Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary

ALIKE — ALL-JUST

ALIKE, a.

Having resemblance or similitude; similar.

The darkness and the light are both alike to thee. Psalm 139:12.

[This adjective never precedes the noun which it qualifies.]

ALIKE, adv. in the same manner, form or degree.

We are all alike concerned in religion.

He fashioneth their hearts alike. Psalm 33:15.

ALIKE-MINDED, a. Having the same mind; but like-minded is more generally used.

ALIMENT, n. [L. alimentum, from alo, to feed.]

That which nourishes; food; nutriment; any thing which feeds or adds to a substance, animal or vegetable, in natural growth.

ALIMENTAL, a. Supplying food; that has the quality of nourishing; that furnishes the materials for natural growth; as, chyle is alimental; alimental sap.

ALIMENTALLY, adv. So as to serve for nourishment or food.

ALIMENTARINESS, n. The quality of supplying nutriment.

ALIMENTARY, a. Pertaining to aliment or food; having the quality of nourishing; as, alimentary particles.

The alimentary canal, in animal bodies, is the great duct or intestine, by which aliments are conveyed through the body, and the useless parts evacuated.

Alimentary law, among the Romans, was a law which obliged children to support their parents.

Obligation of aliment, in Scots law, is the natural obligation of parents to provide for their children.

ALIMENTATION, n.

1. The act or power of affording nutriment.

2. The state of being nourished.

ALIMONIOUS, a. [See Alimony.] Nourishing; affording food. [Little used.]

ALIMONY, n. [L. alimonia, of alo, to feed. See Aliment.]

An allowance made for the support of a woman, legally separated from her husband. The sum is fixed by the proper judge, and granted out of the husband’s estate.

ALIPED, a. [L. ala, wing, and pes, foot.]

Wing-footed; having the toes connected by a membrane, which serves as a wing.

ALIPED, n. [Supra.]

An animal whose toes are connected by a membrane, and which thus serve for wings; a cheiropter; as, the bat.

ALIQUANT, a. [L. aliquantum, a little.]

In arithmetic, an aliquant number or part is that which does not measure another number without a remainder. Thus 5 is an aliquant part of 16, for 3 times 5 is 15, leaving a remainder 1.

ALIQUOT, a. [L.]

An aliquot part of a number or quantity is one which will measure it without a remainder. Thus 5 is the aliquot part of 15.

ALISH, a. [From ale.] Like ale; having the qualities of ale.

ALIVE, a.

1. Having life, in opposition to dead; living; being in a state in which the organs perform their functions, and the fluids move, whether in animals or vegetables; as, the man or plant is alive.

2. In a state of action; unextinguished; undestroyed; unexpired; in force or operation; as, keep the process alive.

3. Cheerful; sprightly; lively; full of alacrity; as, the company were all alive.

4. Susceptible; easily impressed; having lively feelings, as when the mind is solicitous about some event; as, one is alive to whatever is interesting to a friend.

5. Exhibiting motion or moving bodies in great numbers.

The city was all alive, when the General entered.

6. In a scriptural sense, regenerated; born again.

For this my son was dead and is alive. Luke 15:24.

[This adjective always follows the noun which it qualifies.]

ALKAHEST, n.

A universal dissolvent; a menstrumm capable of dissolving every body, which Paracelsus and Van Helmont pretended they possessed. This pretense no longer imposses on the credulity of any man.

The word is sometimes used for fixed salts volatilized.

ALKALESCENCY, n. [See Alkali.]

A tendency to become alkaline; or a tendency to the properties of an alkali; or the state of a substance in which alkaline properties begin to be developed, or to be predominant.

ALKALESCENT, a. tending to the properties of an alkali; slightly alkaline.

ALKALI, n. plu. Alkalies

In chimistry, a term applied to all bodies which possess the following properties:

1. a caustic taste;

2. volatilizable by heat;

3. capability of combining with acids, and of destroying their acidity;

4. solubility in water, even when combined with carbonic acid;

5. capability of converting vegetable blues to green.

The term was formerly confined to three substances:

1. potash or vegetable fixed alkali, generally obtained from the ashes of wood;

2. soda or mineral fixed alkali, which is found in the earth and procured from marine plants; and

3. ammonia or volatile alkali, an animal product.

Modern chimistry has discovered many new substances to which the term is now extended.

