ADJOINAd*join", v. i.
1. To lie or be next, or in contact; to be contiguous; as, the houses adjoin. When one man's land adjoins to another's. Blackstone.
Note: The construction with to, on, or with is obsolete or obsolescent.
2. To join one's self. [Obs.] She lightly unto him adjoined side to side. Spenser.
ADJOINANTAd*join"ant, a.
Defn: Contiguous. [Obs.] Carew.
ADJOININGAd*join"ing, a.
Defn: Joining to; contiguous; adjacent; as, an adjoining room. "The adjoining fane." Dryden. Upon the hills adjoining to the city. Shak.
Syn.— Adjacent; contiguous; near; neighboring; abutting; bordering. SeeAdjacent.
ADJOINTAd"joint, n.
Defn: An adjunct; a helper. [Obs.]
ADJOURN Ad*journ, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adjourned; p. pr. & vb. n. Adjourning.] Etym: [OE. ajornen, OF. ajoiner, ajurner, F. ajourner; OF. a (L. ad) + jor, jur, jorn, F. jour, day, fr. L. diurnus belonging to the day, fr. dies day. Cf. Journal, Journey.]
Defn: To put off or defer to another day, or indefinitely; topostpone; to close or suspend for the day; — commonly said of themeeting, or the action, of convened body; as, to adjourn the meeting;to adjourn a debate.It is a common practice to adjourn the reformation of their lives toa further time. Barrow.'Tis a needful fitness That we adjourn this court till further day.Shak.
Syn. — To delay; defer; postpone; put off; suspend. — To Adjourn, Prorogue, Dissolve. These words are used in respect to public bodies when they lay aside business and separate. Adjourn, both in Great Britain and this country, is applied to all cases in which such bodies separate for a brief period, with a view to meet again. Prorogue is applied in Great Britain to that act of the executive government, as the sovereign, which brings a session of Parliament to a close. The word is not used in this country, but a legislative body is said, in such a case, to adjourn sine die. To dissolve is to annul the corporate existence of a body. In order to exist again the body must be reconstituted.
ADJOURNAd*journ", v. i.
Defn: To suspend business for a time, as from one day to another, or for a longer period, or indefinitely; usually, to suspend public business, as of legislatures and courts, or other convened bodies; as, congress adjourned at four o'clock; the court adjourned without day.
ADJOURNALAd*journ"al, n.
Defn: Adjournment; postponement. [R.] "An adjournal of the Diet." SirW. Scott.
ADJOURNMENTAd*journ"ment, n. Etym: [Cf. f. adjournement, OF. ajornement. SeeAdjourn.]
1. The act of adjourning; the putting off till another day or time specified, or without day.
2. The time or interval during which a public body adjourns its sittings or postpones business.
ADJUDGEAd*judge", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adjudged; p. pr. & vb. n. Adjudging.]Etym: [OE. ajugen, OF. ajugier, fr. L. adjudicare; ad + judicare tojudge. See Judge, and cf. Adjudicate.]
1. To award judicially in the case of a controverted question; as, the prize was adjudged to the victor.
2. To determine in the exercise of judicial power; to decide or award judicially; to adjudicate; as, the case was adjudged in the November term.
3. To sentence; to condemn. Without reprieve, adjudged to death For want of well pronouncing Shibboleth. Milton.
4. To regard or hold; to judge; to deem. He adjudged him unworthy of his friendship. Knolles.
Syn.— To decree; award; determine; adjudicate; ordain; assign.
ADJUDGERAd*judg"er, n.
Defn: One who adjudges.
ADJUDGMENTAd*judg"ment, n.
Defn: The act of adjudging; judicial decision; adjudication. Sir W.Temple.
ADJUDICATEAd*ju"di*cate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adjudicated; p. pr. & vb. n.Adjudicating] Etym: [L. adjudicatus, p. p. of adjudicare. SeeAdjudge.]
Defn: To adjudge; to try and determine, as a court; to settle by judicial decree.
ADJUDICATEAd*ju"di*cate, v. i.
Defn: To come to a judicial decision; as, the court adjudicated upon the case.
ADJUDICATIONAd*ju`di*ca"tion, n. Etym: [L. adjudicatio: cf. F. adjudication.]
1. The act of adjudicating; the act or process of trying and determining judicially.
2. A deliberate determination by the judicial power; a judicial decision or sentence. "An adjudication in favor of natural rights." Burke.
3. (Bankruptcy practice)
Defn: The decision upon the question whether the debtor is a bankrupt. Abbott.
4. (Scots Law)
Defn: A process by which land is attached security or in satisfaction of a debt.
ADJUDICATIVEAd*ju"di*ca*tive, a.
Defn: Adjudicating.
ADJUDICATORAd*ju"di*ca`tor, n.
Defn: One who adjudicates.
ADJUDICATUREAd*ju"di*ca*ture, n.
Defn: Adjudication.
ADJUGATE Ad"ju*gate, v. t. Etym: [L. adjugatus, p. p. of adjugare; ad + jugum a yoke.]
Defn: To yoke to. [Obs.]
ADJUMENT Ad"ju*ment, n. Etym: [L. adjumentum, for adjuvamentum, fr. adjuvare to help; ad + juvare to help.]
Defn: Help; support; also, a helper. [Obs.] Waterhouse.
ADJUNCTAd"junct`, a. Etym: [L. adjunctus, p. p. of adjungere. See Adjoin.]
Defn: Conjoined; attending; consequent.Though that my death were adjunct to my act. Shak.Adjunct notes (Mus.), short notes between those essential to theharmony; auxiliary notes; passing notes.
ADJUNCTAd"junct`, n.
1. Something joined or added to another thing, but not essentially a part of it. Learning is but an adjunct to our self. Shak.
2. A person joined to another in some duty or service; a colleague; an associate. Wotton.
3. (Gram.)
Defn: A word or words added to quality or amplify the force of other words; as, the History of the American Revolution, where the words in italics are the adjunct or adjuncts of "History."
4. (Metaph.)
Defn: A quality or property of the body or the mind, whether natural or acquired; as, color, in the body, judgment in the mind.
5. (Mus.)
Defn: A key or scale closely related to another as principal; a relative or attendant key. [R.] See Attendant keys, under Attendant, a.
ADJUNCTION Ad*junc"tion, n. Etym: [L. adjunctio, fr. adjungere: cf. F. adjonction, and see Adjunct.]
Defn: The act of joining; the thing joined or added.
ADJUNCTIVEAd*junc"tive, a. Etym: [L. adjunctivus, fr. adjungere. See Adjunct.]
