afiy 
faith ; make affidavit. 4. To assure by prom- 
ise ; pledge ; betrotli ; affiance. 
Wedded lie thuii to the hags of hell, 
for ilarim.' to a/>i a mighty lord 
Unto the daughter of a worthless kin;;. 
Shalf., -1 Hen. VI., iv. 1. 
5. To engage; bind; join. 
Personal respects rather seem to ufii me unto that synod. 
111'. Miiiiii/mtii, Appeal to Caesar, p. 9. 
II. i nlraim. To trust; confide. 
1 del II jlil 
In thy uprightness and Integrity. ; - v v ^ " f '*" * ". ~ ~ "'. L " ~ 
,svm*., Tit. And., i. i. +.flou'.] In a loose, waving state ; flowing: as, 
Afghan (af'gau), . and . [A native name, de- " with gray hair a/toi," Wliittier. 
rived by Afghan chroniclers from AftjMna, a afoam (a-fom'), prep. phr. as adv. or a. [< 
mythical grandson of Saul, king of Israel.] I. 
. 1. A native or an inhabitant of Afghanistan, 
103 
2. Figuratively, moving; passing from place 
to place; in circulation: as, a rumor is afloat. 
1 should like to know how much gossip there is afloat 
that tile m.'nister does not know. 
C. D. Warner, Backlog Studies, p. 144. 
3. Unfixed; moving without guide or control : 
as, our affairs are all afloat. 4. In a state of 
overflow; flooded: as. the main deck was a fortiori (a for-shi-6'ri). 
>, 
afloat. 5. On board ship; at sea: as, cargo 
afloat and ashore. 
African 
and cf. fornenst.] I. prep. Over against; op- 
posite. 
The yonder hous that stent afon/eiix us. 
Chaucer, Troilus, ii. 1188. 
II. adv. Over against. 
The centurien that stood aforn aytu 
"i. Mark 39. (X.E.D.) 
[L.; lit., from a 
stronger (sc. cause): a for <)6, from; fortiori, 
abl. of fortior, for tius, compar. of fortis, strong : 
l */!*/(*(. diillt .i.^ili'lt . O/Ul, M flPVIWV/j / VI lf-5j Will [Jill . Ul ft/I ntf, SLlUIll^ . 
aflow (a-flo'), pn-p. />lir. as adi: or a. [< a 3 see fort.'] For a still stronger reason; all the 
foam.'] In a state of foam ; foaming : as, the 
i water was all afoam. 
a mountainous country lying northwest "of afoot (a-fut/),j>Vq>. phr.&^adi\ or a. [< ME. 
British India, south of Asiatic Russia, and east 
of Persia; distinctively, a member of the prin- 
cipal or dominant race of Afghanistan, speak- 
ing the Afghan language, the other inhabitants 
a fote," on fate, earlier with pi. a foten, < AS. 
on fotum : on, E. a 3 , on ; fotum, dat. pi. of fot, 
E. foot.'} 1. On foot; walking: opposed toon 
horseback, or in a carriage or other convey- 
ing moAignan language, tne otner inhabitants ' " Damage ui uuuer vju\vy- 
generally speaking Persian. 2. The language ance: as > ne . w . as mounted, but I came afoot. 
of the Afghans, called by themselves Pushtu or 
I'ukhtu, of Aryan affinity, though formerly sup- 
posed by some to be Semitic. 3. [/. c.] Akind 
of blanket made of knitted or crocheted wool, 
used as a sofa-cover or as a carriage-robe. 
II.. a. Pertaining or relating to Afghanistan 
or its people. 
afield (a-feld'), prep. phr. as adv. or a. [< ME. 
a felde,' o felde, o feld, < AS. on felda (dat.), on 
feld (ace.): on, E. a 3 , on, in; feld, E. field.] 1. 
He distinguished 
comrade got afoot again. 
3. Astir; stirring; about. 
When thy eager hand, 
With game afoot, unslipped the hungry pack. 
Whittier, Southern Statesman. 
more. A phrase used in, and sometimes employed as the 
designation of, a kind of argument, which concludes 
either (a) that something does not take place, because the 
causes which alone could bring it to pass operate still more 
strongly in another case without producing that effect ; or 
(b) that something docs take place, because causes much 
weaker than those which operate to bring it about are ef- 
fective in another case. An argument of the latter kind 
is the following : " If God so clothe the grass of the field, 
which to-day is and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall 
he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?" Mat. 
vi. 30. 
As he [Shakspere] has avoided obscurities in his sonnets, 
he would do so a fortiori in his plays, both for the purpose 
of immediate effect on the stage and of future apprecia- 
tion. Loivell, Among my Books, 1st ser., p. 10$, 
2. In a condition to walk about, as after sick- 
ness. 
