irritable 
2. Susceptible to physical irritation; capable of 
being stimulated to net ion by external agency; 
liable to contract, shrink, become inflamed, 
etc., when excited or stimulated: as, irritnlili 
nerves; an irritahli; woiiml. 3. Siiccilienlly, 
in i>hyxii>l. ami /////.. possessing the property of 
irritability. 
Strictly spi'iikiint, tin- glands ounht to In- called irrita- 
ble, as Hi'- ten 11 >< i i-iti\ ''''" n ;ill\ implies consciousness; 
lint no one SUPIMJSOH that tho sensitive plant is conscious. 
Daru-in, Insectiv. Plants, p. 19. 
4. Responding quickly to .a stimulus ; sensi- 
tive; impressible. 
One cnnnot help having an irritable brain, which rides 
an idea to the moon anil homo uKain, without stirrups, 
whilst some folks are getting the harness of words on to 
its back. ./. //. h'lring, Dandelion Clocks. 
Our modern nerves, our irritaMe sympathies, our easy 
discomforts and fears, make one think (in some relations) 
less respectfully of human nature. 
//. James, Jr., Little Tour, p. 2. 
= Syn. 1. Passionate, etc. (see irascible)', fretful, peevish. 
irritableness (ir'i-ta-bl-nes), n. The quality 
or state of being irritable ; irritability. 
irritably (ir'i-ta-bli), titlr. In an irritable man- 
ner; go as to cause or manifest irritation. 
irritamentt (ir'i-ta-ment), n. [= OF. irrite- 
ineiit Hp. irritainirnto = Pg. irritamento = It. 
irritamento, inritamento, < L. irritamentitm, in- 
ritamentitm, an incitement, provocative, < irri- 
tare, inri tare, incite: see irritate 1 .] An irritat- 
ing cause or irritant; a provocative; an incen- 
tive. 
Irregular dispensations . . . are . . . the perilous irri- 
tatnents of carnal and spiritual enmity. 
N. Ward, quoted in Tyler's Amer. Lit., I. 2S3. 
irritancy 1 (ir'i-tan-si), n. [< irritan(t) 1 + -y-] 
The state of being irritant or of exciting irri- 
tation ; the quality of irritating. 
irritancy 2 (ir'i-tan-si), n. [< irr<taH(<) 2 + -?!!} 
In ticoty law, the state of being irritant or of no 
force, or of being null and void. Imp. Diet. 
irritant 1 (ir'i-tant), a. and n. [= P. irritant = 
Sp. Pg. It. irritante, < L. irritan(<-)s, inritan(t-)n, 
ppr. of irritare, inritare, excite : see irritate*-.} 
1. a. Irritating; exasperating; specifically .pro- 
ducing pain, neat, or tension; causing inflam- 
mation: as, an irritant poison. 
H. n. That which irritates or exasperates; 
specifically, a therapeutic agent that causes 
pain, heat, or tension, or a poison that produces 
inflammation. 
Many of the Ranunculacetc are irritant poisons. . . . 
Clematis is one of the best known irritants of this class. 
Lindley, Vegetable Kingdom. 
irritant 2 (ir'i-tant), a. [< LL. irritan(t-)s, in- 
ritan(t-)g, ppr. of irritare, inritare, make void, 
invalidate: see irritate 2 .] Rendering null and 
void. [Rare.] 
The states elected Henry, duke of Anjou, for their king, 
with this clause irritant: that If he did violate any part 
of his oath, the people should owe him no allegiance. 
Sir J. Hayicard, Ans. to Doleman, v. 
Irritant Clause, in Scot* law, a clause in a deed declaring 
void specified acts if done by the party holding under the 
deed. 
irritate 1 (ir'i-tat), v. t. ; pret. and pp. irritated, 
ppr. irritating. [< L. irritatus, inritatus, pp. of 
irritare, inritare (> It. irritare = Sp. Pg. irri- 
tar = P. irriter, > E. irrite 1 ), excite, irritate, 
incite, stimulate.] 1. To excite to resentment 
or anger; annoy; vex; exasperate: as, to be 
irritated by an officious or a tedious person. 