Defn: Joining; having the quality of joining; forming an adjunct.
ADJUNCTIVEAd*junc"tive, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, is joined.
ADJUNCTIVELYAd*junc"tive*ly, adv.
Defn: In an adjunctive manner.
ADJUNCTLYAd*junct"ly, adv.
Defn: By way of addition or adjunct; in connection with.
ADJURATION Ad`ju*ra"tion, n. Etym: [L. adjuratio, fr. adjurare: cf. F. adjuration. See Adjure.]
1. The act of adjuring; a solemn charging on oath, or under the penalty of a curse; an earnest appeal. What an accusation could not effect, an adjuration shall. Bp. Hall.
2. The form of oath or appeal. Persons who . . . made use of prayer and adjurations. Addison.
ADJURATORYAd*ju"ra*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. adjuratorius.]
Defn: Containing an adjuration.
ADJUREAd*jure", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adjured; p. pr. & vb. n. Adjuring].Etym: [L. adjurare, adjurdium, to swear to; later, to adjure: cf. F.adjurer. See Jury.]
Defn: To charge, bind, or command, solemnly, as if under oath, or under the penalty of a curse; to appeal to in the most solemn or impressive manner; to entreat earnestly. Joshua adjured them at that time, saying, Cursed be the man before the Lord, that riseth up and buildeth this city Jericho. Josh. vi. 26. The high priest . . . said . . . I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ. Matt. xxvi. 63. The commissioners adjured them not to let pass so favorable an opportunity of securing their liberties. Marshall.
ADJURERAd*jur"er, n.
Defn: One who adjures.
ADJUST Ad*just", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adjusted; p. pr. & vb. n. Adjusting.] Etym: [OF. ajuster, ajoster (whence F. ajouter to add), LL. adjuxtare to fit; fr. L. ad + juxta near; confused later with L. ad and justus just, right, whence F. ajuster to adjust. See Just, v. t. and cf. Adjute.]
1. To make exact; to fit; to make correspondent or conformable; to bring into proper relations; as, to adjust a garment to the body, or things to a standard.
2. To put in order; to regulate, or reduce to system. Adjusting the orthography. Johnson.
3. To settle or bring to a satisfactory state, so that parties are agreed in the result; as, to adjust accounts; the differences are adjusted.
4. To bring to a true relative position, as the parts of an instrument; to regulate for use; as, to adjust a telescope or microscope.
Syn. — To adapt; suit; arrange; regulate; accommodate; set right; rectify; settle.
ADJUSTABLEAd*just"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being adjusted.
ADJUSTAGEAd*just"age, n. Etym: [Cf. Ajutage.]
Defn: Adjustment. [R.]
ADJUSTERAd*just"er, n.
Defn: One who, or that which, adjusts.
ADJUSTING PLANE; ADJUSTING SURFACEAdjusting plane or surface. (Aëronautics)
Defn: A small plane or surface, usually capable of adjustment but not of manipulation, for preserving lateral balance in an aëroplane or flying machine.
ADJUSTIVEAd*just"ive, a.
Defn: Tending to adjust. [R.]
ADJUSTMENTAd*just"ment, n. Etym: [Cf. F. ajustement. See Adjust.]
1. The act of adjusting, or condition of being adjusted; act of bringing into proper relations; regulation. Success depends on the nicest and minutest adjustment of the parts concerned. Paley.
2. (Law)
Defn: Settlement of claims; an equitable arrangement of conflicting claims, as in set-off, contribution, exoneration, subrogation, and marshaling. Bispham.
3. The operation of bringing all the parts of an instrument, as a microscope or telescope, into their proper relative position for use; the condition of being thus adjusted; as, to get a good adjustment; to be in or out of adjustment.
Syn. — Suiting; fitting; arrangement; regulation; settlement; adaptation; disposition.
ADJUTAGEAd"ju*tage, n.
Defn: Same as Ajutage.
ADJUTANCYAd"ju*tan*cy, n. Etym: [See Adjutant.]
1. The office of an adjutant.
2. Skillful arrangement in aid; assistance. It was, no doubt, disposed with all the adjutancy of definition and division. Burke.
ADJUTANTAd"ju*tant, n. Etym: [L. adjutans, p. pr. of adjutare to help. SeeAid.]
1. A helper; an assistant.
2. (Mil.)
Defn: A regimental staff officer, who assists the colonel, or commanding officer of a garrison or regiment, in the details of regimental and garrison duty. Adjutant general (a) (Mil.), the principal staff officer of an army, through whom the commanding general receives communications and issues military orders. In the U. S. army he is brigadier general. (b) (Among the Jesuits), one of a select number of fathers, who resided with the general of the order, each of whom had a province or country assigned to his care.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A species of very large stork (Ciconia argala), a native of India; — called also the gigantic crane, and by the native name argala. It is noted for its serpent-destroying habits.
ADJUTATORAd"ju*ta`tor, n. (Eng. Hist.)
Defn: A corruption of Agitator.
ADJUTEAd*jute", v. t. Etym: [F. ajouter; confused with L. adjutare.]
Defn: To add. [Obs.]
ADJUTORAd*ju"tor, n. Etym: [L., fr. adjuvare. See Aid.]
Defn: A helper or assistant. [Archaic] Drayton.
ADJUTORYAd*ju"to*ry, a. Etym: [L. adjutorius.]
Defn: Serving to help or assist; helping. [Obs.]
ADJUTRIXAd*ju"trix, n. Etym: [L. See Adjutor.]
Defn: A female helper or assistant. [R.]
ADJUVANT Ad"ju*vant, a. Etym: [L. adjuvans, p. pr. of adjuvare to aid: cf. F. adjuvant. See Aid.]
Defn: Helping; helpful; assisting. [R.] "Adjuvant causes." Howell.
ADJUVANTAd"ju*vant, n.
1. An assistant. [R.] Yelverton.
2. (Med.)
Defn: An ingredient, in a prescription, which aids or modifies the action of the principal ingredient.
ADLEGATION Ad`le*ga"tion, n. Etym: [L. adlegatio, allegatio, a sending away; fr. adlegare, allegare, to send away with a commission; ad in addition + legare to send as ambassador. Cf. Allegation.]
Defn: A right formerly claimed by the states of the German Empire of joining their own ministers with those of the emperor in public treaties and negotiations to the common interest of the empire. Encyc. Brit.
AD LIBITUMAd lib"i*tum
Defn: . At one's pleasure; as one wishes.
ADLOCUTIONAd`lo*cu"tion, n.
Defn: See Allocution. [Obs.]
