LANGUAGE 



works at arts purely mechanical. A shoemaker is a 

 mechanic. 



To Ask, Inquire, Question, Interrogate. \\ 

 perform all these actions in order to get information; 

 but we ask for general purposes of convenience; we 

 inquire from motives of curiosity; we question and 

 interrogate from motives of discretion. Indifferent 

 people ask of each other whatever they wish to know; 

 learners inquire the reasons of things which are new to 

 them; masters question their servants, or parents their 

 children, when they wish to ascertain the real state of 

 any case; magistrates interrogate criminals when they 

 are brought before them. 



To Assemble. MuMer, Collect. Assemble is said 

 of persons only; muster and collect of persons or things. 

 To assemble is to bring together by a call or invitation; 

 to mu-"T i< to bring together by an act of authority, 

 or a particular effort, into one point of view at one time. 

 and from one quarter; to collect is to bring together at 

 different tunes, and from different quart 



\--nt. (orient. Approbation, Concurrence. 

 Assent respects matters of judgment; consent respects 

 of conduct. \Ve assent to what we admit to 

 be true; we consent to what we allow, to be done. 

 Approbation is a species of assent, concurrence of con- 

 sent. To approve is not merely to assent to a thing as 

 right, but to determine upon it positively to be so; 

 concurrence is properly the consent of many. Assent 

 is given by equals or inferiors; consent by superiors; 

 approbation by equals or superiors; concurrence by 

 equals. 



\ "(iatlon. Society, Company, Partnership. 

 Whenever we habitually or frequently meet together for 

 some common object.it is an association. Whenever 

 association is used in distinction from the others, 

 it denotes that which is partial in its object and 

 temporary in its duration. It is founded on unity of 

 -entiment as well as unity of object; but it is mostly 

 unorganized, and kept together only by the spirit which 

 gives rise to it A society requires nothing but unity 

 of object, which is permanent in its nature; it is well 

 organized, and commonly set on foot to promote the 

 cause of humanity, literature, or religion. Companies 

 are brought together for the purposes of interest, and 

 -olved when that object ceases to exist; their 

 duration depends on the contingencies of profit and 

 loss. Partnerships are altogether of an individual and 

 nature. As they are without organization and 

 . they are more precarious than any other asso- 

 ciation. Their duration depends not only on the chances 

 of trade, but the compatibility of individuals to co- 

 operate in a close point of union. 



l.i \ rt. Maintain. Vindicate. We assert any- 

 thing to be true; we maintain it by adducing proofs, 

 facts, or arguments; we vindicate our own conduct or 

 f another when it is called in question. 



Astronomy, Astrology. The astronomer studies 

 the course and movement of the stars; the astrologer 

 reasons on their influence. 



\s\iiim. Kefime. shelter. K.-tn-;ii. An asylum is 

 chosen by him who has no home; a refuge by him who 

 is apprehensive of danger; the fatigues and toils of life 

 make us seek a retreat. 



To Atone for. Expiate. Roth these terms express 



n for an offense; but atone is general; 



is particular. We may atone for a fault l>y 



.f Buffering; we expiate a crime only by 



suffering a legal punishment. 



I . \tt.ir-k. Assail. Assault, lim . muter. Onset, 



< h.iru'r. I., i ik ; to make an approach in order 



MIC violence to the person; to assail or assault 



i* to make .-i -udden and vehement attark; to encounter 



- 1 the attack of another. One assails by means 



ile weapons; one assaults t>y direct |>er*onal 



employed for the commencement ..f 



tie: charge for an attack from a particular 



. I ndMMMk I'trort. Essay. To 



attempt i- to -ft a,.,ut a thing with a view of effecting 



to set about a thing with a view of seeing 



the result; an endeavor if n attempt. An 



effort i-t.. an attempt as a means to an end; it is the 



ailing forth those powers which are required m 



upt. \n essay is an imperfect attempt, or 



which cannot be 

 difficult v. It M appl ed either to corporeal or intellectual 



To Attend, Hearl n. 1 . . To attend b to have 



the mmd engaged on what we hear; to hearken and 



listen are to strive to hear. People attend when they 



v hearken to what in said by othcri; 



\ttriitiv.-. (a refill. We are attentive in order to 



understand and improve; we are careful to avoid mis- 

 takes. Attention respects matters of judgment; care 

 relates to mechanical action; we listen attentively; we 

 read or write carefully. 



To Attract, Allure, Invite, Engage. That is at- 

 tractive which draws the thoughts toward itself; that is 

 alluring which awakens desire; that is inviting which 

 offers persuasion; that is engaging which takes posses- 

 sion of the mind. 



