*val*

a. [ L. acervalis, fr. acervus heap. ] Pertaining to a heap. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ F., lit., on horseback. ] Astride; with a part on each side; -- used specif. in designating the position of an army with the wings separated by some line of demarcation, as a river or road. [ 1913 Webster ]

A position à cheval on a river is not one which a general willingly assumes. Swinton. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

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 ]

‖ [ L., according to the value. ] (Com.) A term used to denote a duty or charge laid upon goods, at a certain rate per cent upon their value, as stated in their invoice, -- in opposition to a specific sum upon a given quantity or number; as, an ad valorem duty of twenty per cent. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. aestivalis, aestivus, fr. aestas summer. ] Of or belonging to the summer; as, æstival diseases. [ Spelt also estival. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. mixed feelings or emotions; uncertainty or vacillation in making a choice. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

2. (Psychol.) the simultaneous existence within a person of both positive and negative feelings toward another person or action, or toward an object (as of attraction and revulsion), resulting in internal conflict. [ PJC ]

adj. 1. 1 undecided as to whether or not to take a proposed course of action; having feelings both for and against the proposed action.
Syn. -- on the fence(predicate), suspensive, uncertain [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Approbation; sanction. [ 1913 Webster ]

A censor . . . without whose approval n&unr_; capital sentences are to be executed. Temple. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- See Approbation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or contained in, archives or records. Tooke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Arrive. ] 1. The act of arriving, or coming; the act of reaching a place from a distance, whether by water (as in its original sense) or by land. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our watchmen from the towers, with longing eyes,
Expect his swift arrival. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The attainment or reaching of any object, by effort, or in natural course; as, our arrival at this conclusion was wholly unexpected. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The person or thing arriving or which has arrived; as, news brought by the last arrival. [ 1913 Webster ]

Another arrival still more important was speedily announced. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An approach. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The house has a corner arrival. H. Walpole. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ W. arwyl funeral; ar over + wylo to weep, or cf. arföl; Icel. arfr inheritance + Sw. öl ale. Cf. Bridal. ] A funeral feast. [ North of Eng. ] Grose. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. avalanche, fr. avaler to descend, to let down, from aval down, downward; &unr_; (L. ad) + val, L. vallis, valley. See Valley. ] 1. A large mass or body of snow and ice sliding swiftly down a mountain side, or falling down a precipice. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fall of earth, rocks, etc., similar to that of an avalanche of snow or ice. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A sudden, great, or irresistible descent or influx of anything. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ F. avaler to descend, to let down. See Avalanche. ] 1. To cause to descend; to lower; to let fall; to doff. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To bring low; to abase. [ Obs. ] Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (v. i.) To descend; to fall; to dismount. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And from their sweaty courses did avale. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) The quality of being bivalent. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. bis twice + valens, p. pr. See Valence. ] (Chem.) Equivalent in combining or displacing power to two atoms of hydrogen; dyad. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. bivalve; bi- (L. bis) + valve valve. ] 1. (Zool.) A mollusk having a shell consisting of two lateral plates or valves joined together by an elastic ligament at the hinge, which is usually strengthened by prominences called teeth. The shell is closed by the contraction of two transverse muscles attached to the inner surface, as in the clam, -- or by one, as in the oyster. See Mollusca. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) A pericarp in which the seed case opens or splits into two parts or valves. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + valve. ] (Zool. & Bot.) Having two shells or valves which open and shut, as the oyster and certain seed vessels. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having two valves, as the oyster and some seed pods; bivalve. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Bivalvular. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having two valves. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Mach.) See Snifting valve. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a genus of herbs or woody vines of mainly American tropics and subtropics.
Syn. -- genus Canavalia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ It. carnevale, prob. for older carnelevale, prop., the putting away of meat; fr. L. caro, carnis, flesh + levare to take away, lift up, fr. levis light. ] 1. A festival celebrated with merriment and revelry in Roman Catholic countries during the week before Lent, esp. at Rome and Naples, during a few days (three to ten) before Lent, ending with Shrove Tuesday. [ 1913 Webster ]

The carnival at Venice is everywhere talked of. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any merrymaking, feasting, or masquerading, especially when overstepping the bounds of decorum; a time of riotous excess. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

He saw the lean dogs beneath the wall
Hold o'er the dead their carnival Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Math.) See under Oval. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. cavalcade, fr. It. cavalcata, fr. cavalcare to go on horseback, fr. LL. caballicare, fr. L. caballus an inferior horse, Gr. &unr_;. Cf. Cavalier, Cavalry. ] A procession of persons on horseback; a formal, pompous march of horsemen by way of parade. [ 1913 Webster ]

