-perfecting-

a. [ L. imperfectus: pref. im- not + perfectus perfect: cf. F imparfait, whence OE. imparfit. See Perfect. ] 1. Not perfect; not complete in all its parts; wanting a part; deective; deficient. [ 1913 Webster ]

Something he left imperfect in the state. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Why, then, your other senses grow imperfect. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Wanting in some elementary organ that is essential to successful or normal activity. [ 1913 Webster ]

He . . . stammered like a child, or an amazed, imperfect person. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not fulfilling its design; not realizing an ideal; not conformed to a standard or rule; not satisfying the taste or conscience; esthetically or morally defective. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nothing imperfect or deficient left
Of all that he created. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then say not man's imperfect, Heaven in fault;
Say rather, man's as perfect as he ought. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Imperfect arch, an arch of less than a semicircle; a skew arch. --
Imperfect cadence (Mus.), one not ending with the tonic, but with the dominant or some other chord; one not giving complete rest; a half close. --
Imperfect consonances (Mus.), chords like the third and sixth, whose ratios are less simple than those of the fifth and forth. --
Imperfect flower (Bot.), a flower wanting either stamens or pistils. Gray. --
Imperfect interval (Mus.), one a semitone less than perfect; as, an imperfect fifth. --
Imperfect number (Math.), a number either greater or less than the sum of its several divisors; in the former case, it is called also a defective number; in the latter, an abundant number. --
Imperfect obligations (Law), obligations as of charity or gratitude, which cannot be enforced by law. --
Imperfect power (Math.), a number which can not be produced by taking any whole number or vulgar fraction, as a factor, the number of times indicated by the power; thus, 9 is a perfect square, but an imperfect cube. --
Imperfect tense (Gram.), a tense expressing past time and incomplete action. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Gram.) The imperfect tense; or the form of a verb denoting the imperfect tense. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make imperfect. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

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

a. Incapable of being made perfect. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. imperfectio: cf. F. imperfection. See Imperfect, a. ] The quality or condition of being imperfect; lack of perfection; incompleteness; deficiency; fault or blemish. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sent to my account
With all my imperfections on my head. Shak.

Syn. -- Defect; deficiency; incompleteness; fault; failing; weakness; frailty; foible; blemish; vice. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being imperfect. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. correct to the last detail; especially being in or following the exact words; as, a letter-perfect rendition of the soliloquy.
Syn. -- word-perfect. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Perfected; p. pr. & vb. n. Perfecting. ] [ L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere. See Perfect, a. ] To make perfect; to finish or complete, so as to leave nothing wanting; to give to anything all that is requisite to its nature and kind. [ 1913 Webster ]

God dwelleth in us, and his love is perfect in us. 1 John iv. 12. [ 1913 Webster ]

Inquire into the nature and properties of the things, . . . and thereby perfect our ideas of their distinct species. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Perfecting press (Print.), a press in which the printing on both sides of the paper is completed in one passage through the machine. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To finish; accomplish; complete; consummate. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ OE. parfit, OF. parfit, parfet, parfait, F. parfait, L. perfectus, p. p. of perficere to carry to the end, to perform, finish, perfect; per (see Per-) + facere to make, do. See Fact. ] 1. Brought to consummation or completeness; completed; not defective nor redundant; having all the properties or qualities requisite to its nature and kind; without flaw, fault, or blemish; without error; mature; whole; pure; sound; right; correct. [ 1913 Webster ]

My strength is made perfect in weakness. 2 Cor. xii. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

Three glorious suns, each one a perfect sun. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

I fear I am not in my perfect mind. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

O most entire perfect sacrifice! Keble. [ 1913 Webster ]

God made thee perfect, not immutable. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Well informed; certain; sure. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am perfect that the Pannonians are now in arms. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Bot.) Hermaphrodite; having both stamens and pistils; -- said of a flower. [ 1913 Webster ]

