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
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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![other side, the same consciousness acting by inter- vals two distinct bodies. Locke. Act, akt. n. s. [actum, Lat.] 1. Something done; a deed; an exploit, whether good or ill. A lower place, not well, May make too great an act: Better to leave undone, than by our deed Acquire too high a fame. Skaksp. Ant. and Cleopatra. The conscious wretch must all his acts reveal; Loth to confess, unable to conceal; From the first moment of his vital breath, To his last hour of unrepenting death. Dryden. 2. Agency; the power of producing an ef- fect. I will try the forces Of these thy compounds on such creatures, as We count not worth the hanging, but none human; To try the vigour of them, and apply Allayments to their act; and by them gather Their several virtues and effects. Shaksp. Cymb. 3. Action; the performance of exploits; production of effect*. 'Tis so much in your nature to do good, that your life is but one continued act of placing benefits on many; as the sun is always carrying his light, to some part or other of the world. Dryden's Fables. Who forth from nothing call'd this comely frame, His will and act, his word and work the same. Prior. 4. The doing of some particular thing; a step taken; a purpose executed. This act persuades me, That this rcmotion of the duke and her Is practice only. Shakspeare's King Lear. 5. A state of reality; effect. The seeds of herbs and plants at the first are not in act (but in possibility) that, which they after- wards grow to be. Hooker. God alone excepted; who actually and everlast- ingly is, whatsoever he may be; and which cannot hereafter be that, which now he is not: all other things besides are somewhat in possibility, which as yet they are not in act. Hooker. Sure, they're conscious Of some intended mischief; and are fled, To put it into act. Denham's Sophy. 6. Incipient agency; tendency to an effort. Fler legs were buskin'd; and the left before, In act to shoot: a silver bow she bore. Dryden. 7. A part of a play, during which the ac- tion proceeds without interruption. Many never doubt, but the whole condition re- quired by Christ (the repentance, he came to preach) will, in that last scene of their last act, immediate- ly before the exit, be as opportunely and acceptably performed, as at any other point of their lives. Hammond's Fundamentals. Five acts are the just measure of a play. Roscommon. 8. A decree of a court of justice, or edict of a legislature. They make edicts for usury, to support usurers; repeal daily any wholesome act, established against the rich; and provide more piercing statutes daily, to chain-up and restrain the poor. Shakspeare's Coriolanus. You, that are king, though he do wear the crown, Have caus'd him, by new act of parliament, To blot out me. Shakspeare's Henry VI. 9. Record of judicial proceedings. Judicial acts are all those matters, which relate to judicial proceedings; and, being reduced into writing by a public notary, are recorded by the au- thority of the judge. Ayliffe. A'ction, aVshun.290 n. s. [action, Fr. actio, Lat.] 1. The quality or state of acting, opposite to rest. 0 noble English! that could entertain, With half their forces, the full power of France; And let another half stand laughing by, All out of work, and cold for action. Shakspeare's Henry V. 2. An act or thing done; a deed. This action, I now go on Is for my better grace. Shakspeare's Winter's Tale. God never accepts a good inclination instead of a good action, where that action may be done; nay, so much the contrary, that, if a good inclination be not seconded by a good action, the want of that ac- tion is made so much the more criminal and inex- cusable. South. 3. Agency, operation. It is better therefore, that the earth should move about its own center, and make those useful vicissi- tudes of night and day, than expose always the same side to the action of the sun. Bentley. He has settled laws, and laid down rules; con- formable to which, natural bodies are governed in their actions upon one another. Cheyne. 4. The series of events, represented in a fable. This action should have three qualifications. First, it should be but one action; secondly, it should be an entire action; and, thirdly, it should be a great action. Addison. 5. Gesticulation; the accordance of the motions of the body, with the words spoken; a part of oratory. —He, that speaks, doth gripe the hearer's wrist; While he, that hears, makes fearful action With wrinkled brows. Shakspeare's King John. Our orators are observed, to make use of less ges- ture or action, than those of other countries. Addison. 