A dictionary of the English language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers : to which are prefixed a history of the language, and an English grammar (Volume 1).

  • Johnson, Samuel, 1709-1784.
Date:
1819
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A dictionary of the English language: in which the words are deduced from their originals, and illustrated in their different significations by examples from the best writers : to which are prefixed a history of the language, and an English grammar (Volume 1). Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the National Library of Medicine (U.S.), through the Medical Heritage Library. The original may be consulted at the National Library of Medicine (U.S.)

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    ACI Show all the spoils by valiant kings achieved, And groaning nations by their arms reliev'd. Prior. Aohi'ever, at-tshe'vur. n. s. He, that performs; he, that obtains, what he en- deavours after A victory is twice itself, when the achiever brings home full numbers. Shakspeare's Much ado about Nothing. Achievement, at-tsheve'ment. n. s. [achevement, Fr.] 1. The performance of an action. From every coast, that heaven walks about, Have thither come the noble martial crew, That famous hard achievements still pursue. Fairy Queen. 2. The escutcheon or ensigns armorial, granted to any man for the performance of great actions. Then shall the war, and stern debate, and strife Immortal, be the bus'ness of my life; And in thy fame, the dusty spoils among, High on the bumish'd roof, my banner shall be hung, Rank'd with my champion's bucklers; and below, With arms revers'd, th' achievements of the foe. Dryden. Achievement^ in the first sense, is derived from achieve, as it signifies to fierform; in the second, from achieve, as it im- ports to gain. A'ching, a'klng. n. s. [from ache.~] Pain; uneasiness. When old age comes, to wait upon a great and worshipful sinner; it comes, attended with many painful girds and achings, called the gout. South. A'CHOR, a'kor.168 n. s. [achor, Lat. *#«£> Gy. furfur.~\ A species of the herpes; it appears with a crusty scab, which causes an itching on the surface of the head, occasioned by a salt sharp serum oozing through the skin. Quincy. A'CID, as'sid. adj. [acidus, Lat. acide, Fr.] Sour, sharp. Wild trees last longer, than garden trees; and in the same kind, those, whose fruit is acid, more than those, whose fruit is sweet. Bacon's Natural History. Acid or sour proceed from a salt of the same nature, without mixture of oil; in austere tastes, the oily parts have not disentangled themselves from the salts and earthy parts; such is the taste of unripe fruits. Arbuthnot on Aliments. Liquors and substances are called acids, which, being composed of pointed particles, affect the taste in a sharp and piercing manner. The com- mon way of trying, whether any particular liquor hath in it any particles of this kind, is by mixing it with syrup of violets, when it will turn of a red colour; but if it contains alkaline or lixivial parti- cles, it changes that syrup green. Quincy. Aci'dity, a-sid'de-te.fi11 n. s. [from acid.] The quality of being acid; an acid taste; sharpness; sourness. Fishes, by the help of a dissolvent liquor, cor- rode and reduce their meat, skin, bones and all, into a chylus or cremor; and yet this liquor mani- nothing of acidity to the taste. Ray. When the taste of the mouth is bitter, it is a sign of a redundance of a bilious alkali; and de- mands a quite different dipt, from the case of aci- dity or sourness. Arbuthnot on Aliments. Vcidness, as'sid-n£ss. n. s. [from acid.] The quality of being.acid: acidity. See Acidity. ACTDULJE, a-sid'du-le.1^ n. s. [that is, aque aciduU.~] Medicinal springs im- pregnated with sharp particles; as all ACK the nitrous, chalybeate, and alum springs are. Quincy. The aciduloz, or medical springs, emit a greater quantity of their minerals than usual; and even the ordinary springs, which were before clear, fresh, and limpid, become thick and turbid, and are impregnated with sulphur and other minerals, as long as the earthquake lasts. Woodwards Natural History. To Aci'dulate, a-sid'du-late.91 v. a. [aciduler, Fr.] To impregnate or tinge with acids in a slight degree. A diet of fresh unsalted things, watery liquors acidulated, farinaceous emollient substances, sour milk, butter, and acid fruits. Arbuthnot on Aliments. To ACKNOWLEDGE, Sk-nol-lSdj.388 v. a. [a word formed, as it seems, be- tween the Latin and English, from ag~ nosco and knowledge; which is deduced from the Saxon cnapan to know. 1. To own the knowledge of; to own any thing or person in a particular cha- racter. My people do already know my mind; And will acknowledge you and Jessica, In place of lord Bassanio and myself. Shaksp. None, that acknowledge God or providence, Their soul's eternity did ever doubt. Davies. 