The Merriam-Webster Dictionary [Revised] 978-0-87779-930-6

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Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate" Dictionary, Eleventh Edition

The

MerriamWebster Dictionary;

NEW EDITION I

new words

I

2,000

I

Clear and precise

Over 75,000 definitions

The

MerriamWebster Dictionary

The

MerriamWebster Dictionary

Merriam-Webster, Incorporated Springfield, Massachusetts

A GENUINE MERRIAM-WEBSTER The name Webster alone is no guarantee of excellence. It is used by a number of publishers and may serve mainly to mislead an unwary buyer. is the name you should look for when you consider the purchase of dictionaries or other fine reference books. It carries the reputation of a company that has been publishing since 1831 and is your assurance of quality and authority.

Merriam-Webster™

Copyright

©

2004 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated

ISBN-13: 978-0-87779-930-6 ISBN-10: 0-87779-930-X

No part of this work covered by the copyrights hereon may be reproduced or copied in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems—without written permission of the publisher.

All rights reserved.

MADE IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1314151617

DFC:QWB

090807

PREFACE This new edition of The Merriam-Webster Dictionary is the sixth in a line of Merriam-Webster paperback dictionaries which began in 1947. It is based on and preserves the best aspects of preceding editions, but it also offers much that is new, drawing specifically on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition. Every entry and every section has in light of the most current information available. Definitions have been based on examples of actual use found in the Merriam-Webster citation files, which now contain more than 15,000,000 examples of English words in context from a wide range of printed sources, and more than 75 million words available through electronic searching. The editors of this book have created it with the same careful, serious attention that has gone into every

been reexamined and revised

Merriam-Webster dictionary.

The 65,000 entries in this dictionary give coverage to the most frequently used words in the language. The heart of the dictionary is the A-Z vocabulary section, where readers will find information about meaning, spelling, pronunciation, etymology, and synonyms. This section is followed by others that users have long found useful: the section Foreign Words and Phrases covers words and phrases from other languages that often occur in English texts but have not become part of the English vocabulary; the section Biographical Names identifies individuals from history and contemporary culture, as well as biblical, legendary, and mythological characters; the section Geographical Names identifies places of importance in the United States and the world, along with current population figures.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary has been created by a company that has been publishing dictionaries for more than 150 years. It has been edited by an experienced staff of lexicographers, who believe it will serve well those who want a concise and handy guide to the English language of today.

EDITORIAL STAFF Editor in Chief

Frederick C. Mish Director of Editorial Operations

Director of Defining

Madeline L. Novak

Stephen

J.

Perrault

Senior Editors

Joanne M. Despres James G. Lowe Roger W. Pease, Jr. James L. Rader

Robert D. Copeland

Associate Editors Susan L. Brady Rebecca R. Bryer Kathleen M. Doherty Anne Eason Joshua S. Guenter Daniel J. Hopkins Joan I. Narmontas Thomas F. Pitoniak Donna L. Rickerby Michael D. Roundy Maria Sansalone Peter A. Sokolowski Deanna M. Stathis Michael G. Belanger

Karen

Linda Picard

L. Wilkinson

Wood

Assistant Editors

Rose Martino Bigelow Daniel B. Brandon Emily A. Brewster Diane Caswell Christian Jennifer N. Cislo Christopher C. Connor Penny L. Couillard Allison S. Crawford Ilya A. Davidovich Benjamin T. Korzec Adrienne M. Scholz Neil S. Serven Kory L. Stamper Emily A. Vezina Judy Yeh Electronic Product Development

Gerald L. Wick (director)

Michael G. Guzzi (manager)

Elizabeth

S.

Wolf

General Reference

Mark

A. Stevens (director)

C.

Roger Davis

Jocelyn White Franklin Librarian

Francine A. Roberts

Departmental Secretary Georgette B. Boucher Clerical and Data-Entry Staff Veronica P. McLymont (head of data entry) Carol A. Fugiel (senior clerk) Mary M. Dunn Florence A. Fowler Patricia M. Jensen E. Louise Johnson

Merriam-Webster, Incorporated John M. Morse, President and Publisher

EXPLANATORY NOTES The dictionary contains so much information, that it is necessary to condense much of it to accommodate the limitations of the printed page. This section provides information on the conventions used throughout the dictionary, from the styling of entries and pronunciation to how we present information on usage and meaning. An understanding of the information contained in these notes

and more rewarding to

make

will

the dictionary both easier

use.

ENTRIES A

boldface letter or a combination of letters, including punctuation marks and diacritics where needed, that is set flush with the left-hand margin of each column of type is a main entry. The main entry may consist of letters set solid, of letters joined by a hyphen or a diagonal, or of letters separated by one or more spaces:

such

alone adj avant-garde n and/or conj assembly language av*a*Ianche n .

.

.

.

.

•

another

Occasionally the last printed entry is not the alphabetically last entry. On page 171, for example, cropper is the last main entry, but cropping, an in-

form

at crop,

is

the alphabeti-

and is therefore the second guide word. The alphabetical-

cally last entry

.

.

.

.

.

n

.

The material in lightface type that follows each main entry on the same line and on succeeding, indented lines presents information about the main entry.

The main

animosity

flected

.

are usually the al-

and the alphabetion the page:

first

cally last entries

.

.

.

The guide words phabetically

one another order letter by letter: bill of attainder follows billion; Day of Atonement follows daylight saving time. Those containing an Arabic numeral are alphabetized as if the numeral were spelled out: 4-H comes beentries follow

in alphabetical

tween fourfold and Four Hundred; 3-D comes between three and three-dimensional. Those that often begin with the abbreviation St. in common usage have the abbreviation spelled out: Saint Valentine's Day. Main entries

Mc

that begin with are alphabetized just as they are spelled.