The alkalies were formerly considered as elementary substances; but it is now ascertained that they are all compounds.

The alkalies are used in the manufacture of glass and soap, in bleaching and in medicine.

ALKALIFY, v.t. To form, or to convert into an alkali.

ALKALIFY, v.i. To become an alkali.

ALKALIGENOUS, a. [Alkali and to generate.]

Producing or generating alkali.

ALKALIMETER, n. [Alkali and Gr. measure.]

An instrument for ascertaining the strength of alkalies, or the quantity of alkali in potash and soda.

ALKALINE, a. Having the properties of alkali.

ALKALINITY, n. The quality which constitutes an alkali.

ALKALIZATE, a. Alkaline; impregnated with alkali. Obs.

ALKALIZATION, n. The act of rendering alkaline by impregnating with an alkali.

ALKALIZE, v.t. [and formerly Alkalizate.]

To make alkaline; to communicate the properties of an alkali to, by mixture.

ALKANET, n. The plant bugloss. The root is used to impart a deep red color to oily substances, ointments, plasters, etc.

ALKEKENGI, n. The winter cherry, a species of physalis. The plant bears a near resemblance to solanum, or nightshade. The berry is medicinal.

ALKENNA, ALHENNA, n. Egyptian privet, a species of Lawsonia. The pulverized leaves of this plant are much used by the eastern nations for staining their nails yellow. The powder, being wet, forms a paste, which is bound on the nails for a night, and the color thus given will last several weeks.

In pharmacy, a compound cordial, in the form of a confection, derived from the kermes berries. Its other ingredients are said to be pippin-cider, rose water, sugar, ambergris, musk, cinnamon, aloes-wood, pearls, and leaf-gold.

ALKERVA, n. An arabic name of the Palma Christi.

ALKORAN, n.

The book which contains the Mohammedan doctrines of faith and practice. It was written by Mohammed, in the dialect of the Koreish, which is the purest Arabic; but the Arabian language has suffered such changes, since it was written, that the language of the Alkoran is not now intelligible to the Arabians themselves, without being learned like other dead languages.

ALKORANIST, n. One who adheres strictly to the letter of the Alkoran, rejecting all comments. The Persians are generally Alkoranists; the Turks, Arabs, and Tartars admit a multitude of traditions.

ALKUSSA, n. A fish of the Silurus kind, with one beard only under the chin.

ALL, a. awl. [Gr. Shemitic from calah, to be ended or completed to perfect.]

1. Every one, or the whole number of particulars.

2. The whole quantity, extent, duration, amount, quality, or degree; as, all the wheat; all the land; all the year; all the strength. This word signifies then, the whole or entire thing, or all the parts or particulars which compose it. It always precedes the definitive adjectives, the, my, thy, his, our, your, their; as, all the cattle; all my labor; all thy goods; all his wealth; all our families; all your citizens; all their property.

This word, not only in popular language, but in the scriptures, often signifies, indefinitely, a large portion or number, or a great part. Thus, all the cattle in Egypt died; all Judea and all the region round about Jordan; all men held John as a prophet; are not to be understood in a literal sense, but as including a large part or very great numbers.

This word is prefixed to many other words, to enlarge their signification; as already, always, all-prevailing.

ALL, adv. Wholly; completely; entirely; as all along; all bedewed; all over; my friend is all for amusement; I love my father all. In the ancient phrases, all too dear, all so long, this word retains its appropriate sense; as,”he thought them six-pence all too dear,” that is, he thought them too dear by the sum of sixpence. In the sense of although, as, “all were it as the rest,” and in the sense of just, or at the moment, as “all as his straying flock he fed,” it is obsolete, or restricted to poetry.

It is all one is a phrase equivalent to the same thing in effect; that is, it is wholly the same thing.

All the better is equivalent to wholly the better; that is, better by the whole difference.

ALL, n.

1. The whole number; as, all have not the same disposition; that is, all men.

2. The whole; the entire thing; the aggregate amount; as, our all is at stake.

And Laban said, all that thou seest is mine. Genesis 31:43.

This adjective is much used as a noun, and applied to persons or things.

All in all is a phrase which signifies, all things to a person, or every thing desired.

Thou shalt be all in all, and I in thee, Forever.

When the words, and all close an enumeration of particulars, the word all is either intensive, or is added as a general term to express what is not enumerated; as a tree fell, nest, eagles and all.

