suist 
In short, a mint and selfe-projector (so far as known) 
18 Olio the wiirlil woiilil not <-.-u>- how soon lie wore u'oni- ; 
and wlii'ii gum-, our (tint Heaven will III-VIT rfi-i-lve; for 
thither I inn m<- In 1 roineth not that would iliki- llim) 
KO thither alone. It. WliUlixk, Zootomla, p. :i:t. (flares.) 
suit (sut), ii. [Early moil. E. also mii/t; xutc; < 
ME. xil /i, .--ill/I', xiii/i; KIII/II-, < OK. siliti. xliilll; 
.iin-tr, .11-11 tr, suite, ii following, pursuit, chase, 
action, scries, suit, Sp. seyu'ulu, I'., mi/iiiiln, 
m., = l j g. Ki-fiititu, .svi/Hi'/D, m., = It. xeyuittt, t., 
si-i/iii/ii, m., ti following, suit, etc., < ML. Hi-i-ntii. 
.iii/iuitii, *x<'</iiitit. :i 1'ullnwing, suit, etc., < L. 
.11-11111, |>|i. xl-l-lltUX, follow, ptirsuc: see x(-l. Cf. 
A-Hi'/r (swot), the same word, from mod. F.] If. 
A following; the act of pursuing, as game; 
pursuit. 
Tim tin- .svi/fa seseil after the swete bestes. 
William of 1'altrne (E. E. T. 8.), 1. 2615. 
2f. Scries; succession; regular order. 
There Is a toy which I have heard, and I would not 
have it given over, but waited upon a little. They say it 
is observed in the Low Countries (I know not in what 
part) that every tlve and thirty years the same kind and 
nule of years and weathers comes about again. 
liaciin. Vicissitudes of Things (ed. 1887X P. 560. 
3. The act of suing; a seeking for something 
by solicitation or petition ; an address of en- 
treaty; petition; prayer. 
They made wonderful earnest and Importunate luit 
unto me, that I would teach and instruct them in that 
tongue uiul learning [the Greek). 
Sir T. More, Utopia (tr. by Robinson), 11. 7. 
Especially (a) A petition made to a person of exalted 
station, as a prince or prelate. 
And hailing a mite tn the king, [he] met by channce 
with one I'hillno, a loner of wine and a merry companion 
In Court. Puttenham, Arte of Eng. Poesle, p. 112. 
That swlft-wfng'd advocate, that did commence 
Our welcome suits before the King of kings. 
Quarks, Emblems, 1. 15. 
(ft) Solicitation for a woman's hand In marriage; court- 
ship ; proposal of marriage. 
Since many a wooer doth commence his suit 
To her he thinks not worthy. 
Shak., Much Ado, il. 3. 52. 
Jer. Oh, here comes Isaac 1 I hope he has prospered In 
his mil. 
Ferd. Doubtless that agreeable flgure of his must have 
helped his full surprisingly. Sheridan, The Duenna, II. 3. 
4. In taw. () A proceeding in a court of jus- 
tice for the enforcement or protection of a right 
or claim, or for the redress of a wrong; prose- 
cution of a right or claim before any tribunal: 
as, a civil .mil ; a criminal suit; a xnit in chan- 
cery. Suit is a very general term, more comprehensive 
than action, and includes both actions at law and bills in 
chancery. It usually includes special proceedings, such 
M mandamus. 
Our lawyers, like Demosthenes, are mute, 
And will not speak, though in a rightfull tute, 
Vnlease a golden kei vnlocke their tongue. 
Time*' Whittle (E. E. T. S.), p. 42. 
In England the several suits or remedial instruments of 
justice are . . . distinguished into three kinds : actions 
personal, real, and mixed. Blacleetone, Cora., III. vlli. 
(6) The witnesses or followers of the plaintiff 
in an action at law. 5. In feudal law, a follow- 
ing or attendance, (a) Attendance by a tenant on his 
lord, especially at his court. (t>) Attendance for the pur- 
pose of performing service, (c) The offspring, retinue, 
chattels, and appurtenances of a villein. 
