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Matrimonial – Medullar

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Matrimonial

MATRIMO'NIAL, adjective

1. Pertaining to marriage; connubial; nuptial; hymeneal; as matrimonial rights or duties.

2. Derived from marriage.

If he relied on that title, he could be but a king at curtesy, and have rather a matrimonial than a regal power.

Matrimonially

MATRIMO'NIALLY, adverb According to the manner or laws of marriage.

Matrimonious

MATRIMO'NIOUS, adjective Matrimonial. [Little used.]

Matrimony

MAT'RIMONY, noun [Latin matrimonium, from mater, mother.]

Marriage; wedlock; the union of man and woman for life; the nuptial state.

If any man know cause why this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony they are to declare it.

MATRIX. [See Matrice.]

Matrix

MA'TRIX, noun [Latin matrix from mater, mother.]

1. The womb; the cavity in which the fetus of an animal is formed and nourished till its birth.

2. A mold; the cavity in which any thing is formed, and which gives it shape; as the matrix of a type.

3. The place where any thing is formed or produced; as the matrix of metals; gang.

4. In dyeing, the five simple colors, black, white, blue, red and yellow, of which all the rest are composed.

Matron

MAT'RON, noun [Latin matrona; from mater, mother.]

An elderly married woman, or an elderly lady.

Matronal

MAT'RONAL, adjective [Latin matronalis.] Pertaining to a matron, suitable to an elderly lady or to a married woman; grave; motherly.

Matronize

MAT'RONIZE, verb transitive To render matronlike.

Matronlike

MAT'RONLIKE, adjective Having the manners of an elderly woman; grave; sedate; becoming a matron.

Matronly

MAT'RONLY, adjective Elderly; advanced in years.

Matross

MATROSS', noun Matrosses are soldiers in a train of artillery, who are next to the gunners and assist them in loading, firing and sponging the guns. They carry fire-locks, and march with the store wagons as guards and assistants.

Mattamore

MAT'TAMORE, noun In the east, a subterranean repository for wheat.

Matter

MAT'TER, noun [Latin materia; Heb. to measure; Latin metior.]

1. Substance excreted from living animal bodies; that which is thrown our of discharged in a tumor, boil or abscess; pus; purulent substance collected in an abscess, the effect of suppuration more or less perfect; as digested matter; sanious matter

2. Body; substance extended; that which is visible or tangible; as earth, wood, stone, air, vapor, water.

3. In a more general and philosophic sense, the substance of which all bodies are composed; the substratum of sensible qualities, though the parts composing the substratum may not be visible or tangible.

Matter is usually divided by philosophical writers into four kinds or classes; solid, liquid; aeriform, and imponderable. Solid substances are those whose parts firmly cohere and resist impression, as wood or stone; liquids have free motion among their parts, and easily yield to impression, as water and wine. Aeriform substances are elastic fluids, called vapors and gases, as air and oxygen gas. The imponderable substances are destitute of weight, as light, caloric, electricity, and magnetism.

4. Subject; thing treated; that about which we write or speak; that which employs thought or excites emotion; as, this is matter of praise, of gratitude, or of astonishment.

Son of God, Savior of men, thy name

Shall be the copious matter of my song.

5. The very thing supposed or intended.

He grants the deluge to have come so very near the matter that few escaped.

6. Affair; business; event; thing; course of things. Matters have succeeded well thus far; observe how matters stand; thus the matter rests at present; thus the matter ended.

To help the matter the alchimists call in many vanities from astrology.

Some young female seems to have carried matters so far, that she is ripe for asking advice.

7. Cause of any event, as of any disturbance, of a disease, or of a difficulty. When a moving machine stops suddenly, we ask, what is the matter? When a person is ill, we ask, what is the matter? When a tumult or quarrel takes place, we ask, what is the matter?

8. Subject of complaint; suit; demand.

If the matter should be tried by duel between two champions--

Every great matter they shall bring to thee, but every small matter they shall judge-- .

9. Import; consequence; importance; moment.

A prophet some, and some a poet cry,

No matter which, so neither of them lie.

10. Space of time; a portion of distance.

I have thoughts to tarry a small matter

Away he goes, a matter of seven miles--

[In these last senses, the use of matter is now vulgar.]

Upon the matter considering the whole; taking all things into view. This phrase is now obsolete; but in lieu of it, we sometimes use, upon the whole matter

Waller, with Sir William Balfour, exceeded in horse, but were, upon the whole matter equal in foot.

Matter of record, that which is recorded, or which may be proved by record.

MAT'TER, verb intransitive To be of importance; to import; used with it, this, that, or what. This matters not; that matters not; chiefly used in negative phrases; as, what matters it?

It matters not how they are called, so we know who they are.

1. To maturate; to form pus; to collect, as matter in an abscess.

Each slight sore mattereth. [Little used.]

[We now use maturate.]

MAT'TER, verb transitive To regard. [Not used.]

Matterless

MAT'TERLESS, adjective Void of matter.

Mattery

MAT'TERY, adjective Purulent; generating pus; as a mattery cough.

