Noah Webster’s 1828 Dictionary
OIL-SHOP — ONEIROMANCY
OIL-SHOP, n. A shop where oils and pickles are sold.
OILY, a.
1. Consisting of oil; containing oil; having the qualities of oil; as oily matter or substance.
2. Resembling oil; as an oily appearance.
3. Fatty; greasy.
OILY-GRAIN, n. A plant.
OILY-PALM, n. A tree.
OINT, v.t. [L. ungo, like joindre from jungo.]
To anoint; to smear with an unctuous substance.
They oint their naked limbs with mother’d oil.
OINTED, pp. Anointed; smeared with an oily or greasy matter.
OINTING, ppr. Anointing.
OINTMENT, n. Unguent; any soft, unctuous substance or compound, used for smearing, particularly the body or a diseased part.
OISANITE, n. Pyramidical ore of titanium.
OKE, n. An Egyptian and Turkish weight, equal to about two pounds and three quarters, English avoirdupois weight.
OKER. [See Ocher.]
OLD, a.
1. Advanced far in years or life; having lived beyond the middle period, or rather towards the end of life, or towards the end of the ordinary term of living; applied to animals or plants; as an old man; an old age; an old camel or horse; an old tree. This adjective is placed after the noun that designates the time lived.
Abraham was seventy five years old when he departed from Haran. Genesis 12:4.
2. Having been long made or used; decayed by time; as an old garment; an old house.
3. Being of long continuance; begun long ago; as an old acquaintance.
4. Having been long made; not new or fresh; as old wine.
5. Being of a former year’s growth; not of the last crop; as old wheat; old hay.
6. Ancient; that existed in former ages; as the old inhabitants of Britain; the old Romans.
7. Of any duration whatever; as a year old; seven years old. How old art thou?
8. subsisting before something else. He built a new house on the site of the old one. The old law is repealed by the new.
9. Long practiced. he is grown old in vice. He is an old offender.
10. That has been long cultivated; as old land; an old farm; opposed to new land, land lately cleared and cultivated.
11. More than enough; great.
If a man were porter of hellgate, he should have old turning the key.
12. In vulgar language, crafty; cunning.
Of old, long ago; from ancient times; as in days of old.
We apply old chiefly to things subject to decay. We never say, the old sun, or an old mountain.
OLDEN, a. Old; ancient. [Used in poetry.]
OLD-FASHIONED, a. formed according to obsolete fashion or custom; as an old-fashioned dress.
Old-fashioned men of wit.
OLDNESS, n.
1. Old age; an advanced state of life or existence; as the oldness of a man, of an elephant or a tree.
2. The state of being old, or of a long continuance; as the oldness of a building or a garment.
3. Antiquity; as the oldness of monuments.
OLD-WIFE, n.
1. A contemptuous name for an old prating woman. 1 Timothy 4:7.
2. A fish of the genus Labrus, and another of the genus Balistes.
OLEAGINOUS, a. [L. oleaginus, from oleum, oil.] Having the qualities of oil; oily; unctuous.
OLEAGINOUSNESS, n. Oiliness.
OLEANDER, n. a plant of the genus Nerium the rose-bay or South sea rose; a beautiful shrub with flowers in clusters, of a fine purple color, but of an indifferent smell. The plant, especially the bark of the roots, is said to be poisonous.
OLEASTER, n. [L. from olea, the olive tree.]
A plant of the genus Elaeagnus; the wild olive.
OLEATE, n. A compound of oleic acid with a salifiable base.
OLEFIANT, a. [L. oleo, olfacio.] Olefiant gas is a compound of one prime of carbon and one of hydrogen, called by Ure carbureted hydrogen, to distinguish it from the gas resulting from one prime of carbon and two of hydrogen, which he calls subcarbureted hydrogen.
Olefiant gas, is so called from its property of forming with chlorin a compound resembling oil.
OLEIC, a. [from oil.] The oleic acid is obtained from a soap made by digesting hog’s lard in potash lye.
OLEOSACCHARUM, n. A mixture of oil and sugar.
OLEOSE, OLEOUS, a. [L. olcosus.] Oily. [Little used.]
OLERACEOUS, a. [L. oleracceus, from olus, oleris, pot-herbs.]
Pertaining to pot-herbs; of the nature or qualities of herbs for cookery.
OLFACT, v.t. [L. olfacto, olfacio; oleo, to smell, and facio, to make.]
To smell; used in burlesque, but not otherwise authorized.
OLFACTORY, a. [L. olfacio, supra.] Pertaining to smelling; having the sense of smelling; as olfactory nerves.
OLIBAN, OLIBANUM, n. [The word signifies then frankincense, and it is so named from its whiteness.]
A gum-resin consisting of tears or drops, of a yellow transparent color and disagreeable smell. It is brought from Turkey and the East Indies. It is not, as Linne supposed, produced by the Juniperus Lycia, but from a different tree growing in Arabia and Hindoostan. In Arabia, luban is applied to benzoin, which is generally used for incense, and oliban is called condur, whence Gr. In medicine, it is used in fumigations as a resolvent.
Thompson says olibanum is produced by different trees and in different countries.
OLID, OLIDOUS, a. [L. olidus, from oleo, to smell.] Fetid; having a strong disagreeable smell. [Little used.]
OLIGARCHAL, OLIGARCHICAL, a. [See Oligrachy.] Pertaining to oligrachy, or government by a few.
OLIGRACHY, n. [Gr. few, and rule.]
A form of government in which the supreme power is placed in a few hands; a species of aristocracy.
OLIGIST, OLIGISTIC, a. [Gr. least.] Oligist iron, so called, is a crystallized tritoxyd of iron.