ADMARGINATEAd*mar"gin*ate, v. t. Etym: [Pref. ad- + margin.]
Defn: To write in the margin. [R.] Coleridge.
ADMAXILLARYAd*max"il*la*ry, a. Etym: [Pref. ad- + maxillary.] (Anat.)
Defn: Near to the maxilla or jawbone.
ADMEASUREAd*meas"ure, v. t. Etym: [Cf. OF. amesurer, LL. admensurare. SeeMeasure.]
1. To measure.
2. (Law)
Defn: To determine the proper share of, or the proper apportionment; as, to admeasure dower; to admeasure common of pasture. Blackstone.
2. The measure of a thing; dimensions; size.
3. (Law)
Defn: Formerly, the adjustment of proportion, or ascertainment of shares, as of dower or pasture held in common. This was by writ of admeasurement, directed to the sheriff.
ADMEASURERAd*meas"ur*er, n.
Defn: One who admeasures.
ADMENSURATION Ad*men`su*ra"tion, n. Etym: [LL. admensuratio; L. ad + mensurare to measure. See Mensuration.]
Defn: Same as Admeasurement.
ADMINICLE Ad*min"i*cle, n. Etym: [L. adminculum support, orig., that on which the hand rests; ad + manus hand + dim. ending -culym.]
1. Help or support; an auxiliary. Grote.
2. (Law)
Defn: Corroborative or explanatory proof.
Note: In Scots law, any writing tending to establish the existence or terms of a lost deed. Bell.
ADMINICULARAd`mi*nic"u*lar, a.
Defn: Supplying help; auxiliary; corroborative; explanatory; as, adminicular evidence. H. Spencer.
ADMINICULARYAd`mi*nic"u*la*ry, a.
Defn: Adminicular.
ADMINISTERAd*min"is*ter, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Administered; p. pr. & vb. n.Administering.] Etym: [OE. aministren, OF. aministrer, F. administer,fr. L. administrare; ad + ministrare to serve. See Minister.]
1. To manage or conduct, as public affairs; to direct or superintend the execution, application, or conduct of; as, to administer the government or the state. For forms of government let fools contest: Whate'er is best administered is best. Pope.
2. To dispense; to serve out; to supply; execute; as, to administer relief, to administer the sacrament. [Let zephyrs] administer their tepid, genial airs. Philips. Justice was administered with an exactness and purity not before known. Macaulay.
3. To apply, as medicine or a remedy; to give, as a dose or something beneficial or suitable. Extended to a blow, a reproof, etc. A noxious drug had been administered to him. Macaulay.
4. To tender, as an oath. Swear . . . to keep the oath that we administer. Shak.
5. (Law)
Defn: To settle, as the estate of one who dies without a will, or whose will fails of an executor.
Syn. — To manage; conduct; minister; supply; dispense; give out; distribute; furnish.
ADMINISTERAd*min"is*ter, v. i.
1. To contribute; to bring aid or supplies; to conduce; to minister. A fountain . . . administers to the pleasure as well as the plenty of the place. Spectator.
2. (Law)
Defn: To perform the office of administrator; to act officially; as,A administers upon the estate of B.
ADMINISTERAd*min"is*ter, n.
Defn: Administrator. [Obs.] Bacon.
ADMINISTERIALAd*min`is*te"ri*al, a.
Defn: Pertaining to administration, or to the executive part of government.
ADMINISTRABLEAd*min"is*tra*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being administered; as, an administrable law.
ADMINISTRANTAd*min"is*trant, a. Etym: [F., p. pr. of administrer. SeeAdminister.]
Defn: Executive; acting; managing affairs.— n.
Defn: One who administers.
ADMINISTRATE Ad*min"is*trate, v. t. Etym: [L. administratus, p. p. of administrare.]
Defn: To administer. [R.] Milman.
ADMINISTRATION Ad*min`is*tra"tion, n. Etym: [OE. administracioun, L. administratio: cf. F. administration.]
1. The act of administering; government of public affairs; the service rendered, or duties assumed, in conducting affairs; the conducting of any office or employment; direction; management. His financial administration was of a piece with his military administration. Macaulay.
2. The executive part of government; the persons collectively who are intrusted with the execution of laws and the superintendence of public affairs; the chief magistrate and his cabinet or council; or the council, or ministry, alone, as in Great Britain. A mild and popular administration. Macaulay. The administration has been opposed in parliament. Johnson.
3. The act of administering, or tendering something to another; dispensation; as, the administration of a medicine, of an oath, of justice, or of the sacrament.
4. (Law) (a) The management and disposal, under legal authority, of the estate of an intestate, or of a testator having no competent executor. (b) The management of an estate of a deceased person by an executor, the strictly corresponding term execution not being in use. Administration with the will annexed, administration granted where the testator has appointed no executor, or where his appointment of an executor for any cause has failed, as by death, incompetency, refusal to act, etc.
Syn. — Conduct; management; direction; regulation; execution; dispensation; distribution.
ADMINISTRATIVE Ad*min"is*tra`tive, a. Etym: [L. administrativus: cf. F. administratif.]
Defn: Pertaining to administration; administering; executive; as, an administrative body, ability, or energy. — Ad*min"is*tra`tive*ly, adv.
ADMINISTRATORAd*min`is*tra"tor, n. Etym: [L.]
1. One who administers affairs; one who directs, manages, executes, or dispenses, whether in civil, judicial, political, or ecclesiastical affairs; a manager.
2. (Law)
Defn: A man who manages or settles the estate of an intestate, or of a testator when there is no competent executor; one to whom the right of administration has been committed by competent authority.
ADMINISTRATORSHIPAd*min`is*tra"tor*ship, n.
Defn: The position or office of an administrator.
ADMINISTRATRIXAd*min`is*tra"trix, n. Etym: [NL.]
Defn: A woman who administers; esp., one who administers the estate of an intestate, or to whom letters of administration have been granted; a female administrator.
ADMIRABILITYAd`mi*ra*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [L. admirabilitac.]
Defn: Admirableness. [R.] Johnson.
ADMIRABLEAd"mi*ra*ble, a. Etym: [L. admirabilis: cf. F. admirable.]
1. Fitted to excite wonder; wonderful; marvelous. [Obs.] In man there is nothing admirable but his ignorance and weakness. Jer. Taylor.
2. Having qualities to excite wonder united with approbation; deserving the highest praise; most excellent; — used of persons or things. "An admirable machine." "Admirable fortitude." Macaulay.
Syn. — Wonderful; marvelous; surprising; excellent; delightful; praiseworthy.
ADMIRABLENESSAd"mi*ra*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being admirable; wonderful excellence.
