Chapter 65

Attraction is exerted at both sensible and insensible distances, and is variously denominated according to its qualities or phenomena. Under attraction at sensible distances, there are, --

(1.) Attraction of gravitation, which acts at all distances throughout the universe, with a force proportional directly to the product of the masses of the bodies and inversely to the square of their distances apart.

(2.) Magnetic, diamagnetic, and electrical attraction, each of which is limited in its sensible range and is polar in its action, a property dependent on the quality or condition of matter, and not on its quantity.

Under attraction at insensible distances, there are, --

(1.) Adhesive attraction, attraction between surfaces of sensible extent, or by the medium of an intervening substance.

(2.) Cohesive attraction, attraction between ultimate particles, whether like or unlike, and causing simply an aggregation or a union of those particles, as in the absorption of gases by charcoal, or of oxygen by spongy platinum, or the process of solidification or crystallization. The power in adhesive attraction is strictly the same as that of cohesion.

(3.) Capillary attraction, attraction causing a liquid to rise, in capillary tubes or interstices, above its level outside, as in very small glass tubes, or a sponge, or any porous substance, when one end is inserted in the liquid. It is a special case of cohesive attraction.

(4.) Chemical attraction, or affinity, that peculiar force which causes elementary atoms, or groups of atoms, to unite to form molecules.

2. The act or property of attracting; the effect of the power or operation of attraction. Newton.

3. The power or act of alluring, drawing to, inviting, or engaging; an attractive quality; as, the attraction of beauty or eloquence.

4. That which attracts; an attractive object or feature.

Syn. -- Allurement; enticement; charm.

At*tract"ive (&?;), a. [Cf. F. attractif.] 1. Having the power or quality of attracting or drawing; as, the attractive force of bodies. Sir I. Newton.

2. Attracting or drawing by moral influence or pleasurable emotion; alluring; inviting; pleasing. "Attractive graces." Milton. "Attractive eyes." Thackeray.

Flowers of a livid yellow, or fleshy color, are most attractive to flies. Lubbock.

-- At*tract"ive*ly, adv. -- At*tract"ive*ness, n.

At*tract"ive, n. That which attracts or draws; an attraction; an allurement.

Speaks nothing but attractives and invitation. South.

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At`trac*tiv"i*ty (t`trk*tv"*t), n. The quality or degree of attractive power.

At*tract"or (t*trkt"r), n. One who, or that which, attracts. Sir T. Browne

At"tra*hent (&?;), a. [L. attrahens, p. pr. of attrahere. See Attract, v. t.] Attracting; drawing; attractive.

At"tra*hent, n. 1. That which attracts, as a magnet.

The motion of the steel to its attrahent

. Glanvill.

2. (Med.) A substance which, by irritating the surface, excites action in the part to which it is applied, as a blister, an epispastic, a sinapism.

At*trap" (&?;), v. t. [F. attraper to catch; à (L. ad) + trappe trap. See Trap (for taking game).] To entrap; to insnare. [Obs.] Grafton.

At*trap", v. t. [Pref. ad + trap to adorn.] To adorn with trapping; to array. [Obs.]

Shall your horse be attrapped . . . more richly? Holland.

At`trec*ta"tion (&?;), n. [L. attrectatio; ad + tractare to handle.] Frequent handling or touching. [Obs.] Jer. Taylor.

At*trib"u*ta*ble (&?;), a. Capable of being attributed; ascribable; imputable.

Errors . . . attributable to carelessness. J. D. Hooker.

At*trib"ute (t"tr*bt), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attributed; p. pr. & vb. n. Attributing.] [L. attributus, p. p. of attribuere; ad + tribuere to bestow. See Tribute.] To ascribe; to consider (something) as due or appropriate (to); to refer, as an effect to a cause; to impute; to assign; to consider as belonging (to).

We attribute nothing to God that hath any repugnancy or contradiction in it. Abp. Tillotson.

The merit of service is seldom attributed to the true and exact performer. Shak.

Syn. -- See Ascribe.

At"tri*bute (&?;), n. [L. attributum.] 1. That which is attributed; a quality which is considered as belonging to, or inherent in, a person or thing; an essential or necessary property or characteristic.

But mercy is above this sceptered away; . . . It is an attribute to God himself. Shak.

2. Reputation. [Poetic] Shak.

3. (Paint. & Sculp.) A conventional symbol of office, character, or identity, added to any particular figure; as, a club is the attribute of Hercules.

4. (Gram.) Quality, etc., denoted by an attributive; an attributive adjunct or adjective.

At`tri*bu"tion (&?;), n. [L. attributio: cf. F. attribution.] 1. The act of attributing or ascribing, as a quality, character, or function, to a thing or person, an effect to a cause.

2. That which is ascribed or attributed.

At*trib"u*tive (&?;), a. [Cf. F. attributif.] Attributing; pertaining to, expressing, or assigning an attribute; of the nature of an attribute.

At*trib"u*tive, n., (Gram.) A word that denotes an attribute; esp. a modifying word joined to a noun; an adjective or adjective phrase.

At*trib"u*tive*ly, adv. In an attributive manner.

At*trite" (&?;), a. [L. attritus, p. p. of atterere; ad + terere to rub. See Trite.] 1. Rubbed; worn by friction. Milton.

2. (Theol.) Repentant from fear of punishment; having attrition of grief for sin; -- opposed to contrite.

At*tri"tion (&?;), n. [L. attritio: cf. F. attrition.] 1. The act of rubbing together; friction; the act of wearing by friction, or by rubbing substances together; abrasion.

Effected by attrition of the inward stomach. Arbuthnot.

2. The state of being worn. Johnson.

3. (Theol.) Grief for sin arising only from fear of punishment or feelings of shame. See Contrition. Wallis.

At"try (&?;), a. [See Atter.] Poisonous; malignant; malicious. [Obs.] Chaucer.

At*tune" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Attuned (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Attuning.] [Pref. ad- + tune.]

1. To tune or put in tune; to make melodious; to adjust, as one sound or musical instrument to another; as, to attune the voice to a harp.

2. To arrange fitly; to make accordant.

Wake to energy each social aim, Attuned spontaneous to the will of Jove. Beattie.

A*twain" (&?;), adv. [OE. atwaine, atwinne; pref. a- + twain.] In twain; asunder. [Obs. or Poetic] "Cuts atwain the knots." Tennyson.

A*tween" (&?;), adv. or prep. [See Atwain, and cf. Between.] Between. [Archaic] Spenser. Tennyson.

A*twirl" (&?;), a. & adv. [Pref. a- + twist.] Twisted; distorted; awry. [R.] Halliwell.

A*twite" (&?;), v. t. [OE. attwyten, AS. ætwtan. See Twit.] To speak reproachfully of; to twit; to upbraid. [Obs.]

A*twixt" (&?;), adv. Betwixt. [Obs.] Spenser.

A*two" (&?;), adv. [Pref. a- + two.] In two; in twain; asunder. [Obs.] Chaucer.

{ A*typ"ic (&?;), A*typ"ic*al, } a. [Pref. a- not + typic, typical.] That has no type; devoid of typical character; irregular; unlike the type.

||Au`bade" (&?;), n. [F., fr. aube the dawn, fr. L. albus white.] An open air concert in the morning, as distinguished from an evening serenade; also, a pianoforte composition suggestive of morning. Grove.

The crowing cock . . . Sang his aubade with lusty voice and clear. Longfellow.

||Au`baine" (&?;), n. [F., fr. aubain an alien, fr. L. alibi elsewhere.] Succession to the goods of a stranger not naturalized. Littré.

Droit d'aubaine (&?;), the right, formerly possessed by the king of France, to all the personal property of which an alien died possessed. It was abolished in 1819. Bouvier.

Aube (&?;), n. [See Ale.] An alb. [Obs.] Fuller.

||Au`berge" (&?;), n. [F.] An inn. Beau. & Fl.

||Au"bin (&?;), n. [F.] A broken gait of a horse, between an amble and a gallop; -- commonly called a Canterbury gallop.

Au"burn (&?;), a. [OE. auburne blonde, OF. alborne, auborne, fr. LL. alburnus whitish, fr. L. albus white. Cf. Alburn.] 1. Flaxen- colored. [Obs.] Florio.

2. Reddish brown.

His auburn locks on either shoulder flowed. Dryden.

||Au*che"ni*um (&?;), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; the neck.] (Zoöl.) The part of the neck nearest the back.

Auc"ta*ry (&?;), n. [L. auctarium.] That which is superadded; augmentation. [Obs.] Baxter.

Auc"tion (&?;), n. [L. auctio an increasing, a public sale, where the price was called out, and the article to be sold was adjudged to the last increaser of the price, or the highest bidder, fr. L. augere, auctum, to increase. See Augment.] 1. A public sale of property to the highest bidder, esp. by a person licensed and authorized for the purpose; a vendue.

2. The things sold by auction or put up to auction.

Ask you why Phryne the whole auction buys ? Pope.

In the United States, the more prevalent expression has been "sales at auction," that is, by an increase of bids (Lat. auctione). This latter form is preferable.

Dutch auction, the public offer of property at a price beyond its value, then gradually lowering the price, till some one accepts it as purchaser. P. Cyc.

Auc"tion, v. t. To sell by auction.

Auc"tion*a*ry (&?;), a. [L. auctionarius.] Of or pertaining to an auction or an auctioneer. [R.]

With auctionary hammer in thy hand. Dryden.

Auc`tion*eer" (&?;), n. A person who sells by auction; a person whose business it is to dispose of goods or lands by public sale to the highest or best bidder.

Auc`tion*eer", v. t. To sell by auction; to auction.

Estates . . . advertised and auctioneered away. Cowper.

Au`cu*pa"tion (&?;), n. [L. aucupatio, fr. auceps, contr. for aviceps; avis bird + capere to take.] Birdcatching; fowling. [Obs.] Blount.

Au*da"cious (&?;), a. [F. audacieux, as if fr. LL. audaciosus (not found), fr. L. audacia audacity, fr. audax, -acis, bold, fr. audere to dare.] 1. Daring; spirited; adventurous.

As in a cloudy chair, ascending rides Audacious. Milton.

2. Contemning the restraints of law, religion, or decorum; bold in wickedness; presumptuous; impudent; insolent. " Audacious traitor." Shak. " Such audacious neighborhood." Milton.

3. Committed with, or proceedings from, daring effrontery or contempt of law, morality, or decorum. "Audacious cruelty." "Audacious prate." Shak.

Au*da"cious*ly, adv. In an audacious manner; with excess of boldness; impudently.

Au*da"cious*ness, n. The quality of being audacious; impudence; audacity.

Au*dac"i*ty (&?;), n. 1. Daring spirit, resolution, or confidence; venturesomeness.

The freedom and audacity necessary in the commerce of men. Tatler.

2. Reckless daring; presumptuous impudence; -- implying a contempt of law or moral restraints.

With the most arrogant audacity. Joye.

Au`di*bil"i*ty (&?;), n. The quality of being audible; power of being heard; audible capacity.

Au"di*ble (&?;), a. [LL. audibilis, fr. L. audire, auditum, to hear: cf. Gr. &?; ear, L. auris, and E. ear.] Capable of being heard; loud enough to be heard; actually heard; as, an audible voice or whisper.

Au"di*ble, n. That which may be heard. [Obs.]

Visibles are swiftlier carried to the sense than audibles. Bacon.

Au"di*ble*ness, n. The quality of being audible.

Au"di*bly, adv. So as to be heard.

Au"di*ence (&?;), n. [F. audience, L. audientia, fr. audire to hear. See Audible, a.] 1. The act of hearing; attention to sounds.

Thou, therefore, give due audience, and attend. Milton.

2. Admittance to a hearing; a formal interview, esp. with a sovereign or the head of a government, for conference or the transaction of business.

According to the fair play of the world, Let me have audience: I am sent to speak. Shak.

3. An auditory; an assembly of hearers. Also applied by authors to their readers.

Fit audience find, though few. Milton.

He drew his audience upward to the sky. Dryden.

Court of audience, or Audience court (Eng.), a court long since disused, belonging to the Archbishop of Canterbury; also, one belonging to the Archbishop of York. Mozley & W. -- In general (or open) audience, publicly. -- To give audience, to listen; to admit to an interview.

Au"di*ent (&?;), a. [L. audiens, p. pr. of audire. See Audible, a.] Listening; paying attention; as, audient souls. Mrs. Browning.

Au"di*ent, n. A hearer; especially a catechumen in the early church. [Obs.] Shelton.

Au`di*om"e*ter (&?;), n. [L. audire to hear + -meter.] (Acous.) An instrument by which the power of hearing can be gauged and recorded on a scale.

Au"di*phone (&?;), n. [L. audire to hear + Gr. &?; sound.] An instrument which, placed against the teeth, conveys sound to the auditory nerve and enables the deaf to hear more or less distinctly; a dentiphone.

Au"dit (&?;), n. [L. auditus a hearing, fr. audire. See Audible, a.] 1. An audience; a hearing. [Obs.]

He appeals to a high audit. Milton.

2. An examination in general; a judicial examination.

Specifically: An examination of an account or of accounts, with the hearing of the parties concerned, by proper officers, or persons appointed for that purpose, who compare the charges with the vouchers, examine witnesses, and state the result.

3. The result of such an examination, or an account as adjusted by auditors; final account.

Yet I can make my audit up. Shak.

4. A general receptacle or receiver. [Obs.]

It [a little brook] paid to its common audit no more than the revenues of a little cloud. Jer. Taylor.

Audit ale, a kind of ale, brewed at the English universities, orig. for the day of audit. -- Audit house, Audit room, an appendage to a cathedral, for the transaction of its business.

Au"dit (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Audited; p. pr. & vb. n. Auditing.] To examine and adjust, as an account or accounts; as, to audit the accounts of a treasure, or of parties who have a suit depending in court.

Au"dit, v. i. To settle or adjust an account.

Let Hocus audit; he knows how the money was disbursed. Arbuthnot.

||Au*di"ta que*re"la (&?;). [L., the complaint having been heard.] (Law) A writ which lies for a party against whom judgment is recovered, but to whom good matter of discharge has subsequently accrued which could not have been availed of to prevent such judgment. Wharton.

Au*di"tion (&?;), n. [L. auditio.] The act of hearing or listening; hearing.

Audition may be active or passive; hence the difference between listening and simple hearing. Dunglison.

Au"di*tive (&?;), a. [Cf. F. auditif.] Of or pertaining to hearing; auditory. [R.] Cotgrave.

Au"di*tor (&?;), n. [L. auditor, fr. audire. See Audible, a.] 1. A hearer or listener. Macaulay.

2. A person appointed and authorized to audit or examine an account or accounts, compare the charges with the vouchers, examine the parties and witnesses, allow or reject charges, and state the balance.

3. One who hears judicially, as in an audience court.

In the United States government, and in the State governments, there are auditors of the treasury and of the public accounts. The name is also applied to persons employed to check the accounts of courts, corporations, companies, societies, and partnerships.

Au`di*to"ri*al (&?;), a. Auditory. [R.]

Au`di*to"ri*um (&?;), n. [L. See Auditory, n.] The part of a church, theater, or other public building, assigned to the audience.

In ancient churches the auditorium was the nave, where hearers stood to be instructed; in monasteries it was an apartment for the reception of strangers.

Au"di*tor*ship (&?;), n. The office or function of auditor.

Au"di*to*ry (&?;), a. [L. auditorius.] Of or pertaining to hearing, or to the sense or organs of hearing; as, the auditory nerve. See Ear.

Auditory canal (Anat.), the tube from the auditory meatus or opening of the ear to the tympanic membrane.

Au"di*to*ry, n. [L. auditorium.] 1. An assembly of hearers; an audience.

2. An auditorium. Udall.

Au"di*tress (&?;), n. A female hearer. Milton.

Au*dit"u*al (&?;), a. Auditory. [R.] Coleridge.

Auf (f), n. [OE. auph, aulf, fr. Icel. lfr elf. See Elf.] [Also spelt oaf, ouphe.] A changeling or elf child, -- that is, one left by fairies; a deformed or foolish child; a simpleton; an oaf. [Obs.] Drayton.

||Au` fait" (` f"). [F. Lit., to the deed, act, or point. Fait is fr. L. factum. See Fact.] Expert; skillful; well instructed.

Au*ge"an (&?;), a. 1. (Class. Myth.) Of or pertaining to Augeus, king of Elis, whose stable contained 3000 oxen, and had not been cleaned for 30 years. Hercules cleansed it in a single day.

2. Hence: Exceedingly filthy or corrupt.

Augean stable (Fig.), an accumulation of corruption or filth almost beyond the power of man to remedy.

Au"ger (&?;), n. [OE. augoure, nauger, AS. nafegr, fr. nafu, nafa, nave of a wheel + gr spear, and therefore meaning properly and originally a nave-bore. See Nave (of a wheel) and 2d Gore, n.] 1. A carpenter's tool for boring holes larger than those bored by a gimlet. It has a handle placed crosswise by which it is turned with both hands. A pod auger is one with a straight channel or groove, like the half of a bean pod. A screw auger has a twisted blade, by the spiral groove of which the chips are discharge.

2. An instrument for boring or perforating soils or rocks, for determining the quality of soils, or the nature of the rocks or strata upon which they lie, and for obtaining water.

Auger bit, a bit with a cutting edge or blade like that of an anger.

||Au*get" (&?;), n. [F., dim. of auge trough, fr. L. alveus hollow, fr. alvus belly.] (Mining) A priming tube connecting the charge chamber with the gallery, or place where the slow match is applied. Knight.

{ Aught (&?;), Aucht } (&?;), n. [AS. &?;ht, fr. gan to own, p. p. hte.] Property; possession. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott.

Aught (&?;), n. [OE. aught, ought, awiht, AS. wiht, ever + wiht. &radic;136. See Aye ever, and Whit, Wight.] Anything; any part. [Also written ought.]

There failed not aught of any good thing which the Lord has spoken. Josh. xxi. 45

But go, my son, and see if aught be wanting. Addison.

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Aught (t), adv. At all; in any degree. Chaucer.

Au"gite ("jt), n. [L. augites, Gr. a'ygi`ths, fr. a'ygh` brightness: cf. F. augite.] A variety of pyroxene, usually of a black or dark green color, occurring in igneous rocks, such as basalt; -- also used instead of the general term pyroxene.

Au*git"ic (*jt"k), a. Pertaining to, or like, augite; containing augite as a principal constituent; as, augitic rocks.

Aug*ment" (&?;), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Augmented; p. pr. & vb. n. Augmenting.] [L. augmentare, fr. augmentum an increase, fr. augere to increase; perh. akin to Gr. &?;, &?;, E. wax, v., and eke, v.: cf. F. augmenter.] 1. To enlarge or increase in size, amount, or degree; to swell; to make bigger; as, to augment an army by reëforcements; rain augments a stream; impatience augments an evil.

But their spite still serves His glory to augment. Milton.

2. (Gram.) To add an augment to.

Aug*ment", v. i. To increase; to grow larger, stronger, or more intense; as, a stream augments by rain.

Aug"ment (&?;), n. [L. augmentum: cf. F. augment.] 1. Enlargement by addition; increase.

2. (Gram.) A vowel prefixed, or a lengthening of the initial vowel, to mark past time, as in Greek and Sanskrit verbs.

In Greek, the syllabic augment is a prefixed &?;, forming an intial syllable; the temporal augment is an increase of the quantity (time) of an initial vowel, as by changing &?; to &?;.

Aug*ment"a*ble (&?;), a. Capable of augmentation. Walsh.

Aug`men*ta"tion (&?;), n. [LL. augmentatio: cf. F. augmentation.] 1. The act or process of augmenting, or making larger, by addition, expansion, or dilation; increase.

2. The state of being augmented; enlargement.

3. The thing added by way of enlargement.

4. (Her.) A additional charge to a coat of arms, given as a mark of honor. Cussans.

5. (Med.) The stage of a disease in which the symptoms go on increasing. Dunglison.

6. (Mus.) In counterpoint and fugue, a repetition of the subject in tones of twice the original length.

Augmentation court (Eng. Hist.), a court erected by Stat. 27 Hen. VIII., to augment the revenues of the crown by the suppression of monasteries. It was long ago dissolved. Encyc. Brit.

Syn. -- Increase; enlargement; growth; extension; accession; addition.

Aug*ment"a*tive (&?;), a. [Cf. F. augmentatif.] Having the quality or power of augmenting; expressing augmentation. -- Aug*ment"a*tive*ly, adv.

Aug*ment"a*tive, n. (Gram.) A word which expresses with augmented force the idea or the properties of the term from which it is derived; as, dullard, one very dull. Opposed to diminutive. Gibbs.

Aug*ment"er (&?;), n. One who, or that which, augments or increases anything.

Au"grim (&?;), n. See Algorism. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Augrim stones, pebbles formerly used in numeration. -- Noumbres of Augrim, Arabic numerals. Chaucer.

Au"gur (&?;), n. [L. Of uncertain origin: the first part of the word is perh. fr. L. avis bird, and the last syllable, gur, equiv. to the Skr. gar to call, akin to L. garrulus garrulous.] 1. (Rom. Antiq.) An official diviner who foretold events by the singing, chattering, flight, and feeding of birds, or by signs or omens derived from celestial phenomena, certain appearances of quadrupeds, or unusual occurrences.

2. One who foretells events by omens; a soothsayer; a diviner; a prophet.

Augur of ill, whose tongue was never found Without a priestly curse or boding sound. Dryden.

Au"gur, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Augured (&?;); p. pr. & vb. n. Auguring.] 1. To conjecture from signs or omens; to prognosticate; to foreshow.

My auguring mind assures the same success. Dryden.

2. To anticipate, to foretell, or to indicate a favorable or an unfavorable issue; as, to augur well or ill.

Au"gur, v. t. To predict or foretell, as from signs or omens; to betoken; to presage; to infer.

It seems to augur genius. Sir W. Scott.

I augur everything from the approbation the proposal has met with. J. F. W. Herschel.

Syn. -- To predict; forebode; betoken; portend; presage; prognosticate; prophesy; forewarn.

Au"gu*ral (&?;), a. [L. auguralis.] Of or pertaining to augurs or to augury; betokening; ominous; significant; as, an augural staff; augural books. "Portents augural." Cowper.

Au"gu*rate (&?;), v. t. & i. [L. auguratus, p. p. of augurari to augur.] To make or take auguries; to augur; to predict. [Obs.] C. Middleton.

Au"gu*rate (&?;), n. The office of an augur. Merivale.

Au`gu*ra"tion (&?;), n. [L. auguratio.] The practice of augury.

Au"gur*er (&?;), n. An augur. [Obs.] Shak.

Au*gu"ri*al (&?;), a. [L. augurialis.] Relating to augurs or to augury. Sir T. Browne.

Au"gu*rist (&?;), n. An augur. [R.]

Au"gur*ize (&?;), v. t. To augur. [Obs.] Blount.

Au"gu*rous (&?;), a. Full of augury; foreboding. [Obs.] "Augurous hearts." Chapman.

Au"gur*ship (&?;), n. The office, or period of office, of an augur. Bacon.

Au"gu*ry (&?;), n.; pl. Auguries (&?;). [L. aucurium.] 1. The art or practice of foretelling events by observing the actions of birds, etc.; divination.

2. An omen; prediction; prognostication; indication of the future; presage.

From their flight strange auguries she drew. Drayton.

He resigned himself . . . with a docility that gave little augury of his future greatness. Prescott.

3. A rite, ceremony, or observation of an augur.

Au*gust" (&?;), a. [L. augustus; cf. augere to increase; in the language of religion, to honor by offerings: cf. F. auguste. See Augment.] Of a quality inspiring mingled admiration and reverence; having an aspect of solemn dignity or grandeur; sublime; majestic; having exalted birth, character, state, or authority. "Forms august." Pope. "August in visage." Dryden. "To shed that august blood." Macaulay.

So beautiful and so august a spectacle. Burke.

To mingle with a body so august. Byron.

Syn. -- Grand; magnificent; majestic; solemn; awful; noble; stately; dignified; imposing.

Au"gust (&?;), n. [L. Augustus. See note below, and August, a.] The eighth month of the year, containing thirty-one days.