Mattock

MAT'TOCK, noun A tool to grub up weeds or roots; a grubbing hoe.

Mattress

MATTRESS. [See Matress, a more correct orthography.]

Maturant

MAT'URANT, noun [Latin maturo, from maturus, mature, ripe.]

In pharmacy, a medicine or application to a tumor, which promotes suppuration.

Maturate

MAT'URATE, verb transitive [Latin maturo, to hasten, from maturus, ripe.]

To ripen; to hasten or promote suppuration.

MAT'URATE, verb intransitive To become ripe; to suppurate, as a tumor, and form pus.

Maturation

MATURA'TION, noun The process of ripening or coming to maturity; ripeness.

1. The process of suppurating; suppuration; the forming of pus in tumors.

Maturative

MAT'URATIVE, adjective Ripening; conducing to ripeness.

1. Conducing to suppuration, or the formation of matter in a tumor or abscess.

Mature

MATU'RE, adjective [Latin maturus; meto.]

1. Ripe; perfected by time or natural growth; as a man of mature age. We apply it to a young man of mature age. We apply it to a young man who has arrived to the age when he is supposed to be competent to manage his own concerns; to a young woman who is fit to be married; and to elderly men who have much experience.

Their prince is a man of learning and virtue,

mature in years--

Mature the virgin was, of Egypt's race.

How shall I meet or how accost the sage,

Unskilled in speech, nor yet mature of age.

2. Brought to perfection; used of plants. The wheat is mature

3. Completed; prepared; ready. The plan or scheme was mature

This lies glowing, and is mature for the violent breaking out.

4. Ripe; come to suppuration; as, the tumor is mature

MATU'RE, verb transitive [Latin maturo.] To ripen; to hasten to a perfect state; to promote ripeness.

Prick an apple with a pin full of holes, not deep, and smear it with sack, to see if the virtual heat of the wine will not mature it.

1. To advance towards perfection.

Love indulged my labors past,

Matures my present, and shall bound my last.

MATU'RE, verb intransitive To advance toward ripeness; to become ripe or perfect. Wine matures by age, or by agitation in a long voyage. The judgment matures by age and experience.

Matured

MATU'RED, participle passive Ripened; advanced to perfection; prepared.

Maturely

MATU'RELY, adverb With ripeness; completely.

1. With full deliberation. A prince entering on war, ought, maturely to consider the state of his finances.

2. Early; soon. [A Latinism, little used.]

Matureness

MATU'RENESS, noun Ripeness; a state of perfection or completeness; as the maturity of age or of judgment; the maturity of corn or of grass; the maturity of a plan or scheme.

Maturing

MATU'RING, participle present tense Ripening; being in or coming to a complete state.

Maturity

MATU'RITY

MAT'UTINAL

MAT'UTINE, adjective [Latin matutinus.] Pertaining to the morning.

Matweed

MAT'WEED, noun A plant of the genus Lygeum.

Maudlin

MAUD'LIN, adjective [corrupted from Magdelen, who is drawn by painters with eyes swelled and red with weeping.]

Drunk; fuddled; approaching to intoxication; stupid.

And the kind maudlin crowd melts in her praise.

MAUD'LIN, noun A plant of the genus Achillea.

Mauger

MAU'GER, adverb In spite of; in opposition to; not withstanding; used only in burlesque.

This, mauger all the world, will I keep safe.

Maukin

MAUKIN. [See Malkin.]

Maul

MAUL, noun [Latin malleus. See Mall.]

A heavy wooden hammer; written also mall.

MAUL, verb transitive To beat and bruise with a heavy stick or cudgel; to wound in a coarse manner.

Meek modern faith to murder, hack and maul

Maunch

MAUNCH, noun A loose sleeve. [Not used.]

Maund

MAUND, noun A handbasket; a word used in Scotland.

MAUND

Maunder

MAUND'ER, verb transitive and i. To mutter; to murmur; to grumble; to beg.

MAUND'ER, noun A beggar.

Maunderer

MAUND'ERER, noun A grumbler.

Maundering

MAUND'ERING, noun Complaint.

Maundy-Thursday

MAUNDY-THURSDAY, noun The Thursday in passion week, or next before Good Friday.

Mausolean

MAUSOLE'AN, adjective Pertaining to a mausoleum; monumental.

Mausoleum

MAUSOLE'UM, noun A magnificent tomb, or stately sepulchral monument.

Mauther

MAU'THER, noun A foolish young girl. [Not used.]

Mavis

MA'VIS, noun A bird, a species of Turdus.

Maw

MAW, noun

1. The stomach of brutes; applied to the stomach of human beings in contempt only.

2. The craw of fowls.

Mawk

MAWK, noun A maggot; a slattern. [Not in use.]

Mawkingly

MAWK'INGLY, adverb Slatternly; sluttishly.

Mawkish

MAWK'ISH, adjective Apt to cause satiety or lothing.

So sweetly mawkish and so smoothly dull.

Mawkishness

MAWK'ISHNESS, noun Aptness to cause lothing.

