*ec*

n. [ L. abecedarius. A word from the first four letters of the alphabet. ] 1. One who is learning the alphabet; hence, a tyro. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One engaged in teaching the alphabet. Wood. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Pertaining to, or formed by, the letters of the alphabet; alphabetic; hence, rudimentary. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abecedarian psalms,
hymns, etc., compositions in which (like the 119th psalm in Hebrew) distinct portions or verses commence with successive letters of the alphabet. Hook. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A primer; the first principle or rudiment of anything. [ R. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ From Abject, a. ] To cast off or down; hence, to abase; to degrade; to lower; to debase. [ Obs. ] Donne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A person in the lowest and most despicable condition; a castaway. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Shall these abjects, these victims, these outcasts, know any thing of pleasure? I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. abjectus, p. p. of abjicere to throw away; ab + jacere to throw. See Jet a shooting forth. ] 1. Cast down; low-lying. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

From the safe shore their floating carcasses
And broken chariot wheels; so thick bestrown
Abject and lost lay these, covering the flood. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Degraded; servile; groveling; despicable; as, abject posture, fortune, thoughts. “Base and abject flatterers.” Addison. “An abject liar.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

And banish hence these abject, lowly dreams. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Sunk to a low condition; down in spirit or hope; miserable; -- of persons. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Humiliating; degrading; wretched; -- of situations; as, abject poverty. [ PJC ]

Syn. -- Mean; groveling; cringing; mean-spirited; slavish; ignoble; worthless; vile; beggarly; contemptible; degraded. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A very abject or low condition; abjectness. [ R. ] Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. abjection, L. abjectio. ] 1. The act of bringing down or humbling. “The abjection of the king and his realm.” Joye. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being rejected or cast out. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

An abjection from the beatific regions where God, and his angels and saints, dwell forever. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A low or downcast state; meanness of spirit; abasement; degradation. [ 1913 Webster ]

That this should be termed baseness, abjection of mind, or servility, is it credible? Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Meanly; servilely. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being abject; abasement; meanness; servility. Grew. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. On deck; and hence, like aboveboard, without artifice. Smart. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. acatalecticus, Gr. &unr_;, not defective at the end; 'a priv. + &unr_; to cease. ] (Pros.) Not defective; complete; as, an acatalectic verse. -- n. A verse which has the complete number of feet and syllables. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. adfectus or affectus. See Affect, v. ] (Alg.) See Affected, 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. adjectus, p. p. of adjicere to throw to, to add to; ad + jac&ebreve_;re to throw. See Jet a shooting forth. ] To add or annex; to join. Leland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. adjectio, fr. adjicere: cf. F. adjection. See Adject. ] The act or mode of adding; also, the thing added. [ R. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to adjection; that is, or may be, annexed. [ R. ] Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ L. adjectitius. ] Added; additional. Parkhurst. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or relating to the relating to the adjective; of the nature of an adjective; adjective. W. Taylor (1797) [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. As, or in the manner of, an adjective; adjectively. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Adjective, n. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Added to a substantive as an attribute; of the nature of an adjunct; as, an adjective word or sentence. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not standing by itself; dependent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Adjective color, a color which requires to be fixed by some mordant or base to give it permanency. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Relating to procedure. “The whole English law, substantive and adjective.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. adjectivum (sc. nomen), neut. of adjectivus that is added, fr. adjicere: cf. F. adjectif. See Adject. ] 1. (Gram.) A word used with a noun, or substantive, to express a quality of the thing named, or something attributed to it, or to limit or define it, or to specify or describe a thing, as distinct from something else. Thus, in phrase, “a wise ruler, ” wise is the adjective, expressing a property of ruler. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A dependent; an accessory. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Adjectived p. pr. & vb. n. Adjectiving ] To make an adjective of; to form or change into an adjective. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Language has as much occasion to adjective the distinct signification of the verb, and to adjective also the mood, as it has to adjective time. It has . . . adjectived all three. Tooke. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the manner of an adjective; as, a word used adjectively. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Æcidia [ NL., dim. of Gr. &unr_; injury. ] (Bot.) A form of fruit in the cycle of development of the Rusts or Brands, an order of fungi, formerly considered independent plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. an extinct primate of about 38 million years ago; -- fossils were found in Egypt. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A mechanic or mechanician expert in the art and practice of aëronautics. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ , a. Of or pert. to aëromechanics. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. The science of equilibrium and motion of air or an aëriform fluid, including aërodynamics and aërostatics. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Affected; p. pr. & vb. n. Affecting. ] [ L. affectus, p. p. of afficere to affect by active agency; ad + facere to make: cf. F. affectere, L. affectare, freq. of afficere. See Fact. ] 1. To act upon; to produce an effect or change upon. [ 1913 Webster ]

As might affect the earth with cold heat. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The climate affected their health and spirits. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To influence or move, as the feelings or passions; to touch. [ 1913 Webster ]

A consideration of the rationale of our passions seems to me very necessary for all who would affect them upon solid and pure principles. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To love; to regard with affection. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

