, n. p. 1280(Mil.) A small party of men assembled for drill, inspection, or other purposes. 2. Hence, any small party.Squad'ron, n. p. 1280Primarily, a square or square form; hence, a square body of troops; a body of troops drawn up in a square. [Rare.] Those half-rounding guards Just met, and, closing, stood in squadron joined. Milton.…Squad'roned, a. p. 1280Formed into squadrons or squares. [Rare.] Milton.Squal'id, a. p. 1280Dirty through neglect; foul; filthy; extremely dirty. “Uncombed his locks, and squalid his attire.” Dryden. “These squalid dens, which are the reproach of large capitals.” Macaulay.Squa-lid'i-ty, n. p. 1280The state of being squalid; foulness; filthiness.Squal'id-ly, adv. p. 1280In a squalid, filthy manner.