Not to molest, or irritate, or raise 
A laugh at his expense, is slender praise. 
Ctnoper, Retirement, 1. 818. 
2. To excite to automatic action by external 
agency, as organic tissue ; produce motion, con- 
traction, or inflammation in by stimulation : as, 
to irritate the skin by chafing or the nerves by 
teasing. 
When a nerve is irritated not far from its termination 
in a muscle, the effect is but small. 
B. Spencer, Prin. of Psychol., 19. 
3f. To give greater force or energy to; excite. 
Cold inaketh the spirits vigorous, and irritateth them. 
Bacon. 
Music too, 
By Spartans lov'd, is temper'd by the law ; 
still tii her plan subservient melt* in notes, 
Which cool iind soothe, not irritate and warm. 
Olotxr, Leonidas, ii. 
= Syn. 1. Provoke, J license, etc. (see exasperate); fret, 
chafe, nettle, sting, annoy, gall, inflame, excite, anger, en- 
rage. 
irritate^ (ir'i-tiit), a. [< L. irritatus, pp.: see 
(lie verb.] Excited; exasperated; intensified. 
The heat becomes more violent and irritate, and thereby 
expelleth sweat. Bacon. 
irritate'-'t (ir'i-tat), v. t. [< LL. irritati<s t inri- 
tutim, pp. of irritare, inritare, make void, inval- 
201 
3191 
Mate, < L. irritnn, iiiritim, void, invalid: see ir- 
riti'-.] To render null and void, liramhall. 
irritating (ir'i-ta-ting), //. a. Causing irrita- 
tion; vexing; provoking; exasperating. 
Poor relations are undeniably irritating. 
Otarge HIM, Mill on the Floss, I. 8. 
The peasantry of France, though freed from the most 
oppressive, were still subject to some of the most irritttt- 
1/1.7 of feudal burden*. /."(.", Eng. in 18th Cent., Hi. 
irritatingly (ir'i-ta-ting-li), atlv. In an irritat- 
ing manner or degree ; so as to irritate. 
Her story, It Is right to add, is not only fearfully crude, 
but irritatinyly well-intentioned also. 
Mlinni n ,,i. No. 3194, p. 49. 
irritation (ir-i-ta'shon), n. [= P. irritation = 
Sp. irrttacion = Pg"irritacSo = It. irritazione, 
iiiritazione, < L. irritatio(n-), inritatio(n-), < ir- 
ritare, inritare, excite: see irritate 1 .] 1. The 
act of irritating, or the state of being irritated; 
impatient or angry excitement; provocation; 
exasperation. 
It may appear strange that Marlborough should have 
continued in command in spite of so many causes of irri- 
tation, bnt he was Implored by his Whig friends to do so. 
I. .:!.- a, Unit, in 18th Cent, L 
2. Stimulation; incitement; a stirring up to 
activity. [Rare.] 
Therefore was nothing committed to historic but mat- 
ters of great and excellent persons & things, that the 
same by irritation of good courages (such as emulation 
cnuseth) might worke more effectually. 
Puttenham, Arte of Eng. Poesie, p. 88. 
The whole body of the arts and sciences composes one 
vast machinery for the irritation and development of the 
human Intellect. DC Quineey. 
3. In physiol, the act of evoking some action, 
or change of state, in a muscle, nerve, or other 
living tissue, by some chemical, physical, or 
pathological agent ; the state or action thus 
evoked. 
irritative (ir'i-ta-tiv), a. [= P. irritatif=: Sp. 
Pg. It. irritatiro; as irritate 1 + -ive.~\ 1. Serv- 
ing to excite or irritate. 
Every Irritation produces In the cellular elements 
some mechanical or chemical change, which change is a 
"counter-working against the irritative cause." 
Copland, Diet Pract. Med. 
2. Accompanied with or produced by irritation. 
Irritative fever. See/ei*ri . 
irritatory (ir'i-ta-to-ri), a. [< irritate 1 + -ory.~\ 
Exciting; stimulating; irritating. [Rare.] 
