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.
Sy̆b'a-rĭt'ic or Sy̆b'a-rĭt'ic-al, a. p. 1341Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the Sybarites; luxurious; wanton. Bp. Hall.Sy̆b'a-rit-ism, n. p. 1341The habit of extreme luxury.Sy̆c'a-mīne, n. p. 1341The mulberry-tree. Luke xvii. 6. ☞ It has often been confounded by ancient and modern writers with the sycamore, as, for example, by Dioscorides.Sy̆c'a-mōre, n. p. 1341(Bot.) A large tree (Ficus sycamorus), allied to the common fig. It is found in Egypt and Syria, and is the sycamore of Scripture. ☞ In America, the plane-tree, or buttonwood, is often called by this…Sy̆-çee' or Sy̆-çee'-sĭl'ver, n. p. 1341Silver in the form of small masses, lumps, or ingots, bearing the stamp of the office that issues it, and used as a currency. [China.] Oliphant. Brande.Sy̆ch'no-cär'poŭs, a. p. 1341Having the capacity of bearing frequent crops of fruit without perishing; as, sychnocarpous plants. Henslow.Sy̆ç'īte, n. p. 1341(Min.) Fig-stone;—a name which some authors give to nodules of flint or pebbles which resemble a fig. [Obs.]Sȳ-cō'mȧ, n. p. 1341(Med.) A tumor shaped like a fig.Sy̆c'o-phan-çy, n. p. 1341The character or characteristic of a sycophant; hence, mean tale-bearing; obsequious flattery; servility.Sy̆c'o-phant, n. p. 1341Originally, an informer in Athens, who sought favor by denouncing those who stole figs, or exported them contrary to law, &c. 2. Hence, a tale-bearer or informer in general. [Obs.] The poor man that…Sy̆c'o-phant, v. t. p. 1341To play the sycophant toward; to flatter meanly and officiously; to gain favor from by informing or telling tales; also, to calumniate.Sy̆c'o-phant, v. i. p. 1341To play the sycophant.Sy̆c'o-phant-çy, n. p. 1341Sycophancy. [Obs.] Barrow.Sy̆c'o-phănt'ic or Sy̆c'o-phănt'ic-al, a. p. 1341Of, pertaining to, or resembling, a sycophant; meanly or obsequiously flattering; courting favor by mean adulation; parasitic. “To be cheated and ruined by a sycophantical parasite.” South.…Sy̆c'o-phănt'ish, a. p. 1341Resembling a sycophant; flattering.Sy̆c'o-phănt'ish-ly, adv. p. 1341In a sycophantish manner; like a sycophant.Sy̆c'o-phant-ism, n. p. 1341Mean flattery; sycophancy.Sy̆c'o-phant-īze, v. i. p. 1341The same as SYCOPHANT.Sy̆c'o-phant-ry, n. p. 1341Mean and officious tale-bearing or adulation; sycophancy. [Obs.] Barrow.Sy-cō'sis, n. p. 1341(Med.) A tubercular eruption upon the scalp or the bearded part of the face.Sŷd'er-o-lite, n. p. 1341A kind of Bohemian earthenware resembling the pottery called Wedgwood-ware. Simmonds.Sȳ'e-nīte, n. p. 1341(Min.) A crystalline rock composed of quartz, hornblende, and feldspar, of grayish-white and reddish colors, taking its name from Syene, in Upper Egypt, where it was quarried for monuments by the…Sȳ'e-nĭt'ĭc, a. p. 1341Relating to Syene; as Syenitic inscriptions. 2. Relating to, or like, syenite; as, syenitic granite.Sȳke, n. p. 1341A small brook or rill in low ground; a sike. [Prov. Eng.]Sȳk'er, adv. p. 1341Surely. [Obs.] Spenser.Sŷl'la-ba-ry, n. p. 1341A table of syllables; more especially, the indivisible syllabic symbols used in certain languages, as the Japanese and Cherokee, instead of letters. S. W. Williams.Syl-lāb'ic or Syl-lāb'ic-al, a. p. 1341Pertaining to a syllable or syllables; as, syllabic accent. 