Mawky

MAWK'Y, adjective Maggoty. [Local.]

Mawmet

MAW'MET, noun [from Mahomet.] A puppet; anciently, an idol.

Mawmetry

MAW'METRY, noun The religion of Mohammed; also, idolatry.

Mawmish

MAW'MISH, adjective [from maw, or mawmet.] Foolish; silly; idle; nauseous.

Mawworm

MAW'WORM, noun A worm that infests the stomach.

Maxillar

MAX'ILLAR

MAX'ILLARY, adjective [Latin maxillaris, from maxilla, the jaw-bone; probably from the root of mash.] Pertaining to the jaw; as the maxillary bones or glands.

Maxillary

MAX'ILLARY, a. [L. maxillaris, from maxilla, the jaw-bone; probably from the root of mash.] Pertaining to the jaw; as the maxillary bones or glands.

Maxim

MAX'IM, noun [Latin maximum, literally the greatest.]

1. An established principle or proposition; a principle generally received or admitted as true. It is nearly the same in popular usage, as axiom in philosophy and mathematics.

It is a maxim of state, that countries newly acquired and not settled, are matters of burden, rather than of strength.

It is their maxim love is love's reward.

2. In music, the longest note formerly used, equal to two longs, or four breves.

Maxim-Monger

MAX'IM-MONGER, noun One who deals much in maxims.

Maximum

MAX'IMUM, noun [Latin] In mathematics, the greatest number or quantity attainable in any given case; opposed to minimum.

May

MAY, noun [Latin Maius.]

1. The fifth month of the year, beginning with January, but the third, beginning with March, as was the ancient practice of the Romans.

2. A young woman.

3. The early part of life.

His may of youth and bloom of lustihood.

MAY, verb intransitive To gather flowers in May-morning.

MAY, verb aux; preterit tense might.

1. To be possible. We say, a thing may be, or may not be; an event may happen; a thing may be done, if means are not wanting.

2. To have physical power; to be able.

Make the most of life you may

3. To have moral power; to have liberty, leave, license or permission; to be permitted; to be allowed. A man may do what the laws permit. He may do what is not against decency, propriety or good manners. We may not violate the laws, or the rules of good breeding. I told the servant he might be absent.

Thou mayest be no longer steward. .

4. It is used in prayer and petitions to express desire. O may we never experience the evils we dread. So also in expressions of good will. may you live happily, and be a blessing to your country. It was formerly used for can, and its radical sense is the same.

MAY be, it may be, are expressions equivalent to perhaps, by chance, peradventure, that is, it is possible to be.

May-Apple

MA'Y-APPLE, noun A plant of the genus Podophyllum.

May-Bloom

MA'Y-BLOOM, noun The hawthorn.

May-Bug

MA'Y-BUG, noun A chaffer.

May-Bush

MA'Y-BUSH, noun A plant of the genus Crataegus.

May-Day

MA'Y-DAY, noun The first day of May.

May-Dew

MA'Y-DEW, noun The dew of May, which is said to whiten linen, and to afford by repeated distillations, a red and odoriferous spirit. It has been supposed that from the preparation of this dew, the Rosicrucians took their name.

May-Duke

MA'Y-DUKE, noun A variety of the common cherry.

May-Flower

MA'Y-FLOWER, noun A plant; a flower that appears in May.

May-Fly

MA'Y-FLY, noun An insect or fly that appears in May.

May-Game

MA'Y-GAME, noun Sport or diversion; play, such as is used on the first of May.

May-Lady

MA'Y-LADY, noun The queen or lady of May, in old May-games.

May-Lily

MA'Y-LILY, noun The lily of the valley, of the genus Convallaria.

May-Morn

MA'Y-MORN, noun Freshness; vigor.

May-Pole

MA'Y-POLE, noun A pole to dance round in May; a long pole erected.

May-Weed

MA'Y-WEED, noun A plant of the genus Anthemis.

Mayhem

MAYHEM. [See Maim.]

Maying

MA'YING, noun The gathering of flowers on May-day.

Mayor

MA'YOR, noun [Latin miror.] The chief magistrate of a city, who, in London and York, is called lord mayor The mayor of a city, in America, is the chief judge of the city court, and is assisted, in some cases at least, by two or more aldermen. To the lord mayor of London belong several courts of judicature, as the hustings, court of requests, and court of common council.

Mayoralty

MA'YORALTY, noun The office of a mayor.

Mayoress

MA'YORESS, noun The wife of a mayor.

Mazagan

MAZ'AGAN, noun A variety of the common bean, [vicia faba.]

Mazard

MAZ'ARD, noun [probably from the root of marsh.]

1. The jaw. [Not used.]

2. A kind of cherry.

MAZ'ARD, verb transitive To knock on the head. [Not in use.]

Mazarine

MAZARINE, noun A deep blue color.

1. A particular way of dressing fowls.

2. A little dish set in a larger one.

Maze

MAZE, noun

1. A winding and turning; perplexed state of things; intricacy; a state that embarrasses.

The ways of heaven are dark and intricate,

Puzzled with mazes, and perplexed with error.