A pair of guide words is printed at the top of each page. These indicate that the entries falling alphabetically between the words at the top of the outer column of each page are found on that page.

entry is not used, however, if it follows alphabetically the first guide the succeeding page. Thus on page 209 distressful is not a guide word because it follows alphabetically the entry distress which is the first guide word on page 210. Any boldface word a main entry ly last

word on

—

with definition, a variant, an inflected form, a defined or undefined run-on, or a run-in entry may be used as a guide word. When one main entry has exactly the

—

same written form

as another, the two are distinguished by superscript nu-

merals preceding each word: melt vb melt n 1 pine n 2 pine vb 1

.

.

.

.

.

.

2

Full words come before parts of words made up of the same letters; solid compounds come before hyphenated compounds: hyphenated compounds come before open compounds; and lowercase entries come

before those with an

initial capital:

Explanatory Notes 2

viii

used according to personal inclina-

super n

super-

.

.

.

run-down run

down

dutch Dutch

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

n adj

ocher or ochre

two variants joined by or are out of alphabetical order, they remain equal variants. The one printed first is, how-

vb

If

adv

.

.

.

tion:

prefix

.

run. down

n

.

The centered dots within entry words indicate division points at which a hyphen may be put at the end of a line of print or writing. Thus the noun cap>puc*cUno may be ended on one line and continued on the next in this

manner: cap-

puccino cappuccino

cappucci-

no

Centered dots are not shown after a single initial letter or before a single

terminal letter because typesetters dom cut off a single letter:

abyss

.

flighty

idea

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

2

3

1

2

sig*nal

n adj

n

.

.

.

n

signal vb signal adj but

min*ute mi-nute

the

second: 1

plow or plough

When the

another spelling

is

main entry by the word

joined to also, the

is a secondary variant and occurs less frequently than the first:

spelling after also

absinthe also absinth

Secondary variants belong to standard usage and may be used according to personal inclination. Once the word also is used to signal a secondary variant, all following secondary variants are joined by or.

sel-

Nor are they usually shown at the second and succeeding homographs unless they differ among themselves: 1

more common than

ever, slightly

2

wool«ly also wool-ie or wooly

Variants whose spelling puts them alphabetically more than a column away from the main entry are entered at their own alphabetical places as well as at the main entry:

2gage var of gauge 1

gauge

also

gage

Variants having a usage label appear only at their own alphabetical places:

.

.

.

.

.

.

n adj

There are acceptable alternative end-of-line divisions just as there are acceptable variant spellings and pronunciations, but no more than one division is shown for any entry in this dictionary. double hyphen at the end of a line in this dictionary (as in the definition at cod) stands for a hyphen that is retained when the word is written as a unit on one line. This kind of fixed hy-

A

phen is always represented in boldface words in this dictionary with an en dash, longer than an ordinary hyphen. When a main entry is followed by the word or and another spelling, the two spellings are equal variants. Both are standard, and either one may be

me.tre

.

.

To show

.

chiefly Brit var

of meter

the stylings that are found for English compounds would require space that can be better used for other information. So this dictionary limits itself to a single styling for a compound: all

peace-mak-er pell-mell

boom box When a compound

is

widely used and

one styling predominates, that is shown. When a compound

styling

is unthe evidence indicates that two or three stylings are approximately equal in frequency, the styling shown is based on the comparison of other similar compounds. A main entry may be followed by

common

or

when

Explanatory Notes

IX

one or more derivatives or by a ho-

mograph with a

different functional

These are run-on entries. Each introduced by a long dash and each has a functional label. They are not defined, however, since their meanings are readily understood from the meaning of the root word: label. is

aaj ... — fear-less-ly — fear.less.ness n — hiccup vb hie- cup n

fear- less

.

.

.

.

.

adv

.

.

.

.

this sort are run on entry defining the first major word in the phrase. When there are variants, however, the run-on appears at the entry defining the first major invariable word in the phrase:

Defined phrases of

at the

1

n seed to seed 1 .

.

.

.

— go to seed or run

Boldface words that appear within parentheses (as co-ca at co.caine and jet engine and jet propulsion at jetpropelled) are run-in entries. Attention is called to the definition of vocabulary entry on page 811. The term dictionary entry includes all vocabulary entries as well as all boldface

A main entry may be followed by one or more phrases containing the entry word or an inflected form of it. These are also run-on entries. Each is introduced by a long dash but there is no functional label. They are, howev- entries in the back sections headed "Foreign Words Phrases," "Bioer, defined since their meanings are more than the sum of the meanings of graphical Names," and "Geographical Names." their elements:

&

iset 1

.

hand

vb

.

.

.

— set sail .

:

— at hand

.

.

:

.

.

.

PRONUNCIATION The matter between a

pair of reversed slashes \ \ following the entry word indicates the pronunciation. The symbols used are explained in the chart at the end of this section. hyphen is used in the pronunciation to show syllabic division. These hyphens sometimes' coincide with the centered dots in the entry word that indicate end-of-line division:

A

ab.sen-tee \,ab-S3n-'te\

Sometimes they do

high-set

mark

'

indicates major

(primary) stress or accent; a low-set mark indicates minor (secondary) stress or accent: ,

heartbeat

other: apri-cot Va-pra-.kat, 'a-\ for.head Vfor-ad, 'f6r-,hed\

Symbols enclosed by parentheses

not:

met-ric \'me-trik\

A

speakers pronounce words the same way. A second-place variant is not to be regarded as less acceptable than the pronunciation that is given first. It may, in fact, be used by as many educated speakers as the first variant, but the requirements of the printed page are such that one must precede the

represent elements that are present in the pronunciation of some speakers but are absent from the pronunciation of other speakers, or elements that are present in some but absent from other utterances of the same speaker:

\'hart-,bet\ 1

The

mark

stands at the beginning of the syllable that receives the stress

stress.

