moderator 
undergraduates for the degree of bachelor of 
arts. 6. A moderator-lamp. 
moderator-lamp (mod'e-ra-tor-lamp), ii. A 
form of lamp iu which the oil is forced through a 
tube up toward the wick by a piston pressing on 
its surface, to which a downward imjmlseis com- 
municated by means of a spiral spring situated 
between it and the top of the barrel or body of 
the lamp. The passage of the oil up the tube is so reg- 
ulated or moderated by an ingenious internal arrangement 
of the tube that its flow is uniform, hence the name. 
moderatorship (mod'e-ra-tor-ship), n. [< mod- 
erator + -ship.'] The'bffice' of moderator. 
moderatress (mod'e-ra-tres), n. [< F. mocUra- 
trice = It. moderatrice, < L. moderatrix, fern, of 
moderator: see moderator.] Same as modera- 
trix. Fuller, Ch. Hist., II. ii. 90. 
moderatrix (mod'e-ra-triks), n. [< L. mode- 
ratrijc, fern, of moderator: see moderator. Cf. 
moderatress.'] 1. A woman who moderates or 
governs: used sometimes figuratively. 
Wisdom (from aboue) 
Is th' only Moderatrix, spring, and guide, 
Organ and honour of all Gifts beside. 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, ii., The Magnificence. 
2f. A female umpire or judge. 
I'll sit as moderatrix, if they press you 
With over-hard conditions. 
Massinger, City Madam, ii. 2. 
The debate was closed, and referred to Mrs. Shirley as 
moderatrix. 
Richardson, Sir Charles Grandison, VI. 887. (Duties.) 
modern (mod'ern), a. and n. [= D. G. Sw. 
modern = Dan. moderne, < F. moderns = Sp. Pg. 
It. moderno,( LL. ntodernus, of the present time, 
modern, < moder-, modes-, a stem appearing also 
in moderare, regulate, modestus, discreet (see 
moderate, modest), < modus, measure (with ref. 
to L. modo, just now, only, but, prop. abl. 
of modus, lit. ' by measure ') : see mode 1 . Cf. 
L. hodiernns, of to-day, < Iiodie, to-day : see 
1todiern.~\ I. a. 1. Pertaining to the present 
era, or to a period extending from a not very 
remote past to the passing time ; late or recent, 
absolutely or relatively ; not ancient or remote 
iu time. \Vith reference to history, modern is opposed 
to either ancient or medieval modern history comprising 
the history of the world since the fall of the Konian em- 
pire, or since the close of the middle ages (see middle 
age, under age) ; but the word is often used in a much 
more limited sense, according to the subject or occasion: 
as, modern fashions, tastes, inventions, science, etc., gen- 
erally referring to the comparatively brief period of from 
one to three or four generations. See modern languages, 
below. Abbreviated mod. 
Some of the ancient, and likewise divers of the modern 
writers, that have laboured in natural magick. Bacon. 
Garcilasso de la Vega appears to have been one of those 
dubious politicians who, to make use of a modern phrase, 
are always "on the fence." 
Prescott, Ferd. and Isa. , ii. 19, note. 
Man is, after all, according to the boldest speculations 
of the geologist, among the most modern of living crea- 
tures. Encyc. Brit., II. 342. 
Montaigne is really the first modern writer the first 
who assimilated his Greek and Latin, and showed that an 
author might be original and charming, even classical, if 
he did not try too hard. 
Lowell, Among my Books, 1st ser., p. 339. 
2. Not antiquated or obsolete; in harmony 
with the ideas and habits of the present: as, 
modern fashions; modern views of life. 3f. 
Common; trite; general; familiar; trivial. 
Full of wise saws and modern instances. 
Shalt., As you Like it, ii. 7. 150. 
Betray themselves to every modern censure, worse than 
drunkards. Shak., As you Like it, iv. 1. 7. 
Alas ! that were no modern consequence. 
B. Jonson, Poetaster, v. 3. 
4. Inker. See ancient 1 , 5 Modern civil law. See 
civil law, under civil. Modern English. See English, 2. 
Modern epoch, in geol., sometimes (though rarely) 
used as the equivalent of recent, and by this is generally 
meant the latest division of the Quaternary, or, as some- 
times called, the "Human period." Modern formal 
logic, the logic of De Morgan and of Boole and their fol- 
lowers. Modern geometry, Greek, Hebrew, history. 
See the nouns. Modern impression, in engraving, an 
impression taken from an old plate which has been worked 
over and put into condition for reprinting. Modern lan- 
guages, properly, all languages now living, but usually 
limited to certain living languages as opposed to ancient 
Latin and Greek, especially in a restricted sense to those 
civilized languages of the present time which have special 
literary and historical importance, namely French, Ger- 
man, Italian, and Spanish, with English, in the first rank 
(two or more of these being usually included in the prov- 
ince of a "professor of modern languages") and Dutch, 
Danish, Norwegian, Swedish, Icelandic, etc., in the second. 