2. Confusion of thought; perplexity; uncertainty.

3. A labyrinth.

MAZE, verb transitive To bewilder; to confound with intricacy; to amaze.

MAZE, verb intransitive To be bewildered.

Mazedness

MA'ZEDNESS, noun Confusion; astonishment.

Mazer

MA'ZER, noun A maple cup.

Mazological

MAZOLOG'ICAL, adjective Pertaining to mazology.

Mazologist

MAZOL'OGIST, noun One versed in mazology.

Mazology

MAZOL'OGY, noun [Gr. a breast, and discourse.]

The doctrine of history of mammiferous animals.

Mazy

MA'ZY, adjective Winding; perplexed with turns and windings; intricate; as mazy error.

To run the ring and trace the mazy round.

M.D. Medicinoe Doctor, doctor of medicine.

Me

ME, pronoun pers.; the objective case of I, answering to the oblique cases of ego, in Latin. [Latin mihi.] Follow me; give to me; go with me The phrase 'I followed me close, ' is not in use. Before think, as in methinks, me is properly in the dative case, and the verb is impersonal; the construction is, it appears to me

Meacock

ME'ACOCK, noun An uxorious, effeminate man. [Not used.]

ME'ACOCK, adjective Lame; timorous; cowardly. [Not used.]

Mead

MEAD, noun [Latin madeo, to be wet.] A fermented liquor consisting of honey and water, sometimes enriched with spices.

Meadow

MEADOW, noun med'o. A tract of low land. In America, the word is applied particularly to the low ground on the banks of rivers, consisting of a rich mold or an alluvial soil, whether grass land, pasture, tillage or wood land; as the meadows on the banks of the Connecticut. The word with us does not necessarily imply wet land. This species of land is called, in the western states, bottoms, or bottom land. The word is also used for other low or flat lands, particularly lands appropriated to the culture of grass.

The word is said to be applied in Great Britain to land somewhat watery, but covered with grass.

MEADOW means pasture or grass land, annually mown for hay; but more particularly, land too moist for cattle to graze on in winter, without spoiling the sward.

[Mead is used chiefly in poetry.]

Meadow-Ore

MEAD'OW-ORE, noun In mineralogy, conchoidal bog iron ore.

Meadow-Rue

MEAD'OW-RUE, noun A plant of the genus Thalictrum.

Meadow-Saffron

MEAD'OW-SAFFRON, noun A plant of the genus Colchicum.

Meadow-Saxifrage

MEAD'OW-SAXIFRAGE, noun A plant of the genus Peucedanum.

Meadow-Sweet

MEAD'OW-SWEET, noun A plant of the genus Spiraea.

Meadow-Wort

MEAD'OW-WORT, noun A plant.

Meadowy

MEAD'OWY, adjective Containing meadow.

Meager

ME'AGER, adjective [Latin macer; Gr. small; allied to Eng. meek.]

1. Thin; lean; destitute of flesh or having little flesh; applied to animals.

Meager were his looks,

Sharp misery had worn him to the bones.

2. Poor; barren; destitute of richness, fertility, or any thing valuable; as a meager soil; meager limestone.

3. Barren; poor; wanting strength of diction, or richness of ideas or imagery; as a meager style or composition; meager annals.

ME'AGER, verb transitive To make lean. [Not used.]

Meagerly

ME'AGERLY, adverb Poorly; thinly.

Meagerness

ME'AGERNESS, noun Leanness; want of flesh.

1. Poorness; barrenness; want of fertility or richness.

2. Scantiness; barrenness; as the meagerness of service.

Meak

MEAK, noun A hook with a long handle.

Meal

MEAL, noun

1. A portion of food taken at one time; a repast. It is customary in the U. States to eat three meals in a day. The principal meal of our ancestors was dinner, at noon.

2. A part; a fragment; in the word piece-meal.

MEAL, noun [Latin mola, mollis; Eng.mellow.]

1. The substance of edible grain ground to fine particles, and not bolted or sifted. meal primarily includes the bran as well as the flour. Since bolting has been generally practiced, the word meal is not generally applied to the finer part, or flour, at least in the United States, though I believe it is sometimes so used. In New England, meal is now usually applied to ground maiz, whether bolted or unbolted, called Indian meal or corn-meal. The words wheat-meal, and rye-meal are rarely used, though not wholly extinct; and meal occurs also in oatmeal.

2. Flour; the finer part of pulverized grain.

[This sense is now uncommon.]

MEAL, verb transitive To sprinkle with meal or to mix meal with. [Little used.]

Meal-Man

MEA'L-MAN, noun A man that deals in meal.

Meal-Time

ME'AL-TIME, noun The usual time of eating meals.

Mealiness

ME'ALINESS, noun The quality of being mealy; softness or smoothness to the touch.

Mealy

ME'ALY, adjective Having the qualities of meal; soft; smooth to the feel.

