*il*

n. [ The proper name used as an appellative. ] A lady's waiting-maid. Pepys. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her abigail reported that Mrs. Gutheridge had a set of night curls for sleeping in. Leslie. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Habiliment. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Abilities [ F. habileté, earlier spelling habilité (with silent h), L. habilitas aptitude, ability, fr. habilis apt. See Able. ] The quality or state of being able; power to perform, whether physical, moral, intellectual, conventional, or legal; capacity; skill or competence in doing; sufficiency of strength, skill, resources, etc.; -- in the plural, faculty, talent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief unto the brethren. Acts xi. 29. [ 1913 Webster ]

Natural abilities are like natural plants, that need pruning by study. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

The public men of England, with much of a peculiar kind of ability. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Capacity; talent; cleverness; faculty; capability; efficiency; aptitude; aptness; address; dexterity; skill. Ability, Capacity. These words come into comparison when applied to the higher intellectual powers. Ability has reference to the active exercise of our faculties. It implies not only native vigor of mind, but that ease and promptitude of execution which arise from mental training. Thus, we speak of the ability with which a book is written, an argument maintained, a negotiation carried on, etc. It always something to be done, and the power of doing it. Capacity has reference to the receptive powers. In its higher exercises it supposes great quickness of apprehension and breadth of intellect, with an uncommon aptitude for acquiring and retaining knowledge. Hence it carries with it the idea of resources and undeveloped power. Thus we speak of the extraordinary capacity of such men as Lord Bacon, Blaise Pascal, and Edmund Burke. “Capacity, ” says H. Taylor, “is requisite to devise, and ability to execute, a great enterprise.” The word abilities, in the plural, embraces both these qualities, and denotes high mental endowments. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being absorbable. Graham (Chemistry). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Ar. aubūtīlūn. ] (Bot.) A genus of malvaceous plants of many species, found in the torrid and temperate zones of both continents; -- called also Indian mallow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Capacity of being kindled, or of becoming inflamed; inflammability. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. acceptabilitas. ] The quality of being acceptable; acceptableness. “Acceptability of repentance.” Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. acceptilatio entry of a debt collected, acquittance, fr. p. p. of accipere (cf. Accept) + latio a carrying, fr. latus, p. p. of ferre to carry: cf. F. acceptilation. ] (Civil Law) Gratuitous discharge; a release from debt or obligation without payment; free remission. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the manner of an accessary. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. accessibilitas: cf. F. accessibilité. ] The quality of being accessible, or of admitting approach; receptibility. Langhorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the manner of an accessory; auxiliary. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ OE. acoillir to receive, F. accueillir; L. ad + colligere to collect. See Coil. ] 1. To gather together; to collect. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Naut.) To coil together. Ham. Nav. Encyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being accountable; liability to be called on to render an account; the obligation to bear the consequences for failure to perform as expected; accountableness. “The awful idea of accountability.” R. Hall.
Syn. -- answerability, answerableness [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Customarily. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Acetyl + anilide. ] (Med., Chem.) An amide formed from aniline and an acetyl group (C6H5.NH.CO.CH3); it is a white crystalline compound used as an analgesic and also as an antipyretic. It has molecular weight 135.16. [ Written also acetanilid ] AS
Syn. -- phenylacetamide, N-phenylacetamide, antifebrin, antifebrine, acetylaminobenzene, acetylaniline [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 + AS ]

n. 1. 1 the possibility of being achieved or accomplished; -- a property which may be possessed by a contemplated act.
Syn. -- attainability, attainableness [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Resembling Achilles, the hero of the Iliad; invincible. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a mythical Greek hero of the Iliad; a foremost Greek warrior at the seige of Troy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L. Achillis tendo. ] (Anat.) The strong tendon formed of the united tendons of the large muscles in the calf of the leg, an inserted into the bone of the heel; -- so called from the mythological account of Achilles being held by the heel when dipped in the River Styx. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; lip. ] (Bot.) Without a lip. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 growing well in an acid medium; said of some bacteria
Syn. -- aciduric [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. [ Prefix a- + cock + bill: with bills cocked up. ] (Naut.) (a) Hanging at the cathead, ready to let go, as an anchor. (b) Topped up; having one yardarm higher than the other. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being acquirable; attainableness. [ R. ] Paley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a strong soft crease-resistant fabric. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. a colorless liquid compound (H2C:CH.CN); used as raw material for acrylic fibers, and as a solvent.
Syn. -- vinyl cyanide, cyanoethylene, 2-propenenitrile [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

a. [ L. acutus sharp + E. lobe. ] (Bot.) Having acute lobes, as some leaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. The quality of being adaptable; suitableness. “General adaptability for every purpose.” Farrar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quantity of being addible; capability of addition. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Sp. ] A Spanish red wine made of the first ripe grapes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Affiliated. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Affiliation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. ad- + maxillary. ] (Anat.) Near to the maxilla or jawbone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. admirabilitac. ] Admirableness. [ R. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. admissibilité. ] The quality of being admissible; admissibleness; as, the admissibility of evidence. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. adnubilatus, p. p. of adnubilare. ] Clouded; obscured. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a California herb (Fritillaria pluriflora) with pinkish purple flowers.
Syn. -- adobe lily, pink fritillary, Fritillaria pluriflora [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. Adorableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Trade name. ] 1. a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicine used to relieve the pain of arthritis and as an analgesic and antipyretic; Advil and Motrin and Nuprin are trademarks of brands of ibuprofen tablets.
Syn. -- ibuprofen, isobutylphenyl propionic acid, Motrin, Nuprin [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The quality of being advisable; advisableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aedilis, fr. aedes temple, public building. Cf. Edify. ] A magistrate in ancient Rome, who had the superintendence of public buildings, highways, shows, etc.; hence, a municipal officer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office of an ædile. T. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aegilopis, Gr. a'igi`lwps, fr. a'i`x, gen. a'igo`s, goat + 'w`ps eye. ] 1. (Med.) An ulcer or fistula in the inner corner of the eye. [ Written also egilops ] AS [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) (a) The great wild-oat grass or other cornfield weed. Crabb. (b) [ capitalized ] A genus of plants, called also hardgrass. [ Written also egilops ] [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

‖ [ F., shaded enamel. ] (Fine Arts) An art or process of flooding transparent colored glaze over designs stamped or molded on earthenware or porcelain. Ure. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ L. aeolipilae; Aeolus god of the winds + pila a ball, or Gr. &unr_; gate (i. e., doorway of Æolus); cf. F. éolipyle. ] An apparatus consisting chiefly of a closed vessel (as a globe or cylinder) with one or more projecting bent tubes, through which steam is made to pass from the vessel, causing it to revolve. [ Written also eolipile. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Such an apparatus was first described by Hero of Alexandria about 200 years b. c. It has often been called the first steam engine. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (a) A stretched wire or rope elevated above the ground and forming a way along which a trolley may travel, for conveying a load suspended from the trolley. (b) An elevated cableway. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Aëro- + foil. ] A plane or arched surface for sustaining bodies by its movement through the air; a spread wing, as of a bird. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ L. affabilitas: cf. F. affabilité. ] The quality of being affable; readiness to converse; courteousness in receiving others and in conversation; complaisant behavior. [ 1913 Webster ]

Affability is of a wonderful efficacy or power in procuring love. Elyot [ 1913 Webster ]

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