The phrase being chiefly scholastic or academical, those 
great modern languages less studied by English students, 
as Russian, New Greek, Turkish, Arabic, Hindustani, etc., 
are usually ignored in this classification. Modern Lat- 
in. See Latin. =Syn. 1. Recent, Late, etc. See new. 
II. H.I. One who has lived or lives in modern 
times, or who lives at the present day, in dis- 
3814 
tinction from one of the ancients, or from one 
who lived in time past. 
There are moderns who, with a slight variation, adopt 
the opinion of Plato. Boyle, (In Colours. 
Some in ancient Books delight, 
Others prefer what Moderns write. 
Prior, Alma, i. 
It would be impertinent in a modern to pretend to say 
Betterton did not possess all those graces and qualities 
which formed the complete actor. 
Life of Quin (reprint 1887), p. 12. 
2. One who adopts new views and opinions. 
moderner (mod'er-ner), n. One who adopts 
modern styles of thought, expression, manners, 
etc. 
Report (which our mt>derners clepe flundrlng Fame) puts 
mee in memorye of a notable jest I heard long agoe. 
Nashe, Pierce Penilesse (1592). 
modernisation, modernise, etc. See modern- 
ization, etc. 
modernism (mod'er-nizm), n. [= Sp. Pg. mo- 
dernismo; as modern + -ism.] 1. A deviation 
from ancient manner or practice; something 
recently made or introduced; especially, a 
modern phrase, idiom, or mode of expression. 
Scribblers send us over their trash in prose and verse, 
with abominable curtailings and quaint modernisms. 
Swtft. 
2. Modern cast or character; a modern method 
of thinking, or the habit of regarding matters 
from a modern point of view. [Bare.] 
The intense modernistn of Mr. Froude's mind. 
Saturday Rev. 
modernist (mod'er-nist), n. [= F. modernists 
= Sp. Pg. modernista; as modern + -ist.~] 1. A 
modern. 
Something is amiss . . . which even his brother modern- 
ists themselves, like migrates, do whisper so loud. 
Swift, Tale of a Tub, Ix. 
2. One who admires or prefers that which is 
modern; especially, an advocate of modern 
learning, or of the study of modern languages, 
in preference to the ancient. 
The modernist of to-day demands the abolition of Greek 
as a required study in a liberal course. 
E. J. James, Pop. Sci. Mo., XXIV. 291. 
modernity (mo-der'ni-ti), H. [= F. modernite 
= It.modernitd;&smodern + -itu.] 1. Thequal- 
ity or state of beingmodern ; modernism in time 
or spirit. [Rare.] 
Now that the poems [Chatterton's] have been so much 
examined, nobody (that has an ear) can get over the mo- 
dernity of the modulations. 
Walpole, Letters, IV. 297 (1782). (Davits.) 
He is a pupil of Boulanger and Lefebvre, and thorough, 
ly French in the modernity and quality of his vision. 
Harpers Mag., LXXIX. 610. 
2. Something that is modern. 
But here is a modernity which beats all antiquities for 
curiosity. Walpole, Letters, I. 313 (1763). (DavUs.) 
modernization (mod"er-ni-za'shon), n. [< mod- 
ernize + -ation.] The act of modernizing, or 
the state of being modernized. Also spelled 
modernisation. 
modernize (mod'er-niz), i: t. ; pret. and pp. 
modernized, ppr. modernizing. [< F. moderniser 
= Sp. modernizar = Pg. modernisar; as modern 
+ 4ze.~\ To give a modern character or appear- 
ance to ; adapt to modern persons, times, or 
uses; cause to conform to modern ideas or 
style : as, to modernize the language of an old 
writer. Also spelled modernise. 
From the stiff and antiquated phraseology which he 
adopted, I have thought it necessary to modernize it a 
little. Barham, Ingoldsby Legends, I. 209. 
modernize!" (mod'er-ni-zer), n. One who mod- 
ernizes or renders modern. Also spelled mod- 
erniser. 
No unsuccessful modernizer of the Latin satirists. 
Wakejield, Memoirs, p. 76. 
modernlyt (mod'ern-li), adv. [< modern + -fy 2 .] 
In modern times. 
Thir [the Romans'] Leader, as some madernly write, was 
Gallic of Ravenna. Milton, Hist. Eng., iii. 
modernness (mod'ern-nes), n. The quality or 
character of being modern ; conformity to mod- 
ern ideas or ways; recentness. 
The modernness of all good books seems to give me an 
existence as wide as man. 
Emerson, Nominalist and Kealist. 
The more we know of ancient literature the more we 
are struck with its modernness. 
Lowell, Among my Books, 1st ser., p. 178. 
modest (mod'est), a. [< F. modeste = Sp. Pg. 
It. modesto, < L. modestus, moderate, keeping 
measure, discreet, modest, < modes-, a stem ap- 
pearing as moiler- in moderare, moderate, < mo- 
dus, measure: see model, moderate.] 1. Retir- 
modesty 
ing in disposition or demeanor; restrained by a 
sense of propriety, humility, or diffidence ; not 
ostentatious, bold, or forward; unobtrusive. 