1. Like meal; farinaceous; soft, dry and friable; as a mealy potato; a mealy apple.

2. Overspread with something that resembles meal; as the mealy wings of an insect.

Mealy-Mouthed

ME'ALY-MOUTHED, adjective Literally, having a soft mouth; hence, unwilling to tell the truth in plain language; inclined to speak of any thing in softer terms than the truth will warrant.

Mealy-Mouthedness

MEALY-MOUTH'EDNESS, noun Inclination to express the truth in soft words, or to disguise the plain fact; reluctance to tell the plain truth.

Mean

MEAN, adjective [Latin communis, vulgus, minor and minuo.]

1. Wanting dignity; low in rank or birth; as a man of mean parentage, mean birth or origin.

2. Wanting dignity of mind; low minded; base; destitute of honor; spiritless.

Can you imagine I so mean could prove,

To save my life by changing of my love?

3. Contemptible; despicable.

The Roman legions and great Caesar found

Our fathers no mean foes.

4. Of little value; low in worth or estimation; worthy of little or no regard.

We fast, not to please men, nor to promote any mean worldly interest.

5. Of little value; humble; poor; as a mean abode; a mean dress.

MEAN, adjective [Latin medium, medius.]

1. Middle; at an equal distance from the extremes; as the means distance; the mean proportion between quantities; the mean ratio.

According to the fittest style of lofty, mean or lowly.

2. Intervening; intermediate; coming between; as in the mean time or while.

MEAN, noun The middle point or place; the middle rate or degree; mediocrity; medium. Observe the golden mean

There is a mean in all things.

But no authority of gods or men

Allow of any mean in poesy.

1. Intervening time; interval of time; interim; meantime.

And in the mean vouchsafe her honorable tomb.

Here is an omission of time or while.

2. Measure; regulation. [Not in use.]

3. Instrument; that which is used to effect an object; the medium through which something is done.

The virtuous conversation of christians was a mean to work the conversion of the heathen to Christ.

In this sense, means, in the plural, is generally used, and often with a definitive and verb in the singular.

By this means he had them more at vantage.

A good character, when established, should not be rested on as an end, but employed as a means of doing good.

4. Means, in the plural, income, revenue, resources, substance or estate, considered as the instrument of effecting any purpose. He would have built a house, but he wanted means.

Your means are slender.

5. Instrument of action or performance.

By all means, without fail. Go, by all means.

By no means, not at all; certainly not; not in any degree.

The wine on this side of the lake is by no means so good as that on the other.

By no manner of means, by no means; not the least.

By any means, possibly; at all.

If by any means I might attain to the resurrection of the dead. .

MEANtime

MEANwhile, in the intervening time. [In this use of these words there is an omission of in or in the; in the meantime.]

MEAN, verb transitive preterit tense and participle passive meant; pronounced ment. [Latin mens; Eng.mind; Latin intendo, propono.]

1. To have in the mind, view or contemplation; to intend.

What mean you by this service? .

2. To intend; to purpose; to design, with reference to a future act.

Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it for good. .

3. To signify; to indicate.

What mean these seven ewe lambs? .

What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? .

Go ye, and learn what that meaneth-- .

MEAN, verb intransitive To have thought or ideas; or to have meaning.

Meander

MEAN'DER, noun [the name of a winding river in Phrygia.]

1. A winding course; a winding or turning in a passage; as the meanders of the veins and arteries.

While lingering rivers in meanders glide.

2. A maze; a labyrinth; perplexity; as the meanders of the law.

MEAN'DER, verb transitive To wind, turn or flow round; to make flexuous.

MEAN'DER, verb intransitive To wind or turn in a course or passage; to be intricate.

Meandering

MEAN'DERING, participle present tense or adjective Winding in a course, passage or current.

Meandrian

MEAN'DRIAN, adjective Winding; having many turns.

Meaning

ME'ANING, participle present tense Having in mind; intending; signifying.

ME'ANING, noun That which exists in the mind, view or contemplation as a settled aim or purpose, though not directly expressed. We say, this or that is not his meaning

1. Intention; purpose; aim; with reference to a future act.

I am no honest man, if there by any good meaning towards you.

2. Signification. What is the meaning of all this parade? The meaning of a hieroglyphic is not always obvious.

3. The sense of words or expressions; that which is to be understood; signification; that which the writer or speaker intends to express or communicate. Words have a literal meaning or a metaphorical meaning and it is not always easy to ascertain the real meaning

4. Sense; power of thinking. [Little used.]

Meanly

ME'ANLY, adverb [See Mean.] Moderately; not in a great degree.

In the reign of Domitian, poetry was meanly cultivated. [Not used.]

1. Without dignity or rank; in a low condition; as meanly born.

2. Poorly; as meanly dressed.

3. Without greatness or elevation of mind; without honor; with a low mind or narrow views. He meanly declines to fulfill his promise.

Would you meanly thus rely

On power, you know, I must obey?

4. Without respect; disrespectfully. We cannot bear to hear others speak meanly of our kindred.

Meanness

ME'ANNESS, noun Want of dignity or rank; low state; as meanness of birth or condition. Poverty is not always meanness; it may be connected with it, but men of dignified minds and manners are often poor.