A

syllable with neither a high-set mark nor a low-set mark is unstressed: 1

Thus, the above parentheses indicate that some people say Vam-ni-,b3s\ and others say Vam-ni-basX; some \a'di-sha-nalV others Xa-'di-shnalV

structure Vstrak-charX

When

The presence of variant pronunciations indicates that not

om*ni*bus \'am-ni-(,)b3s\

ad'di-tion.al \3-'di-sh(3-)n9l\

all

educated

a main entry has less than a pronunciation, the missing part is to be supplied from a pronunciation full

Explanatory Notes

x

in a preceding entry or within the

same pair of reversed cham.pi-on.ship

slashes:

\-,ship\

pa-la-ver \p3-'la-var,

1

-'la-\

The pronunciation of the

2

first

three

championship is found at the main entry champion. The hyphens before and after \'la\ in the pronunciation of palaver indicate that both the first and the last parts of the pronunciation are to be taken from the immediately preceding pronunciasyllables of

tion.

In general, no pronunciation is indicated for open compounds consisting of two or more English words that have own-place entry:

witch doctor n

Only the

entry in a sequence of is given a pro-

first

nunciation the same:

numbered homographs

if

their pronunciations are

re- ward \ri-*w6rd\

vb

reward n

The absent but implied pronunciation of derivatives and compounds run on after a main entry is a combi-

nation of the pronunciation at the main entry and the pronunciation of the other element as given at its alphabetical place in the vocabulary:

— quick-ness n — hold out Thus, the pronunciation of quickness is the sum of the pronunciations given at quick and -ness; that of hold out, the "sum of the pronunciations of the two elements that make up the phrase.

FUNCTIONAL LABELS An

indicating a part of speech or another functional classification follows the pronunciation or, if no pronunciation is given, the main entry. The eight traditional parts of speech are indicated as follows: italic label

bold adj forth-with .

.

.

.

.

adv

.

but conj ge.sund.heit bcle.ro n 2 un«der prep 1 it pron slap ...vb 1

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

not traditional parts of speech include:

AT abbr self- comb form un-

.

.

.

prefix

-ial

adj suffix

2 -ly

adv

2-er

.

.

.

-ize

.

.

.

suffix

n suffix vb suffix

Fe symbol

interj

may

.

.

.

.

verbal auxiliary

.

Functional labels are sometimes com-

.

bined:

Other italicized labels used to indicate functional classifications that are

afloat

.

.

.

adj or adv

INFLECTED FORMS

NOUNS The

plurals of

nouns are shown

in this

dictionary when suffiXation brings about a change of final -y to -/'-, when the noun ends in a consonant plus -o or in -ey, when the noun ends in -oo, when the noun has an irregular plural or an uninflected plural or a foreign plural, when the noun is a compound

that pluralizes any element but the last,

bled, rals,

when a final consonant is douwhen the noun has variant pluand when it is believed that the

dictionary user might have reasonable doubts about the spelling of the plural or when the plural is spelled in a way contrary to what is expected:

Explanatory Notes

XI 2

spy

sMo

changed by suffixation, when the noun is a compound whose second element is readily recognizable as a regular free form entered at its own place, or when the noun is unlikely to

pi spies

n,

n,pl silos n, pi valleys 2 shampoo //, pi shampoos .

.

.

val-ley

.

mouse moose

.

.

.

.

.

n,pl

cri-te-ri-on

.

son-in-law 'quiz 1

fish

.

.

.

.

pi ...

.

.

.

.

moose

occur

pi -ria pi sons-in-law

n, .

in the plural:

night

lables: n,

n

.

.

.

.

n

that are plural in form and that are regularly construed as plural are labeled n pi:

munch- ies

Nouns .

.

Nouns

pi drys

.

.

mo-nog-a-my

Cutback inflected forms are used when the noun has three or more syl-

.

n

.

.

fore-foot

n,

ame-nMy

.

n,

pi quiz-zes n,pl fish or fishes p/ pis .

.

/i,

3 dry n,

mice

... n, pi

pi -ties

The plurals of nouns are usually not shown when the base word is un-

.

.

.

n pi

form but that are not always construed as plurals are appropriately labeled: that are plural in

lo.gis.tics

.

n sing or pi

.

.

VERBS principal parts of verbs are shown in this dictionary when suffixation brings about a doubling of a final con-

The

sonant or an elision of a final -e or a change of final -y to -/-, when final -c changes to -ck in suffixation, when the verb ends in -ey, when the inflection is

when

irregular,

there are variant in-

flected forms, and when it is believed that the dictionary user might have

reasonable doubts about the spelling of an inflected form or when the inflected form is spelled in a way contrary to what is expected: 2 1

.

cry

1

froMc

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

drive vb drove driv-en driv-ing 2 bus vb bused or bussed; bus.ing 1

.

.

.

.

.

.

ing \-t(3-)rin\

Cutback

inflected forms are usually used when the verb has three or more

.

.

.

vb vi-saed vi-sa-ing 2 chagrin vb cha-grined grin-ing .

.

.

.

cha.

principal parts of a regularly inflected verb are shown when it is desirable to indicate the pronunciation of one of the inflected forms: .

.

.

and has variant

ognized as an irregular verb:

eliminate

vb -nat-ed; -nat-ing vb -reled or -relied; -rel-

2 quarrel

1

.

.

.

ing or -rel-ling vb -took

re4ake

.

.

.

.

.

.

-tak-en

.

.

.

principal parts of verbs are usu-

ally not shown when the base word is unchanged by suffixation or when the verb is a compound whose second

element

is readily recognizable as a regular free form entered at its own

place:

jump

.

