*modi*

a. [ LL. commodiosus, fr. L. commodum convenience, fr. commodus. See Commode. ] Adapted to its use or purpose, or to wants and necessities; serviceable; spacious and convenient; roomy and comfortable; as, a commodious house. “A commodious drab.” Shak. “Commodious gold.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

The haven was not commodious to winter in. Acts xxvii. 12.

Syn. -- Convenient; suitable; fit; proper; advantageous; serviceable; useful; spacious; comfortable. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a commodious manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

To pass commodiously this life. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. State of being commodious; suitableness for its purpose; convenience; roominess. [ 1913 Webster ]

Of cities, the greatness and riches increase according to the commodiousness of their situation. Sir W. Temple. [ 1913 Webster ]

The commodiousness of the harbor. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Commodities [ F. commodité, fr. L. commoditas. See Commode. ] 1. Convenience; accommodation; profit; benefit; advantage; interest; commodiousness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Drawn by the commodity of a footpath. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Men may seek their own commodity, yet if this were done with injury to others, it was not to be suffered. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which affords convenience, advantage, or profit, especially in commerce, including everything movable that is bought and sold (except animals), -- goods, wares, merchandise, produce of land and manufactures, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A parcel or quantity of goods. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A commodity of brown paper and old ginger. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Inconvenient; troublesome; incommodious. [ R. ] Spenser.

-- Dis`com*mo"di*ous*ly, adv. -- Dis`com*mo"di*ous*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Disadvantage; inconvenience. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) An orange-red crystalline substance, C15H10O5, obtained from the buckthorn, rhubarb, etc., and regarded as a derivative of anthraquinone; -- so called from a species of rhubarb (Rheum emodei). [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL.; cf. Gr. &unr_; ginglymoid. See Ginglymoid. ] (Zool.) An order of ganoid fishes, including the modern gar pikes and many allied fossil forms. They have rhombic, ganoid scales, a heterocercal tail, paired fins without an axis, fulcra on the fins, and a bony skeleton, with the vertebræ convex in front and concave behind, forming a ball and socket joint. See Ganoidel.

a. [ Pref. in- not + commodious: cf. LL. incommodious, L. incommodus, F. incommode. ] Tending to incommode; not commodious; not affording ease or advantage; unsuitable; giving trouble; inconvenient; annoying; as, an incommodious seat; an incommodious arrangement. -- In`com*mo"di*ous*ly, adv. -- In`com*mo"di*ous*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Incommodities [ L. incommoditas: cf. F. incommodité. See Incommodious. ] Inconvenience; trouble; annoyance; disadvantage; encumbrance. [ Archaic ] Bunyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

A great incommodity to the body. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Buried him under a bulk of incommodities. Hawthorne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Arch.) The space between two modillions. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) One of the Laemodipoda. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., from Gr. lai`mos throat + di`s twice + poy`s, podo`s, foot. ] (Zool.) A division of amphipod Crustacea, in which the abdomen is small or rudimentary and the legs are often reduced to five pairs. The whale louse, or Cyamus, and Caprella are examples. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Of or pertaining to the Laemodipoda. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. mamoudis, fr. Hind. mahmūdī a muslin. ] Coarse plain India muslins. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. modicitas; cf. F. modicité. ] Moderateness; smallness; meanness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. modicus moderate, fr. modus. See Mode. ] A little; a small quantity; a measured supply. “Modicums of wit.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her usual modicum of beer and punch. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Capability of being modified; state or quality of being modifiable. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ From Modify. ] Capable of being modified; liable to modification. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Modifiable. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See Modify. ] To qualify. [ Obs. ] Bp. Pearson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. modificatio a measuring: cf. F. modification. See Modify. ] 1. The act of modifying, or the state of being modified; a change; as, the modification of an opinion, or of a machine. Bentley.
Syn. -- change, alteration, adjustment. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Something which has been modified; a modified form or condition; state as modified; as, the various modifications of light; the latest modification of the operating system crashes less frequently.
Syn. -- model{ 8 }. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

3. (Gram.) The alteration of the meaning of a word or phrase by another word or phrase; -- usually a restriction of the scope of the word modified; as, in the phrase “a billion dollars is a relatively small sum to spend on cancer research” the modification of small by relatively is needed to make the sentence accurate, rather than ludicrous. [ PJC ]

n. That which modifies or qualifies, as a word or clause. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending or serving to modify; modifying. Max Müller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, modifies. Hume. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) A word or phrase that modifies another word, phrase, or sentence, usually by limiting the scope or restricting the meaning of the sentence element modified. [ PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Modified p. pr. & vb. n. Modifying ] [ F. modifier, L. modificare, modificari; modus limit + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See Mode, and -fy. ] 1. To change somewhat the form or qualities of; to change a part of something while leaving most parts unchanged; to alter somewhat; as, to modify a contrivance adapted to some mechanical purpose; to modify the terms of a contract. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To limit or reduce in extent or degree; to moderate; to qualify; to lower. [ 1913 Webster ]

Of his grace
He modifies his first severe decree. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. modillon, It. modiglione. Cf. Module, n. ] (Arch.) The enriched block or horizontal bracket generally found under the cornice of the Corinthian and Composite entablature, and sometimes, less ornamented, in the Ionic and other orders; -- so called because of its arrangement at regulated distances. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. modiolus, dim. of modius the Roman corn measure. ] Shaped like a bushel measure. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Modioli [ L., a small measure. ] (Anat.) The central column in the osseous cochlea of the ear. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. According to the mode, or customary manner; conformed to the fashion; fashionable; hence, conventional; as, a modish dress; a modish feast. Dryden. “Modish forms of address.” Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Mod"ish*ly, adv. -- Mod"ish*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who follows the fashion. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. See Mode; cf. Modist. ] One, esp. a woman, who makes, or deals in, articles of fashion, esp. of the fashionable dress of ladies; a dress-maker or milliner. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n.; pl. Modii [ L. ] (Rom. Antiq.) A dry measure, containing about a peck. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Biol.) Of or pertaining to, or like, a plasmodium; as, the plasmodial form of a life cycle. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Plasmodia [ NL. See Plasma. ] 1. (Biol.) A jellylike mass of free protoplasm, without any union of amœboid cells, and endowed with life and power of motion. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A naked mobile mass of protoplasm, formed by the union of several amœbalike young, and constituting one of the stages in the life cycle of Mycetozoa and other low organisms. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. psalmodique. ] Relating to psalmody. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who sings sacred songs; a psalmist. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To practice psalmody. “ The psalmodizing art.” J. G. Cooper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of remodifying; the state of being remodified. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To modify again or anew; to reshape. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) A medicine for spasm. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; &unr_; a convulsion + &unr_; likeness: cf. F. spasmotique. ] 1. (Med.) Of or pertaining to spasm; consisting in spasm; occuring in, or characterized by, spasms; as, a spasmodic asthma. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Soon relaxed or exhausted; convulsive; intermittent; as, spasmodic zeal or industry. [ 1913 Webster ]

Spasmodic croup (Med.), an affection of childhood characterized by a stoppage of brathing developed suddenly and without fever, and produced by spasmodic contraction of the vocal cords. It is sometimes fatal. Called also laryngismus stridulus, and childcrowing. --
Spasmodic stricture, a stricture caused by muscular spasm without structural change. See Organic stricture, under Organic. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Same as Spasmodic, a. -- Spas*mod"ic*al*ly adv. [1913 Webster]

n. [ G., fr. Gr. &unr_; heat. ] (Pharm.) A white crystalline substance derived from urethane, used in medicine as an antipyretic, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]