ADMIRABLYAd"mi*ra*bly, adv.
Defn: In an admirable manner.
ADMIRAL Ad"mi*ral, n. Etym: [OE. amiral, admiral, OF. amiral, ultimately fr. Ar. amir-al-bahr commander of the sea; Ar. amir is commander, al is the Ar. article, and amir-al, heard in different titles, was taken as one word. Early forms of the word show confusion with L. admirabilis admirable, fr. admirari to admire. It is said to have been introduced into Europe by the Genoese or Venetians, in the 12th or 13th century. Cf. Ameer, Emir.]
1. A naval officer of the highest rank; a naval officer of high rank, of which there are different grades. The chief gradations in rank are admiral, vice admiral, and rear admiral. The admiral is the commander in chief of a fleet or of fleets.
2. The ship which carries the admiral; also, the most considerable ship of a fleet. Like some mighty admiral, dark and terrible, bearing down upon his antagonist with all his canvas straining to the wind, and all his thunders roaring from his broadsides. E. Everett.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: A handsome butterfly (Pyrameis Atalanta) of Europe and America. The larva feeds on nettles. Admiral shell (Zoöl.), the popular name of an ornamental cone shell (Conus admiralis). Lord High Admiral, a great officer of state, who (when this rare dignity is conferred) is at the head of the naval administration of Great Britain.
ADMIRALSHIPAd"mi*ral*ship, n.
Defn: The office or position oaf an admiral; also, the naval skill of an admiral.
ADMIRALTY Ad"mi*ral*ty, n.; pl. Admiralties. Etym: [F. amirauté, for an older amiralté, office of admiral, fr. LL. admiralitas. See Admiral.]
1. The office or jurisdiction of an admiral. Prescott.
2. The department or officers having authority over naval affairs generally.
3. The court which has jurisdiction of maritime questions and offenses.
Note: In England, admiralty jurisdiction was formerly vested in the High Court of Admiralty, which was held before the Lord High Admiral, or his deputy, styled the Judge of the Admiralty; but admiralty jurisdiction is now vested in the probate, divorce, and admiralty division of the High Justice. In America, there are no admiralty courts distinct from others, but admiralty jurisdiction is vested in the district courts of the United States, subject to revision by the circuit courts and the Supreme Court of the United States. Admiralty jurisprudence has cognizance of maritime contracts and torts, collisions at sea, cases of prize in war, etc., and in America, admiralty jurisdiction is extended to such matters, arising out of the navigation of any of the public waters, as the Great Lakes and rivers.
4. The system of jurisprudence of admiralty courts.
5. The building in which the lords of the admiralty, in England, transact business.
ADMIRANCEAd*mir"ance, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. admirance.]
Defn: Admiration. [Obs.] Spenser.
ADMIRATIONAd`mi*ra"tion, n. Etym: [F., fr. L. admiratio. See Admire.]
1. Wonder; astonishment. [Obs.] Season your admiration for a while. Shak.
2. Wonder mingled with approbation or delight; an emotion excited by a person or thing possessed of wonderful or high excellence; as, admiration of a beautiful woman, of a landscape, of virtue.
3. Cause of admiration; something to excite wonder, or pleasedsurprise; a prodigy.Now, good Lafeu, bring in the admiration. Shak.Note of admiration, the mark (!), called also exclamation point.
Syn.— Wonder; approval; appreciation; adoration; reverence; worship.
ADMIRATIVEAd*mir"a*tive, a.
Defn: Relating to or expressing admiration or wonder. [R.] Earle.
ADMIREAd*mire", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Admired; p. pr. & vb. n. Admiring.]Etym: [F. admirer, fr. L. admirari; ad + mirari to wonder, forsmirari, akin to Gr. smi, and E. smile.]
1. To regard with wonder or astonishment; to view with surprise; to marvel at. [Archaic] Examples rather to be admired than imitated. Fuller.
2. To regard with wonder and delight; to look upon with an elevated feeling of pleasure, as something which calls out approbation, esteem, love, or reverence; to estimate or prize highly; as, to admire a person of high moral worth, to admire a landscape. Admired as heroes and as gods obeyed. Pope.
Note: Admire followed by the infinitive is obsolete or colloquial; as, I admire to see a man consistent in his conduct.
Syn.— To esteem; approve; delight in.
ADMIREAd*mire", v. i.
Defn: To wonder; to marvel; to be affected with surprise; —sometimes with at.To wonder at Pharaoh, and even admire at myself. Fuller.
ADMIREDAd*mired", a.
1. Regarded with wonder and delight; highly prized; as, an admired poem.
2. Wonderful; also, admirable. [Obs.] "Admired disorder." " Admired Miranda." Shak.
ADMIRERAd*mir"er, n.
Defn: One who admires; one who esteems or loves greatly. Cowper.
ADMIRINGAd*mir"ing, a.
Defn: Expressing admiration; as, an admiring glance.— Ad*mir"ing*ly, adv. Shak.
ADMISSIBILITYAd*mis`si*bil"i*ty, n. Etym: [Cf. F. admissibilité.]
Defn: The quality of being admissible; admissibleness; as, the admissibility of evidence.
ADMISSIBLEAd*mis"si*ble, a. Etym: [F. admissible, LL. admissibilis. See Admit.]
Defn: Entitled to be admitted, or worthy of being admitted; that maybe allowed or conceded; allowable; as, the supposition is hardlyadmissible.— Ad*mis"si*ble*ness, n.— Ad*mis"si*bly, adv.
ADMISSIONAd*mis"sion, n. Etym: [L. admissio: cf. F. admission. See Admit.]
1. The act or practice of admitting.
2. Power or permission to enter; admittance; entrance; access; power to approach. What numbers groan for sad admission there! Young.
3. The granting of an argument or position not fully proved; the act of acknowledging something The too easy admission of doctrines. Macaulay.
4. (Law)
Defn: Acquiescence or concurrence in a statement made by another, and distinguishable from a confession in that an admission presupposes prior inquiry by another, but a confession may be made without such inquiry.
5. A fact, point, or statement admitted; as, admission made out of court are received in evidence.
6. (Eng. Eccl. Law)
Defn: Declaration of the bishop that he approves of the presentee as a fit person to serve the cure of the church to which he is presented. Shipley.
Syn.— Admittance; concession; acknowledgment; concurrence; allowance.See Admittance.
ADMISSIVEAd*mis"sive, a.
Defn: Implying an admission; tending to admit. [R.] Lamb.
ADMISSORYAd*mis"so*ry, a.
Defn: Pertaining to admission.