6. A company of attendants or followers; 
train ; retinue. Now commonly suite. 
So come in sodanly a senatour of Rome, 
Wyth sextene knyghtes in a soyte sewande hyrn one. 
Morte Arthure (E. E. T. S.), I. 81. 
Had there not come in Tydeus and Telenor, with fortle 
or ti tt ir in their suit, to the defence. 
Sir P. Sidney, Arcadia, ii. 
7. A number of things composing a sequence 
or succession ; a number of things of a like kind 
that follow in a series and are intended to be 
used together; a set or suite; specifically, one 
of the four sots or classes, known as spades, 
clubs, hearts, and diamonds, into which play- 
ing-cards are divided. 
Leaving the ancient game of England (Trumpe), where 
every coate and tute are sorted in their degree, [they] are 
running to Kulfe. Martins Months Minde (1589), Epistle 
[to the Reader. (A arcs.) 
I have chosen one from each of the different suits, 
namely, the King of Columbines, the Queen of Rabbits, 
the Knave of 1'lnks, and the Ace of Roses ; which answer- 
ed to the spades, the clubs, the diamonds, and the hearts 
of the moderns. Strutt, Sports and Pastimes, p. 432. 
The cards don't cheat, . . . and there is nothing so flat- 
tering in the world as a good suite of trumps. 
Thackeray, \ Irginians, xxx. 
8. A number of different objects intended to 
be used together, especially when made of 
similar materials and corresponding in general 
character and purpose : thus, a number of dif- 
ferent garments designed to be worn together 
form a suit of clothes ; a number of sails of dif- 
380 
6040 
ferent sizes and fitting different spars form a 
unit of sails. 
Al his halles 
I wold do peynte with pure guide, 
Anil tapite hem ful many folde 
Of oo >ute. Chaucer, Death of Blanche, 1. 261. 
Braue In our tutet of chaunge, seuen double folde. 
r,t:ill. Roister Dolster, II. S. 
Some four suits of peach-coloured satin. 
Shalt., M. for M., iv. 3.11. 
From Ten to Twelve. In Conference with my Mantua 
Maker. Sorted a Suit of Klbhondn. 
Lady's Diary, tn Ashton's Social Life In Reign of tjueen 
[Anne, I. 91. 
Three horses and three goodly mils of arms. 
Tennyson, Oeralnt. 
Administration suit, in Bug. law, an action of an equi- 
table nature, to have administration of the estate of a de- 
cedent In case of alleged Insolvency. A suit Of hair, 
teeth, or Whiskers, a lull complement ; a full set of its 
kind. [Local and colloq., U. 8.] 
Suit <\f hair, for head of hair. Chautauquan, VIII. 430. 
The face of this gentleman was strikingly marked by a 
suit of enormous black whiskers that flowed together and 
united under his chin. S. Judd, Margaret, Ii. 1. 
Discontinuance of a suit See discontinuance. FreO\ 
suit, in In a: See fresh. Long suit. In the game of 
whist, a suit of four cards or more. Next, petltory, 
Skeleton suit. See the adjectives. Out of suits, no 
longer In service and attendance; no longer on friendly 
terms. 
Wear this for me, one out of suits with fortune, 
That could give more, but that her hand lacks means. 
Shak., Al you Like It, L 2. 268. 
Short suit, In the game of whist, a suit of three cards or 
less. Suit and service, In the feudal system, the at- 
tendance upon the court of the lord, and the homage and 
services rendered by the vassal, In consideration of his 
tenure and the protection afforded by the lord. 
His [Lord Egmont's] scheme was to divide the Island 
Into flfty baronies ; each baron was to erect a castle with a 
moat and drawbridge In genuine mediaeval fashion, he was 
to maintain a certain number of men-at-arms, and do suit 
and service to the Lord Paramount. 
W. F. Rat, Newfoundland to Manitoba, Iv. 
Suit at law. See def. 4. 