.

.

pre. judge

The

vb learned Vlarnd, MarntX;

learn. ing

a two-syllable

is -/

vb .

..vb

.

.

learn

it

that ends in

spellings, and when it is a compound whose second element is readily rec-

1

or bus.sing 2 visa

when

syllables,

word

The

.

vb cried; cry.ing vb froLicked; frol.ick.ing sur.vey vb surveyed; surveying .

al»ter Vol-tarX vb aLtered; alter-

-tak.ing

snag vb snagged; snag.ging move vb moved; mov.ing

1

1

Another inflected form of English verbs is the third person singular of the present tense, which is regularly formed by the addition of -s or -es to the base form of the verb. This inflected form is not shown except at a handful of entries (as have and do) for which it is in some way unusual.

Explanatory Notes

XII

ADJECTIVES & ADVERBS The inclusion of inflected forms in -er and -est at adjective and adverb entries means nothing more about the shown in this dictionary tion brings about a doubling of a final use of more and most with these adconsonant or an elision of a final -e or jectives and adverbs than that their a change of final -y to -/-, when the comparative and superlative degrees word ends in -ey, when the inflection may be expressed in either way: lazier or more lazy; laziest or most lazy. is irregular, and when there are variand

comparative

The

superlative

forms of adjectives and adverbs are

when

suffixa-

ant inflected forms: adj red«der; red-dest 1 adj tam-er; tam-est tame kind«ly adj kind-li-er; -est hors.ey also horsy adj hors-i*er; 1

red

.

.

At a few adjective entries only the form is shown:

superlative

.

.

.

2

.

mere

adj, superlative

merest

1

.

.

.

.

.

.

-est 1

good

1

far .

.

.

.

best adj bet«ter or fur-ther adv farther farthest or furthest .

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

The superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs of two or more syllables are usually cut back: 3 1

fancy adj fan.ci.er; -est ear«ly adv earli-er; -est .

.

.

The

comparative and superlative forms of regularly inflected adjectives and adverbs are shown when it is desirable to indicate the pronunciation

young Vyan\

the comparative form indicates that there is no evidence of use.

its

The comparative and superlative forms of adjectives and adverbs are usually not shown when the base

word when

is unchanged by suffixation, the inflected forms of the word are identical with those of a preceding homograph, or when the word is a

compound whose second element

adj youn.ger Vyan-

gar\ youn-gest Vyan-gastX

is

readily recognizable as a regular free form entered at its own place: 'near adv

1

3

good adv

un- worthy

of the inflected forms: 1

The absence of

adj

.

.

shown

Inflected forms are not

at

un-

defined run-ons.

CAPITALIZATION Most

entries in this dictionary begin

with a lowercase

letter.

A few of these

have an italicized label often cap, which indicates that the word is as likely to be capitalized as not and that it is as acceptable with an uppercase initial as it is with one in lowercase. Some entries begin with an uppercase letter, which indicates that the word is usually capitalized. The absence of an initial capital or of an often cap label

word

indicates that the

is

not ordinar-

ily capitalized:

salnvon

.

.

.

n

gargantuan Mo. hawk n .

.

.

.

.

adj, often

cap

.

The capitalization of entries that are open or hyphenated compounds is

similarly indicated by the form of the entry or by an italicized label:

dry goods npl french fry n, often cap .

.

.

un-Ameri.can

.

.

.

Parkin-son's disease n lazy Su-san Jack Frost n .

.

1st

F

adj .

.

.

n

.

A

word that is capitalized in some senses and lowercase in others shows variations from the form of the main entry by the use of italicized labels at the appropriate senses: n ... 2 not cap To-ry ... /i ... 3 often not cap tUtan ... /i 1 cap re-nais-sance ... /i ... 1 cap ... 2 Trin-i-ty ...

often

cap

Explanatory Notes

XIII

ETYMOLOGY This dictionary gives the etymologies for a number of the vocabulary entries. These etymologies are inside square brackets preceding the definition. Meanings given in roman type within these brackets are not definitions of the entry, but are meanings of the Middle English, Old English, or non-English words within the brack-

An etymology

The etymology gives the language from which words borrowed into English have come. It also gives the form of the word in that language or a representation of the word in our alphabet if the form in that language

from

differs

that in English:

philo.den.dron [NL, fr. Gk, neut. of philodendros loving trees ] .

.

.

.

.

.

.

L

silvaticus

.]

beginning with the

Middle English or Old English) form indicates that this form is the same as the form of the entry word: 1

.

.

.

jounney

.

.

[F]

[ME,

.

fr.

OF

.

.

.]

An etymology

beginning with the name of a language (including ME or

OE) and not

giving the foreign (or

Middle English or Old English) meaning indicates that this meaning is the same as the meaning expressed in the first definition in the entry:

.

.

sav«age

of

alter,

name of a language (including ME or OE) and not giving the foreign (or

le-gume

ets.

1

ML salvaticus,

of the woods, wild

[ME sauvage,

fr.

.

.

MF,

ug.ly

fr.

.

.

.

.

]

.

.

1

:

[ME, fr. ON uggligr FRIGHTFUL, DIRE

adj

.

.

.

USAGE Three types of status labels are used this dictionary

— temporal,

— to

in

regional,

word or not part of the standard vocabulary of English. The temporal label obs for "obsolete" means that there is no evidence of use since 1755: and

stylistic

3 post

«

signal that a

word

a sense of a

is

2

wash «...

do.gie

.

.

.

8 West

n, chiefly

West

cruMer ....... 2 Northern

Words current no

U.S. have

obs

1

region, and a double label is used to indicate considerable currency in each of two specific regions:

& Midland

in all regions of the

label.