ADMITAd*mit", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Admitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Admitting.]Etym: [OE. amitten, L. admittere, admissum; ad + mittere to send: cf.F. admettre, OF. admettre, OF. ametre. See Missile.]
1. To suffer to enter; to grant entrance, whether into a place, or into the mind, or consideration; to receive; to take; as, they were into his house; to admit a serious thought into the mind; to admit evidence in the trial of a cause.
2. To give a right of entrance; as, a ticket one into a playhouse.
3. To allow (one) to enter on an office or to enjoy a privilege; to recognize as qualified for a franchise; as, to admit an attorney to practice law; the prisoner was admitted to bail.
4. To concede as true; to acknowledge or assent to, as an allegation which it is impossible to deny; to own or confess; as, the argument or fact is admitted; he admitted his guilt.
5. To be capable of; to permit; as, the words do not admit such a construction. In this sense, of may be used after the verb, or may be omitted. Both Houses declared that they could admit of no treaty with the king. Hume.
ADMITTABLEAd*mit"ta*ble, a.
Defn: Admissible. Sir T. Browne.
ADMITTANCEAd*mit"tance, n.
1. The act of admitting.
2. Permission to enter; the power or right of entrance; also, actualentrance; reception.To gain admittance into the house. South.He desires admittance to the king. Dryden.To give admittance to a thought of fear. Shak.
3. Concession; admission; allowance; as, the admittance of an argument. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
4. Admissibility. [Obs.] Shak.
5. (Eng. Law)
Defn: The act of giving possession of a copyhold estate. Bouvier.
Syn. — Admission; access; entrance; initiation. — Admittance, Admission. These words are, to some extent, in a state of transition and change. Admittance is now chiefly confined to its primary sense of access into some locality or building. Thus we see on the doors of factories, shops, etc. "No admittance." Its secondary or moral sense, as "admittance to the church," is almost entirely laid aside. Admission has taken to itself the secondary or figurative senses; as, admission to the rights of citizenship; admission to the church; the admissions made by one of the parties in a dispute. And even when used in its primary sense, it is not identical with admittance. Thus, we speak of admission into a country, territory, and other larger localities, etc., where admittance could not be used. So, when we speak of admission to a concert or other public assembly, the meaning is not perhaps exactly that of admittance, viz., access within the walls of the building, but rather a reception into the audience, or access to the performances. But the lines of distinction on this subject are one definitely drawn.
ADMITTATURAd`mit*ta"tur, n. Etym: [L., let him be admitted.]
Defn: The certificate of admission given in some American colleges.
ADMITTED; ADMITTEDLYAd*mit"ted, a.
Defn: Received as true or valid; acknowledged.— Ad*mit"ted*ly adv.
Defn: Confessedly.
ADMITTERAd*mit"ter, n.
Defn: One who admits.
ADMIX Ad*mix", v. t. Etym: [Pref. ad- + mix: cf. L. admixtus, p. p. of admiscere. See Mix.]
Defn: To mingle with something else; to mix. [R.]
ADMIXTIONAd*mix"tion, n. Etym: [L. admixtio.]
Defn: A mingling of different things; admixture. Glanvill.
ADMIXTURE Ad*mix"ture, n. Etym: [L. admiscere, admixtum, to admix; ad + miscere to mix. See Mix.]
1. The act of mixing; mixture.
2. The compound formed by mixing different substances together.
3. That which is mixed with anything.
ADMONISH Ad*mon"ish, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Admonished; p. pr. & vb. n. Admonishing.] Etym: [OE. amonesten, OF. amonester, F. admonester, fr. a supposed LL. admonesstrare, fr. L. admonere to remind, warn; ad + monere to warn. See Monition.]
1. To warn or notify of a fault; to reprove gently or kindly, but seriously; to exhort. "Admonish him as a brother." 2 Thess. iii. 15.
2. To counsel against wrong practices; to cation or advise; to warn against danger or an offense; — followed by of, against, or a subordinate clause. Admonishing one another in psalms and hymns. Col. iii. 16. I warned thee, I admonished thee, foretold The danger, and the lurking enemy. Milton.
3. To instruct or direct; to inform; to notify. Moses was admonished of God, when he was about to make the tabernacle. Heb. viii. 5.
ADMONISHERAd*mon"ish*er, n.
Defn: One who admonishes.
ADMONISHMENTAd*mon"ish*ment, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. amonestement, admonestement.]
Defn: Admonition. [R.] Shak.
ADMONITION Ad`mo*ni"tion, n. Etym: [OE. amonicioun, OF. amonition, F. admonition, fr. L. admonitio, fr. admonere. See Admonish.]
Defn: Gentle or friendly reproof; counseling against a fault or error; expression of authoritative advice; friendly caution or warning.
Syn. — Admonition, Reprehension, Reproof. Admonition is prospective, and relates to moral delinquencies; its object is to prevent further transgression. Reprehension and reproof are retrospective, the former being milder than the latter. A person of any age or station may be liable to reprehension in case of wrong conduct; but reproof is the act of a superior. It is authoritative fault-finding or censure addressed to children or to inferiors.
ADMONITIONERAd`mo*ni"tion*er, n.
Defn: Admonisher. [Obs.]
ADMONITIVEAd*mon"i*tive, a.
Defn: Admonitory. [R.] Barrow.— Ad*mon"i*tive*ly, adv.
ADMONITORAd*mon"i*tor, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: Admonisher; monitor.Conscience is at most times a very faithful and prudent admonitor.Shenstone.
ADMONITORIALAd*mon`i*to"ri*al, a.
Defn: Admonitory. [R.] "An admonitorial tone." Dickens.
ADMONITORYAd*mon"i*to*ry, a. Etym: [LL. admonitorius.]
Defn: That conveys admonition; warning or reproving; as, anadmonitory glance.— Ad*mon"i*to*ri*ly,, adv.
ADMONITRIXAd*mon"i*trix, n. Etym: [L.]
Defn: A female admonitor.
ADMORTIZATIONAd*mor`ti*za"tion, n. Etym: [LL. admortizatio. Cf. Amortization.](Law)
Defn: The reducing or lands or tenements to mortmain. See Mortmain.
ADMOVEAd*move", v. t. Etym: [L. admovere. See Move.]
Defn: To move or conduct to or toward. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
ADNASCENT Ad*nas"cent, a. Etym: [L. adnascens, p. pr. of adnasci to be born, grow.]
Defn: Growing to or on something else. "An adnascent plant." Evelyn.
ADNATE Ad"nate, a. Etym: [L. adnatus, p. p. of adnasci. See Adnascent, and cf. Agnate.]
