*ermine*

v. t. [ Cf. F. contreminer. ] [ imp. & p. p. Countermined; p. pr. & vb. n. Countermining. ] 1. (Mil.) To oppose by means of a countermine; to intercept with a countermine. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To frustrate or counteract by secret measures. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To make a countermine or counterplot; to plot secretly. [ 1913 Webster ]

'Tis hard for man to countermine with God. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Determined p. pr. & vb. n. Determining. ] [ F. déterminer, L. determinare, determinatum; de + terminare limit, terminus limit. See Term. ] 1. To fix the boundaries of; to mark off and separate. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ God ] hath determined the times before appointed. Acts xvii. 26. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To set bounds to; to fix the determination of; to limit; to bound; to bring to an end; to finish. [ 1913 Webster ]

The knowledge of men hitherto hath been determined by the view or sight. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Now, where is he that will not stay so long
Till his friend sickness hath determined me? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To fix the form or character of; to shape; to prescribe imperatively; to regulate; to settle. [ 1913 Webster ]

The character of the soul is determined by the character of its God. J. Edwards. [ 1913 Webster ]

Something divinely beautiful . . . that at some time or other might influence or even determine her course of life. W. Black. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To fix the course of; to impel and direct; -- with a remoter object preceded by to; as, another's will determined me to this course. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To ascertain definitely; to find out the specific character or name of; to assign to its true place in a system; as, to determine an unknown or a newly discovered plant or its name. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To bring to a conclusion, as a question or controversy; to settle authoritative or judicial sentence; to decide; as, the court has determined the cause. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To resolve on; to have a fixed intention of; also, to cause to come to a conclusion or decision; to lead; as, this determined him to go immediately. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Logic) To define or limit by adding a differentia. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Physical Sciences) To ascertain the presence, quantity, or amount of; as, to determine the parallax; to determine the salt in sea water. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To come to an end; to end; to terminate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He who has vented a pernicious doctrine or published an ill book must know that his life determine not together. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Estates may determine on future contingencies. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To come to a decision; to decide; to resolve; -- often with on. “Determine on some course.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

He shall pay as the judges determine. Ex. xxi. 22. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Decided; resolute. “Adetermined foe.” Sparks. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a determined manner; with determination. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, determines or decides. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. ermine, F. hermine, prob. of German origin; cf. OHG. harmo, G. hermelin, akin to Lith. szarm&unr_;, szarmonys, weasel, cf. AS. hearma; but cf. also LL. armelinus, armellina, hermellina, and pellis Armenia, the fur of the Armenian rat, mus Armenius, the animal being found also in Armenia. ] 1. (Zoöl.) A valuable fur-bearing animal of the genus Mustela (M. erminea), allied to the weasel; the stoat. It is found in the northern parts of Asia, Europe, and America. In summer it is brown, but in winter it becomes white, except the tip of the tail, which is always black. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The fur of the ermine, as prepared for ornamenting garments of royalty, etc., by having the tips of the tails, which are black, arranged at regular intervals throughout the white. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. By metonymy, the office or functions of a judge, whose state robe, lined with ermine, is emblematical of purity and honor without stain. Chatham. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Her.) One of the furs. See Fur (Her.) [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Ermine is represented by an argent field, tufted with black. Ermines is the reverse of ermine, being black, spotted or timbered with argent. Erminois is the same as ermine, except that or is substituted for argent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ermine moth (Zoöl.), a white moth with black spots (esp. Yponomeuta padella of Europe); -- so called on account of the resemblance of its covering to the fur of the ermine; also applied to certain white bombycid moths of America. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To clothe with, or as with, ermine. [ 1913 Webster ]

The snows that have ermined it in the winter. Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Clothed or adorned with the fur of the ermine. Pope.

n., n. (Her.) See Note under Ermine, n., 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ F. exterminer. ] To exterminate; to destroy. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To determine or decree beforehand. Bp. Hopkins. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Undetermined. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To intersect or penetrate with mines. [ Obs. ] Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. ménispermine. ] (Chem.) An alkaloid distinct from picrotoxin and obtained from the cocculus indicus (the fruit of Anamirta Cocculus, formerly Menispermum Cocculus) as a white, crystalline, tasteless powder; -- called also menispermina. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Predetermined p. pr. & vb. n. Predermining. ] [ Pref. pre- + determine: cf. F. prédéterminer. ] 1. To determine (something) beforehand. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To doom by previous decree; to foredoom. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To determine beforehand. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the genus Stenoderma, which includes several West Indian and South American nose-leaf bats. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. F. terminer. ] To terminate. [ Obs. ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. terminer to bound, limit, end. See Terminate. ] (Law) A determining; as, in oyer and terminer. See Oyer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To excavate the earth beneath, or the part of, especially for the purpose of causing to fall or be overthrown; to form a mine under; to sap; as, to undermine a wall. [ 1913 Webster ]

A vast rock undermined from one end to the other, and a highway running through it. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: To remove the foundation or support of by clandestine means; to ruin in an underhand way; as, to undermine reputation; to undermine the constitution of the state. [ 1913 Webster ]

He should be warned who are like to undermine him. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]