A word or sense limited in use to one

The label obs is a comment on the of the other countries of the English* word being defined. When a thing, as speaking world has an appropriate redistinguished from the word used to gional label: designate it, is obsolete, appropriate orientation is usually given in the def-

chem.ist ....... 2 Brit loch n, Scot «... 2 chiefly Brit .

inition:

« 1 an ancient milimachine for hurling missiles

cat«a*pult tary

.

.

:

.

The temporal label archaic means word or sense once in common

that a

use is found today only sporadically or in special contexts: 1

mete

1

thou

.

.

2 wireless

.

.

A word

.

.

.

.

vb ...

1

archaic

pron, archaic

or sense limited in use to a

an appropriate label. The adverb chiefly precedes a label when the word has some currency outside the specified specific region of the U.S. has

The label dial for "dialect" indicates that the pattern of use of a word or sense is too complex for summary labeling: it usually includes several regional varieties of American English or of American and British English: 2

mind

The

vb

1 chiefly

dial

slang is used with words or senses that are especially appropriate in contexts of extreme instylistic label

formality: 3 2

can .vb .2 slang grand «... slang .

.

.

.

.

Explanatory Notes

XIV

no

satisfactory objective test for slang, especially with reference to a word out of context. No word, in

There

is

fact, is invariably slang, and many standard words can be given slang ap-

plications.

The

stylistic labels offensive

and

dis-

paraging are used for those words or senses that in common use are intended to hurt or that are likely to give offense even when they are used without such an intent:

dumb

.

adj

.

.

1

2 deal

drum up

.

.

.

vb

A

tionship.

2

followed by an italicized suf-

fix:

.vb jump 5 all-around adj 1 performance> can-on n 3 1

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

(drum up business)

(dealt

defini-

tion:

1

en.joy . . . vb concert)

...

1

n 5 phrase a far cry drum vb 4 out .

may be

.

usage note

.

1

Definitions are sometimes followed illustrations that show a typical use of the word in context. These illustrations are enclosed in angle brackets, and the word being illustrated is usually replaced by a lightface swung dash. The swung dash stands for the boldface entry word, and it

.

— usu. used the — usu. used with jaw ...n...2... — usu. used — used as ada«gio adv or adj music a direction — often used as a n

2 cry

disparaging

by verbal

.

by a lightface dash:

often offensive n, often

.2

.

.

Definitions are sometimes followed by usage notes that give supplementary information about such matters as idiom, syntax, and semantic rela-

1

half-breed

vb

.

.

— used as a function — used to indicate a at prep point time or space ... — auf Wie»der»seh*en used to express farewell ... n ... 2 — used as a usu. or

.

.

conj

.

word

(~~ed the

to indicate an alternative

1

.

.

1

.

in

The swung dash

is

not used

when

the

form of the boldface entry word is changed in suffixation, and it is not used for compounds:

.

.

.

interj

sir

spectful

re-

form of address

SENSE DIVISION A

boldface colon is used in this dictionary to introduce a definition:

equine

.

.

.

adj ...

:

of or relating to

the horse

also used to separate two or definitions of a single sense: It is

to give notice . . . vb . . . 1 report the occurrence of

no-ti»fy

of

more

:

.

.

sense dividers esp or also. The sense divider esp (for especially) is used to introduce the most common meaning included in the more general

preceding definition:

:

Boldface Arabic numerals separate the senses of a word that has more than one sense:

add

A particular semantic relationship between senses is sometimes suggested by the use of one of the two italic

.

vb

1

:

to join to something

else so as to increase in

number or

amount 2 to say further ... 3 to combine (numbers) into one sum :

:

....... 2 something resembling crystal (as in transparency); esp a clear colorless glass of

crys.tal

:

:

superior quality

The sense divider also is used to introduce a meaning related to the preceding sense by an easily understood extension of that sense:

.

Explanatory Notes

XV porcelain ware; also chi-na n domestic pottery in general .

.

:

.

:

The order of senses

It

face

historical: the

is

does not apply to any other bold-

numbered

....... 3 pi usu craft fa«ther ....... 2 cap ... 5 often cap dul-ci.mer n ... 2 or duLci-more \-,mor\ 2 lift n 5 chiefly Brit craft

sense known to have been first used in English is entered first. This is not to

1

.

be taken to mean, however, that each sense of a multisense word developed from the immediately preceding altogether possible that sense 1 of a word has given rise to sense 2 and sense 2 to sense 3, but frequently sense 2 and sense 3 may have developed independently of one another from sense 1 When an italicized label follows a boldface numeral, the label applies only to that specific numbered sense. sense.

It

is

senses:

.

.

.

.

.

At craft the pi label applies to sense 3 but to none of the other numbered senses. At father the cap label applies only to sense 2 and the often cap label only to sense 5. At dulcimer the variant spelling and pronunciation apply only to sense 2, and the chiefly Brit label at lift applies only to sense 5.

CROSS-REFERENCE Four

different kinds of cross-references are used in this dictionary: directional, synonymous, cognate, and inflectional. In each instance the cross-reference is readily recognized by the lightface small capitals in which it is printed. cross-reference following a lightface dash and beginning with see is a directional cross-reference. It directs the dictionary user to look elsewhere for further information:

A

eu.ro

money

-see

.

table

A

cross-reference following a boldface colon is a synonymous cross-reference. It may stand alone as the only definition for an entry or for a sense of an entry; it may follow an analytical definition; it may be one of two or more synonymous cross-references

pa- pa

.

.

.

to details 2 1

n

:

par*tic*u-lar

main adj

:

father .

.

.

adj

.

.

.

4

:

attentive

precise

chief, principal fig*ure ... n ... 6 shape, form, 1

:

:

OUTLINE

A

pick-a-back

.