1. Want of excellence of any kind; poorness; rudeness.

This figure is of a later date, by the meanness of the workmanship.

2. Lowness of mind; want of dignity and elevation; want of honor. meanness in men incurs contempt. All dishonesty is meanness

3. Sordidness; niggardliness; opposed to liberality or charitableness. meanness is very different from frugality.

4. Want of richness; poorness; as the meanness of dress or equipage.

Meant

MEANT, preterit tense and participle passive of mean.

Mear

MEAR. [See Mere.]

Measle

MEASLE, noun mee'zl. A leper. [Not in use.]

Measled

MEASLED, adjective mee'zled. [See Measles.]

Infected or spotted with measles.

Measles

MEASLES, noun mee'zles; with a plural termination.

1. A contagious disease of the human body, usually characterized by an eruption of small red points or spots, from which it has its name.

2. A disease of swine.

3. A disease of trees.

Measly

MEASLY, adjective mee'zly. Infected with measles or eruptions.

Measurable

MEASURABLE, adjective mezh'urable. [See Measure.]

1. That may be measured; susceptible of mensuration or computation.

2. Moderate; in small quantity or extent.

Measurableness

MEASURABLENESS, noun mezh'urableness.

The quality of admitting mensuration.

Measurably

MEASURABLY, adverb mezh'urably. Moderately; in a limited degree.

Measure

MEASURE, noun mezh'ur. [Latin mensura, from mensus, with a casual n, the participle of metior, to measure; Eng. to mete.]

1. The whole extent or dimensions of a thing, including length, breadth and thickness.

The measure thereof is longer than the earth and broader than the sea. .

It is applied also to length or to breadth separately.

2. That by which extent or dimension is ascertained, either length, breadth, thickness, capacity, or amount; as, a rod or pole is a measure of five yards and a half; an inch, a foot, a yard, are measures of length; a gallon is a measure of capacity. Weights and measures should be uniform. Silver and gold are the common measure of value.

3. A limited or definite quantity; as a measure of wine or beer.

4. Determined extent or length; limit.

Lord, make me to know my end, and the measure of my days. .

5. A rule by which any thing is adjusted or proportioned.

God's goodness is the measure of his providence.

6. Proportion; quantity settled.

I enter not into the particulars of the law of nature, or its measures of punishment; yet there is such a law.

7. Full or sufficient quantity.

I'll never pause again,

Till either death hath clos'd these eyes of mine,

Or fortune given me measure of revenge.

8. Extent of power or office.

We will not boast of things without our measure

.

9. Portion allotted; extent of ability.

If else thou seekest

Aught not surpassing human measure say.

10. Degree; quantity indefinite.

I have laid down, in some measure the description of the old world.

A great measure of discretion is to be used in the performance of confession.

11. In music, that division by which the motion of music is regulated; or the interval or space of time between the rising and falling of the hand or foot of him who beats time. This measure regulates the time of dwelling on each note. The ordinary or common measure is one second.

12. In poetry, the measure or meter is the manner of ordering and combining the quantities, or the long and short syllables. Thus, hexameter, pentameter, Iambic, Sapphic verses, etc. consist of different measure

13. In dancing, the interval between steps, corresponding to the interval between notes in the music.

My legs can keep no measure in delight.

14. In geometry, any quantity assumed as one or unity, to which the ratio of other homogeneous or similar quantities is expressed.

15. Means to an end; an act, step or proceeding towards the accomplishment of an object; an extensive signification of the word, applicable to almost every act preparatory to a final end, and by which it is to be attained. Thus we speak of legislative measures, political measures, public measures, prudent measures, a rash measure effectual measures, inefficient measures.

In measure with moderation; with excess.

Without measure without limits; very largely or copiously.

To have hard measure to be harshly or oppressively treated.

Lineal or long measure measure of length; the measure of lines or distances.

Liquid measure the measure of liquors.

MEASURE, verb transitive mezh'ur. To compute or ascertain extent, quantity, dimensions or capacity by a certain rule; as, to measure land; to measure distance; to measure the altitude of a mountain; to measure the capacity of a ship or of a cask.

1. To ascertain the degree of any thing; as, to measure the degrees of heat, or of moisture.

2. To pass through or over.

We must measure twenty miles to day.

The vessel plows the sea,

And measures back with speed her former way.

3. To judge of distance, extent or quantity; as, to measure any thing by the eye.

Great are thy works, Jehovah, infinite

Thy power; what thought can measure thee?

4. To adjust; to proportion.

To secure a contended spirit, measure your desires by your fortunes, not your fortunes by your desires.

5. To allot or distribute by measure

With what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. .

Measured

MEASURED, participle passive mezh'ured. Computed or ascertained by a rule; adjusted; proportioned; passed over.

1. adjective Equal; uniform; steady. He walked with measured steps.

Measureless

MEASURELESS, adjective mezh'urless. Without measure; unlimited; immeasurable.

Measurement

MEASUREMENT, noun mezh'urment. The act of measuring; mensuration.

Measurer

MEASURER, noun mezh'urer. One who measures; one whose occupation or duty is to measure commodities in market.

