19 definitions found
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Infinitive \In*fin"i*tive\, n. [L. infinitivus: cf. F.
infinitif. See {Infinite}.]
Unlimited; not bounded or restricted; undefined.
{Infinitive mood} (Gram.), that form of the verb which merely
names the action, and performs the office of a verbal
noun. Some grammarians make two forms in English: ({a})
The simple form, as, speak, go, hear, before which to is
commonly placed, as, to speak; to go; to hear. ({b}) The
form of the imperfect participle, called the infinitive in
-ing; as, going is as easy as standing.
Note: With the auxiliary verbs may, can, must, might, could,
would, and should, the simple infinitive is expressed
without to; as, you may speak; they must hear, etc. The
infinitive usually omits to with the verbs let, dare,
do, bid, make, see, hear, need, etc.; as, let me go;
you dare not tell; make him work; hear him talk, etc.
Note: In Anglo-Saxon, the simple infinitive was not preceded
by to (the sign of modern simple infinitive), but it
had a dative form (sometimes called the gerundial
infinitive) which was preceded by to, and was chiefly
employed in expressing purpose. See {Gerund}, 2.
Note: The gerundial ending (-anne) not only took the same
form as the simple infinitive (-an), but it was
confounded with the present participle in -ende, or
-inde (later -inge).
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Legate \Leg"ate\ (l[e^]g"[asl]t), n. [OE. legat, L. legatus, fr.
legare to send with a commission or charge, to depute, fr.
lex, legis, law: cf. F. l['e]gat, It. legato. See {Legal}.]
1. An ambassador or envoy.
2. An ecclesiastic representing the pope and invested with
the authority of the Holy See.
Note: Legates are of three kinds: ({a}) Legates a latere, now
always cardinals. They are called ordinary or
extraordinary legates, the former governing provinces,
and the latter class being sent to foreign countries on
extraordinary occasions. ({b}) Legati missi, who
correspond to the ambassadors of temporal governments.
({c}) Legati nati, or legates by virtue of their
office, as the archbishops of Salzburg and Prague.
3. (Rom. Hist.)
(a) An official assistant given to a general or to the
governor of a province.
(b) Under the emperors, a governor sent to a province.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Libration \Li*bra"tion\ (l[-i]*br[=a]"sh[u^]n), n. [L. libratio:
cf. F. libration.]
1. The act or state of librating. --Jer. Taylor.
2. (Astron.) A real or apparent libratory motion, like that
of a balance before coming to rest.
{Libration of the moon}, any one of those small periodical
changes in the position of the moon's surface relatively
to the earth, in consequence of which narrow portions at
opposite limbs become visible or invisible alternately. It
receives different names according to the manner in which
it takes place; as: {(a)} Libration in longitude, that
which, depending on the place of the moon in its elliptic
orbit, causes small portions near the eastern and western
borders alternately to appear and disappear each month.
({b}) Libration in latitude, that which depends on the
varying position of the moon's axis in respect to the
spectator, causing the alternate appearance and
disappearance of either pole. ({c}) Diurnal or parallactic
libration, that which brings into view on the upper limb,
at rising and setting, some parts not in the average
visible hemisphere.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Respiration \Res`pi*ra"tion\ (r?s`p?*r?"sh?n), n. [L.
respiratio: cf. F. respiration. See {Respire}.]
1. The act of respiring or breathing again, or catching one's
breath.
2. Relief from toil or suffering: rest. [Obs.]
Till the day Appear of respiration to the just And
vengeance to the wicked. --Milton.
3. Interval; intermission. [Obs.] --Bp. Hall.
4. (Physiol.) The act of resping or breathing; the act of
taking in and giving out air; the aggregate of those
processes bu which oxygen is introduced into the system,
and carbon dioxide, or carbonic acid, removed.