1. (Physiol.)
Defn: Grown to congenitally.
2. (Bot.)
Defn: Growing together; — said only of organic cohesion of unlikeparts.An anther is adnate when fixed by its whole length to the filament.Gray.
3. (Zoöl.)
Defn: Growing with one side adherent to a stem; — a term applied to the lateral zooids of corals and other compound animals.
ADNATIONAd*na"tion, n. (Bot.)
Defn: The adhesion or cohesion of different floral verticils or sets of organs.
ADNOMINALAd*nom"i*nal, a. Etym: [L. ad + nomen noun.] (Gram.)
Defn: Pertaining to an adnoun; adjectival; attached to a noun. Gibbs.— Ad*nom"i*nal*ly, adv.
ADNOUNAd"noun`, n. Etym: [Pref. ad- + noun.] (Gram.)
Defn: An adjective, or attribute. [R.] Coleridge.
ADNUBILATEDAd*nu"bi*la`ted, a. Etym: [L. adnubilatus, p. p. of adnubilare.]
Defn: Clouded; obscured. [R.]
ADOA*do", (1) v. inf., (2) n. Etym: [OE. at do, northern form for to do.Cf. Affair.]
1. To do; in doing; as, there is nothing. "What is here ado" J. Newton.
2. Doing; trouble; difficulty; troublesome business; fuss; bustle; as, to make a great ado about trifles. With much ado, he partly kept awake. Dryden. Let's follow to see the end of this ado. Shak.
ADOBEA*do"be, n. Etym: [Sp.]
Defn: An unburnt brick dried in the sun; also used as an adjective, as, an adobe house, in Texas or New Mexico.
ADOLESCENCEAd`o*les"cence, n. Etym: [Fr., fr. L. adolescentia.]
Defn: The state of growing up from childhood to manhood or womanhood; youth, or the period of life between puberty and maturity, generally considered to be, in the male sex, from fourteen to twenty-one. Sometimes used with reference to the lower animals.
ADOLESCENCYAd`o*les"cen*cy, n.
Defn: The quality of being adolescent; youthfulness.
ADOLESCENTAd`o*les"cent, a. Etym: [L. adolescens, p. pr. of adolescere to growup to; ad + the inchoative olescere to grow: cf. F. adolescent. SeeAdult.]
Defn: Growing; advancing from childhood to maturity. Schools, unless discipline were doubly strong, Detain their adolescent charge too long. Cowper.
ADOLESCENTAd`o*les"cent, n.
Defn: A youth.
ADONAIAd`o*na"i, n. [Heb. adonai, lit., my lord.]
Defn: A Hebrew name for God, usually translated in the Old Testament by the word "Lord".
The later Jews used its vowel points to fill out the tetragrammatonYhvh, or Ihvh, "the incommunicable name," and in reading substituted"Adonai".
ADONEANAd`o*ne"an, a. Etym: [L. Adon.]
Defn: Pertaining to Adonis; Adonic. "Fair Adonean Venus." Faber.
ADONICA*don"ic, a. Etym: [F. adonique: cf. L. Adonius.]
Defn: Relating to Adonis, famed for his beauty.— n.
Defn: An Adonic verse. Adonic verse, a verse consisting of a dactyl and spondee.
ADONISA*do"nis, n. Etym: [L., gr. Gr.
1. (Gr. Myth.)
Defn: A youth beloved by Venus for his beauty. He was killed in the chase by a wild boar.
2. A preëminently beautiful young man; a dandy.
3. (Bot.)
Defn: A genus of plants of the family Ranunculaceæ, containing the pheasaut's eye (Adonis autumnalis); — named from Adonis, whose blood was fabled to have stained the flower.
ADONISTA*do"nist, n. Etym: [Heb. my Lords.]
Defn: One who maintains that points of the Hebrew word translated"Jehovah" are really the vowel points of the word "Adonai." SeeJehovist.
ADONIZEAd"o*nize, v. t. Etym: [Cf. F. adoniser, fr. Adonis.]
Defn: To beautify; to dandify. I employed three good hours at least in adjusting and adonozing myself. Smollett.
ADOOR; ADOORSA*door, A*doors,
Defn: At the door; of the door; as, out adoors. Shak.I took him in adoors. Vicar's Virgil (1630).
ADOPTA*dopt", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adopted; p. pr. & vb. n. Adopting.]Etym: [L. adoptare; ad + optare to choose, desire: cf. F. adopter.See Option.]
1. To take by choice into relationship, as, child, heir, friend, citizen, etc. ; esp. to take voluntarily (a child of other parents) to be in the place of, or as, one's own child.
2. To take or receive as one's own what is not so naturally; to select and take or approve; as, to adopt the view or policy of another; these resolutions were adopted.
ADOPTABLEA*dopt"a*ble, a.
Defn: Capable of being adopted.
ADOPTEDA*dopt"ed, a.
Defn: Taken by adoption; taken up as one's own; as, an adopted son, citizen, country, word. — A*dopt"ed*ly, adv.
ADOPTERA*dopt"er, n.
1. One who adopts.
2. (Chem.)
Defn: A receiver, with two necks, opposite to each other, one of which admits the neck of a retort, and the other is joined to another receiver. It is used in distillations, to give more space to elastic vapors, to increase the length of the neck of a retort, or to unite two vessels whose openings have different diameters. [Written also adapter.]
ADOPTION A*dop"tion, n. Etym: [L. adoptio, allied to adoptare to adopt: cf. F. adoption.]
1. The act of adopting, or state of being adopted; voluntary acceptance of a child of other parents to be the same as one's own child.
2. Admission to a more intimate relation; reception; as, the adoption of persons into hospitals or monasteries, or of one society into another.
3. The choosing and making that to be one's own which originally was not so; acceptance; as, the adoption of opinions. Jer. Taylor.
ADOPTIONISTA*dop"tion*ist, n. (Eccl. Hist.)
Defn: One of a sect which maintained that Christ was the Son of God not by nature but by adoption.
ADOPTIOUSA*dop"tious, a.
Defn: Adopted. [Obs.]
ADOPTIVEA*dopt"ive, a. Etym: [L. adoptivus: cf. F. adoptif.]
Defn: Pertaining to adoption; made or acquired by adoption; fitted to adopt; as, an adoptive father, an child; an adoptive language. — A*dopt"ive*ly, adv.
ADORABILITYA*dor`a*bil"i*ty, n.
Defn: Adorableness.
ADORABLEA*dor"a*ble, a. Etym: [L. adorabilis, fr. adorare: cf. F. adorable.]