.

.

var of piggyback

Occasionally a cognate cross-reference has a limiting label preceding var o/as an indication that the variant is not standard American English: aero-plane

.

.

.

chiefly Brit var

of air-

plane

A cross-reference label that identifies

flected

form

following an italic an entry as an innoun or verb) is

(as of a

an inflectional cross-reference:

separated by commas:

1

A synonymous cross-reference indicates that an entry, a definition at the entry, or a specific sense at the entry cross-referred to can be substituted as a definition for the entry or the sense in which the cross-reference appears. cross-reference following an italic var of ("variant of) is a cognate cross* reference:

calves pi of calf woven past part of weave Inflectional cross-references appear when the inflected form falls at least a column away from the entry cross-referred to.

only

Explanatory Notes

xvi

SYNONYMS A bold italic Synonyms preceded by a Synonyms small black diamond figure near the end of an entry introduces words that are synonymous with the word being defined:

Synonyms lone.adj LONESOME, LONE, SOLITARY

alone ly,

are not definitions although they may often be substituted for each other in context.

.

.

.

.

.

COMBINING FORMS, PREFIXES, & SUFFIXES An

Combining forms,

hyphen

fixes are entered in this dictionary for

entry that begins or ends with a is a word element that forms part of an English compound:

-wise

.

.

.

adv comb form

wise> exprefix .

-let

.

.

n

.2

.

.

suffix 1

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

. adj

anno Domini

adv

adverb

alter

alteration

Am, Amer AmerF Amerind AmerSp

American American French American Indian American Spanish

Ar

Arabic

neut

neuter

Aram

Aramaic

NewEng

B.C.

before Christ

NGk

New England New Greek New Hebrew New Latin

accusative adjective

MD ME MexSp MF

MGk mi ML modi/ MS

noun

British

NHeb

No

Calif

Canad CanF

Canadian Canadian French

cap

capital, capitalized

Celt

Celtic central

Chin

comb

century Chinese

compar

combining comparative

NL Norw npl obs

ON OPer orig

part

conj

conjunction

Dutch

Per pern

Danish

Pg

dot

dative derivative

Pi

dialect

PP

deriv dial

dim

Eng

diminutive English Egyptian English

esp

especially

est

fern

estimated Fahrenheit, French feminine

ft

E Egypt

F

Pol prep pres

prob pron prp pseud

originally participle

Persian

perhaps Portuguese plural Polish past participle preposition present, president

probably pronoun, pronunciation present participle

pseudonym reigned

Scandinavian Scottish Gaelic

Scand

feet

ScGael Scot

Gk Gmc

Greek Germanic

sing

Heb Hung Icel

Ir irreg It, Ital

Italian

Persian

Russian

from

interj

French Norse

flourished

German

imper

plural

Russ Sc

G, Ger

imit

noun Old Old Old Old Old

r

ft

fir

North Norwegian obsolete English

OE OF OH

Dan

D

manuscript

n

Celsius circa California

cent

modification

Mount

C

cen

Medieval Latin

Mt

Brit

ca

miles

Scotch, Scots

Hebrew

Skt Slav

Scottish singular Sanskrit Slavic

Hungarian

So

South

Icelandic imitative imperative interjection

St superl

Saint superlative

Sw

Swedish synonym, synonymy

Sp,

Irish

syn

irregular

Span

Spanish

trans

translation

Italian

Turk

US USSR

km

Japanese Kelvin kilometers

Turkish United States Union of Soviet Socialist Republics

L LaF

Latin

Louisiana French

LG

Low German

usu var vb

LGk

Late Greek Late Hebrew

VI

LHeb lit

literally

vt

LL

Late Latin meters

Jp

K

m

VL

W

usually variant

verb verb intransitive Vulgar Latin verb transitive

Welsh

'

PRONUNCIATION SYMBOLS 3 '3,

»

abut, collect, suppose

oi

toy

humdrum

p

pepper,

n) battle, cotton; (in P,

r

rarity

French

S

source, less

3

(in

m

3 1,

3

3 ,

r )

table, prisme,

titre

lip

sh shy, mission

operation, further

t

map, patch

th thin, ether

day, fate bother, cot, father

Jh then, either u boot, few \'fyu\

ar

car, heart

u

au b ch d

now, out

ur boor, tour

baby, rib

IE

a a a

tie,

attack

put, pure \'pyur\

French

chin, catch

rue,

German

adder

v

vivid, give

red

w

we, away

bare, fab-

y

yard, cue \'kyu\

e

beat, easy

y

f

fifty,

g

go, big

did,

e

set,

er

indicates that a preceding

or \w\

hat,

hw

whale

i

tip,

ir

near, deer

T

site,

J

job, edge

ahead banish

zone, raise

zh

vision, pleasure slant line

\

German Bach,

1

lily,

scription:

mark

cook

murmur, dim

n

nine,

in pairs to

mark

Vpen\

at the

beginning of a

sylla-

ble that has primary (strongest)

Scots loch

stress: \'sh3-f3l-,b6rd\

cool

m

used

the beginning and end of a tran1

kin.