Note: Respiration in the higher animals is divided into:
({a}) Internal respiration, or the interchange of
oxygen and carbonic acid between the cells of the body
and the bathing them, which in one sense is a process
of nutrition. ({b}) External respiration, or the
gaseous interchange taking place in the special
respiratory organs, the lungs. This constitutes
respiration proper. --Gamgee. In the respiration of
plants oxygen is likewise absorbed and carbonic acid
exhaled, but in the light this process is obscured by
another process which goes on with more vigor, in which
the plant inhales and absorbs carbonic acid and exhales
free oxygen.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
A \A\ ([.a]), prep. [Abbreviated form of an (AS. on). See {On}.]
1. In; on; at; by. [Obs.] ``A God's name.'' ``Torn a
pieces.'' ``Stand a tiptoe.'' ``A Sundays'' --Shak. ``Wit
that men have now a days.'' --Chaucer. ``Set them a
work.'' --Robynson (More's Utopia).
2. In process of; in the act of; into; to; -- used with
verbal substantives in -ing which begin with a consonant.
This is a shortened form of the preposition an (which was
used before the vowel sound); as in a hunting, a building,
a begging. ``Jacob, when he was a dying'' --Heb. xi. 21.
``We'll a birding together.'' `` It was a doing.'' --Shak.
``He burst out a laughing.'' --Macaulay.
Note: The hyphen may be used to connect a with the verbal
substantive (as, a-hunting, a-building) or the words
may be written separately. This form of expression is
now for the most part obsolete, the a being omitted and
the verbal substantive treated as a participle.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Monkey \Mon"key\, n.; pl. {Monkeys}. [Cf. OIt. monicchio, It.
monnino, dim. of monna an ape, also dame, mistress, contr.
fr. madonna. See {Madonna}.]
1. (Zo["o]l.)
(a) In the most general sense, any one of the Quadrumana,
including apes, baboons, and lemurs.
(b) Any species of Quadrumana, except the lemurs.
(c) Any one of numerous species of Quadrumana (esp. such
as have a long tail and prehensile feet) exclusive of
apes and baboons.
Note: The monkeys are often divided into three groups: ({a})
{Catarrhines}, or {Simid[ae]}. These have an oblong
head, with the oblique flat nostrils near together.
Some have no tail, as the apes. All these are natives
of the Old World. ({b}) {Platyrhines}, or {Cebid[ae]}.
These have a round head, with a broad nasal septum, so
that the nostrils are wide apart and directed downward.
The tail is often prehensile, and the thumb is short
and not opposable. These are natives of the New World.
({c}) {Strepsorhines}, or {Lemuroidea}. These have a
pointed head with curved nostrils. They are natives of
Southern Asia, Africa, and Madagascar.
2. A term of disapproval, ridicule, or contempt, as for a
mischievous child.
This is the monkey's own giving out; she is
persuaded I will marry her. --Shak.
3. The weight or hammer of a pile driver, that is, a very
heavy mass of iron, which, being raised on high, falls on
the head of the pile, and drives it into the earth; the
falling weight of a drop hammer used in forging.
4. A small trading vessel of the sixteenth century.
{Monkey boat}. (Naut.)
(a) A small boat used in docks.
(b) A half-decked boat used on the River Thames.
{Monkey block} (Naut.), a small single block strapped with a
swivel. --R. H. Dana, Jr.
{Monkey flower} (Bot.), a plant of the genus {Mimulus}; -- so
called from the appearance of its gaping corolla. --Gray.
{Monkey gaff} (Naut.), a light gaff attached to the topmast
for the better display of signals at sea.
{Monkey jacket}, a short closely fitting jacket, worn by
sailors.
{Monkey rail} (Naut.), a second and lighter rail raised about
six inches above the quarter rail of a ship.
{Monkey shine}, monkey trick. [Slang, U.S.]
{Monkey trick}, a mischievous prank. --Saintsbury.
{Monkey wheel}. See {Gin block}, under 5th {Gin}.
{Monkey wrench}, a wrench or spanner having a movable jaw.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
Motion \Mo"tion\, n. [F., fr. L. motio, fr. movere, motum, to
move. See {Move}.]
1. The act, process, or state of changing place or position;
movement; the passing of a body from one place or position
to another, whether voluntary or involuntary; -- opposed
to {rest}.
Speaking or mute, all comeliness and grace attends
thee, and each word, each motion, forms. --Milton.
