narrable 
inn-rate.'] Capable of being related, told, or 
lllUTlltril. I ni'l:'i fillll. 
narras-plant (nar'as-plant), n. [< S. African 
iiiirnis + K. /!/<//.] A very peeulinr c-nciiilii- 
taueouH plant of South Africa, Acanthosicyox 
Itnrriitii, K r "V>'i"K on snmly downs near tho sea. 
Without leiiveH jiri'l mrn <{ with stout spines, it forms 
Impenetrable thickets of tin- height of a num. The fruit 
li abundant, as largo a a m:il! mclim, the pulp white and 
delicate, very refreshing and wholesome. The seeds also 
are eaten by the natives. 
narrate (na-rat' or nar'at), . t. ; pret. and pp. 
inn-mint, ppr. narrating. [< L. narratus, pp. 
of narrare ( > It. narrare = Pg. Sp. Pr. narrar = 
F. narrer), relate, make known, for "gnarrare, 
</</, seen also iu E. know. Cf.ii. yntint.-*. 
knowing: see giniritu.\ To tell, rehearse, or 
recite in detail ; relate the particulars or inci- 
dents of ; relate in speech or writing. 
I may aptly narrate the apologue. Sir E. Coke. 
When I have least to narrate to speak in the Scottish 
phrase I am most diverting. 
liir.hardmn, Clarissa Harlowe, VI. 223. (Daviei.) 
= Syn. Describe, Narrate (see deseribe\ detail, recount, re- 
peat. 
narratio (na-ra'shi-6), n. [L.: see narration.] 
In eifil law, an account or formal statement in 
pleading, setting forth the facts constituting 
the plaintiff's cause of action : used to some ex- 
tent at common law. Abbreviated narr. 
narration (na-ra'shon), n. [= F. narration = 
Pr. narratio = Sp. tiarracion = Pg. narraySo = 
It. narrasione, < L. narratio(n-), a relation, a 
narrative, < narrare, relate: see narrate."] 1. 
The act of recounting or relating in order the 
particulars of some action, occurrence, or affair ; 
a narrating. 
In the narration of some great design, 
Invention, art, and fable, all must Join. 
Drydenand Soaine, tr. of Horace's Art of Poetry, III. 160. 
The power of diffusion without being diffuse would seem 
to be the highest merit of narration, giving It that easy 
flow which is so difficult. Lowell, Study Windows, p. 278. 
2. That which is narrated or recounted; an 
orderly recital of the details and particulars of 
some transaction or event, or of a series of 
transactions or events ; a story or narrative. 
The great disadvantage our historians labour under is 
too tedious an interruption by the Insertion of records in 
their narration. Felton. 
Specifically 3. In rliet., that part of an ora- 
tion in which the speaker makes his statement 
of facts. The narration Is to be distinguished from the 
proposition (prothesis) or statement of the subject. Be- 
sides the principal narration or narration proper (the 
diegesis), ancient rhetoricians distinguished subordinate 
forms of narration the catadiegesis, epidiegesis, hypodie- 
gesls, piiradiegesis, and prodiegesis. Oblique narra- 
tion. See oblique. = Syn. 2. Account, Relation, Narrative, 
etc. See account. 
narrative (nar'a-tiv), a. and n. [= F. narra- 
tif = Sp. Pg. It. narrativ o, < L. narratwus, suit- 
able for relation, < narrare, pp. narratus, re- 
late: see narrate.} I. a. 1. Of or pertaining 
to narration or the act of relating the details of 
a transaction or an event: as, narrative skill. 
2. Given to narration or the telling of stories 
and the recounting of incidents and events. 
[Rare.] 
The tattling c|ii:iHH of age ... is always narrative. 
Dryden, Orig. and Prog, of Satire. 
II. n. 1. That which is narrated; aconnected 
account of the particulars of an event or trans- 
action, or series of incidents ; a relation or nar- 
ration ; a story. 
By this narrative you now vmlerstand the state of the 
question. Bacon, Hist. Hen. VTI., p. 58. 
The Narrative is a mere imitation of history. 
Bacon, Advancement of Learning, ii. 143. 
Snnu' write a narrative of wars, and feasts 
Of heroes. Cowper, Task, ill. 139. 
2. The art of narrating or recounting in de- 
tail: as, he is very skilful in nurrutiri: 
The principles of the art of narratiee must be equally 
observed. H. L. Stevenson, A Humble Remonstrance. 
Narrative of a deed, in Scots lam, that part of a deed 
which describes the grantor and the person In whose 
favor the deed is granted, and states the cause of granting. 
= Syn. 1. Account, Relation, Narrative, etc. See account 
narratively (uar'a-tiv-li), adv. In or by a nar- 
rative or narration. 
narrator (na-ra'tor), n. [= F. narrateur, OF. 
iiarreur = Sp. Pg. narrador = It. narraton; < 
\i. narrntor.il narrator, < narrinr. pp. narrntuK, 
relate: see niirniti:'] 1. One wno narrates; 
one who reeoiinN or states facts, iletaiU. dr. 
Hee is but a narratur of ullirr men's opinions. 