\n\,

is

z

buy

k k

\1\,

modified by having the tongue approximate the position for \y\, as in French digne XdenA

cuff

h

fullen,

fiihlen

mark

,

at the

beginning of a

sylla-

ble that has secondary (next-

own

strongest) stress: Vsh3-f3l-,bdrd\

indicates that a preceding

mark of a syllable division in pronunciations (the mark of end= of-line division in boldface entries is a centered dot •)

vowel is pronounced through both nose and mouth, as in French bon \bo n \ rj

sing, singer, finger, ink

6 6

bone, hollow

or

boar, port

CE

French bceuf, Holle, Hohle

saw feu,

German

(

)

indicate that what is symbolized between sometimes occurs and sometimes does not occur in the

pronunciation of the word: bakery \'ba-k(3-)re\ = Vba-ks-re, 'ba-kre\

>

monas\'a-be\ n, pi abbeys 1 tery 2 convent 3 an abbey church

ab-bey

'a \'a\ n, pi a's or as \'az\ often cap 1 : the 2 : a 1st letter of the English alphabet grade rating a student's work as superior 2 a \a, (')a\

indefinite article

:

—

one, some

LL

~

Alcoholics

1

3

ab-bre-vi-ate \3-'bre-ve-,at\ vb -at-ed; -at-ing shorten, curtail; esp to reduce to an abbreviation ab-bre-vi.a.tion Xa-.bre-ve-'a-shanX n 1 a the act or result of abbreviating 2 shortened form of a word or phrase used

2

3 associate in arts abbr American Automobile Associagricultural

and mechani-

cal

1

A and R abbr artists and repertory aard-vark \'ard-,vark\ n [obs. Afrikaans, a fr. Afrikaans aard earth + vark pig] large burrowing African mammal that feeds on ants and termites with its long sticky tongue 1 ab \'ab\ n an abdominal muscle 2 ab abbr about AB abbr 1 able-bodied seaman 2 airman basic 3 [NL artium baccalaureus] :

:

American Bar Association aback Na-'bakX adv by surprise porarily or for another ac.tin.i.um \ak-'ti-ne-3m\ n a radioactive metallic chemical element

2 act

vb

1

:

—

risks and premiums actu-ar-i-al \,akch»-*wer-e-3l, -sha-\ adj act u -ate Vak-cha-.watX vb -at-ed, -ating 1 : to put into action 2 : to move to

:

ACT

-sha-\ -sha-\

:

the accomplishment of a thing usu. over a period of time, in stages, or with the of repetition possibility 6 pi CONDUCT 7 COMBAT, BATTLE 8 the events of a literary plot 9 an operating mechanism ; also the way it operates action-able Vak-sh(3-)n3-b3l\ adj affording ground for an action or suit at

:

!

:

—

:

:

—

law action-ably \-ble\ adv acti-vate \'ak-t3-,vat\ vb -vat-ed; -vating 1 to spur into action; also to

:

active, reactive, or radioactive 2 to treat (as carbon) so as to improve adsorptive properties 3 to set up (a military unit) formally; also to call to active

keen 4 severe ag.gran.dizement Na-'gran-daz-mant, -,diz-; ,a-gran:

:

—

—

:

agree.able

:

suit ous \am-'fi-be-3s\ adj [Gk amphibios, lit., living a double life, fr. amphi+ bios mode of life] 1 : able to live both on land and in water 2 adapted for both land and water 3 : made by joint action of land, sea, and air forces invading from the sea; also : trained for such :

:

action

am.phi.bole Vam-fo^bolX n any of a group of rock-forming minerals of similar :

crystal structure

am.phi-the.ater \'am-fo-,the-3-t3r\ n 1 an oval or circular structure with rising tiers of seats around an arena 2 a very large auditorium :

:

am.pho.ra Vam-fe-reN n, pi -rae \-,re\ or -ras an ancient Greek jar or vase with two handles that rise almost to the level of the mouth am-ple Vam-palX adj am-pler \-plar\: amlarge, capacious 2 plest \-plast\ 1 amenough to satisfy ABUNDANT :

—

:

:

ply \-ple\ adv am.pli.fy Vam-pla-.fTX vb -tied; -fy-ing 1 to expand by extended treatment 2 to increase in magnitude or strength; esp : to am-pli.fi.ca.tion \,ammake louder am.pli.fi.er \'ampl^-fa-'ka-shanX n :

:

amor-phous Xa-'mor-fasX adj 1 shapeless, formless 2 not crystallized -tiz-ing usu. by

:

word and

:

anvo-rous love 2 of love

&

word) and]

:

also

-bas or -bae

self (stands for the ter used for the

—

pl3-,fi(-3)r\

—

n

am-pli-tude

n

\-,tud, -,tyud\

1

:

ample

extent fullness 2 the extent of a vibratory movement (as of a pendulum) 3 the height or depth of an oscillation (as of an alternating current or a radio wave) compared to its average value amplitude modulation n modulation of the amplitude of a radio carrier wave in accordance with the strength of the siga broadcasting system using nal: also :

:

:

:

:

it

amour

\3-'mur,

a-. a-\

n

1

:

a love affair

illicit 2 LOVER pro. pre ^a-.mur-'propr*, ,a-, -•prdprA n [F] self-esteem 1 amp \'amp\ n 1 ampere 2 amplifier; also a unit consisting of an electronic amplifier and a loudspeaker 2 amp vb excite, energize

amusement park

25 amusement park

anatomy

an-adogue

sound -an or -ian also -ean n suffix 1 one that belongs to 2 one skilled in or specializing in e*ter ^a-na-'ma-ma-tarX n an instrument for measuring the force or speed of the wind anem.o-ne Xa-'ne-ma-neA n any of a :

:

:

:

large genus of herbs related to the buttercups that have showy flowers without petals but with conspicuous often colored

:

woman who competes last chorperson who is a woman

2

:

an an-

sepals \a-'nent\ prep concerning an-es-the-sia \,a-n3s-*the-zh3\ n loss of

anent

an*cho*vy

\'an-,cho-ve, an-*chd-\ n, pi -vies or -vy : any of a family of small herringlike fishes often used as food an.cien re.gime \a n s-ya n -ra-'zhem\ n 1 : the political and social system of France before the Revolution of 1789 2 : a system no longer prevailing 1 an«cient Van-shantX adj 1 : having existed for many years customs) 2 : belonging to times long past; esp : belonging to the period before the Middle Ages 2 ancient n 1 an aged person 2 pi : the peoples of ancient Greece and Rome; esp the classical authors of Greece :

:

and Rome arvciMary Van-s^-.ler-eX adj 1 subordinate, subsidiary

fr.