2. Power of, or capacity for, motion.
Devoid of sense and motion. --Milton.
3. Direction of movement; course; tendency; as, the motion of
the planets is from west to east.
In our proper motion we ascend. --Milton.
4. Change in the relative position of the parts of anything;
action of a machine with respect to the relative movement
of its parts.
This is the great wheel to which the clock owes its
motion. --Dr. H. More.
5. Movement of the mind, desires, or passions; mental act, or
impulse to any action; internal activity.
Let a good man obey every good motion rising in his
heart, knowing that every such motion proceeds from
God. --South.
6. A proposal or suggestion looking to action or progress;
esp., a formal proposal made in a deliberative assembly;
as, a motion to adjourn.
Yes, I agree, and thank you for your motion. --Shak.
7. (Law) An application made to a court or judge orally in
open court. Its object is to obtain an order or rule
directing some act to be done in favor of the applicant.
--Mozley & W.
8. (Mus.) Change of pitch in successive sounds, whether in
the same part or in groups of parts.
The independent motions of different parts sounding
together constitute counterpoint. --Grove.
Note: Conjunct motion is that by single degrees of the scale.
Contrary motion is that when parts move in opposite
directions. Disjunct motion is motion by skips. Oblique
motion is that when one part is stationary while
another moves. Similar or direct motion is that when
parts move in the same direction.
9. A puppet show or puppet. [Obs.]
What motion's this? the model of Nineveh? --Beau. &
Fl.
Note: Motion, in mechanics, may be simple or compound.
{Simple motions} are: ({a}) straight translation, which, if
of indefinite duration, must be reciprocating. ({b})
Simple rotation, which may be either continuous or
reciprocating, and when reciprocating is called
oscillating. ({c}) Helical, which, if of indefinite
duration, must be reciprocating.
{Compound motion} consists of combinations of any of the
simple motions.
{Center of motion}, {Harmonic motion}, etc. See under
{Center}, {Harmonic}, etc.
{Motion block} (Steam Engine), a crosshead.
{Perpetual motion} (Mech.), an incessant motion conceived to
be attainable by a machine supplying its own motive forces
independently of any action from without.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
A \A\ ([.a] emph. [=a]).
1. [Shortened form of an. AS. [=a]n one. See {One}.] An
adjective, commonly called the indefinite article, and
signifying one or any, but less emphatically. ``At a
birth''; ``In a word''; ``At a blow''. --Shak.
Note: It is placed before nouns of the singular number
denoting an individual object, or a quality
individualized, before collective nouns, and also
before plural nouns when the adjective few or the
phrase great many or good many is interposed; as, a
dog, a house, a man; a color; a sweetness; a hundred, a
fleet, a regiment; a few persons, a great many days. It
is used for an, for the sake of euphony, before words
beginning with a consonant sound [for exception of
certain words beginning with h, see {An}]; as, a table,
a woman, a year, a unit, a eulogy, a ewe, a oneness,
such a one, etc. Formally an was used both before
vowels and consonants.
2. [Originally the preposition a (an, on).] In each; to or
for each; as, ``twenty leagues a day'', ``a hundred pounds
a year'', ``a dollar a yard'', etc.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
A \A\ [From AS. of off, from. See {Of}.]
Of. [Obs.] ``The name of John a Gaunt.'' ``What time a day is
it ?'' --Shak. ``It's six a clock.'' --B. Jonson.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
A \A\
A barbarous corruption of have, of he, and sometimes of it
and of they. ``So would I a done'' ``A brushes his hat.''
--Shak.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
A \A\
An expletive, void of sense, to fill up the meter
A merry heart goes all the day, Your sad tires in a
mile-a. --Shak.
From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:
A- \A-\
A, as a prefix to English words, is derived from various
sources. (1) It frequently signifies on or in (from an, a
forms of AS. on), denoting a state, as in afoot, on foot,
abed, amiss, asleep, aground, aloft, away (AS. onweg), and
analogically, ablaze, atremble, etc. (2) AS. of off, from, as
in adown (AS. ofd[=u]ne off the dun or hill). (3) AS. [=a]-
(Goth. us-, ur-,