Dp. Mountai/u, Appeal to C'sosar, i. 
2. In the older oratorios ami )>:issions, the per- 
sonage who sings the historical parts of the text. 
3935 
so as to give the proper setting for the dramatic 
and lyric numbers. 
narratoryt (nar'a-to-ri), a. [< narrate + -ory.] 
Of the nature of narrative ; consisting of nar- 
rative. 
Now Letters, though they be capable of any Subject, 
yet commonly they are either Karratory, Objurgatory, 
Consolatory, Monitory, or Congratulatory. 
Howell, Letters, I. i. 1. 
narre't, An obsolete spelling of ;/<//-. 
Levins. 
I narre, as a dogge dothe whan he is angred. Palsgrave. 
Sarre lyke a dogge whych is madde. IluloeL 
narre' J t, a. A Middle English form of near 1 . 
narrow 1 (nar'6), a. and n. [< ME. narotc, na- 
rotce, naretce, nance, naru, < AS. ntaru (neartc-) 
= OS. naru, naro, narowo, narrow, = OFries. 
"iiaro (in deriv. nara, oppression) = D. naar, 
dismal, ghastly, frightful, sorrowful, depressed, 
= MLG. nare, nance, LG. naar, dismal, ghastly, 
= OHG. 'naru (*narw-), in deriv. narwa, narwo, 
MHG. narwe, G. narbe, a closed wound, a near; 
cf. Icel. njorva-sund, 'narrow strait' (applied to 
the Strait of Gibraltar); perhaps ong. with 
initial s, akin to ynare. Certainlynot connect- 
ed with near 1 .] I. a. 1. Of little width or 
breadth ; measuring relatively little from side 
to side ; not wide or broad : as, a narrow chan- 
nel or passage; a narrow ribbon. 
By little It [the land) cometh in, and waxeth narrower 
towards both the ends. 
Sir T. More, Utopia (tr. by RobinsonX ii. 1. 
Strait is the gate, and narrate is the way, which leadeth 
unto life. Hat. \ ii. 14. 
The narrow seas that part 
The French and English. 
Shak., M. of V., IL 8. 28. 
Those small Perquisites that I have are thrust up into 
a little narrow Lobby- Huirell, Letters, I. vi. 89. 
2. Limited as regards extent, resources, means, 
sentiment, mental view, scope, individual dis- 
position, or habits, etc. (a) Small; confined; cir- 
cumscribed. 
Had I not beene brought into such a narrow com passe of 
time. Coryat, Crudities, I. 144. 
It is a large subject [the dissensions at Rome], but I shall 
draw it into as narrow a compass as I can. 
Su\ft, Nobles and Commons, HI. 
(&) Straitened ; limited; impoverished: as, narrow fortune. 
Socinios embraced the Catholic religion from convic- 
tion, and studied It with great application, as far as his 
narrow means of Instruction would allow him. 
Bruce, Source of the Nile, II. 308. 
(c) Contracted; lacking breadth or liberality of view; 
illiberal; bigoted. 
I hold not so narrow a conceit of this virtue as to con- 
ceive that to give alms is only to be charitable. 
Sir T. Browne, Religio Medici, 11. 3. 
The hopes of good from those whom we gratify would 
produce a very narrow and stinted charity. Bp. Smalridge. 
There is no surer proof of a narrow and Ill-Instructed 
mind than to think and uphold that what a man takes to 
be the truth on religious matters is always to be pro- 
claimed. M. Arnold, Literature and Dogma, Pref. 
(d) Niggardly; avaricious; covetous. 
To narrow breasts he comes all wrapt in gain. 
Sir P. Sidney. 
3. Close ; bare ; so small or close as to be al- 
most inadequate; barely sufficient: as, a nar- 
row majority or escape (that is, a majority so 
small or an escape so close as almost to fail of 
being a majority or an escape). 
The Lords, by a narrow majority, . . . adopted the same 
declaration. Brougham. 
The Republican majority in the lower house is very nar- 
rnii: It comprises eighteen Southern members. 
The Xation, XLVII. 463. 
4. Close; near; accurate; scrutinizing; care- 
ful ; minute. 
I hate her more 
Than I love happiness, and plac'd thee there 
To pry with narrow eyes into her deeds. 
Beau, and /'(., Philaster, ill. 1. 
These two, far off, 
Shall tempt thee to Just wonder, and, drawn near, 
Can satisfy thy narrotcent curiosity. 
Shirley, Love In a Maze, ii. 2. 
But first with narrow search I must walk round 
This garden, and no corner leave unspied. 
Milton, P. L., IT. 628. 
5. Restricted or brief, with reference to time. 
From this narrow time of gestation [may] ensue a minor- 
ity or smallness in the exclusion. 
Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err., lit 6. 
Narrow circumstances. See circumstance. Narrow 
cloths. See cloth. Narrow gage. See gage?, 2 (a). 
The narrow sea or seas, the English Channel, or, specif- 
ically, the Strait of Dover. 
Kei-p thees two townes [Calais and Dover], sire, to your 
magestee 
As your twein eyen, to keep the narow tee. 