The other peradventure Is sufficiently grounded for 
principles of faith, yet is weak by reason either of some 
passion, or of some irritatory and troublesome humour in 
his behaviour. Hales, Golden Remains, p. 46. 
irriteH, v. t. [< P. irriter, < L. irritare, incite, 
irritate: see irritate 1 .] To irritate; exasper- 
ate; influence; provoke. 
IrriMng and prouoklng men unto anger. 
Qrafion, Edw. V., an. 1. 
irrite 2 ! (i-rif), a. [< ME. irrite, < OF. irrite =Sp. 
irrito = Pg. It. irrito, < L. irritus, inritus, un- 
decided, unfixed, invalid, void, < in- priv. + 
ratus, decided, fixed: see rate 2 .] Invalid; of 
no force; vain; ineffectual; useless. 
These irrite, forceless, bugbear excommunications, the 
ridiculous alfordments of a mercenary power, are not un- 
like those old night-spells which blind people had from 
mongrel witches. Rev. T. Adams, Works, II. 180. 
irroratet (ir'o-rat), v. t. [< L. irroratus, inrora- 
tus, pp. of irrorare, inrorare, wet with dew (> 
It. inrorare, irrorare = Pg. irrorar), < in, upon, 
+ rorare, distil dew, < ros (ror-), dew.] To 
moisten with dew. 
irrorate (ir'6-rat), a. [< L. irroratus, pp. : see 
the verb.] In zool., dotted with white or light 
color, as if with dewdrops; in entom., marked 
with minute dots of color: said especially of 
the wings of lepidopters when numerous single 
scales differ from the ground color. 
irrorated (ir'o-ra-ted), a. [< irrorate + -e<P.] 
Same as irrorate. 
irroration (ir-o-ra'shon), n. [= F. irroration; 
as irrorate + -ion.'] if. The act of bedewing, 
or the state of being moistened with dew. 
If during the discharge the irroration should be Inter- 
rupted, the portion of eggs then excluded will be barren, 
while the rest will be found to have been fecundated. 
Trans, of Spallanzanfs Dissertations. (Latham.) 
2. In entom., an ill-defined color-mark formed 
by scattered dots or scales, as on a butterfly's 
wing. 
irrotational (ir-o-ta'shon-al), a. [< tn-3 + 
rotational.'] Not rotational; devoid of rota- 
tion. 
The equations which form the foundations of the mathe- 
matical theory of fluid motions were fully laid down by La- 
grange and the great mathematicians of the end of the last 
century, but the number of solutions of cases of fluid mo- 
tion which had been actually worked out remained very 
small, and almost all of these belonged to n particular 
type of fluid motion, which has been since named the ir- 
rntational type. Itrit., III. 4:1. 
Irrotational motion In hydrodynamics, of a fluid, > mo- 
tion in which the infinitesimal parts have no angular ve- 
locity of rotation about their own axes that Is to say, If 
any infinitesimal spherical particle of the fluid were sud- 
denly to become solidified, It would move without turn- 
ing, although IU path would not generally be rectilinear. 
Though all the particles of a fluid were moving in parallel 
straight lines, its motion uoitM not necessarily lie irrota- 
tlonal ; for if parts moving Hide by side had dliTerent ve- 
locities a solidified particle would rotate. 
irrubrical (i-ro'bri-kal), a. [< i;i-3 + rubrical.] 
Not rubrical ; contrary to the rubric. 
irrugatet (ir'ij-gat), v. t. [< L. irrugatus, in- 
rui/fitus, pp. of irrugare,innigare, wrinkle,<in, 
in, upon, + rugare, wrinkle: see rugate.] To 
lay in folds; wrinkle. 
That the swelling of their body might not imtgate and 
wrlnckle their faces. Palace of Pleasure, I., f. t. (Kara.) 
irrupted (i-rup'ted), a. [< L. irruptus, inrup- 
tiis, pp. of irrumpcre, inrumpere, break or burst 
in, rush in.< in, in, + rumpere, break, burst: see 
rupture.] Broken violently; disrupted. [Rare.] 
irruption (i-rup'shpn), . [= F. irruption = 
Sp. imtpcion = Pg" irrupcSo = It. irruaone, < 
L. irruptio(n-), inruptio(n-), a breaking or burst- 
ing in, < irrumpere, inrumpere, pp. irrvptus, in- 
rttptus, break in : see irrupted.] A bursting in ; 
a breaking or rushing into a place; a sudden 
invasion or incursion. 