Measuring

MEASURING, participle present tense mezh'uring. Computing or ascertaining length, dimensions, capacity or amount.

1. adjective A measuring cast, a throw or cast that requires to be measured, or not to be distinguished from another but by measuring

Meat-Offering

ME'AT-OFFERING, noun An offering consisting of meat or food.

Meated

ME'ATED, adjective Fed; fattened. [Not used.]

Meaty

ME'ATY, adjective Fleshy, but not fat. [Local.]

Meazling

ME'AZLING, participle present tense Falling in small drops; properly mizzling, or rather mistling, from mist.

Medallic

MEDAL'LIC, adjective Pertaining to a medal or to medals.

Medallion

MEDAL'LION, noun A large antique stamp or medal.

1. The representation of a medallion

Medial

ME'DIAL, adjective [Latin medius, middle.] Mean; noting a mean or average.

Medial alligation, is a method of finding the mean rate or value of a mixture consisting of two or more ingredients of different quantities and values. In this case, the quantity and value of each ingredient are given.

Mediant

ME'DIANT, noun In music, an appellation given to the third above the key-note, because it divides the interval between the tonic and dominant into thirds.

Mediate

ME'DIATE, adjective [Latin medius, middle.] Middle; being between the two extremes.

Anxious we hover in a mediate state.

1. Interposed; intervening; being between two objects.

Soon the mediate clouds shall be dispelled.

2. Acting by means, or by an intervening cause or instrument. Thus we speak of mediate and immediate cause of its motion; the oar with which a man rows a boat is the immediate cause of its motion; but the rower is the mediate cause, acting by means of the oar.

ME'DIATE, verb intransitive To interpose between parties, as the equal friend of each; to act indifferently between contending parties, with a view to reconciliation; to intercede. The prince that mediates between nations and prevents a war, is the benefactor of both parties.

1. To be between two. [Little used.]

ME'DIATE, verb transitive To effect by mediation or interposition between parties; as, to mediate a peace.

1. To limit by something in the middle. [Not used.]

Mediately

ME'DIATELY, adverb By means or by a secondary cause, acting between the first cause and the effect.

God worketh all things amongst us mediately by secondary means.

The king grants a manor to A, and A grants a portion of it to B. In this case, B holds his lands immediately of A, but mediately of the king.

Mediation

MEDIA'TION, noun [Latin medius, middle.]

1. Interposition; intervention; agency between parties at variance, with a view to reconcile them. The contentions of individuals and families are often terminated by the mediation of friends. The controversies of nations are sometimes adjusted by mediation The reconciliation of sinners to God by the mediation of Christ, is a glorious display of divine benevolence.

2. Agency interposed; intervenient power.

The soul, during its residence in the body, does all things by the mediation of the passions.

3. Intercession; entreaty for another.

Mediator

MEDIA'TOR, noun One that interposes between parties at variance for the purpose of reconciling them.

1. By way of eminence, Christ is the mediator the divine intercessor through whom sinners may be reconciled to an offended God. Tim.2.

Christ is a mediator by nature, as partaking of both natures divine and human; and mediator by office, as transacting matters between God and man.

Mediatorial

MEDIATO'RIAL, adjective Belonging to a mediator; as mediatorial office or character. [Mediatory is not used.]

Mediatorship

MEDIA'TORSHIP, noun The office of a mediator.

Mediatress

MEDIA'TRESS

MEDIA'TRIX, noun A female mediator.

Medicamental

MEDICAMENT'AL, adjective Relating to healing applications; having the qualities of medicaments.

Medicamentally

MEDICAMENT'ALLY, adverb After the manner of healing applications.

Medication

MEDICA'TION, noun The act or process of impregnating with medicinal substances; the infusion of medicinal virtues.

1. The use of medicine.

Medicinable

MEDIC'INABLE, adjective Having the properties of medicine; medicinal. [The latter is the word now used.]

Medicinal

MEDIC'INAL, . [Latin medicinalis.] Having the property of healing or of mitigating disease; adapted to the cure or alleviation of bodily disorders; as medicinal plants, medicinal virtues of minerals; medicinal springs. The waters of Saratoga and Ballston are remarkably medicinal

1. Pertaining to medicine; as medicinal days or hours.

Medicinally

MEDIC'INALLY, adverb In the manner of medicine; with medicinal qualities.

1. With a view to healing; as, to use a mineral medicinally

Medicine

MED'ICINE, noun [Latin medicina, from medeor, to cure; vulgarly and improperly pronounced med'sn.]

1. Any substance, liquid or solid, that has the property of curing or mitigating disease in animals, or that is used for that purpose. Simples, plants and minerals furnish most of our medicines. Even poisons used with judgment and in moderation, are safe and efficacious medicines. Medicines are internal or external, simple or compound.

2. The art of preventing, curing or alleviating the diseases of the human body. Hence we say, the study of medicine or a student of medicine

3. In the French sense, a physician. [Not in use.]

MED'ICINE, verb transitive To affect or operate on as medicine [Not used.]