1. Deserving to be adored; worthy of divine honors. The adorable Author of Christianity. Cheyne.
2. Worthy of the utmost love or respect.
ADORABLENESSA*dor"a*ble*ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being adorable, or worthy of adoration. Johnson.
ADORABLYA*dor"a*bly, adv.
Defn: In an adorable manner.
ADORATIONAd`o*ra"tion, n. Etym: [L. adoratio, fr. adorare: cf. F. adoration.]
1. The act of playing honor to a divine being; the worship paid to God; the act of addressing as a god. The more immediate objects of popular adoration amongst the heathens were deified human beings. Farmer.
2. Homage paid to one in high esteem; profound veneration; intense regard and love; fervent devotion.
3. A method of electing a pope by the expression of homage from two thirds of the conclave. [Pole] might have been chosen on the spot by adoration. Froude.
ADORE A*dore", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adored; p. pr. & vb. n. Adoring.] Etym: [OE. aouren, anouren, adoren, OF. aorer, adorer, F. adorer, fr. L. adorare; ad + orare to speak, pray, os, oris, mouth. In OE. confused with honor, the French prefix a- being confused with OE. a, an, on. See Oral.]
1. To worship with profound reverence; to pay divine honors to; to honor as deity or as divine. Bishops and priests, . . . bearing the host, which he [James adored. Smollett.
2. To love in the highest degree; to regard with the utmost esteemand affection; to idolize.The great mass of the population abhorred Popery and adored Montouth.Macaulay.
ADOREA*dore", v. t.
Defn: To adorn. [Obs.]Congealed little drops which do the morn adore. Spenser.
ADOREMENTA*dore"ment, n.
Defn: The act of adoring; adoration. [Obs.] Sir T. Browne.
ADORERA*dor"er, n.
Defn: One who adores; a worshiper; one who admires or loves greatly; an ardent admirer. "An adorer of truth." Clarendon. I profess myself her adorer, not her friend. Shak.
ADORINGLYA*dor"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: With adoration.
ADORNA*dorn", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adorned; p. pr. & vb. n. Adorning.]Etym: [OE. aournen, anournen, adornen, OF. aorner, fr. L. aaornare;ad + ornare to furnish, embellish. See Adore, Ornate.]
Defn: To deck or dress with ornaments; to embellish; to set off to advantage; to render pleasing or attractive. As a bride adorneth herself with her jewels. Isa. lxi. 10. At church, with meek and unaffected grace, His looks adorned the venerable place. Goldsmith.
Syn. — To deck; decorate; embellish; ornament; beautify; grace; dignify; exalt; honor. — To Adorn, Ornament, Decorate, Embellish. We decorate and ornament by putting on some adjunct which is attractive or beautiful, and which serves to heighten the general effect. Thus, a lady's head- dress may be ornament or decorated with flowers or jewelry; a hall may be decorated or ornament with carving or gilding, with wreaths of flowers, or with hangings. Ornament is used in a wider sense than decorate. To embellish is to beautify or ornament richly, not so much by mere additions or details as by modifying the thing itself as a whole. It sometimes means gaudy and artificial decoration. We embellish a book with rich engravings; a style is embellished with rich and beautiful imagery; a shopkeeper embellishes his front window to attract attention. Adorn is sometimes identical with decorate, as when we say, a lady was adorned with jewels. In other cases, it seems to imply something more. Thus, we speak of a gallery of paintings as adorned with the works of some of the great masters, or adorned with noble statuary and columns. Here decorated and ornamented would hardly be appropriate. There is a value in these works of genius beyond mere show and ornament. Adorn may be used of what is purely moral; as, a character adorned with every Christian grace. Here neither decorate, nor ornament, nor embellish is proper.
ADORNA*dorn", n.
Defn: Adornment. [Obs.] Spenser.
ADORNA*dorn", a.
Defn: Adorned; decorated. [Obs.] Milton.
ADORNATIONAd`or*na"tion, n.
Defn: Adornment. [Obs.]
ADORNERA*dorn"er, n.
Defn: He who, or that which, adorns; a beautifier.
ADORNINGLYA*dorn"ing*ly, adv.
Defn: By adorning; decoratively.
ADORNMENTA*dorn"ment, n. Etym: [Cf. OF. adornement. See Adorn.]
Defn: An adorning; an ornament; a decoration.
ADOSCULATIONAd*os"cu*la"tion, n. Etym: [L. adosculari, adosculatum, to kiss. SeeOsculate.] (Biol.)
Defn: Impregnation by external contact, without intromission.
ADOWN A*down", adv. Etym: [OE. adun, adoun, adune. AS. of dune off the hill. See Down.]
Defn: From a higher to a lower situation; downward; down, to or on the ground. [Archaic] "Thrice did she sink adown." Spenser.
ADOWNA*down", prep.
Defn: Down. [Archaic & Poetic]Her hair adown her shoulders loosely lay displayed. Prior.
ADPRESSAd*press", v. t. Etym: [L. adpressus, p. p. of adprimere.]
Defn: See Appressed.— Ad*pressed",, a.
ADRADA*drad", p. a. Etym: [P. p. of adread.]
Defn: Put in dread; afraid. [Obs.] Chaucer.
ADRAGANTAd"ra*gant, n. Etym: [F., a corruption of tragacanth.]
Defn: Gum tragacanth. Brande & C.
ADREAD A*dread", v. t. & i. Etym: [AS. andrædan, ondræ; pref. a- (for and against) + dræden to dread. See Dread.]
Defn: To dread. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.
ADREAMEDA*dreamed", p. p.
Defn: Visited by a dream; — used in the phrase, To be adreamed, to dream. [Obs.]
ADRENALAd*re"nal, a. Etym: [Pref. ad- + renal.] (Anat.)
Defn: Suprarenal.
ADRENALINE; ADRENALINAd*re"nal*ine, n. Also Ad*re"nal*in. (Physiol. Chem.)
Defn: A crystalline substance, C9H13O3N, obtained from suprarenal extract, of which it is regarded as the active principle. It is used in medicine as a stimulant and hemostatic.
ADRIANA"dri*an, a. Etym: [L. Hadrianus.]
Defn: Pertaining to the Adriatic Sea; as, Adrian billows.
ADRIATICA`dri*at"ic, a. Etym: [L. Adriaticus, Hadriaticus, fr. Adria orHadria, a town of the Veneti.]
Defn: Of or pertaining to a sea so named, the northwestern part of which is known as the Gulf of Venice.
ADRIFTA*drift", adv. & a. Etym: [Pref. a- (for on) + drift.]
