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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    Melodious hymns about the sov'reign throne Alternate all night long. Milton. 2. To change one thing for another recip- rocally. The most high God, in all things appertaining unto this life, for sundry wise ends, alternates the disposition of good and evil. Grew. Alternately, ai-ter'nate-le. adv. [from alternate.] In reciprocal succession, so that each shall be succeeded by that which it succeeds, as light follows dark- ness, and darkness follows light. The princess Melesinda, bath'd in tears, And loss'd alternately with hopes and fears, Would learn from you the fortunes of her lord. Dryd. Unhappy man! whom sorrow thus and rage To different ills alternately engage. Prior. The rays of light are, by some cause or oilier, alternately disposed to be reflected or refracted for many vicissitudes. Newton. Alte'rnateness, al-ter'nate-ness. n. s. [from alternate.] The quality of being alternate, or of happening in reciprocal succession. Diet. Alternation, ul-tur-na'shdn.65 n. s. [from alternate.] The reciprocal suc- cession of things. The one would be oppressed with constant heat, the other with insufferable cold; aud so the defect of alternation would utterly impugn the generation of all things. Broion. Alternative, al-teVna-tlv.158 n. s. [al- ternati/', Fi\] The choice given of two things; so that if one be rejected, the other must be taken. A strange alternative Must ladies have a doctor, or a dance? Young. Alternatively, al-ter'na-iiv-le. adv. from alternative.] In an alternate man- ner; by turns; reciprocally. An appeal alternatively made maybe tolerated by the civil law as valid. Ayliffe's Parergon. Alte'rnativeness, al-teVna-tiv-ness. n. s. [from alternative.] The quality or state of being alternative; reciproca- tion. Diet. Alte'rnity, al-ttVne-te.98 n. s. [from al- teni.] Reciprocal succession; vicissi- tude; turn; mutual change of one thing for another; reciprocation. They imagine, that an animal of the vastest di- mensions, and longest duration, should live in a continual motion, without the alternity and vicissi- tude of rest, whereby all other animals continue. Brown's Vulgar Errours. Altho'ugh, a.l-rHo.'K4 conj. [from all and though. See Though.] Notwithstand- ing; however it may be granted; how- ever it may be that. We all know, that many things are believed, al- though they be intricate, obscure, and dark: although they exceed the reach and capacity of our wits; yea, although in this world they be no way possible to be understood. Hooker. Me the gold of France did not seduce, Although I did admit it as a motive The sooner to effect what I intended. Shaksp. The stress must he laid upon a majority; without which the laws would be of little weight, although they be good additional securities. Swift. A'ltigrade, al-te-grade' adj. [from altus a... gradior, Lat.] Rising on high. Vi i I'LoqUENOE, al-til'lu-kwense.98 n. s. altus and loc/uor, Lat.] High speech, pompous language. ALTi'MKTRv,ai-uui'me-tre.',18n.s. [altime- trio, Lat. from altus and ^t^sv.J The art of taking or measuring altitudes or heights,whether accessibleorinacces- sible, generally performed by a quadrant. Alti'sonant, al-tis'so-nant518 ) adj[alliso- Alti'sonous, al-tis'so-nus.614 5 nus-> Lat0 High sounding; pompous or lofty in sound. Diet. A'ltitude, aTte-tude. n. s. [allitudo, Lat.] 1. Height of place; space measured up- ward. Ten masts attach'd make not the altitude, Which thou hast perpendicularly fall'n. Shaksp. Some define the perpendicular altitude of the high- est mountains to be four miles; others but fifteen fur- lono-s. Brown. She shines above, we know, but in what place, How near the throne, and heav'n's imperial face, By our weak optics is but vainly guess'd; Distance and altitude conceal the rest. Dryden. 2. The elevation of any of the heavenly bodies above the horizon. Even unto the latitude of fifty-two, the efficacy thereof is not much considerable, whether we con- sider its ascent, meridian, altitude, or abode above the horizon. Brown's Vulgar Errours. Has not a poet more virtues and vices within bis circle, cannot he observe them and their influences in their oppositions and conjunctions, in their alti- tudes and depressions? Rymer. 3. Situation with regard to lower things. Those members which are pairs, stand by one an- other in equal altitude, and answer on each side one to another. RalJ- 4. Height of excellence; superiority. Your altitude offends the eyes Of those who want the power to rise. Swift. 