Lest evil tidings, with too rude irruption 
Hitting thy aged ear, should pierce too deep. 
Mitt,,,,, 8. A., 1. 1567. 
In 1388 the Austrians made an irruption into the terri- 
tory of (ilarus with an army of fifteen thousand men. 
J. Adams, Works, IV. 318. 
A grand irruption of angels follows, lining the sky with 
song and holy gratulation. 
Bushnell, Sermons on Living Subjects, p. 12. 
= Syn. Foray, raid. 
imiptive (i-rup'tiy), a. [< irrupt(ed) + -ire.] 
Bursting in ; rushing in or upon anything. 
Storms of wrath and indignation dread 
Seem ready to displode imtvtice on his head. 
Whitehouse, Ode to Justice. 
Irvingia (er-vin'ji-a), n. [NL. (Hooker, 1860), 
named after Dr. Irving, R. N.] A small genus 
of dicotyledonous plants, of the natural order 
Simarubea-. It is characterized by having the calyx 
4- or 5-parted, the petals 4 or 5 in number, the stamens 
10, and the ovary 2-celled. They are trees with curious 
annulated branches, alternate simple and entire leaves, 
and axillary or terminal panicles of small, yellow, odorous 
flowers. Three species, natives of tropical western Africa, 
are known. /. Barteri, a tree 40 feet high, Is the wild 
mango, dlka-bread, or bread-tree of western Africa. The 
seeds are the part eaten, and also contain an oil or fat 
similar to cocoa-butter, which is used by the natives in 
cooking. 
Irvingism (er'ving-izm), n. [< Irving (see def.) 
+ -ism.] The system of religious doctrine and 
practice peculiar to Edward Irving or the Ir- 
vingites, or adherence to that system. See 
Irvingite. 
Great writers, of World-Wide fame, have devoted them- 
selves to studying Gnosticism and Montanism, but scorn 
to bestow a thought on Quakerism, Irrinfjism, and above 
all on Methodism. Contemporary Ken., LIV. 112. 
Irvingite (er'ving-it), n. [< Irving (see def.) 
+ -ite 2 .] A member of a religious denomina- 
tion called after Edward Irving (1792-1834), a 
minister of the Church of Scotland, who was 
settled in London in 1822, promulgated mysti- 
cal doctrines, and was excommunicated in 1833. 
Irving was not the founder of the sect popularly called af- 
ter him, but accepted and promoted the spread of the prin- 
ciples upon which, after his death, the sect was formed. Its 
proper name Is the Catholic Apostolic Church, and It has an 
elaborate organization derived from its twelve "apostles," 
the first body of whom was completed in 1835. It recog- 
nizes the orders of apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors 
or "angels," eldera, deacons, etc. It lays especial stress 
on the early creeds, the eucharist, prophecies, and gift of 
tongues. It has an extremely ritualistic service and an 
elaborate liturgy. The adherents are not numerous, and 
are found chiefly in Great Britain. There are some on the 
continent of Europe and in the United states. 
iryt (ir'i), a. [< ire^ + -yi.] Angry. 
We flame with that which doth our soules refine ; 
For in our Soules the iry pow'r It is 
That makes vs at vnhallowed thoughts repine. 
Davit*, Microcosmos, p. 74. 
is (iz). The third person singular present in- 
dicative of the verb be. See fte 1 . The form if was 
formerly, and is still dialectally, used for all persons of the 
singular, and in negro speech also for all persons of the 
plural. Such use in Chaucer, as in modern authors, is in 
imitation of dialect speech. 
I is as ille a mlllere as are ye. 
Chaucer, Reeve's Tale, 1. 125. 
II hall, by God, Aleyn, thou ii a fonne. 
Chaucer, Reeve's Tale, L 1W. 
-isH. An obsolete form of -eg 1 . 
-is-'t. An obsolete form of -e 2 . 
