*earl*

adv. In a curvilinear manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A darling. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In a dear manner; with affection; heartily; earnestly; as, to love one dearly. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. At a high rate or price; grievously. [ 1913 Webster ]

He buys his mistress dearly with his throne. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Exquisitely. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. eorl, erl, AS. eorl man, noble; akin to OS. erl boy, man, Icel. jarl nobleman, count, and possibly to Gr. &unr_; male, Zend arshan man. Cf. Jarl. ] A nobleman of England ranking below a marquis, and above a viscount. The rank of an earl corresponds to that of a count (comte) in France, and graf in Germany. Hence the wife of an earl is still called countess. See Count. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zoöl.) The needlefish. [ Ireland ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The lobe of the ear. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. eorl-d&unr_;m; eorl man, noble + -d&unr_;m -dom. ] 1. The jurisdiction of an earl; the territorial possessions of an earl. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The status, title, or dignity of an earl. [ 1913 Webster ]

He [ Pulteney ] shrunk into insignificancy and an earldom. Chesterfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Alderman. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zoöl.) The red-breasted merganser (Merganser serrator). [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Cf. Arles, 4th Earnest. ] Earnest money. Same as Arles penny. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without ears; hence, deaf or unwilling to hear. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Ear + -let. ] An earring. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The Ismaelites were accustomed to wear golden earlets. Judg. viii. 24 (Douay version). [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. occurring at a prior time; as, on earlier occasions. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. preceding all others in time.
Syn. -- premier, premiere. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The state of being early or forward; promptness. [ 1913 Webster ]

An officer of state in England who marshals and orders all great ceremonials, takes cognizance of matters relating to honor, arms, and pedigree, and directs the proclamation of peace and war. The court of chivalry was formerly under his jurisdiction, and he is still the head of the herald's office or college of arms. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. eár-locca. ] A lock or curl of hair near the ear; a lovelock. See Lovelock. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ OE. erli, erliche, AS. &aemacr_;rlīce; &aemacr_;r sooner + līc like. See Ere, and Like. ] Soon; in good season; seasonably; betimes; as, come early. [ 1913 Webster ]

Those that me early shall find me. Prov. viii. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

You must wake and call me early. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Earlier superl. Earliest. ] [ OE. earlich. √204. See Early, adv. ] 1. In advance of the usual or appointed time; in good season; prior in time; among or near the first; -- opposed to late; as, the early bird; an early spring; early fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Early and provident fear is the mother of safety. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

The doorsteps and threshold with the early grass springing up about them. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Coming in the first part of a period of time, or among the first of successive acts, events, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Seen in life's early morning sky. Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

The forms of its earlier manhood. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

The earliest poem he composed was in his seventeenth summer. J. C. Shairp. [ 1913 Webster ]

Early English (Philol.) See the Note under English. --
Early English architecture, the first of the pointed or Gothic styles used in England, succeeding the Norman style in the 12th and 13th centuries.

Syn. -- Forward; timely; not late; seasonable. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. being somewhat early. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ Pref. em- + pearl. Cf. Impearl. ] To form like pearls; to decorate with, or as with, pearls; to impearl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Free from fear.

Syn. -- Bold; daring; courageous; intrepid; valorous; valiant; brave; undaunted; dauntless; heroic.

-- Fear"less*ly, adv. -- Fear"less*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Two in a year; semiannual. -- adv. Twice in a year; semiannually. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Spangled with ice. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mounting up in icy-pearled car. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Impearled p. pr. & vb. n. Impearling. ] [ Pref. im- in + pearl: cf. F. emperler. ] 1. To form into pearls, or into that which resembles pearls. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Dewdrops which the sun
Impearls on every leaf and every flower. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To decorate as with pearls or with anything resembling pearls. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

With morning dews impearled. Mrs. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]

The dews of the morning impearl every thorn. R. Digby. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a linear manner; with lines. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The hard, iridescent, pearly internal layer of several kinds of shells, esp. of pearl oysters, river mussels, and the abalone shells; nacre. See Pearl. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a near manner; not remotely; closely; intimately; almost; as, he nearly lost his life in the accident. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To set or adorn with pearls, or with mother-of-pearl. Used also figuratively. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cause to resemble pearls; to make into small round grains; as, to pearl barley. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To resemble pearl or pearls. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To dive or hunt for pearls; as, to go pearling. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A fringe or border. [ Obs. ] -- v. t. To fringe; to border. [ Obs. ] See Purl. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pearl stitch. See Purl stitch, under Purl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. perle, F. perle, LL. perla, perula, probably fr. (assumed) L. pirulo, dim. of L. pirum a pear. See Pear, and cf. Purl to mantle. ] 1. (Zool.) A shelly concretion, usually rounded, and having a brilliant luster, with varying tints, found in the mantle, or between the mantle and shell, of certain bivalve mollusks, especially in the pearl oysters and river mussels, and sometimes in certain univalves. It is usually due to a secretion of shelly substance around some irritating foreign particle. Its substance is the same as nacre, or mother-of-pearl. Pearls which are round, or nearly round, and of fine luster, are highly esteemed as jewels, and at one time compared in value with the precious stones. Since development of cultured pearls, the relative value has diminished somewhat, though the best pearls are still expensive, and natural pearls even more so. Artificial pearls may be made of various materials, including material similar to that of natural pearls; these are less expensive than natural or cultured pearls. See cultured pearl, below. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. Hence, figuratively, something resembling a pearl; something very precious. [ 1913 Webster ]