5. Height of degree; highest point. He did it to please his mother, and to be partly proud; which he is, even to the altitude of his virtue. Shakspcare. Alti'volant, al-tiv'vo-lant.88 adj. [altiyo- lans, Lat. from altus and volo.] High flying. Diet. Altogether, al-to-ge;A'ur. adv. [from all and together^] 1. Completely; without restriction; with- out exception. It is in vain to speak of planting laws, and plot- ting policy, till the people be altogether subdued. Spenser's State of Ireland. We find not in the world any people that hath lived altogether without religion. Hooker. If death and danger are things that really cannot be endured, no man could ever be obliged to suffer for his conscience, or to die for his religion; it being altogether as absurd to imagine a man obliged to suffer, as to do impossibilities. South. I do not altogether disapprove of the manner of in- terweaving texts of scripture through the style of your sermon. _ Sivift. 2. Conjunctly; in company. This is ra- ther all together. Cousin of Somerset, join you with me, And altogether with the duke of Suffolk, We'll quickly hoist duke Humphry from his seat. Shakspeare. A'LUDEL, al'it-del. n. s. [from a and lu- tum; that is, without lute.] Aludels are subliming pots used in chemistry, without bottoms, and fitted into one another, as many as there is occasion for, without luting. At the bottom of the furnace is a pot that holds the matter to be sublimed; and at the top is a head, to retain the flowers that rise up. Q,uincy. A'LUM, al'lum. n. s. [alumen, Lat.] A kind of nlineral salt, of an acid taste, leaving in the mouth a sense of sweetness, accompanied with a considerable degree of astringency The \2 ancient naturalists allow of two sorts of ohm, na- tural and factitious. The natural is found in tin island of Milo, being a kind of whitish stone, very light, friable, and porous, and streaked with fila- ments resembling silver England. Italy, and Flan ders, are the countries where alum is principally produced; and the English roche-alum is made from a bluish mineral stone, in the hills of Yorkshire and Lancashire. Saccharine alum is a composition of common alum with rose-water and whites of eggs boiled together, to the consistence of a paste, and thus moulded at pleasure. As it cools, it grows hard as a stone. Burnt alma is alum calcined over the lire. Plumose or plume alum is a sort of saline mineral stone, of various colours, most commonly white. bordering on green; it rises in threads or fibres, resembling those of a feather; whence its name from pluma, a feather. Chamh,, By long beating the white of an egg with a lump of alum, you may bring it, for the most part, into white curds. Boyle. Alum-stone, al'lum-stone. n. s. A stone or calx used in surgery; perhaps alum calcined, which then becomes corro sive. She gargled with oxycratc, and was in a few days cured, by touching it with the vitriol and alum-stone Wiseman Alu'minous, a-lu'me-nus. adj. [from alum.] Relating to alum, or consisting of alum. Nor do we reasonably conclude, because, by a cold and aluminous moisture, it is able awhile to resist the fire, that, from a peculiarity of nature, it sub- sisteth and liveth in it. Brown. The tumour may have other mixture with it, to make it of a vitrioliek or aluminous nature. Wiseman's Surgery. A'lWays, al'waze. adv. [It is sometimes written alway, compounded of all and way; eallepseja, Sax. tuttavia, Ital.] 1. Perpetually; throughout all time; oppo- sed to sometime, or to never. That, which sometimes is expedient, doth not al- icays so continue. Hooker. Man never is, but ahvays to be blest. Pope 2. Constantly; without variation; opposed to sometimes, or to now and then. He is always great, when some great occasion is presented to him. Dryden. A. M. a. em. stands for artium magister, or master of arts; the second degree of our universities, which, in some foreign countries, is called doctor of philosophy. Am, am. The first person of the verb to be. [See To Be.] And God said unto Moses, I am that I am: and he said, thus shaltthou say unto the children of Israel, 1 am hath sent me unto you. Exodus, iii. 14. Come then, my soul: I call thee by that name, Thou busy thing, from whence I know I am: For knowing that I am, I know thou art; Since that must needs exist, which can impart.Prior. Amabi'lity, am-a-bil'e-te.811627 n. s. [from amabilis, Lat.] Loveliness; the power of pleasing. No rules can make amability, our minds and ap- prehensions make that; and so is our felicity. Taylor. AMADE'TTQ, am-a-det'to. n. .v. A sort of pear. [See Pear.] So called, says Skinner, from the name of him who cul- tivated it. A'MADOT, am'a-dot.fi0! v.. s. A sort of pear. [See Pear.] Ama'ix, amine.' adv. [from mainc, or muigne, old Fr. derived from tnagnus, Lat.] With vehemence, with vigour;