Mediety

MEDI'ETY, noun [Latin medietas; from Latin medius, middle.]

The middle state or part; half; moiety. [Little used.]

Medin

ME'DIN, noun A small coin.

Mediocral

MEDIO'CRAL, adjective [Latin mediocris.] Being of a middle quality; indifferent; ordinary; as mediocral intellect. [Rare.]

Mediocrist

ME'DIOCRIST, noun A person of middling abilities. [Not used.]

Mediocrity

MEDIOC'RITY, noun [Latin mediocritas, from mediocris, middling; medius, middle.]

1. A middle state or degree; a moderate degree or rate. A mediocrity of condition is most favorable to morals and happiness. A mediocrity of talents well employed will generally ensure respectability.

Men of age seldom drive business home to the full period, but content themselves with a mediocrity of success.

2. Moderation; temperance.

We owe obedience to the law of reason, which teacheth mediocrity in meats and drinks.

Meditate

MED'ITATE, verb intransitive [Latin meditor.]

1. To dwell on any thing in thought; to contemplate; to study; to turn or revolve any subject in the mind; appropriately but not exclusively used of pious contemplation, or a consideration of the great truths of religion.

His delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law doth he meditate day and night. .

2. To intend; to have in contemplation.

I meditate to pass the remainder of life in a state of undisturbed repose.

MED'ITATE, verb transitive To plan by revolving in the mind; to contrive; to intend.

Some affirmed that I meditated a war.

1. To think on; to revolve in the mind.

Blessed is the man that doth meditate good things.

Meditated

MED'ITATED, participle passive Planned; contrived.

Meditating

MED'ITATING, participle present tense Revolving in the mind; contemplating; contriving.

Meditation

MEDITA'TION, noun [Latin meditatio.] Close or continued thought; the turning or revolving of a subject in the mind; serious contemplation.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. .

Meditative

MED'ITATIVE, adjective Addicted to meditation.

1. Expressing meditation or design.

Mediterrane

MEDITERRA'NE

MEDITERRA'NEAN

MEDITERRA'NEOUS, adjective [Latin medius, middle, and terra, land.]

1. Inclosed or nearly inclosed with land; as the Mediterranean sea, between Europe and Africa. [Mediterrane is not used.]

2. Inland; remote from the ocean or sea; as mediterraneous mountains.

Mediterranean

MEDITERRA'NEAN

Mediterraneous

MEDITERRA'NEOUS, a. [L.medius, middle, and terra, land.] 1. Inclosed or nearly inclosed with land; as the Mediterranean sea, between Europe and Africa. [Mediterrane is not used.]2. Inland; remote from the ocean or sea; as mediterraneous mountains.

Medium

ME'DIUM, noun plural mediums; media not being generally, though sometimes used. [Latin] In philosophy, the space or substance through which a body moves or passes to any point. Thus either is supposed to be the medium through which the planets move; air is the medium through which bodies move near the earth; water the medium in which fishes live and move; glass a medium through which light passes; and we speak of a resisting medium a refracting medium etc.

1. In logic, the mean or middle term of a syllogism, or the middle term in an argument, being the reason why a thing is affirmed or denied.

Nothing can be honorable that violates moral principle.

Dueling violates moral principle.

Therefore dueling is not honorable.

Here the second term is the medium mean, or middle term.

2. Arithmetical medium that which is equally distant from each extreme, or which exceeds the lesser extreme as much as it is exceeded by the greater, in respect of quantity, not of proportion. Thus, 9 is a medium between 6 and 12.

3. Geometrical medium is that wherein the same ratio is preserved between the first and second terms, as between the second and third. Thus, 6 is a geometrical medium between 4 and 9.

In the three last senses or applications, mean is more generally used for medium

4. The means or instrument by which any thing is accomplished, conveyed or carried on. Thus money is the medium of commerce; coin is the common medium of trade among all civilized nations, but wampum is the medium of trade among the Indian tribes, and bills of credit or bank notes are often used as mediums of trade in the place of gold and silver. Intelligence is communicated through the medium of the press.

5. The middle place or degree; the mean.

The just medium of this case lies between pride and abjection.

6. A kind of printing paper of middle size.

Medlar

MED'LAR, noun [Latin mespilus.] A tree and a genus of trees, called Mespilus; also, the fruit of the tree. The German or common medlar is cultivated in gardens for its fruit.

Medle

MED'LE, v.t. To mix; not used, but hence,

Medley

MED'LEY, noun A mixture; a mingled and confused mass of ingredients; used often or commonly with some degree of contempt.

This medley of philosophy and war.

Love is a medley of endearments, jars, suspicions, reconcilements, wars--then peace again.

MED'LEY, adjective Mingled; confused. [Little used.]

Medullar

MEDUL'LAR

MED'ULLARY, adjective [Latin medullaris, from medulla, marrow.]

Pertaining to marrow; consisting of marrow; resembling marrow; as medullary substance.

Noah Webster, An American Dictionary of the English Language (1828); edition by akaitsurugi (github.com/akaitsurugi/webster1828). Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Text from the CrossWire Bible Society.