Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
OVERWORN — OYSTER-WENCH
OVERWORN, a.
1. Worn out; subdued by toil.
2. Spoiled by time.
OVERWRESTLE, v.t. overres’l. To subdue by wrestling.
OVERWROUGHT, pp. overraut’.
1. Labored to excess.
2. Worked all over; as overwrought with ornaments.
OVERYEARED, a. Too old. [Not used.]
OVERZEALED, a. Too much excited with zeal; ruled by too much zeal.
OVERZEALOUS, a. overzel’ous. Too zealous; eager to excess.
OVICULAR, a. [from L. ovum, an egg.] Pertaining to an egg.
OVIDUCT, n. [L. ovum, an egg, and ductus, a duct.]
In animals, a passage for the egg from the ovary to the womb, or a passage which conveys the egg from the ovary.
OVIFORM, a. [L. ovum, egg, and forma, form.] Having the form or figure of an egg.
OVINE, a. [L. ovinus, from ovis, sheep.] Pertaining to sheep; consisting of sheep.
OVIPAROUS, a. [L. ovum, egg, and pario, to produce.]
Producing eggs, or producing young from eggs. Fowls and reptiles are oviparous animals.
OVOID, a. [L. ovum, egg, and Gr. form.] Having the shape of an egg.
OVOLO, n. In architecture, a round molding, the quarter of a circle; called also the quarter round.
OWE, v.t. o. [Gr., Eng. own.]
1. To be indebted; to be obliged or bound to pay. The merchants owe a large sum to foreigners.
A son owes help and honor to his father.
One was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents. Matthew 18:24.
Owe no man any thing, but to love one another. Romans 13:8.
2. To be obliged to ascribe to; to be obliged for; as, that he may owe to me all his deliverance.
3. To possess; to have; to be the owner of. [This is the original sense, but now obsolete. In place of it, we use own, from the participle. See Own.]
Thou dost here usurp the name thou owest not.
4. To be due or owing.
O deem thy fall not ow’d to man’s decree.
[This passive form is not now used.]
OWE, v.i. To be bound or obliged.
OWING, ppr. [This is used in a passive form, contrary to analogy, for owen or owed. But the use is inveterately established.]
1. Due; that moral obligation requires to be paid; as the money owing to a laborer for services, or to another country for goods.
2. Consequential; ascribable to, as the cause. Misfortunes are often owing to vices or miscalculations.
3. Imputable to as an agent. His recovery from sickness is owing less to his physician, than to the strength of his constitution.
OWL, n. [L. ulula, ululo.]
A fowl of the genus Strix, that flies chiefly in the night.
OWLER, n. One that conveys contraband goods.
OWLET, n. An owl, which see.
OWLING, n. The offense of transporting wool or sheep out of England, contrary to the statute.
[This explanation of owling favors the derivation of the word from wool.]
OWL-LIGHT, n. Glimmering or imperfect light.
OWL-LIKE, a. Like an owl in look and habits.
OWN, a. [See Owe and Ought.]
1. Belonging to; possessed; peculiar; usually expressing property with emphasis, or in express exclusion of others. It follows my, your, his, their, thy, her. God created man in his own image. Adam begat a son in his own likeness. Let them fall by their own counsel. He washed us from our sins in his own blood.
In the phrases, his own nations, his own country, the word own denotes that the person belongs to the nation or country.
2. Own often follows a verb; as, the book is not my own, that is, my own book.
3. It is used as a substitute.
That they may dwell in a place of their own. 2 Samuel 7:10.
In this use, a noun cannot follow own.
4. “He came to his own, and his own received him not,” that is, his own nation or people; own being here used as a substitute, like many other adjectives.
OWN, v.t. [from the adjective.]
1. To have the legal or rightful title to; to have the exclusive right of possession and use. A free holder in the United states owns his farm. Men often own land or goods which are not in their possession.
2. To have the legal right to, without the exclusive right to use; as, a man owns the land in front of his farm to the middle of the highway.
3. To acknowledge to belong to; to avow or admit that the property belongs to.
When you come, find me out and own me for your son.
4. To avow; to confess, as a fault, crime or other act; that is, to acknowledge that one has done the act; as, to own the faults of youth; to own our guilt. The man is charged with theft, but he has not owned it.
5. In general, to acknowledge; to confess; to avow; to admit to be true; not to deny; as, to own our weakness and frailty.
Many own the gospel of salvation more from custom than conviction.
OWNED, pp.
1. The legal title being vested in; as, the property is owned by a company.
2. Acknowledged; avowed; confessed.
OWNER, n. The rightful proprietor; one who has the legal or rightful title, whether he is the possessor or not.
The ox knoweth his owner. Isaiah 1:3.
The centurion believed the master and owner of the ship. Acts 27:11.
OWNERSHIP, n. Property; exclusive right of possession; legal or just claim or title. The ownership of the estate is in A; the possession is in B.
OWNING, ppr.
1. Having the legal or just title to.
2. Acknowledging; avowing; confessing.
OWRE, n. [L. urus.] A beast. [Not used.]
OWSE, n. Bark of oak beaten or ground to small pieces.
OWSER, n. Bark and water mixed in a tan-pit.
OX, n. plu. oxen. pron. ox’n.