Dr. Warburton, In his notes on Shakspeare, observes 
that a court solicitation was called simply a suit, and a 
process a suit at law, 
J. tfott, Note In Dekker's Gull's Hornbook, p. 114. 
Suit covenant, in Eng. feudal law, a covenant to attend 
and serve at a lord's court ; the covenant of the vassal to 
render suit to his lord's retinue. Suit for contribu- 
tion. See contribution. Suit of court, in the feudal 
system, a tenant's obligation to render suit and service 
(which see, above). To follow suit. See/oow. = 8yn. 
3. Request, Petition, etc. See prayer^ . 
suit (sut), v. [Early mod. E. also suite, sute ; (. 
suit, n.] I. trans. I. To adapt; accommodate; 
fit ; make suitable. 
Suit the action to the word, the word to the action. 
Shak., Hamlet, ill. 2. 19. 
I must mil myself with another page. 
B. Jonson, Cynthia's Revels, Iv. 1. 
2. To be fitted or adapted to ; be suitable or ap- 
propriate to; befit; answer the requirements of. 
Such furniture as suits 
The greatness of his person. 
Shak., Hen. VIII., it 1. 99. 
These institutions are neither designed for nor suited 
to a nation of Ignorant paupers. 
Daniel Webster, Speech, Buffalo, June, 1833. 
Perhaps 
She could not fix the glass to suit her eye. 
Tennyson, Enoch Arden. 
3. To be agreeable to; fall in with the views, 
wishes, or convenience of: as, a style of living 
to .mi / one's tastes. 
Nor need they blush to buy Heads ready dress'd, 
And chuse, at publlck Shops, what suits 'em best. 
Congrcve, tr. of Ovid's Art of Love. 
None but members of their own party would suit the 
majority in Parliament as ministers. 
IT. Wilton, State, | 685. 
4t. To dress, as with a suit of clothes; clothe. 
Ill disrobe me 
Of these Italian weeds, and not myself 
As does a Briton peasant. 
5Ao*., Cymbeline, v. 1. 23. 
No matter; thlnk'st thou that lie vent my bagges 
To xiiit? in Sattin him that Jets In ragges? 
Heywood, Royal King (Works, ed. Pearson, 1874, VI. 19). 
To suit one's book. See book. = Syn. 2. To comport with, 
tally with, correspond to, match, meet. 3, To please, 
gratify, content. 
II. intrans. To correspond; agree; accord: 
generally followed by with or to. 
They are good work-women, and can and will doe any- 
thing for proflt that is to be done by the art of a woman, 
and which sutes with the fashion of these countreys. 
Sandys, Travailes, p. 116. 
The place itself was suiting to his care. Dryden. 
And of his bondage hard and long . . . 
It suits not trith our tale to tell. 
WhitHer, The Exiles. 
suitability (su-ta-bil'i-ti), w. [< suitable + 
-itii (see -biliiu).]" The character of being suit- 
able; suitableness. 
suitor 
The passages relating to fish in The Week . . . are re- 
markable fur a vivid truth of iniprrfiflon ami a happy unit. 
ability of language not frcqui-ntly xurpassed. 
/.' /.. SteetHMin, Thoreau, 111. 
Suitable (su'ta-bl), a. [< suit + -tilth:] Ca- 
pable of suiting; conformable; lilting; appro- 
priate; proper; becoming. 
l-'ur hit* outward habit. 
Tit suitable to his present course of life. 
Fletcher, Beggars' Bush, I. 8. 
i;ive o'er, 
And think of some course suitable to thy rank, 
And prosper In it. 
Massinger, New Way to Pay Old Debts, I. 1. 
Nothing is more mtalile to the Law of Nature than that 
Punishment be Inflicted upon Tyrants. 
Milton, Ans. to Salmasluii. 
-Syn. Fit, meet, appropriate, apt, pertinent, seemly, eli- 
gible, consonant, corresponding, congruous. 
suitableness (su'ta-bl-nes), n. The state or 
quality of being suitable, in any sense. 
suitably (su'ta-bli), aiir. In a suitable man- 
ner: fitly; agreeably; appropriately. 
suit-brokert (sut'bro'ker), . One who made a 
trade of procuring favors for court petitioners. 