Libcll of Jinyluhe Polieye, 14S6 (ed. Hertzberg). 
narrowness 
Antonio hath a ship of rich lading wrecked on Ua nar- 
row teas; the Goodwins, I think they call the place. 
Shot., M. of V., 111. 1. 4. 
Far beyond, 
Imagined more than Ken, the tklrU of France. . . . 
"God bleu the narrow tea which keeps her off." 
Teiuiynun, ITlnuess, Conclusion. 
Syn. 1 and 3. Cramped, pinched, icanty, mean. 
II. n. 1. A strait; a narrow passage through 
a mountain, or a narrow channel of water be- 
tween one sea or lake and another ; a sound ; 
any contracted part of a navigable river or har- 
bor: used chiefly in the plural : as, the Xarroiex 
at the entrance of New York harbor. 
The sea-current, especially observable In narrow*, like 
tlie Hellespont. Amer. Jour. Philnl., LX. Wo. 
2. A contracted part of an ocean current : usu- 
ally in the plural : as, the narrows of the Gulf 
Stream at the south point of Florida. 3. pi. 
In coal-mining, roadways or galleries driven at 
right angles to drifts, and smaller than these in 
section. Gresley. [North. Eng.] 
narrow 1 (nar'6), adv. [< ME. narwe, < AS. 
neartre, narrowly, < nearu, narrow: see narrow 1 , 
a.] Narrowly. [Rare.] 
Vndlr his lift side y my silt stood. 
And aftir his smile ful naru:; a-spled. 
Hymni to Virgin, etc. (E. E. T. 8.), p. 48. 
narrow 1 (nar'6), r. [< ME. narowen, narwen, < 
AS. nearwian, niriran, make narrow, become 
narrow, genearwian, make narrow, < nearu, nar- 
row: see narrow*, a.] I. trans. 1. To make 
narrow or contracted; reduce in breadth or 
scope: as, to narrow one's sphere of action. 
At the Straits of Magellan, where the land Is norrotred, 
and the sea on the other side, it |the needle) varieth but 
fle or six [degrees]. Sir T. Browne, Vulg. Err., IL 2. 
Harrow not the law of charity, equity, mercy. 
Sir T. Bromu, Christ. Mor., L 11. 
Desuetude does contract and narrow our faculties. 
Government of the Tongue. 
One science [theology] is Incomparably above all the 
rest, where it is not by corruption narrowed into a trade. 
Locke. 
Who, born for the universe, narrowed his mind, 
And to party gave up what was meant for mankind. 
Ooldtmith, Retaliation. 
Specifically 2. In knitting, to reduce the num- 
ber of stitches of : opposed to widen : as, to 
narrow a stocking at the toe. 
II. intrant. 1. To become narrow, literally 
or figuratively. 
Following up 
The river as it narrow'd to the hills. 
Tennyson, Princess, Hi. 
2. In the manege, to take less than the proper 
ground in stepping, or bear out insufficiently to 
the one hand or the other: said of a horse. 
3. In knitting, to reduce the number of stitches, 
either by knitting two together or by slipping 
one and binding it over the next : as, when you 
reach this point you must narrow, 
narrow'-'t, a. See wary. 
narrower (nar'o-er), n. One who or that which 
narrows or contracts. 
narrow-gage (nar'6-gaj), a. In railroadx, of a 
gage less than the standard gage of 4 feet S^ 
inches. 
narrowing (nar'6-ing), . [Verbal n. of nar- 
row 1 , t 1 .] 1 . In knitting, the act of reducing the 
breadth of the work, as by throwing t wo stitches 
into one. 2. The part of the work which has 
been thus narrowed or contracted. 
narrowly (nar'6-li), adv. [< ME. "narireliche, 
ncruhUclie, < AS. nearulice, narrowly, < nearu, 
narrow: see narrow 1 , a.] 1. With little breadth, 
extent, or scope ; restrictedly as regards breadth 
or scope. 
He does not think the church of England so narrowly 
calculated that It cannot fall In with any regular species 
of government. Sie\ft, Sentiments of a Ch. of Eng. Man, ii. 
2. Sparingly; with niggardliness. 3. Close- 
ly; with careful or minute scrutiny; attentive- 
ly; carefully: as, narroicly watched, inspected, 
or seen. 
\Vu will wjitch the bishop narrowly, 
Lest some other way he should ri<)<-. 
KiMn Ilovd and the Bishop of Bert/ord (Child's Ballads, 
[V. 296X 
Look well, look narrowly upon her beauties. 
Fletcher, Beggar s Bush, Iv. 6. 
4. Nearly; within a little; by a small distance. 
His ancestor was a brave man. and narrowly escaped be- 
ing killed in the civil wars. Sleele, Spectator, No. 109. 
narrow-minded (nar'6-mm'ded), n. Of con- 
fined views or sentiments: liijroted; illiberal. 
narrow-mindedness iiKn-Vj-niin'ded-nes), . 
The quality of being narrow-miii'li .1. 
narrowness ( nar'o-ni's ).. [OIK. <// 
< AS. iiKii-Hiicn.1. narrowi)' <. narrow: 