2. To confess; as, a fault. For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me. Psalm li. 3. 3. To own; as, a benefit; sometimes with the particle to, before the person con- ferring the benefit. His spirit Taught them; but they his gifts acknow-ledged not. Milton. In the first place, therefore, I thankfully acknow- ledge to the Almighty power the assistance he has given me, in the beginning and the prosecution of my present studies. Dryden. Acknowledging, Sk-nol'ledj-ing. adj. [from acknowledge.] Grateful; ready to acknowledge benefits received. A Gallicism, reconnoissant. He has shewn his hero acknowledging and un- grateful, compassionate and hard-hearted; but, at the bottom, fickle and self-interested. Dryden's Virgil. Acknowledgment, ak-nol'l£dje-m£nt. 328 n. s. [from acknowledge.] 1. Concession of any character in another; as, existence, superiority. The due contemplation of the human nature doth, by a necessary connection and chain of causes, car- ry us up to the unavoidable acknowledgment of the Deity; because it carries every thinking man, to an original of every successive individual. Hale's Origin of Mankind. 2. Concession of the truth of any position. Immediately upon the acknowledgment of the christian faith, the eunuch was baptized by Philip. Hooker. 3. Confession of a fault. 4. Confession of a benefit received; gra- titude. 5. Act of attestation to any concession; such as homage. There be many wide countries in Ireland, in which the laws of England were never established, nor any acknowledgment of subjection made. Spenser's State of Ireland. 6. Something given or done, in confession of a benefit received. The second is an acknowledgment to his majesty, for the leave of fishing upon his coasts; and though this may not be grounded upon any treaty, yet, if AC Q, it appear to be an ancient right on our side, and custom on theirs, not determined or extinguished by any treaty between us, it may with justice be in- sisted on. 'Temple's Miscellanies. A'CME, ak'me. n. s. [«*««>, Gr.] The height of any thing; more especially used to denote the height of a distem- per, which is divided into four periods. 1. The arche, the beginning or first at- tack. 2. Anabasis, the growth. 3. Acme, the height. And, 4. Paracme, which is the declension of the distemper. Quincy. Aco'lothist, a-kol'lo-thist. n. s. \Jtr.oXa- $ea, Gr.] One of the lowest order, in the Romish church; whose office is, to prepare the elements for the offices, to light the church, &c. It is duty, according to the papal law, when the bishop sings mass, to order all the inferior clergy to appear in their proper habits; and to see that all the offices of the church be rightly performed; to ordain the acolothist, to keep the sacred vessels. Ayliffe's Par ergon. A'colyte, ak'6-lite.54* n. s. [The same with Acolothist ] A'coNiTE,ak'k6-nite.186 n. s.[aconitum, Lat.] Properly the herb wolfs-bane; but commonly used in poetical language, for poison in general. Our land is from the rage of tygers freed, Nor nourishes the lion's angry seed; Nor pois'nous aconite is here produe'd, Or giows unknown, or is (when known) refus'd. Dryden. Despair, that aconite does prove, And certain death to others love, That poison never yet withstood, Does nourish mine, and turns to blood. Granville. A'corn, a'korn. n. s. [-flLcopn, Sax. from ac, an oak, and copn, corn or grain; that is, the grain or fruit of the oak ] The seed or fruit, born by the oak. Errours, such as are but acorns in our younger brows, grow oaks in our older heads, and become inflexible. Brown. Content with food, which nature freely bred, On wildings and on strawberries they fed: Cornels and bramble-berries gave the rest; And falling acorns furnished out a feast. Dryden's Ovid. He, that is nourished by the acorns he picked up* under an oak, or the apples he gathered from the trees in the wood, has certainly appropriated them Locke. [from acorn.] to himself. A'corned, a'kornd. adj. Stored with acorns. Like a full acom'd boar. Sliakspeare. Aco'usTicKS,a-k6vi'stiks.318n.*. [ux.v?tx.u, of ux.x'a, Gr. to hear.] 1. The doctrine or theory of sounds. 2. Medicines to help the hearing. Quincy. To ACQUAINT, ak-kwant'. v. a. [accoin- ter, Fr.] I. To make familiar with; applied either to persons or things. It has with, before the object. We, that acqual.it ourselves with ev'ry zone, And pass the tropicks, and behold each pole; When we come home, arc to ourselves unknown, And unacquainted still with our own soul. Dairies. There with thee, new welcome saint, Like fortunes may her soul acquaint. Milton. Before a man can speak on any subject, it is ne- cessary to be acquainted with it. Locke on Education. Acquaint yourselves with things ancient and mo- dern, natural, civil, and religious, domestic and na»