2. Consisting of a syllable or syllables; as, a syllabic augment.Syl-lāb'ic-al-ly, adv. p. 1341In a syllabic manner; syllable after syllable.Syl-lāb'ī-ē'āte, v. t. p. 1341To form into syllables; to syllabify.Syl-lāb/i-cā'tion, n. p. 1341The act of forming syllables; the act or method of dividing words into syllables. [See Prin. of Pron., § 129.]Syl-lāb'ī-fi-cā'tion, n. p. 1341The same as SYLLABICATION, q. v. “That condition of syllabification which constitutes in part the prosodial superiority of the Greek.” Bush.Syl-lāb'ĭ-fȳ, v. t. p. 1341To form or divide into syllables.Sŷl'la-bīst, n. p. 1341One who forms words into syllables, or is skilled in doing this.Sȳl'la-ble, n. p. 1341An elementary sound, or a combination of elementary sounds, uttered together, or at a single effort or impulse of the voice, and constituting a word or a part of a word; the smallest separately…Syl'la-ble, v. t. p. 1341To pronounce the syllables of: to utter; to articulate. [Obs.] Milton.Syl'la-bŭb, n. p. 1341A compound drink made of wine and milk. [Written also sillabub.]Sўl'la-bŭs, n. p. 1341A compendium containing the heads of a discourse, and the like; an abstract.Syl-lēp'sis, n. p. 1341(Rhet.) A figure by which the sense of words is construed otherwise than the words import, they being still construed according to the intention of the author; the use of words in a literal and…Syl-lēp'tic or Syl-lēp'tic-al, a. p. 1341Of, pertaining to, or containing, syllepsis.Syl-lĕp'tĭc-al-ly, adv. p. 1341In a sylleptical manner; with or by syllepsis.Syl'lo-gĭsm, n. p. 1341(Logic.) The regular logical form of every argument, consisting of three propositions, of which the first two are called the premises, and the last the conclusion. The conclusion necessarily follows…Syl'lo-gis'tic or Syl'lo-gis'tic-al, a. p. 1341Of, or pertaining to, a syllogism; consisting of a syllogism, or of the form of reasoning by syllogisms; as, syllogistic arguments, or reasoning.Syl'lo-gis'tic-al-ly, adv. p. 1341In the form of a syllogism; by means of syllogisms; as, to reason or prove syllogistically.Sÿl'lo-gi-zā'tion, n. p. 1341A reasoning by syllogisms. [Obs. or rare.] Harris.Sŷl'lo-gīze, v. i. p. 1341To reason by syllogisms. Men have endeavored to teach boys to syllogize, or to frame arguments and refute them, without real knowledge. Watts.Syl'lo-giz'er, n. p. 1341One who reasons by syllogisms.Sylph, n. p. 1341An imaginary being inhabiting the air; a fairy.Sylph'id, n. p. 1341A little sylph; a young or diminutive sylph. “The palace of the sylphid queen.” J. R. Drake.S̆yl'va, n. p. 1341The forest trees of any region or country. 2. (Bot.) A work containing a botanical description of the forest trees of any region or country; as, Michaux's Sylva Americana. 3. (Poet.) (a.) A poetical…Syl'van, a. p. 1341Of, or pertaining to, a sylva; forest like; hence, rural; rustic. The traditional memory of a rural and sylvan region . . . is usually exact as well as tenacious. De Quincey. 2. Abounding in forests…Syl'van, n. p. 1341A fabled deity of the wood; a satyr; a faun; sometimes, a rustic. Her private orchards, walled on every side, To lawless sylvans all access denied. Pope.Syl'van-ite, n. p. 1341(Min.) A mineral of a steel-gray, silver-white, or, sometimes, yellowish color, consisting of native tellurium with a considerable proportion of gold and silver. [Written also silvanite.] Dana.Syl-văt'ic or Syl-vĕs'tri-an, a. p. 1342Sylvan. [Very rare.]Sȳ'mar, n. p. 1342The same as SIMARRE. See SIMARRE.Sy̆m'bal, n. p. 1342A cymbal. See CYMBAL.Sy̆m'bol, n. p. 1342The sign or representation of something moral or intellectual by the images or properties of natural things; an emblem; a representation; as, the lion is the symbol of courage; the lamb is the symbol…Sym-bŏl'ic, n. p. 1342(Theol.) That branch of historic theology which treats of creeds; symbolism. [Written also symbolics.]Sym-bŏl'ic or Sym-bŏl'ic-al, a. p. 1342Of, pertaining to, or in the nature of, a symbol; representative; exhibiting or expressing by resemblance or signs; as, the figure of an eye is symbolical of sight and knowledge. The sacrament is a…Sym-bōl'ic-al-ly, adv. p. 1342In a symbolical manner; by representation or resemblance of properties; by signs; typically.Sym-bōl'ic-al-ness, n. p. 1342The quality of being symbolical. “A prophetical symbolicalness.” Hare.