He brought back war-worn cavalcade to the city. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. cavalier, It. cavaliere, LL. caballarius, fr. L. caballus. See Cavalcade, and cf. Chevalier, Caballine. ] 1. A military man serving on horseback; a knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A gay, sprightly, military man; hence, a gallant. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One of the court party in the time of king Charles I. as contrasted with a Roundhead or an adherent of Parliament. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Fort.) A work of more than ordinary height, rising from the level ground of a bastion, etc., and overlooking surrounding parts. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. offhand; unceremonious; gay; easy; frank. Opposed to serious. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

The plodding, persevering scupulous accuracy of the one, and the easy, cavalier, verbal fluency of the other, form a complete contrast. Hazlitt. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. High-spirited. [ Obs. ] “The people are naturally not valiant, and not much cavalier.” Suckling. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Supercilious; haughty; disdainful; curt; brusque. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Of or pertaining to the party of King Charles I. “An old Cavalier family.” Beaconsfield. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Somewhat like a cavalier. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The practice or principles of cavaliers. Sir. W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a supercilious, disdainful, or haughty manner; arrogantly. Junius. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A disdainful manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Sp. caballero. See Cavalier. ] A cavalier; a gallant; a libertine. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Pg. cavalla a kind of fish; Sp. caballa; prob. fr. Pg. cavallo horse, Sp. caballa. ] (Zool.) A carangoid fish of the Atlantic coast (Caranx hippos): -- called also horse crevallé. [ See Illust. under Carangoid. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. cavalerie, fr. It. cavalleria. See Cavalier, and cf. chivalry. ] (Mil.) That part of military force which serves on horseback. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Heavy cavalry and light cavalry are so distinguished by the character of their armament, and by the size of the men and horses. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Cavalrymen One of a body of cavalry. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a stout sword with a curved blade and thick back.
Syn. -- saber, sabre. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n.; pl. Chevaux [ F. See Cavalcade. ] A horse; hence, a support or frame. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cheval glass, a mirror swinging in a frame, and large enough to reflect the full length figure. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; commonly used in the pl. Chevaux-de-frise. [ F.; cheval horse + Frise Friesland, where it was first used. ] (Mil.) A piece of timber or an iron barrel traversed with iron-pointed spikes or spears, five or six feet long, used to defend a passage, stop a breach, or impede the advance of cavalry, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Obstructions of chain, boom, and cheval-de-frise. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. LL. caballarius. See Cavaller. ] 1. A horseman; a knight; a gallant young man. “Mount, chevaliers; to arms.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A member of certain orders of knighthood. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖Chevalier d'industrie ety>[ F. ], one who lives by persevering fraud; a pickpocket; a sharper. --
The Chevalier St. George (Eng. Hist.), James Francis Edward Stuart (son of James II.), called “The Pretender.” --
The Young Chevalier, Charles Edward Stuart, son of the Chevalier St. George. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Chivalry. ] Relating to chivalry; knightly; chivalrous. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OF. chevalerus, chevalereus, fr. chevalier. See Chivalry. ] Pertaining to chivalry or knight-errantry; warlike; heroic; gallant; high-spirited; high-minded; magnanimous. [ 1913 Webster ]

In brave pursuit of chivalrous emprise. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a chivalrous manner; gallantly; magnanimously. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. chevalerie, fr. chevalier knight, OF., horseman. See Chevalier, and cf. Cavalry. ] 1. A body or order of cavaliers or knights serving on horseback; illustrious warriors, collectively; cavalry. “His Memphian chivalry.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

By his light
Did all the chivalry of England move,
To do brave acts. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The dignity or system of knighthood; the spirit, usages, or manners of knighthood; the practice of knight-errantry. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The qualifications or character of knights, as valor, dexterity in arms, courtesy, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

The glory of our Troy this day doth lie
On his fair worth and single chivalry. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Eng. Law) A tenure of lands by knight's service; that is, by the condition of a knight's performing service on horseback, or of performing some noble or military service to his lord. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Exploit. [ Obs. ] Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

Court of chivalry, a court formerly held before the lord high constable and earl marshal of England as judges, having cognizance of contracts and other matters relating to deeds of arms and war. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. circumvallatus, p. p. of circumvallare to surround with a wall; circum + vallare to wall, fr. vallum rampart. ] To surround with a rampart or wall. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Surrounded with a wall; inclosed with a rampart. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Anat.) Surrounded by a ridge or elevation; as, the circumvallate papillæ, near the base of the tongue. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mil.) (a) The act of surrounding with a wall or rampart. (b) A line of field works made around a besieged place and the besieging army, to protect the camp of the besiegers against the attack of an enemy from without. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. coaevus; co- + aevum lifetime, age. See Age, n. ] Of the same age; existing during the same period of time, especially time long and remote; -- usually followed by with. [ 1913 Webster ]

Silence! coeval with eternity! Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Oaks coeval spread a mournful shade. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]