I see thee compassed with thy kingdom's pearl. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

And those pearls of dew she wears. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Nacre, or mother-of-pearl. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Zool.) A fish allied to the turbot; the brill. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Zool.) A light-colored tern. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Zool.) One of the circle of tubercles which form the bur on a deer's antler. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. A whitish speck or film on the eye. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. A capsule of gelatin or similar substance containing some liquid for medicinal application, as ether. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Print.) A size of type, between agate and diamond. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This line is printed in the type called pearl. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ground pearl. (Zool.) See under Ground. --
Pearl barley, kernels of barley, ground so as to form small, round grains. --
Pearl diver, one who dives for pearl oysters. --
Pearl edge, an edge of small loops on the side of some kinds of ribbon; also, a narrow kind of thread edging to be sewed on lace. --
Pearl eye, cataract. [ R. ] --
Pearl gray, a very pale and delicate blue-gray color. --
Pearl millet, Egyptian millet (Penicillaria spicata). --
Pearl moss. See Carrageen. --
Pearl moth (Zool.), any moth of the genus Margaritia; -- so called on account of its pearly color. --
Pearl oyster (Zool.), any one of several species of large tropical marine bivalve mollusks of the genus Meleagrina, or Margaritifera, found in the East Indies (especially at Ceylon), in the Persian Gulf, on the coast of Australia, and on the Pacific coast of America. Called also pearl shell, and pearl mussel. --
Pearl powder. See Pearl white, below. --
Pearl sago, sago in the form of small pearly grains. --
Pearl sinter (Min.), fiorite. --
Pearl spar (Min.), a crystallized variety of dolomite, having a pearly luster. --
Pearl white. (a) Basic bismuth nitrate, or bismuth subchloride; -- used chiefly as a cosmetic. (b) A variety of white lead blued with indigo or Berlin blue. --
cultured pearl, a pearl grown by a pearl oyster into which a round pellet has been placed, to serve as the seed for more predictable growth of the pearl. The pellet is usually made from mother-of-pearl, and additional layers of nacre are deposited onto the seed by the oyster. Such pearls, being more easily obtained than natural pearls from wild oysters, are less expensive. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to pearl or pearls; made of pearls, or of mother-of-pearl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Resembling pearl or mother-of-pearl; pearly in quality or appearance.
Syn. -- iridescent, nacreous, opalescent, opaline, pearlaceous. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) A white amorphous or granular substance which consists principally of potassium carbonate, and has a strong alkaline reaction. It is obtained by lixiviating wood ashes, and evaporating the lye, and has been an important source of potassium compounds. It is used in making soap, glass, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A diver who searches for molluscs containing pearls; a pearl diver.
Syn. -- pearl diver. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

pos>adj. 1. Having an iridescent pearl-like surface, giving a play of lustrous rainbowlike colors; nacreous; pearlaceous.
Syn. -- iridescent, nacreous, opalescent, opaline, pearlaceous. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Having a pearly speck in the eye; afflicted with a cataract or cataracts. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Any fish whose scales yield a pearl-like pigment used in manufacturing artificial pearls, as the bleak, and whitebait. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. pl. [ Prob. a corruption of purflings. See Purfle. ] A kind of lace of silk or thread. [ Scot. ] Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. (Min.) A glassy volcanic rock of a grayish color and pearly luster, often having a spherulitic concretionary structure due to the curved cracks produced by contraction in cooling. See Illust. under Perlitic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A name given to several species of Sagina, low and inconspicuous herbs of the Chickweed family. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Containing pearls; abounding with, or yielding, pearls; as, pearly shells. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Resembling pearl or pearls; clear; pure; transparent; iridescent; as, the pearly dew or flood. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) an American everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea) having foliage with soft wooly hairs and corymbose heads with pearly-white scarious involucres.
Syn. -- cottonweed, Anaphalis margaritacea. [ WordNet 1.5 +MW10 ]

adj. White like a pearl; very white.
Syn. -- pearly. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. Early. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A sheep but once sheared. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Shedding no tears; free from tears; unfeeling. -- Tear"less*ly, adv. -- Tear"less*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]