At all is a phrase much used by way of enforcement or emphasis, usually in negative or interrogative sentences. He has no ambition at all; that is, not in the least degree. Has he any property at all?

All and some, in Spenser, Mason interprets, one and all. But from Lye’s Saxon Dictionary, it appears that the phrase is a corruption of the Sax. ealle at somne, all together, all at once, from somne, together, at once. See Lye under Somne.

All in the wind, in seamen’s language, is a phrase denoting that the sails are parallel with the course of the wind, so as to shake.

All is well is a watchman’s phrase, expressing a state of safety.

All, in composition, enlarges the meaning, or adds force to a word; and it is generally more emphatical than most. In some instances, all is incorporated into words, as in almighty, already, always; but in most instances, it is an adjective prefixed to other words, but separated by a hyphen.

ALL-ABANDONED, a. Abandoned by all

ALL-ABHORRED, a. Detested by all.

ALL-ACCOMPLISHED, a. Fully accomplished; whose education is highly finished or complete.

ALL-ADMIRING, a. Wholly admiring.

ALL-ADVISED, a. Advised by all.

ALL-APPROVED, a. Approved by all.

ALL-ATONING, a. Atoning for all; making complete atonement.

ALL-BEARING, a. Producing every thing; omniparous.

ALL-BEAUTEOUS, a. Perfectly beautiful

ALL-BEHOLDING, a. Beholding or seeing all things.

ALL-BLASTING, a. Blasting all; defaming or destroying all.

ALL-BOUNTEOUS, ALL-BOUNTIFUL, a. Perfectly bountiful; of infinite bounty.

ALL-CHANGING, a. Perpetually changing.

ALL-CHEERING, a. That cheers all; that gives gaiety or cheerfulness to all.

ALL-COMMANDING, a. Having command or sovereignty over all.

ALL-COMPLYING, a. Complying in every respect.

ALL-COMPOSING, a. That makes all tranquil or peaceful.

ALL-COMPREHENSIVE, a. Comprehending all things.

ALL-CONCEALING, a. Hiding or concealing all.

ALL-CONQUERING, a. That subdues all.

ALL-CONSCIOUS, a. Conscious of all; all-knowing.

ALL-CONSTRAINING, a. Constraining all

ALL-CONSUMING, a. That consumes or devours all.

ALL-DARING, a. Daring to attempt every thing.

ALL-DESTROYING, a. Destroying every thing.

ALL-DEVASTATING, a. Wasting every thing.

ALL-DEVOURING, a. Eating or consuming all.

ALL-DIMMING, a. Obscuring every thing.

ALL-DISCOVERING, a. Discovering or disclosing every thing.

ALL-DISGRACED, a. Completely disgraced.

ALL-DISPENSING, a. Dispensing all things; affording dispensation or permission.

ALL-DIVINE, a. Supremely excellent.

ALL-DIVINING, a. Foretelling all things.

ALL-DREADED, a. Dreaded by all.

ALL-EFFICIENT, a. Of perfect or unlimited efficacy or efficiency.

ALL-ELOQUENT, a. Eloquent in the highest degree.

ALL-EMBRACING, a. Embracing all things.

ALL-ENDING, a. Putting an end to all things.

ALL-ENLIGHTENING, a. Enlightening all things.

ALL-ENRAGED, a. Highly enraged.

ALL-FLAMING, a. Flaming in all directions.

ALL-FOOLS-DAY, n. The first of April.

ALL-FORGIVING, a. Forgiving or pardoning all.

ALL-FOURS, n. [all and four.]

A game at cards, played by two or four persons; so called from the possession of the four honors, by one person, who is then said to have all fours.

To go on all fours is to move or walk on four legs, or on the two legs and two arms.

ALL-GIVER, n. The giver of all things.

ALL-GOOD, a. Completely good.

ALL-GOOD, n. The popular name of the plant Good-Henry, or English Mercury, Chenopodium bonus Henricus.

ALL-GRACIOUS, a. Perfectly gracious.

ALL-GUIDING, a. Guiding or conducting all things.

ALL-HAIL, ex.

All health; a phrase of salutation, expressing a wish of all health or safety to the person addressed.

ALL-HALLOW, ALL-HALLOWS, n.

All Saints day, the first of November; a feast dedicated to all the saints in general