Perfect cadence (Mus.), a complete and satisfactory close in the harmony, as upon the tonic preceded by the dominant. --
Perfect chord (Mus.), a concord or union of sounds which is perfectly coalescent and agreeable to the ear, as the unison, octave, fifth, and fourth; a perfect consonance; a common chord in its original position of keynote, third, fifth, and octave. --
Perfect number (Arith.), a number equal to the sum of all its divisors; as, 28, whose aliquot parts, or divisors, are 14, 7, 4, 2, 1. See Abundant number, under Abundant. Brande & C. --
Perfect tense (Gram.), a tense which expresses an act or state completed; also called the perfective tense. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Finished; consummate; complete; entire; faultless; blameless; unblemished. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The perfect tense, or a form in that tense. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The capability of becoming perfect; as, he believes in the ultimate perfectability of man; -- usually spelled perfectibility. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. Brought into final form; completely formed; -- of plans, ideas, etc. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. Refined to a state of excellence; -- of e.g. skills or the products of skills.
Syn. -- finished. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One who, or that which, makes perfect. “The . . . perfecter of our faith.” Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A perfectionist. [ R. ] Ed. Rev. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A perfectionist. See also Illuminati, 2. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. perfectibilité. ] The quality or state of being perfectible. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. perfectible. ] Capable of becoming, or being made, perfect. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. perfection, L. perfectio. ] 1. The quality or state of being perfect or complete, so that nothing requisite is wanting; entire development; consummate culture, skill, or moral excellence; the highest attainable state or degree of excellence; maturity; as, perfection in an art, in a science, or in a system; perfection in form or degree; fruits in perfection. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A quality, endowment, or acquirement completely excellent; an ideal faultlessness; especially, the divine attribute of complete excellence. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

What tongue can her perfections tell? Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

To perfection, in the highest degree of excellence; perfectly; as, to imitate a model to perfection. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To perfect. [ Obs. ] Foote. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to perfection; characterized by perfection. [ R. ] Bp. Pearson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To perfect. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The doctrine of the Perfectionists. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A personal attitude which demands perfection in the results of actions. [ PJC ]

n. 1. One pretending to perfection; esp., one pretending to moral perfection; one who believes that persons may and do attain to moral perfection and sinlessness in this life. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A person who insists on perfect results from himself or from others, in any endeavor. [ PJC ]

n. [ Cf. F. perfectionnement. ] The act of bringing to perfection, or the state of having attained to perfection. [ R. ] I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Tending or conducing to make perfect, or to bring to perfection; -- usually followed by of. “A perfective alteration.” Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

Actions perfective of their natures. Ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) Denoting an aspect of verbs which indicates completion of an action, and is sometimes explicitly marked in verbal inflection, as in the Russian language; as, the perfective form of a verb. The use of a perfective form rather than the simple past indicates reference to a completed event, rather than to a process that took place in the past. [ PJC ]

n. 1. (Gram.) The perfective case or aspect. [ PJC ]

2. (Gram.) A verb in the perfective case or aspect. [ PJC ]

adv. In a perfective manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a perfect manner or degree; in or to perfection; completely; wholly; thoroughly; faultlessly. “Perfectly divine.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

As many as touched were made perfectly whole. Matt. xiv. 36. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being perfect; perfection. “Charity, which is the bond of perfectness.” Col. iii. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. plus more + perfectus perfect; cf. F. plus-que-parfait, L. plusquamperfectum. ] More than perfect; past perfect; -- said of the tense which denotes that an action or event was completed at or before the time of another past action or event. -- n. The pluperfect tense; also, a verb in the pluperfect tense. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. [ Pref. preter- + imperfect. ] (Gram.) Old name of the tense also called imperfect. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. [ Pref. preter- + perfect. ] (Gram.) Old name of the tense also called preterit. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. & n. [ Pref. preter- + pluperfect. ] (Gram.) Old name of the tense also called pluperfect. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + perfect. ] To mar or destroy the perfection of. [ Obs. ] Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. un- + perfect. ] Imperfect. [ Obs. ] Holland. -- Un*per"fect*ly, adv. [Obs.] Hales. -- Un*per"fect*ness, n. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]