And we see him as he moved, 
How modest, kindly, all-accomplish'd, wise. 
Tennyson, Idylls of the King, Ded. 
2. Acting with decorum or delicacy; restrained 
by chaste or scrupulous feelings; pure in thought 
and conduct. 
And, that augmented all her other prayse, 
She modest was in all her deedes and words. 
Spenser, F. Q., IV. ii. 35. 
Mistress Ford, the honest woman, the modest wife. 
Shale., M. W. of W., iv. 2. 136. 
Thou woman, which wert born to teach men virtue, 
Fair, sweet, and modest maid, forgive my thoughts ! 
lleau. and Fl., Woman-Hater, v. 5. 
3. Manifesting or seeming to manifest humil- 
ity, propriety, or decorum; not gaudy, showy, 
or meretricious. 
That women adorn themselves in modest apparel. 
1 Tim. ii. 9. 
In peace there's nothing so becomes a man 
As modest stillness and humility. 
Shale., Hen. V., iii. 1. 4. 
The yellow violet's modest bell 
Peeps from the last year's leaves below. 
Bryant, The Yellow Violet. 
4. Moderate ; not excessive or extreme ; not 
extravagant: as, a modest computation; a mod- 
est fortune. 
Modest wisdom plucks me 
From 'over-credulous haste. 
Shak., Macbeth, iv. 3. 119. 
I have in the relation of my wrongs 
Been modest, and no word my tongue deliver'd 
To express my insupportable injuries 
But gave my heart a wound. 
Beau, and Fl., Thierry and Theodoret, ii. 1. 
5. Unpretentious. 
There is, it is true, a modest hotel for the use of those 
who make a short visit. Nineteenth Century, XXIV. 487. 
=Syn. 1. Unassuming, unpretending, coy, shy. See bash- 
fulness. 2. Decent, chaste, virtuous, 
modestlesst (mod'est-les), a. [Irreg. < modest 
+ -less.] Without modesty. 
Alas ! how faithless and how modestless 
Are you, that, in your Ephemerides, 
Mark th' yeer, the month, and day, which euermore 
Gainst years, months, dayes shall dam vp Saturnes dore ! 
Sylvester, tr. of Du Bartas's Weeks, i. 1. 
modestly (mod'est-li), adv. In a modest man- 
ner ; with due reserve, propriety, or decorum ; 
unobtrusively; delicately; moderately: as, to 
speak modestly of one's achievements; to be- 
have, dress, or live modestly. 
modesty (raod'es-ti), n. [< ME. modestie, < 
OF. (and F.) modestie = Sp. Pg. It. modestia, 
< L. modestia, moderation, < modestus, modest: 
see modest.] 1. The quality of being modest; 
moderation ; freedom from exaggeration or ex- 
cess. 
Modestie : which worde not being knowen in the Eng- 
lyshe tongue, ne of all them whichevnderstonde Latine, ex- 
cepte they had red good auctours, they improperly named 
this vertue dyscrecion. Sir T. Elyot, The Governour, i. 25. 
2. Retiring disposition or demeanor ; disincli- 
nation to presumption, ostentation, or self-as- 
sertion ; unobtrusiveness ; reserve proceeding 
from absence of over-confidence or self-esteem. 
Suit the action to the word , the word to the action ; with 
this special observance, that you o'erstep not the modesty 
of nature. Shak., Hamlet, iii. 2. 21. 
There is a kind of confession in your looks which your 
modesties have not craft enough to colour. 
Shalt., Hamlet, ii. 2. 289. 
The people carried themselves with much silence and 
modesty. Winthrop, Hist. New England, I. 91. 
Modesty is a kind of shame or bashfulness proceeding 
from the sense a man has of his own defects compared 
with the perfections of him whom he comes before. 
South, Sermons. II. iv. 
Next to Sir Andrew in the club-room sits Captain Sen- 
try, a gentleman of great courage, good understanding, but 
invincible modesty. He is one of those that deserve very 
well, but are very awkward at putting their talents within 
the observation of such us should take notice of them. 
Steele, Spectator, No. 2. 
3. Decorous feeling or behavior; purity or del- 
icacy of thought or manner ; reserve proceed- 
ing from pure or chaste character. 
Talk not to a lady in a way that modesty will not permit 
her to answer. Richardson, Clarissa Harlowe. 
The sister of St. Gregory of Xyssa was afflicted with a can- 
cer inher breast, but could not bear that a surgeon should 
see it, and was rewarded for her modesty by a miraculous 
cure. Lecky, Europ. Morals, II. 338. 
= Syn. 2. Diffidence, Shyness, etc. See bashfulness. 
moaestyt (mod'es-ti), v. t. [< modesty, .] To 
lose from modesty: with uivay. [Rare.] 
Twice already have you, my dear, if not oftener, modi'rty'd 
away such opportunities as you ought not to have slipped. 
Kichardtion, Clarissa Harlowe, IV. 88. (Domes.) 