As for Queen Katharine, he rather respected than affected, rather honored than loved, her. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To show a fondness for; to like to use or practice; to choose; hence, to frequent habitually. [ 1913 Webster ]

For he does neither affect company, nor is he fit for it, indeed. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Do not affect the society of your inferiors in rank, nor court that of the great. Hazlitt. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To dispose or incline. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men whom they thought best affected to religion and their country's liberty. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To aim at; to aspire; to covet. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

This proud man affects imperial &unr_;way. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To tend to by affinity or disposition. [ 1913 Webster ]

The drops of every fluid affect a round figure. Newton. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To make a show of; to put on a pretense of; to feign; to assume; as, to affect ignorance. [ 1913 Webster ]

Careless she is with artful care,
Affecting to seem unaffected. Congreve. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou dost affect my manners. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. To assign; to appoint. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

One of the domestics was affected to his special service. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To influence; operate; act on; concern; move; melt; soften; subdue; overcome; pretend; assume. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. affectus. ] 1. Affection; inclination; passion; feeling; disposition. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Psychotherapy) The emotional complex associated with an idea or mental state. In hysteria, the affect is sometimes entirely dissociated, sometimes transferred to another than the original idea. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ L. affectatio: cf. F. affectation. ] 1. An attempt to assume or exhibit what is not natural or real; false display; artificial show. “An affectation of contempt.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Affectation is an awkward and forced imitation of what should be genuine and easy, wanting the beauty that accompanies what is natural what is natural. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A striving after. [ Obs. ] Bp. Pearson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Fondness; affection. [ Obs. ] Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who exhibits affectation. [ R. ] Fitzed. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. p. & a. 1. Regarded with affection; beloved. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

His affected Hercules. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Inclined; disposed; attached. [ 1913 Webster ]

How stand you affected to his wish? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Given to false show; assuming or pretending to possess what is not natural or real. [ 1913 Webster ]

He is . . . too spruce, too affected, too odd. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Assumed artificially; not natural. [ 1913 Webster ]

Affected coldness and indifference. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Alg.) Made up of terms involving different powers of the unknown quantity; adfected; as, an affected equation. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In an affected manner; hypocritically; with more show than reality. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Lovingly; with tender care. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Affectation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who affects, assumes, pretends, or strives after. “Affecters of wit.” Abp. Secker. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being affectible. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. That may be affected. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Lay aside the absolute, and, by union with the creaturely, become affectible. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Moving the emotions; fitted to excite the emotions; pathetic; touching; as, an affecting address; an affecting sight. [ 1913 Webster ]

The most affecting music is generally the most simple. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Affected; given to false show. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A drawling; affecting rouge. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an affecting manner; is a manner to excite emotions. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. affection, L. affectio, fr. afficere. See Affect. ] 1. The act of affecting or acting upon; the state of being affected. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Philosophy) An attribute, especially a contingent or alterable quality or property; a condition; a bodily state; as, figure, weight, etc. , are affections of bodies. “The affections of quantity.” Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

And, truly, waking dreams were, more or less,
An old and strange affection of the house. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Bent of mind; a feeling or natural impulse or natural impulse acting upon and swaying the mind; any emotion; as, the benevolent affections, esteem, gratitude, etc.; the malevolent affections, hatred, envy, etc.; inclination; disposition; propensity; tendency. [ 1913 Webster ]

Affection is applicable to an unpleasant as well as a pleasant state of the mind, when impressed by any object or quality. Cogan. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A settled good will; kind feeling; love; zealous or tender attachment; -- often in the pl. Formerly followed by to, but now more generally by for or towards; as, filial, social, or conjugal affections; to have an affection for or towards children. [ 1913 Webster ]

All his affections are set on his own country. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Prejudice; bias. [ Obs. ] Bp. Aylmer. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Med.) Disease; morbid symptom; malady; as, a pulmonary affection. Dunglison. AS [ 1913 Webster ]

7. The lively representation of any emotion. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. Affectation. [ Obs. ] “Spruce affection.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. Passion; violent emotion. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Most wretched man,
That to affections does the bridle lend. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Attachment; passion; tenderness; fondness; kindness; love; liking; good will. See Attachment; Disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to the affections; as, affectional impulses; an affectional nature. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. affectionné. ] 1. Having affection or warm regard; loving; fond; as, an affectionate brother. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Kindly inclined; zealous. [ Obs. ] Johson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Man, in his love God, and desire to please him, can never be too affectionate. Sprat. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Proceeding from affection; indicating love; tender; as, the affectionate care of a parent; affectionate countenance, message, language. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Strongly inclined; -- with to. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Tender; attached; loving; devoted; warm; fond; earnest; ardent. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Disposed; inclined. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Affectionated to the people. Holinshed. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With affection; lovingly; fondly; tenderly; kindly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being affectionate; fondness; affection. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Disposed. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Be kindly affectioned one to another. Rom. xii. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Affected; conceited. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. affectif. ] 1. Tending to affect; affecting. [ Obs. ] Burnet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pertaining to or exciting emotion; affectional; emotional. Rogers. [ 1913 Webster ]