To Augur. Presage, Forebode, Betoken, Portend. 

 Augur signifies either to serve or make use of as an 

 augury; to forebode, and presage, is to form a conclusion 

 in one's own mind ; to betoken or portend is to serve as 

 a sign. Persons or things augur; persons only forebode 

 or presage; things only betoken or portend. Auguring 

 is a calculation of some future event, in which the imagi- 

 nation seems to be as much concerned as the understand- 

 ing; presaging is rather a conclusion or deduction of 

 what may be from what is; it lies in the understanding 

 more than in the imagination; foreboding lies altogether 

 in the imagination. Things are said to oetoken. which 

 present natural signs; those are said to portend which 

 present extraordinary or supernatural signs. 



Auspicious, Propitious. Those things are auspi- 

 cious wnich are casual, or only indicative of good ; persons 

 are propitious to the wishes of others who listen to their 

 requests and contribute to their satisfaction. 



Austere, Rigid, Severe, Rigorous. Stern. The 

 austere man mortifies himself; the rigid man binds him- 

 self to a rule; the manners of a man are austere when he 

 refuses to take part in any social enjoyments; his pro- 

 bity is rigid, that is. inaccessible to the allurements of 

 gain, or the urgency of necessity. Severe is used with 

 reference to conduct: he is severe in the restraints he 

 imposes, and the punishments he inflicts; rigor is a 

 species of great severity, namely, in the inrln 

 punishment. Sternness is a species of severity more in 

 manner than in direct action: a commander may issue 

 his commands sternly, or a despot may issue his stern 

 decrees. 



Avaricious. "Mi-.Tiv. Parsimonious, Niggardly. 

 An avaricious man shows his love of money in nis ordi- 

 nary dealings; but the miser lives upon it, and suffers 

 every privation rather than part with it. The avaricious 

 man indulges his passion for money by parsimoi 

 is, by saving out of himself, or by niggardly ways in his 

 dealings with others. 



To Awaken, Kxclte, Provoke, Rouse. Stir fp. 

 We awaken by a simple effort; we excite by repeated 

 efforts or forcible means; we provoke by words, looks, 

 or actions. The tender feelings are awakened; affec- 

 tions, or the passions in general, are excited; the angry 

 passions are commonly provoked; we are roused from 

 an extraordinary state by extraordinary means; we are 

 stirred up from an ordinary to an extraordinary state. 



Awe, Reverence. I > read. Awe and reverence both 

 denote a strong sentiment of respect, mingled with some 

 emotions of fear; but the former marks the much 

 stronger sentiment of the two; dread is an unmingled 

 sentiment of fear for one's personal security. 



Awkward, riuiii*\. < ro,,k.-cl. IVrxcrt.-d. t n- 

 toward, Truss. Awkward respects outward deport- 

 ment; rlum-vv the shape and make of the object ; a per- 

 son has an awkward gait ; is clumsy m hi- whole person; 

 what is crooked springs from a perverted judgment ; 



untoward is mde|>eiident of human 

 crossness is a partial irritation resulting from the state 

 of the humors, physical and mental. 



Axiom. M.ixiiu. VphorUiM. Apophthegm. Say- 

 Ing. Adage. l*ro\. -rl. Uy-word, Saw. The axiom is 

 a truth of the lirst value; a self-evident proposition 

 which i- the l>a-i ( .f other truths. A maxim is a truth 

 of the tir-t moral importance for all practical purposes; 

 an aphorism is a truth MM apart for n- poiaUOMH and 

 excellence; apophthegm is. m re*iMct to the ancient*. 

 What sayii.K i- in regard tin; it is a pointed 



sentiment MOOOOMM by an individual, and adopted by 

 others; adage and proverb are vulgar sayings, the 

 former among the ancient . the latter among the mod- 

 erns; the l)v-word b a casual saying, oriKiiuit me 



um-tancr; the .-aw. which in a barbasnils cor- 

 f MiymK. is the saying formerly currant among 



I',, It. .1.1, 1. . i I. .Her. ( h.it. I'rr 



bling denote. ^pooch. which render* it unin- 



telligible an imitation of the noise of speech 



properly applied to magpie* or parrot*, and figuratively 

 to aeorreeponding vicious mode of speech in human 

 beings; the winter's fireside Invite, neighbors to assemble 

 and .-hat away many an hour which mu 

 hang heavv .- * spent lews inoffensiveU . t he 



prat 1 1 ing of tahm ha* an infrrmM for every filing mind, 

 .eir highfft 