Mnssinger. 
suite (sut; in present use (defs. 2, 3, etc.), like 
mod. F., swet), . [In earlier use a form of 
xiiit ; in recent use, < P. suite, a following, suit, 
suite: see suit.] If. An obsolete form of mit 
(in various senses). 2. A company of atten- 
dants or followers ; retinue ; train : as, the suite 
of an ambassador. 
Not being allowed to take more than 2,000 followers In 
the king's suite, they nevertheless had evidently enter* 
talned a scheme of arming a greater number. 
J. Oairdner, Richard III., il. 
3. A number of things taken collectively and 
constituting a sequence or following in a series ; 
a set; a collection of things of like kind and in- 
tended to be used together : as, a suite of rooms ; 
a mill of furniture. 
Through his red lips his laughter exposed a mite of fair 
white teeth. & Judd, Margaret, L 2. 
The careful examination of large suites of specimens re- 
vealed an unexpected amount of variability in species. 
Huxley, Encyc. Brit, II. 49. 
Two other courts, on whose sides are extended what may 
be called three complete suites of apartments, very simi- 
lar to emch other in arrangement, though varied In dimen- 
sions. .1. Fergiuson, Hist. Arch., I. 173. 
4. A sequel. [Rare.] 
I had always Intended to write an account of the "Con- 
quest of Mexico," as a suite to my "Columbus," but left 
Spain without making the requisite researches. 
Irving, to Prescott, in Tlcknor's Prescott, p. 158. 
5. In music, a set or series of instrumental 
dances, either in the same or in related keys, 
usually preceded by a prelude, and variously 
grouped so as to secure variety and contrast. 
Suites were the earliest form of instrumental work in de- 
tached movements, and continued In favor from the be- 
ginning of the seventeenth to the end of the eighteenth 
century, though sometimes known by other names. They 
included a great variety of dances, notably the alletnande, 
courant, saraband, and glgue, together with the gavotte, 
passepied, branle, and minuet. The early suite was not 
fully distinguishable from the early sonata, and the de- 
veloped suite finally gave place to the modern sonata, 
though the true sonata form as a method of construction 
did not belong to the suite. Suites are properly for a sin- 
gle Instrument, like the harpsichord or clavichord, but 
are sometimes written for an orchestra. The suite form 
has lately been revived. Among modern writers of orches- 
tral music in suite form are Lachner, Half, Bizet, Dvorak, 
and Moszkowski. 
suitet, f. See suit. 
suitert (su'ter), n. Same as suitor. 
suithold (sut'hold), n. [< suit + hold.] In 
feudal law, a tenure in consideration of certain 
services to the superior lord, 
suiting (su'ting), n. [Verbal n. of suit, v.] 
Cloth for making a suit of clothes : especially 
in the plural : as, fashionable suitings. [Trade 
cant.] 
suit-liket (sut'lik), a. [Early mod. E. also 
sutelike; < suit + like*.] Suitable. 
Then she put her Into mans apparel, and gave her all 
things sute-like to the same, and laid her upon a mattress 
all alone without light or candle. 
Xorth, tr. of Plutarch, p. 40. 
suitlyt, adv. [Early mod. E. also sutely; < ME. 
xuteiy, sutly; < suit + -ly 2 .] So as to match. 
Item, Ij. strlpts of the same trappurls sully. 
Potion Letters, I. 477. 
suitor (su'tor), n. [Early mod. E. also suiter, 
suter; < Mfi. sutere; < suit + -orl; nit. < L. 
secutor, a follower, ML. a prosecutor, suitor, < 
sequi, follow: see suit.] 1. In laic, a party to 
a suit or litigation. The pronunciation su'tor is some- 
times made sho tor, as if spelled shooter (whence the pun- 
ning allusion tn the quotation from shakspere, below). 
In following suites there Is muche to be considered : 
what the suter is, to whome he maketh suite, and where- 
fore he maketh suite, and also in what time he sueth: 