L

messenger]

&

angelus, 1

perior to man 2 a winged figure of :

:

fr.

Gk

angelos,

a spiritual being suan attendant spirit 3

:

human form

in art

\ n herb related to the carrot whose roots :

and fruit furnish a flavoring oil an*ger Varj-gaA vb to make angry anger n [ME, affliction, anger, fr.

1

angr

grief]

:

ON

:

a strong feeling of displeasire, rage.

Synonyms wrath,

ure

:

FURY, INDIGNATION an-gi-na Xan-'jT-naX n a disorder (as of the heart) marked by attacks of intense :

angina pectoris

:

—

an-gina! \an-'ji-n 3 l\ adj pec.to-ris \-'pek-t(9-)r3s\ n a angina heart disease marked by brief attacks of sharp chest pain caused by deficient oxygenation of heart muscles pain; esp

:

MAD

:

equal to one ten-billionth of a meter \'arj-gwish\ n extreme pain or an.guished distress esp. of mind \-gwisht\ adj an.gu.lar Van-gya-laA adj 1 sharp-cornered 2 having one or more angles 3 an.gu.|ar.i«ty being thin and bony

an.guish

Xiarj-gya-'ler-a-teA n \'arj-gas\ n :

An.gus

any of a breed of usu. black hornless beef cattle originating in Scotland an.hy.drous Xan-'hl-drasN adj free from water an. Mine Va-n'l-anX n an oily poisonous liquid used in making dyes, medicines,

to radiation

an.gio.plas-ty \'an-je-3-,plas-te\ n surgical repair of a blood vessel esp. by using an inflatable catheter to unblock arteries clogged by atherosclerotic deposits an.gio.sperm V.sparmX n flowering :

:

:

:

plant an*gle Van-galX n 1 a sharp projecting corner 2 the figure formed by the a meeting of two lines in a point 3 point of view 4 a special technique or an.gled adj plan gimmick 2 angle vb an.gled, an.gling \-g(3-)lin\ to turn, move, or direct at an angle 3 angle vb an.gled; an.gling \-g(3-)lin\ to fish with a hook and line an.gler an.gling \-glin\ n \-gbr\ n an.gle.worm Varj-gal-.warmX n earth1

:

1

of living things typically differing in capacity for active movement, in rapid response to stimulation, and in lack of cellulose cell walls 2 a lower animal as distinguished from

from plants

:

—

An.gli.can Van-gli-kanX adj

of or relating to the established episcopal Church of England 2 of or relating to England or the English nation Anglican n 1

:

—

—

:

An> gli.can.ism Vka-.ni-zamX n an.glUcize Van-gla-.sIzX vb -cized; -cizing often cap 1 to make English (as in habits, speech, character, or outlook) 2 :

to borrow (a foreign word or phrase) into English without changing form or spelling and sometimes without changing :

pronunciation

— an-gli»ci*za*tion

gla-sa-'za-shanX n, often cap An.glo \'ap-glo\ n, pi Anglos

\,arj-

a non-Hispanic white inhabitant of the U.S.; esp one of English origin and descent An.glo-cen.tric X.an-glo-'sen-trikX adj centered on or favoring England or things English An.glo- French N.an-glo-'frenchX n : the French language used in medieval England An.glo.phile Van-gl3-,fi(-3)l\ also An:

:

:

:

:

:

:

:

:

worm

—

dom

—

—

and explosives an.i.mad.vert X.a-na-.mad-'vartX vb to anremark critically express censure i-mad-ver-sion V'var-zhanX n an.i«mal Va-na-malX n 1 any of a king:

:

:

—

—

:

:

:

:

:

:

a radio-

an.gi.og.ra.phy \,an-je-'a-gr3-fe\ n the use of radiography to make blood vessels visible after injection of a substance

opaque

adv

:

gio.gen.ic \-'je-nik\ adj :

\-gra-le\ :

—

an.gio.gram Van-je-3-,gram\ n graph made by angiography

— an.gridy

angst Varjst\ n [GJ a feeling of anxiety ang. Strom Varj-stramX n a unit of length

an-gio-gen-e-sis \,an-je-6-'je-n3-s3s\ n anthe formation of blood vessels :

—

:

:

:

2

animistic

•

human 2

beings; also

animai adj 1 from animals

:

mammal

of, relating to, or derived of or relating to the 2 physical as distinguished from the mental

or

spiritual

:

:

Synonyms carnal,

FLESHLY, SENSUAL an.i.mal.cule ^a-na-'mal-kyuiX n a tiny animal usu. invisible to the naked eye 1 an*i*mate Va-na-matX adj having life 2 an*i*mate \-,mat\ vb -mat.ed; -mat.ing 1 to impart life to 2 to give spirit and vigor to 3 to make appear to move an.ia cartoon for motion pictures) mat-ed adj an*i*mat*ed*ly adv an.i.ma.tion X.a-na-'ma-shanV n 1 vivacity, liveliness 2 a motion picture made from a series of drawings simulating motions by means of slight progressive changes an*i*ma*tron*ic \,a-n3-m3-'tra-nik\ adj of, relating to, or being an electrically animated mechanical figure (as a puppet) an.i.mism Va-n3-,mi-z3m\ n attribution of conscious life to objects in and phenomena of nature or to inanimate objects an-i.mis.tic an. i. mist \-mist\ n :

:

:

: