Chapter 77

Else (?), a. & pron. [OE. & AS. elles otherwise, gen. sing. of an adj. signifying other; akin to OHG. elles otherwise, OSw. äljes, Sw. eljest, Goth. aljis, adj., other, L. alius, Gr. &?;. Cf. Alias, Alien.] Other; one or something beside; as, Who else is coming? What else shall I give? Do you expect anything else? "Bastards and else." Shak.

This word always follows its noun. It is usual to give the possessive form to else rather than to the substantive; as, somebody else's; no one else's. "A boy who is fond of somebody else's pencil case." G. Eliot. "A suit of clothes like everybody else's." Thackeray.

Else, adv. & conj. 1. Besides; except that mentioned; in addition; as, nowhere else; no one else.

2. Otherwise; in the other, or the contrary, case; if the facts were different.

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it.

Ps. li. 16.

After ‘or', else is sometimes used expletively, as simply noting an alternative. "Will you give thanks, . . . or else shall I?" Shak.

Else"where` (?), adv. 1. In any other place; as, these trees are not to be found elsewhere.

2. In some other place; in other places, indefinitely; as, it is reported in town and elsewhere.

Else"whith`er (?), adv. To some, or any, other place; as, you will have to go elsewhither for it. R. of Gloucester. "For elsewhither was I bound." Carlyle.

Else"wise` (?), adv. Otherwise. [R.]

El"sin (?), n. A shoemaker's awl. [Prov. Eng.]

E*lu"ci*date (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Elucidated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Elucidating (?).] [LL. elucidatus, p. p. of elucidare; e + lucidus full of light, clear. See Lucid.] To make clear or manifest; to render more intelligible; to illustrate; as, an example will elucidate the subject.

E*lu`ci*da"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. élucidation.] A making clear; the act of elucidating or that which elucidates, as an explanation, an exposition, an illustration; as, one example may serve for further elucidation of the subject.

E*lu"ci*da`tive (?), a. Making clear; tending to elucidate; as, an elucidative note.

E*lu"ci*da`tor (?), n. One who explains or elucidates; an expositor.

E*lu"ci*da*to*ry (?), a. Tending to elucidate; elucidative. [R.]

E*luc"tate (?), v. i. [L. eluctatus, p. p. of eluctari to struggle out; e + luctari to wrestle.] To struggle out; -- with out. [Obs.] Bp. Hacket.

E`luc*ta"tion (?), n. [L. eluctatio.] A struggling out of any difficulty. [Obs.] Bp. Hall.

E*lu"cu*brate (?), v. i. [L. elucubratus, p. p. of elucubrare to compose by lamplight.] See Lucubrate. [Obs.] Blount.

E*lu`cu*bra"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. élucubration.] See Lucubration. [Obs.] Evelyn.

E*lude" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Eluded; p. pr. & vb. n. Eluding.] [L. eludere, elusum; e + ludere to play: cf. F. éluder. See Ludicrous.] To avoid slyly, by artifice, stratagem, or dexterity; to escape from in a covert manner; to mock by an unexpected escape; to baffle; as, to elude an officer; to elude detection, inquiry, search, comprehension; to elude the force of an argument or a blow.

Me gentle Delia beckons from the plain, Then, hid in shades, eludes he eager swain.

Pope.

The transition from fetichism to polytheism seems a gradual process of which the stages elude close definition.

Tylor.

Syn. -- To evade; avoid; escape; shun; eschew; flee; mock; baffle; frustrate; foil.

E*lud"i*ble (?), a. Capable of being eluded; evadible.

E"lul (?), n. [Heb.] The sixth month of the Jewish year, by the sacred reckoning, or the twelfth, by the civil reckoning, corresponding nearly to the month of September.

E*lum"ba*ted (?), a. [L. elumbis; e + lumbus loin.] Weak or lame in the loins. [Obs.]

E*lu"sion (?), n. [LL. elusio, fr. L. eludere, elusum. See Elude.] Act of eluding; adroit escape, as by artifice; a mockery; a cheat; trickery.

E*lu"sive (?), a. Tending to elude; using arts or deception to escape; adroitly escaping or evading; eluding the grasp; fallacious.

Elusive of the bridal day, she gives Fond hopes to all, and all with hopes deceives.

Pope.

-- E*lu"sive*ly, adv. -- E*lu"sive*ness, n.

E*lu"so*ry (?), a. [LL. elusorius.] Tending to elude or deceive; evasive; fraudulent; fallacious; deceitful; deceptive. -- E*lu"so*ri*ness (#), n.

E*lute" (?), v. t. [L. elutus, p. p. of eluers to elute; e + luere to wash.] To wash out. [R.] Arbuthnot.

E*lu"tri*ate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Elutriated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Elutriating (?).] [L. elutriatus, p. p. of elutriare.] To wash or strain out so as to purify; as, to elutriate the blood as it passes through the lungs; to strain off or decant, as a powder which is separated from heavier particles by being drawn off with water; to cleanse, as by washing.

E*lu`tri*a"tion (?), n. The process of elutriating; a decanting or racking off by means of water, as finer particles from heavier.

E*lux"ate (?), v. t. [Pref. e- + luxate.] To dislocate; to luxate.

E`lux*a"tion (?), n. Dislocation; luxation.

Elv"an (?), a. 1. Pertaining to elves; elvish.

2. (Mining) Of or pertaining to certain veins of feldspathic or porphyritic rock crossing metalliferous veins in the mining districts of Cornwall; as, an elvan course.

{ Elv"an, Elv"an*ite (?) }, n. The rock of an elvan vein, or the elvan vein itself; an elvan course.

Elve (?), n. An old form of Elf.

El"ver (?), n. (Zoöl.) A young eel; a young conger or sea eel; -- called also elvene.

Elves (?), n.; pl. of Elf.

Elv"ish (?), a. 1. Pertaining to elves; implike; mischievous; weird; also, vacant; absent in demeanor. See Elfish.

He seemeth elvish by his countenance.

Chaucer.

2. Mysterious; also, foolish. [Obs.]

Elv"ish*ly, adv. In an elvish manner. Sir W. Scott.

El"wand (?), n. [Obs.] See Ellwand.

E*ly"sian (?), a. [L. Elysius, fr. Elysium.] Pertaining, or the abode of the blessed after death; hence, yielding the highest pleasures; exceedingly delightful; beatific. "Elysian shades." Massinger. "Elysian age." Beattie.

This life of mortal breath Is but a suburb of the life elysian.

Longfellow.

E*ly"sium (?), n.; pl. E. Elysiums (#), L. Elysia (#). [L., fr. Gr. &?;, &?; &?;, Elysian field.] (Anc. Myth.) 1. A dwelling place assigned to happy souls after death; the seat of future happiness; Paradise.

2. Hence, any delightful place.

An Elysian more pure and bright than that pf the Greeks.

I. Taylor.

E*lyt"ri*form (?), a. [Elytrum + -form.] (Zoöl.) Having the form, or structure, of an elytron.

El"y*trin (?), n. [From Elytrum.] (Chem.) See Chitin.

El"y*troid (?), a. [Gr. &?; sheath, a wing case + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Resembling a beetle's wing case.

El"y*tron (?; 277), El"y*trum (-tr&?;m) n.; pl. Elytra (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to roll round.] (Zoöl.) (a) One of the anterior pair of wings in the Coleoptera and some other insects, when they are thick and serve only as a protection for the posterior pair. See Coleoptera. (b) One of the shieldlike dorsal scales of certain annelids. See Chætopoda.

El"ze*vir (?), a. (Bibliog.) Applied to books or editions (esp. of the Greek New Testament and the classics) printed and published by the Elzevir family at Amsterdam, Leyden, etc., from about 1592 to 1680; also, applied to a round open type introduced by them.

The Elzevir editions are valued for their neatness, and the elegant small types used.

Brande & C.

'Em (?). An obsolete or colloquial contraction of the old form hem, them. Addison.

Em (?), n. (Print.) The portion of a line formerly occupied by the letter m, then a square type, used as a unit by which to measure the amount of printed matter on a page; the square of the body of a type.

Em-. A prefix. See En-.

E*mac"er*ate (?), v. t. & i. [L. emaceratus emaciated; e + macerare to make soft.] To make lean or to become lean; to emaciate. [Obs.] Bullokar.

E*mac`er*a"tion (?), n. Emaciation. [Obs.]

E*ma"ci*ate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Emaciated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Emaciating.] [L. emaciatus, p. p. of emaciare to make lean; e + maciare to make lean or meager, fr. macies leanness, akin to macer lean. See Meager.] To lose flesh gradually and become very lean; to waste away in flesh. "He emaciated and pined away." Sir T. Browne.

E*ma"ci*ate, v. t. To cause to waste away in flesh and become very lean; as, his sickness emaciated him.

E*ma"ci*ate (?), a. [L. emaciatus, p. p.] Emaciated. "Emaciate steeds." T. Warton.

E*ma`ci*a"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. émaciation.] 1. The act of making very lean.

2. The state of being emaciated or reduced to excessive leanness; an excessively lean condition.

E*mac"u*late (?), v. t. [L. emaculatus, p. p. of emaculare to clear from spots. See Maculate.] To clear from spots or stains, or from any imperfection. [Obs.] Hales.

E*mac`u*la"tion (?), n. The act of clearing from spots. [Obs.] Johnson.

||Æ`mail` om`brant" (?). [F., shaded enamel.] (Fine Arts) An art or process of flooding transparent colored glaze over designs stamped or molded on earthenware or porcelain. Ure.

Em"a*nant (?), a. [L. emanans, -antis, p. pr. of emanare. See Emanate.] Issuing or flowing forth; emanating; passing forth into an act, or making itself apparent by an effect; -- said of mental acts; as, an emanant volition.

Em"a*nate (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Emanated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Emanating.] [L. emanare, emanatum, to emanate; e out + manare to flow, prob. for madnare, and akin to madere to be wet, drip, madidus wet, drenched, drunk, Gr. &?;, &?;, wet, &?; to be wet, Skr. mad to boil, matta drunk. Cf. Emane.]

<! p. 482 !> 1. To issue forth from a source; to flow out from more or less constantly; as, fragrance emanates from flowers.

2. To proceed from, as a source or fountain; to take origin; to arise, to originate.

That subsisting from of government from which all special laws emanate.

De Quincey.

Syn. -- To flow; arise; proceed; issue; originate.

Em"a*nate (?), a. Issuing forth; emanant. [R.]

Em`a*na"tion (?), n. [L. emanatio: cf. F. émanation.] 1. The act of flowing or proceeding from a fountain head or origin. South.

Those profitable and excellent emanations from God.

Jer. Taylor.

2. That which issues, flows, or proceeds from any object as a source; efflux; an effluence; as, perfume is an emanation from a flower.

An emanation of the indwelling life.

Bryant.

Em"a*na*tive (?), a. Issuing forth; effluent.

Em"a*na*tive*ly, adv. By an emanation.

Em"a*na*to*ry (?), a. Emanative; of the nature of an emanation. Dr. H. More.

E*man"ci*pate (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Emancipated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Emancipating.] [L. emancipatus, p. p. of emancipare to emancipate; e + mancipare to transfer ownership in, fr. manceps purchaser, as being one who laid his hand on the thing bought; manus hand + capere to take. See Manual, and Capable.] To set free from the power of another; to liberate; as: (a) To set free, as a minor from a parent; as, a father may emancipate a child. (b) To set free from bondage; to give freedom to; to manumit; as, to emancipate a slave, or a country.

Brasidas . . . declaring that he was sent to emancipate Hellas.

Jowett (Thucyd. ).

(c) To free from any controlling influence, especially from anything which exerts undue or evil influence; as, to emancipate one from prejudices or error.

From how many troublesome and slavish impertinences . . . he had emancipated and freed himself.

Evelyn.

To emancipate the human conscience.

A. W. Ward.

E*man"ci*pate (?), a. [L. emancipatus, p. p.] Set at liberty.

E*man`ci*pa"tion (?), n. [L. emancipatio: cf. F. émancipation.] The act of setting free from the power of another, from slavery, subjection, dependence, or controlling influence; also, the state of being thus set free; liberation; as, the emancipation of slaves; the emancipation of minors; the emancipation of a person from prejudices; the emancipation of the mind from superstition; the emancipation of a nation from tyranny or subjection.

Syn. -- Deliverance; liberation; release; freedom; manumission; enfranchisement.

E*man`ci*pa"tion*ist, n. An advocate of emancipation, esp. the emancipation of slaves.

E*man"ci*pa`tor (?), n. [L.] One who emancipates.

E*man"ci*pa*to*ry (?), a. Pertaining to emancipation, or tending to effect emancipation. "Emancipatory laws." G. Eliot.

E*man"ci*pist (?), n. A freed convict. [Australia]

E*mar"gi*nate (?), v. t. [L. emarginare; e out + marginare to furnish with a margin, fr. margo margin.] To take away the margin of.

{ E*mar"gi*nate (?), E*mar"gi*na`ted (?), } a. 1. Having the margin interrupted by a notch or shallow sinus.

2. (Bot.) Notched at the summit.

3. (Cryst.) Having the edges truncated.

E*mar"gi*nate*ly, adv. In an emarginate manner.

E*mar`gi*na"tion (?), n. The act of notching or indenting the margin, or the state of being so notched; also, a notch or shallow sinus in a margin.

E*mas"cu*late (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Emasculated (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Emasculating (?).] [L. emasculare; e + masculus male, masculine. See Male masculine.] 1. To deprive of virile or procreative power; to castrate power; to castrate; to geld.

2. To deprive of masculine vigor or spirit; to weaken; to render effeminate; to vitiate by unmanly softness.

Luxury had not emasculated their minds.

V. Knox.

E*mas"cu*late (?), a. Deprived of virility or vigor; unmanned; weak. "Emasculate slave." Hammond.

E*mas`cu*la"tion (?), n. 1. The act of depriving of virility, or the state of being so deprived; castration.

2. The act of depriving, or state of being deprived, of vigor or strength; unmanly weakness.

E*mas"cu*la`tor (?), n. [L.] One who, or that which, emasculates.

E*mas"cu*la*to*ry (?), a. Serving or tending to emasculate.

Em*bace" (?), v. t. See Embase. [Obs.]

Em*bale" (?), v. t. [F. emballer; pref. em- (L. in) + balle bale. See 1st Bale.] [Obs.] 1. To make up into a bale or pack. Johnson.

2. To bind up; to inclose.

Legs . . . embaled in golden buskins.

Spenser.

Em*ball" (?), v. t. [See Embale.] To encircle or embrace. [Obs.] Sir P. Sidney.

Em*balm" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Embalmed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Embalming.] [F. embaumer; pref. em- (L. in) + baume balm. See Balm.] 1. To anoint all over with balm; especially, to preserve from decay by means of balm or other aromatic oils, or spices; to fill or impregnate (a dead body), with aromatics and drugs that it may resist putrefaction.

Joseph commanded his servants, the physicians, to embalm &?;is father; and the physicians embalmed Israel.

Gem. l. 2.

2. To fill or imbue with sweet odor; to perfume.

With fresh dews embalmed the earth.

Milton.

3. To preserve from decay or oblivion as if with balm; to perpetuate in remembrance.

Those tears eternal that embalm the dead.

Pope.

Em*balm"er (?), n. One who embalms.

Em*balm"ment (?), n. [Cf. F. embaumement.] The act of embalming. [R.] Malone.

Em*bank" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Embanked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Embanking.] [Pref. em- + bank. Cf. Imbank.] To throw up a bank so as to confine or to defend; to protect by a bank of earth or stone.

Em*bank"ment (?), n. 1. The act of surrounding or defending with a bank.

2. A structure of earth, gravel, etc., raised to prevent water from overflowing a level tract of country, to retain water in a reservoir, or to carry a roadway, etc.

Em*bar" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Embarred (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Embanking.] [Pref. em- + bar: cf. F. embarrer. Cf. Embargo.] 1. To bar or shut in; to inclose securely, as with bars.

Where fast embarred in mighty brazen wall.

Spenser.

2. To stop; to hinder by prohibition; to block up.

He embarred all further trade.

Bacon.

Em`bar*ca"tion (?), n. Same as Embarkation.

Em*barge" (?), v. t. To put in a barge. [Poetic] Drayton.

Em*bar"go (?), n.; pl. Embargoes (#). [Sp., fr. embargar to arrest, restrain; pref. em- (L. in) + Sp. barra bar, akin to F. barre bar. See Bar.] An edict or order of the government prohibiting the departure of ships of commerce from some or all of the ports within its dominions; a prohibition to sail.

If the embargo is laid on an enemy's ships, it is called a hostile embargo; if on the ships belonging to citizens of the embargoing state, it is called a civil embargo.

Em*bar"go, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Embargoed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Embargoing.] To lay an embargo on and thus detain; to prohibit from leaving port; -- said of ships, also of commerce and goods.

Em*bark" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Embarked (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Embarking.] [F. embarquer; pref. em- (L. in) + barque bark: cf. Sp. embarcar, It. imbarcare. See Bark. a vessel.] 1. To cause to go on board a vessel or boat; to put on shipboard.

2. To engage, enlist, or invest (as persons, money, etc.) in any affair; as, he embarked his fortune in trade.

It was the reputation of the sect upon which St. Paul embarked his salvation.

South.

Em*bark", v. i. 1. To go on board a vessel or a boat for a voyage; as, the troops embarked for Lisbon.

2. To engage in any affair.

Slow to embark in such an undertaking.

Macaulay.

Em`bar*ka"tion (?), n. 1. The act of putting or going on board of a vessel; as, the embarkation of troops.

2. That which is embarked; as, an embarkation of Jesuits. Smollett.

Em*bark"ment (?), n. [Cf. F. embarquement.] Embarkation. [R.] Middleton.

Em*bar"rass (m*br"ras), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Embarrassed (- rast); p. pr. & vb. n. Embarrassing.] [F. embarrasser (cf. Sp. embarazar, Pg. embaraçar, Pr. barras bar); pref. em- (L. in) + LL. barra bar. See Bar.] 1. To hinder from freedom of thought, speech, or action by something which impedes or confuses mental action; to perplex; to discompose; to disconcert; as, laughter may embarrass an orator.

2. To hinder from liberty of movement; to impede; to obstruct; as, business is embarrassed; public affairs are embarrassed.

3. (Com.) To involve in difficulties concerning money matters; to incumber with debt; to beset with urgent claims or demands; -- said of a person or his affairs; as, a man or his business is embarrassed when he can not meet his pecuniary engagements.

Syn. -- To hinder; perplex; entangle; confuse; puzzle; disconcert; abash; distress. -- To Embarrass, Puzzle, Perplex. We are puzzled when our faculties are confused by something we do not understand. We are perplexed when our feelings, as well as judgment, are so affected that we know not how to decide or act. We are embarrassed when there is some bar or hindrance upon us which impedes our powers of thought, speech, or motion. A schoolboy is puzzled by a difficult sum; a reasoner is perplexed by the subtleties of his opponent; a youth is sometimes so embarrassed before strangers as to lose his presence of mind.

Em*bar"rass, n. [F. embarras. See Embarrass, v. t.] Embarrassment. [Obs.] Bp. Warburton.

Em*bar"rass*ment (?), n. [F. embarrassement.] 1. A state of being embarrassed; perplexity; impediment to freedom of action; entanglement; hindrance; confusion or discomposure of mind, as from not knowing what to do or to say; disconcertedness.

The embarrassment which inexperienced minds have often to express themselves upon paper.

W. Irving.

The embarrassments tom commerce growing out of the late regulations.

Bancroft.

2. Difficulty or perplexity arising from the want of money to pay debts.

Em*base" (?), v. t. [Pref. em- + base, a. or v. t.: cf. OF. embaissier.] To bring down or lower, as in position, value, etc.; to debase; to degrade; to deteriorate. [Obs.]

Embased the valleys, and embossed the hills.

Sylvester.

Alloy in coin of gold . . . may make the metal work the better, but it embaseth it.

Bacon.

Such pitiful embellishments of speech as serve for nothing but to embase divinity.

South.

Em*base"ment (?), n. [From Embase, v. t.] Act of bringing down; depravation; deterioration. South.

Em"bas*sade (?), n. [F. ambassade. See Embassy.] An embassy. See Ambassade. [Obs.] Shak.

Em*bas"sa*dor (?), n. [F. ambassadeur, Sp. embajador, LL. ambassiator, ambasciator. See Embassy, and cf. Ambassador.] Same as Ambassador.

Stilbon, that was a wise embassadour, Was sent to Corinth.

Chaucer.

Myself my king's embassador will go.

Dryden.

Em*bas`sa*do"ri*al (?), a. [Cf. F. ambassadorial.] Same as Ambassadorial.

Em*bas"sa*dress (?), n. [Cf. F. ambassadrice.] Same as Ambassadress.

Em*bas"sa*dry (?), n. [Cf. OF. ambassaderie.] Embassy. [Obs.] Leland.

Em"bas*sage (?; 48), n. 1. An embassy. "He sent a solemn embassage." Bacon.

Except your embassages have better success.

Motley.

2. Message; errand. Shak.

Em"bas*sy (?), n.; pl. Embassies (#). [OF. ambassée, embascée, LL. ambasciata, fr. ambasciare for ambactiare to go on a mission, fr. L. ambactus vassal, dependent, of Celtic or German origin; cf. W. amaeth husbandman, Goth. andbahts servant, G. amt office, OHG. ambaht. Cf. Ambassador.] 1. The public function of an ambassador; the charge or business intrusted to an ambassador or to envoys; a public message to; foreign court concerning state affairs; hence, any solemn message.

He sends the angels on embassies with his decrees.

Jer. Taylor.

2. The person or persons sent as ambassadors or envoys; the ambassador and his suite; envoys.

3. The residence or office of an ambassador.

Sometimes, but rarely, spelled ambassy.

Em*bas"tard*ize (?), v. t. [Pref. em- + bastardize.] To bastardize. [Obs.]

Em*bathe" (?), v. t. [Pref. em- + bathe. Cf. Imbathe.] To bathe; to imbathe.

Em*bat"tail (?), v. t. [See Embattle.] To furnish with battlements; to fortify as with battlements. [Archaic]

To embattail and to wall about thy cause With iron-worded proof.

Tennyson.

Em*bat"tle (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Embattled (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Embattling (?).] [OF. embataillier; pref. em- (L. in) + F. bataille battle. See Battle, and cf. Battlement.] To arrange in order of battle; to array for battle; also, to prepare or arm for battle; to equip as for battle.

One in bright arms embattled full strong.

Spenser.

Here once the embattled farmers stood And fired the shot heard round the world.

Emerson.

Em*bat"tle, v. i. To be arrayed for battle. [Obs.]

Em*bat"tle, v. t. [See Battlement.] To furnish with battlements. "Embattled house." Wordsworth.

Em*bat"tled (?), a. 1. Having indentations like a battlement. [Obs.] Chaucer.

2. (Her.) Having the edge broken like battlements; -- said of a bearing such as a fess, bend, or the like.

3. Having been the place of battle; as, an embattled plain or field. J. Baillie.

Em*bat"tle*ment (?), n. 1. An intended parapet; a battlement.

2. The fortifying of a building or a wall by means of battlements.

Em*bay" (?), v. t. [Pref. em- + bay to bathe.] To bathe; to soothe or lull as by bathing. [Obs.] Spenser.

Em*bay", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Embayed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Embaying.] [Pref. em- + 1st bay.] To shut in, or shelter, as in a bay.

If that the Turkish fleet Be not ensheltered and embayed, they are drowned.

Shak.

Em*bay"ment (?), n. A bay. [R.]

The embayment which is terminated by the land of North Berwick.

Sir W. Scott.

Em*beam" (?), v. t. To make brilliant with beams. [R.] G. Fletcher.

Em*bed" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Embedded; p. pr. & vb. n. Embedding.] [Pref. em- + bed. Cf. Imbed.] To lay as in a bed; to lay in surrounding matter; to bed; as, to embed a thing in clay, mortar, or sand.

Em*bed"ment (?), n. The act of embedding, or the state of being embedded.

Em*bel"lish (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Embellished (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Embellishing.] [OE. embelisen, embelisshen, F. embellir; pref. em- (L. in) + bel, beau, beautiful. See Beauty.] To make beautiful or elegant by ornaments; to decorate; to adorn; as, to embellish a book with pictures, a garden with shrubs and flowers, a narrative with striking anecdotes, or style with metaphors.

Syn. -- To adorn; beautify; deck; bedeck; decorate; garnish; enrich; ornament; illustrate. See Adorn.

Em*bel"lish*er (?), n. One who embellishes.

Em*bel"lish*ment (?), n. [Cf. F. embellissement.] 1. The act of adorning, or the state of being adorned; adornment.

In the selection of their ground, as well as in the embellishment of it.

Prescott.

2. That which adds beauty or elegance; ornament; decoration; as, pictorial embellishments.