6. [In law.] It is used with the preposi- tion against, before the person; and/br, before the thing. Actions are personal, r£al, and mixed. Action personal belongs to a man against another, by rea- son of any contract, offence, or cause; of like force with a contract or offence, made or done by him or some other, for whose fact he is to answer. Action real is given to any man against another, that pos- sesses the thing required or sued for, in his own name, and no other man's. Action mixt is that, which lies as well against or for the thing, which we seek; as against the person, that hath it: called mixt, because it hath a mixt respect, both to the thing and to the person. Action is divided into civil, penal, and mixt. Action civil is that, which tends only to the reco- very of that, which is due to us; as a sum of mo- ney formerly lent. Action penal is that, which aims at some penalty or punishment in the party sued, be it corporal or pecuniary; as, in common law, the next friends of a man feloniously slain shall pursue the law against the murderer. Action, mixt is that, which seeks both, the thing whereof we are deprived, and a penalty also for the unjust detaining of the same. Action upon the case, is an action given for redress of wrongs, done without force against any man, by law not specially provided for. Action upon the statute, is an action brought against a man upon breach of a statute. Cowell. There was never man, could have a juster action against filthy fortune, than I; since, all other things being granted me, her blindness is the only lett. Sidney. For our reward then; First, all our debts are paid; dangers of law, Actions, decrees, judgments, against us, quitted. B. Jonson. 7. In the plural, in France, the same as stocks in England. A'ctionable, ak'shun-3-bl.406 adj. [from action.'] That, which admits an action in law to be brought against it; punishable. His process was formed; whereby he was found guilty of nought else, that I could learn, which v.as actionable, but of ambition. HoweVs Vocal Forest. No man's face is actionable: these singularities are interprctable from more innocent causes. Collkr. A'ctionauy, or A'ctionist, ak'shtui-a- re, ak'shun-ist. n. s. [from action.'] One, that has a share in actions or stocks. A'otion-ta'king, aVshun-ta'king. adj. Accustomed, to resent by means of law; litigious. A knave, a rascal, a filthy worsted-stocking knave; a lily-liver'd action-taking knave. Shaksp. Aotita'tion, ak-ti-ta'shun. n. s. [from actito, Lat.] Action quick and fre- quent. Diet. To A'ctivate, dk-te-vate. v. a. [from active.] To make active. This word is perhaps used only by the author alleged. As snow and ice, especially being holpeu, and their cold activated by nitre or salt, will turn water into ice, and that in a few hours; so, it may be, it will turn wood or stiff clay into stone, in longer time. Bacon. A'ctive, ak'iiv.161 adj. [activus, Lat] 1. That, which has the power or quality of acting. These particles have not only a vis inertia, ac- companied with such passive laws of motion, as naturally result from that force; but also they are moved by certain active principles, such as is that of gravity; and that, which causes fermentation, and the cohesion of bodies. Newton's Optich. 2. That which acts; opposed to passive, or that which suffers. —When an even flame two hearts did touch; His office was, indulgently to fit Actives to passives: correspondency Only his subject was. Donne. If you think that, by multiplying the additaments in the same proportion that you multiply the ore, the work will follow, you may be deceived: for quantity in the passive will add more resistance, than the quantity in the active will add force. Bacon. 3. Busy, engaged in action; opposed to idle or sedentary, or any state of which the duties are performed only by the mental powers. 'Tis virtuous action, that must praise bring forth; Without which, slow advice is little worth: Yet they, who give good counsel, praise deserve; Tho', in the active part, they cannot serve. Dtnham. 4. Practical; not merely theoretical. The world hath had in these men fresh expe- rience, how dangerous such active errors are. Hooker. 5. Nimble; agile; quick. Some bend the stubborn bow for victory; And some with darts their active sinews by. Dryd 6. In grammar. A verb active is that, which signifies action; as I teach. Clarke's Latin Grammar. A'ctively, ak'tlv-Ie. adv. [from active] In an active manner; busily; nimbly In an active signification; as, the word is used actively. A'ctiveness, ak'tiv-ne'ss. n. s. [from ac- tive.] The quality of being active; quickness; nimbleness. This is a word more rarely used than activity. What strange agility and activeness, do our com- mon tumblers and dancers on the rope attain to, by continual exercise! Wilkin's Math. Magkk. Aoti'vity, ak-t!v'£-t£.618 n. s. [from ac- tive?] The quality of being active, ap- plied either to things or persons. Salt put to ice, as in the producing of the artifi- cial ice, increaseth the activity of cold. Bacon. Our adversary will not be idle, though we are: he watches every turn of our soul, and incident of](https://iiif.wellcomecollection.org/image/b21133803_0156.jp2/full/800%2C/0/default.jpg)