Himself as a sick-nurse, till Ms poor afoul ( a-foul'), prep. phr. as adv. or a. [< 3 
+ foul.'] In a state of collision or entangle- 
- T_ J7 . , _1_ _ ! J.V _._. _ V _. _"*'_ -i 
meut: with of: as, a ship with its shrouds 
afoul; the brig ran afoul of the steamer To 
fall afoul of, to assail violently ; attack vigorously in 
any way : as, he fell afoul of him tooth and nail, or with 
Milton, Lycidas, 1. 27 ; " ^Eneas is afield," Shak., 
T. and C., v. 3. 
What keeps Gurth so long afield' Scott, Ivanhoe. 
2. Abroad ; off the beaten path ; far and wide. 
Why should he wander afield at the age of fifty-five ? 
Trollope. 
Without travelling further afield for illustrations, it will 
suffice if we note these relations of causes and effects in 
early European times. H. Spencer, Prin. of Sociol., 375. 
afilet, ' ' See affile. 
afire (a-fir'),prep.phr. as adv. or a. [< ME. afire, 
afyre, afyr, afere.afure, o fure (also in fire): 
a, o, E. 3 ; fy ret E. fire.] On fire. 
, , 
4. In progress ; in course of being carried out : an envenomed pen. 
as, there is mischief afoot. afraid (a-frad'), a. [< ME. afraied, etc., pp. of 
fore(a-f6r'),ad.,j>ren.,andco/y. [<ME.a/or, afraien"etc., > E .affray, frighten: see affray, 
The match is left afire. Fletcher, Island Princess, ii. 1. 
His heart afire 
With foolish hope. 
IT. Marrix, Earthly Paradise, II. 131. 
aflame (a-flam'), prep. phr. as adv. or a. [< a 3 , 
on,+flanie.] On fire; in or into flame ; ablaze. 
The explosions, once begun, were continued at intervals 
till the mine was all aflame and had to be flooded. 
Pop. Sci. Mo., XX. 425. 
Aflame with a glory beyond that of amber and ame- 
thyst. George Eliot. 
aflat (a-flaf), prep. phr. as adv. or a. [<a 3 , 
on, +flafl.] On a level with the ground ; flatly. 
Lay all his branches aflat upon the ground. 
Bacon, Nat. Hist., 426. 
aflaunt (a-flanf or a-flant'), prep. plir. as adv. 
or a. [< 3, on, + flaunt. ] Flaunting or flaunt- 
ingly ; with showy equipage or dress. 
His hat all a/taunt and befeathered with all kinds of 
coloured plumes. 
afore (.. 
aforn, 'aforne, aforen, *< AS. on-foran, before, < 
on, on, + foran, at the front. With ME. afore 
was merged early ME. atfore, < AS. wt-foran, < 
ait, at, + foran : see o- 2 , a-7, and fore, and cf. be- 
fore. Afore is nearly obsolete in literary use, 
though still common in colloq. and dial, speech ; 
cf . a hint.] I. adv. 1 . Before in place ; in front : 
especially in nautical phraseology. 
Will you go on afore? Shak., Othello, v. 1. 
2. Before in time ; previously. 
If he have never drunk wine afore, it will go near to re- 
move his fit. Shak., Tempest, ii. 2. 
II. prep. 1. Before in time. 
If your diligence be not speedy, I shall be there afore 
you. Shak., Lear, i. 5. 
2. Before in place; naut., further forward or 
nearer the bows than: as, afore the windlass. 
3. Before in position, station, or rank. 
In this Trinity none is afore or after other. 
Athanatian Creed. 
4. In or into the presence of ; under the re- 
gard or notice of. 
Afore God, I speak simply. 
B. Jomon, Every Man out of his Humour, ii. t. 
Notwithstanding all the dangers I laid afore you. 
B. Jongon, Epiccene, Ui. 5. 
Afore the mast. See before. 
III. eon/. Before that ; before ; rather than. 
Afore I'll 
Endure the tyranny of such a tongue 
And such a pride. B. Jomon, Magnetick Lady. 
aforegoing (a-for'go'ing), a. [< afore + going.] (1808-14) support! 
Copley, \\ ,ts, 1 its, and Fancies (1014), p. 29. o o ing before ; foregoing. the country. 
: afliyht, aforehand (a-for'hand), prep. phr. as adv. and afreet (a-fref), n. 
v. Not connected with afeard.'] Impressed 
with fear or apprehension ; fearful : followed 
by of before the object of fear, where that is 
not an infinitive : as, to be afraid of death ; I 
am afraid to go. 
Be of good cheer : it is I ; be not afraid. Mat. xiv. 27. 
Whistling, to keep myself from being afraid. 
Dryden, Amphitryon, iii. 1. 
A man who's not a/raid to say his say, 
Though a whole town's against him. 
Longfellow, John Endicott, ii. 2. 