The male of the bovine genus of quadrupeds, castrated and grown to his size or nearly so. The young male is called in America a steer. The same animal not castrated is called a bull. These distinctions are well established with us in regard to domestic animals of this genus. When we speak of wild animals of this kind, ox is sometimes applied both to the male and female, and in zoology, the same practice exists in regard to the domestic animals. Sop in common usage, a pair of bulls yoked may be sometimes called oxen. We never apply the name ox to the cow or female of the domestic kind. Oxen in the plural may comprehend both the male and female.
OXALATE, n. [See Oxalic.] In chimistry, a salt formed by a combination of the oxalic acid with a base.
OXALIC, a. [Gr. sorrel, acid.]
Pertaining to sorrel. The oxalic acid is the acid of sorrel.
OXBANE, n. A plant, buphonos.
OX-EYE, n. [ox and eye.] A plant of the genus Buphthalmum; another of the genus Anthemis; also, the ox-eye daisy or Chrysanthemum.
OX-EYED, a. Having large full eyes, like those of an ox.
OXFLY, n. A fly hatched under the skin of cattle.
OXGANG, n. [ox and gang, going.] In ancient laws, as much land as an ox can plow in a year; said to be fifteen acres, or as others allege, twenty acres.
OXHEAL, n. A plant.
OXIODIC, a. Pertaining to or consisting of the compound of oxygen and iodine.
OXLIKE, a. [ox and like.] Resembling an ox.
OXLIP, n. A plant, the cowslip.
OXSTALL, n. A stall or stand for oxen.
OXTONGUE, n. ox’tung. A plant of the genus Picris.
OXYCRATE, n. [Gr. acid, and to mix.]
A mixture of water and vinegar. [Little used.]
OXYD, n. [Gr. acid, sharp, vinegar.]
In chimistry, a substance formed by the combination of a portion of oxygen with some base; or a substance combined with oxygen, without being in the state of an acid.
OXYDABILITY, n. The capacity of being converted into an oxyd.
OXYDABLE, a. Capable of being converted into an oxyd.
OXYDATE, v.t. To convert into an oxyd, as metals and other substances, by combination with oxygen. It differs from acidify, to make acid, or to convert into an acid, as in oxydation the acid that enters into combination is not sufficient to form an acid.
OXYDATED, pp. Converted into an oxyd.
OXYDATING, ppr. Converting into an oxyd.
OXYDATION, n. The operation or process of converting into an oxyd, as metals or other substances, by combining with them a certain portion of oxygen.
OXYDIZE, v.t. To oxydate, which see.
OXYDIZED, pp. Oxydated.
OXYDIZEMENT, n. Oxydation.
OXYDIZING, ppr. Oxydating. [Oxydize and its derivatives are now more generally used than oxydate, though there seems to be no ground for the preference.]
OXYGEN, n. [Gr. acid, and to generate.]
In chimistry, oxygen or oxygen gas is an element or substance so named from its property of generating acids; it is the respirable part of air, vital air, or the basis of it; it is called the acidifying principle, and the principle or support of combustion. Modern experiments, however, prove that it is not necessary in all cases to combustion or to acidity. Oxygen is a permanently elastic fluid, invisible, inodorous, and a little heavier than atmospheric air. In union with azote or nitrogen, it forms atmospheric air, of which it constitutes about a fifth part. Water contains about 85% of it, and it exists in most vegetable and animal products, acids, salts and oxyds. It forms 50% of silex, 47 of alumin, 28 of lime, 40 of magnesia, 17 of potash, and 25 of soda.
OXYGENATE, v.t. To unite or cause to combine with oxygen, without the evolution of heat or light; to acidify by oxygen.
OXYGENATED, pp. United with oxygen.
OXYGENATING, ppr. Uniting with oxygen.
OXYGENATION, n. The act, operation or process of combining with oxygen.
OXYGENIZABLE, a. Capable of being oxygenized.
OXYGENIZE, v.t. To oxygenate, which see.
OXYGENIZED, pp. United with oxygen.
OXYGENIZEMENT, n. Oxygenation.
OXYGENIZING, ppr. Oxygenating.
OXYGENOUS, a. Pertaining to oxygen, or obtained from it.
OXYGON, n. [Gr. sharp, and an angle.]
A triangle having three acute angles.
OXY-IODINE, n. In chimistry, a compound of the chloriodic and oxiodic acids.
OXYMEL, n. [Gr. acid, and honey.]
A mixture of vinegar and honey.
OXYMORON, n. [Gr. a smart saying which at first view appears foolish.]
A rhetorical figure, in which an epithet of a quite contrary signification is added to a word; as cruel kindness.
Oxyprussic acid, chloroprussic acid.
OXYRRHODINE, n. [compounded of Gr. acid, and rose.]
A mixture of two parts of the oil of roses with one of the vinegar of roses.
OXYTONE, a. [Gr. sharp, and tone.]
Having an acute sound.
OXYTONE, n. An acute sound.
OYER, n.
1. In law, a hearing or trial of causes. A court of oyer and terminer is constituted by a commission to inquire, hear and determine all treasons, felonies and misdemeanors.
2. The hearing, as of a writ, bond, note or other specialty; as when a defendant in court prays oyer of a writing.
OYES, This word is used by the sheriff or his substitute in making proclamation in court, requiring silence and attention. it is thrice repeated, and most absurdly pronounced, O yes.
OYLET-HOLE. [See Eyelet-hole.]
OYSTER, n. [L. ostrea; Gr. probably connected in origin with bone, and named from its hardness.]
A bivalvular testaceous animal, found adhering to rocks or other fixed substances in salt water which is shallow, or in the mouths of rivers. Oysters are deemed nourishing and delicious.