Defn: Floating at random; in a drifting condition; at the mercy ofwind and waves. Also fig.So on the sea shall be set adrift. Dryden.Were from their daily labor turned adrift. Wordsworth.
ADRIPA*drip", adv. & a. Etym: [Pref. a- in + drip.]
Defn: In a dripping state; as, leaves all adrip. D. G. Mitchell.
ADROGATEAd"ro*gate, v. t. Etym: [See Arrogate.] (Rom. Law)
Defn: To adopt (a person who is his own master).
ADROGATIONAd`ro*ga"tion, n. Etym: [L. adrogatio, arrogatio, fr. adrogare. SeeArrogate.] (Rom. Law)
Defn: A kind of adoption in ancient Rome. See Arrogation.
ADROITA*droit", a. Etym: [F. adroit; à (L. ad) = droit straight, right, fr.L. directus, p. p. of dirigere. See Direct.]
Defn: Dexterous in the use of the hands or in the exercise of the mental faculties; exhibiting skill and readiness in avoiding danger or escaping difficulty; ready in invention or execution; — applied to persons and to acts; as, an adroit mechanic, an adroit reply. "Adroit in the application of the telescope and quadrant." Horsley. "He was adroit in intrigue." Macaulay.
Syn. — Dexterous; skillful; expert; ready; clever; deft; ingenious; cunning; ready-witted.
ADROITLYA*droit"ly, adv.
Defn: In an adroit manner.
ADROITNESSA*droit"ness, n.
Defn: The quality of being adroit; skill and readiness; dexterity.Adroitness was as requisite as courage. Motley.
Syn.— See Skill.
ADRYA*dry", a. Etym: [Pref. a- (for on) + dry.]
Defn: In a dry or thirsty condition. "A man that is adry." Burton.
ADSCITITIOUS Ad`sci*ti"tious, a. Etym: [L. adscitus, p. p. of adsciscere, asciscere, to take knowingly; ad + sciscere to seek to know, approve, scire to know.]
Defn: Supplemental; additional; adventitious; ascititious."Adscititious evidence." Bowring.— Ad`sci*ti"tious*ly, adv.
ADSCRIPTAd"script, a. Etym: [L. adscriptus, p. p. of adscribere to enroll.See Ascribe.]
Defn: Held to service as attached to the soil; — said of feudal serfs.
ADSCRIPTAd"script, n.
Defn: One held to service as attached to the glebe or estate; a feudal serf. Bancroft.
ADSCRIPTIVEAd*scrip"tive, a.Etym: [L. adscriptivus. See Adscript.]
Defn: Attached or annexed to the glebe or estate and transferable with it. Brougham.
ADSIGNIFICATIONAd*sig`ni*fi*ca"tion, n.
Defn: Additional signification. [R.] Tooke.
ADSIGNIFYAd*sig"ni*fy, v. t. Etym: [L. adsignificare to show.]
Defn: To denote additionally. [R.] Tooke.
ADSTRICTAd*strict", v. t.— Ad*stric"tion, n.
Defn: See Astrict, and Astriction.
ADSTRICTORYAd*stric"to*ry, a.
Defn: See Astrictory.
ADSTRINGENTAd*strin"gent, a.
Defn: See Astringent.
ADSUKI BEANAd*su"ki bean. [Jap. adzuki.]
Defn: A cultivated variety of the Asiatic gram, now introduced into the United States.
ADULARIA Ad`u*la"ri*a, n. Etym: [From Adula, a mountain peak in Switzerland, where fine specimens are found.] (Min.)
Defn: A transparent or translucent variety of common feldspar, or orthoclase, which often shows pearly opalescent reflections; — called by lapidaries moonstone.
ADULATEAd"u*late, v. t. Etym: [L. adulatus, p. p. of adulari.]
Defn: To flatter in a servile way. Byron.
ADULATION Ad`u*la"tion, n. Etym: [F. adulation, fr. L. adulatio, fr. adulari, adulatum, to flatter.]
Defn: Servile flattery; praise in excess, or beyond what is merited. Think'st thou the fiery fever will go out With titles blown from adulation Shak.
Syn. — Sycophancy; cringing; fawning; obsequiousness; blandishment. — Adulation, Flattery, Compliment. Men deal in compliments from a desire to please; they use flattery either from undue admiration, or a wish to gratify vanity; they practice adulation from sordid motives, and with a mingled spirit of falsehood and hypocrisy. Compliment may be a sincere expression of due respect and esteem, or it may be unmeaning; flattery is apt to become gross; adulation is always servile, and usually fulsome.
ADULATORAd"u*la`tor, n. Etym: [L., fr. adulari: cf. F. adulateur.]
Defn: A servile or hypocritical flatterer. Carlyle.
ADULATORY Ad"u*la*to*ry, a. Etym: [L. adulatorius, fr. adulari: cf. OF. adulatoire.]
Defn: Containing excessive praise or compliment; servilely praising; flattering; as, an adulatory address. A mere rant of adulatory freedom. Burke.
ADULATRESSAd"u*la`tress, n.
Defn: A woman who flatters with servility.
ADULT A*dult", a. Etym: [L. adultus, p. p. of adolescere, akin to alere to nourish: cf. F. adulte. See Adolescent, Old.]
Defn: Having arrived at maturity, or to full size and strength; matured; as, an adult person or plant; an adult ape; an adult age.
ADULTA*dult", n.
Defn: A person, animal, or plant grown to full size and strength; one who has reached maturity.
Note: In the common law, the term is applied to a person who has attained full age or legal majority; in the civil law, to males after the age of fourteen, and to females after twelve.
ADULTERA*dul"ter, v. i. Etym: [L. adulterare.]
Defn: To commit adultery; to pollute. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
ADULTERANTA*dul"ter*ant, n. Etym: [L. adulterans, p. pr. of adulterare.]
Defn: That which is used to adulterate anything.— a. Adulterating; as, adulterant agents and processes.
ADULTERATE A*dul"ter*ate, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Adulterated; p. pr. & vb. n Adulterating.] Etym: [L. adulteratus, p. p. of adulterare, fr. adulter adulterer, prob. fr. ad + alter other, properly one who approaches another on account of unlawful love. Cf. Advoutry.]
1. To defile by adultery. [Obs.] Milton.
2. To corrupt, debase, or make impure by an admixture of a foreign or a baser substance; as, to adulterate food, drink, drugs, coin, etc. The present war has . . . adulterated our tongue with strange words. Spectator.
Syn.— To corrupt; defile; debase; contaminate; vitiate; sophisticate.
ADULTERATEA*dul"ter*ate, v. i.