= Syn. Afraid, FriyhUned, Terrified, timid, shy, appre- 
hensive, troubled, suspicious, distrustful. Afraid ex- 
presses a less degree of fear than frightened or terrified, 
which describe outvard states. In colloquial language, I 
am afraid is often nearly equivalent to I suspect, I am 
inclined to think, or the like, and is regularly used as a 
kind of polite introduction to a correction, objection, etc., 
or to make a statement sound less positive : as, I am afraid 
you are wrong ; I am afraid that argument won't hold. 
And there is ev'n a happiness 
That makes the heart afraid. 
Hood, Melancholy. 
Antony, on the other hand, was desirous to have him 
there, fancying that he would ... be frightened into a 
compliance. C. Middleton, Life of Cicero, III. ix. 
Airy ghosts, 
That work no mischief, terrify us more 
Than men in steel with bloody purposes. 
T. B. Aldrieh, Set of Turquoise. 
Afrancesado (Sp. pron. a-fran-tha-sa'do), n. 
[Sp., lit. Frenchified, pp. of afrancesar, French- 
ify, < a (L. ad), to, + France's, < ML. Francemis, 
French : see French.] A member of that party 
in Spain which during the war of independence 
(1808-14) supported the French government of 
aflightt, ' t. [< ME. afiight, pret,, after 
p. a. : see afiight, p. a., and afflict, v. The ME. 
spelling with gh may be due to the influence of 
ME. afright, affrighted, and words of similar 
spelling; but cf. delight.] To terrify; alarm. 
Cam never yet ... to mannes sight 
Merveille which so sore afllght 
A mannes herte as it tho dede (then did|. 
Cower, Conf. Amant., i. 3-27. 
aflightt, p. a. [ME., < OF. aflit, later afflict, < L. 
oJBchis, pp. : see afflict, p. a.] 
tressed. 
^ . ,, Same as afrit. 
a. [ME. aforehande, also afar thehond; < afore afrescat, adv. [Prop, afreseo, < It. affresco, a 
+ hand. Cf. beforehand.] I. adv. Beforehand; fresco: , < L. ad, to; fresco, fresh, fresco: see 
fresco.] In fresco. Evelyn. 
Mark xiv. 8. afresh (ft-fresh'), prep. plir. as adv. [< a* (for 
of, as in anew) + freshT] 
Her herte was so sore aitii/lit 
That she ne wiste what'to'thinke. 
in advance ; in anticipation. 
She is come aforehand to anoint my body. 
II. . Beforehand in condition; forehanded: 
as, he is aforehand with the world. 
Aforehand in all matters of power. 
Bacon, War with Spain. 
Afflicted;' dis- aforementioned (a-for'men'shp.nd), a. Men- 
tioned before ; forementioned. 
aforenamed (a-for'namd), a. Named before. 
, Conf. Amant ii 30!) aforesaid (a-for'sed), [ME. a/orae^; < o/ore 
+ said.] Said, recited, or mentioned before, 
[< afliyht + -ed?.] Same as 
, 
or in a preceding part of the same writing or 
discourse : common in legal use. 
aflightedt, p. a. 
((flight. 
Judas . . tooke a speciall pleasure to see them so afnrptbniio-h-r (t fm-'that^ , 
ajiyMed. s ir T . More, Works, p. 1389. aioretnought (a-tpr that), a. and 
afloat (a-flof), prep. phr. as adv. or a. 
tiJI*>ft',onflote,<AS. 
on, E. 3, on, 
, Anew ; again ; after 
intermission. 
They crucify to themselves the Son of God afreth. 
Heb. vi. 6. 
Not a few of the sites of the Roman cities were in after 
times occupied afresh as English towns. 
E. A. Freeman, Amer. Lects., p. 130. 
Afric (af'ric), . and . [< L. Africus: see fol- 
lowing.] Same as African : as, "Afric shore," 
Milton, P. L., i. 585. 
Then will the Afric indeed have changed his skin and 
the leopard his spots. A*. A. Rev., CXXIII. 446. 
I. a. Thought of beforehand ; 
< Africa, name of the country, prop. fern, of 
allow a ship or boat to float (cf . 
o 
ice with boat-hooka. Hum; Si-c. urinn. I'.xp.. II. -24. aiornenst, pn-p. and <idr. [ME., also aforyetis, 
.Seventy per cent, of all the shipping n ilont nv use the arori'i/r. iij'urii agen-H, < afore, aforn, before, + 

, 
eemvich meridian. 
,sViVw, IV. 377. aje*,etc., against : see afore, aforn, and against, 
[< afore African (af'ri-kan), a. and n. [< L. Africanus, 
that name, or (b) to the region about Carthage, 
the ancient Roman province of Africa. 2. Of 
or belonging to the black race of Africa ; char- 
re writ- acteristic of or peculiar to negroes : as, African 
features ; African cheerfulness African almond, 
cubebs, goose, etc. See the nouns. 
II. n. 1. A native of the continent, or in 
ancient times of the province, of Africa. 2. 
A member of the black African race ; a negro. 