OLIO, n. [L. olla, a pot.]
1. A mixture; a medley.
2. A miscellany; a collection of various pieces; applied to musical collections.
OLITORY, a. [L. olitor, a gardener, from olus, pot-herbs.]
Belonging to a kitchen garden; as olitory seeds. It may perhaps be used as a noun.
OLIVACEOUS, a. [from L. oliva, olive.] Of the color of the olive.
OLIVASTER, n. [L. oliva, olive.] Of the color of the olive, tawny.
OLIVE, n. [L. oliva, from olea, an olive tree; Gr. See Oil.]
A plant or tree of the genus Olea. The common olive tree grows in warm climates and rises to the height of twenty or thirty feet, having an upright stem with numerous branches. This tree is much cultivated in the south of Europe for its fruit, from which is expressed the olive oil, and which is used also for pickles.
OLIVED, a. Decorated with olive trees.
OLIVENITE, n. An ore of copper.
OLIVE-YARD, n. An inclosure or piece of ground in which olives are cultivated. Exodus 23:11.
OLIVIN, OLIVINE, n. [from olive.] A subspecies of prismatic chrysolite of a brownish green, often inclining to a yellowish or grayish green, usually found in roundish grains in other stones; sometimes in large masses, but not crystallized. It is a constituent of many lavas and frequently occurs in basaltic rocks.
OLYMPIAD, n. [L. Olympias; Gr. from Olympus, a mountain of Macedonia.]
A period of four years reckoned from one celebration of the Olympic games to another, and constituting an important epoch in history and chronology. The first Olympiad commenced 775 years before the birth of Christ, and 22 years before the foundation of Rome. The computation by Olympiads ceased at the three hundred and sixty fourth Olympiad, in the year 440 of the christian era.
OLYMPEAN, a. Pertaining to Olympus; or to Olympis, a town in Greece.
Olympic games, or Olympics, solemn games among the ancient Greeks, dedicated to Olympian Jupiter, and celebrated once in four years at Olympia. [See Olympiad.]
OMBER, OMBRE, n. [L. homo.]
A game at cards, borrowed from the Spaniards, usually played by three persons, though sometimes by two or five.
OMBROMETER, n. [Gr. rain, and measure.]
A machine or instrument to measure the quantity of rain that falls.
OMEGA, n. [Gr. great O.] The name of the last letter of the Greek alphabet, as Alpha, A, is the first. Hence in Scripture, Alpha and Omega denotes the first and last, the beginning and the ending. Rev.
OMELET, n. A kind of pancake or fritter made with eggs and other ingredients.
OMEN, n. [L. omen; Heb. an augur.]
A sign or indication of some future event; a prognostic. Superstition and ignorance multiply omens; philosophy and truth reject all omens, except such as may be called causes of the events. Without a miracle, how can one event be the omen of another with which it has no connection?
OMENED, a. Containing an omen or prognostic.
OMENTUM, n. [L.] In anatomy, the caul or epiploon; a membranaceous covering of the bowels, being placed under the peritoneum and immediately above the intestines.
OMER, n. [Heb.] A Hebrew measure containing ten baths, or seventy five gallons and five pints of liquids, and eight bushels of things dry. It was the largest measure used by the Jews. It is written also homer and chomer. This word is used by the prophets, but the corresponding measure is called by the historical writers corus. [See also Homer.]
OMINATE, v.t. [L. ominor, from omen.] To presage; to foreshow; to foretoken. [Little used.]
OMINATE, v.i. To foretoken.
OMINATION, n. A foreboding; a presaging; prognostic. [Little used.]
OMINOUS, a. [L. ominosus.]
1. Foreboding or presaging evil; indicating a future evil event; inauspicious.
In the heathen worship of God, a sacrifice without a heart was accounted ominous.
2. Foreshowing or exhibiting signs of good.
Though he had a good ominous name to have made peace, nothing followed.
OMINOUSLY, adv. With good or bad omens.
OMINOUSNESS, n. The quality of being ominous.
OMISSIBLE, a. [L. omissus. See Omit.] That may be omitted.
OMISSION, n. [L. omissio, from omitto, omissus.]
1. Neglect or failure to do something which a person had power to do, or which duty required to be done. Omission may be innocent or criminal; innocent, when no duty demands performance, but criminal when duty is neglected.
The most natural division of all offenses, is into those of omission and those of commission.
2. A leaving out; neglect or failure; to insert or mention; as the omission of a word or clause.
OMISSIVE, a. Leaving out.
OMIT, v.t. [L. omitto; ob and mitto, to send.]
1. To leave, pass by or neglect; to fail or forbear to do or to use; as, to omit an opportunity of writing a letter. To omit known duty is criminal.
2. To leave out; not to insert or mention; as, to omit an important word in a deed; to omit invidious comparisons; to omit a passage in reading or transcribing.
OMITTANCE, n. Forbearance; neglect. [Not used.]
OMITTED, pp. Neglected; passed by; left out.
OMITTING, ppr. Neglecting or failing to do or use; passing by; leaving out.
OMNIFARIOUS, a. [Low L. omnifarius.] Of all varieties, forms or kinds.
OMNIFEROUS, a. [L. omnifer; omnis, all, and fero, to bear.] All-bearing; producing all kinds.
OMNIFIC, a. [L. omnis, all, and facio, to make.] All-creating.
Thou deep, peace! said then th’ omnific word, your discord end.
OMNIFORM, a. [L. omnis, all, and forma, form.] Having every form or shape.
OMNIFORMITY, n. The quality of having every form.
OMNIGENOUS, a. [L. omnigenus; omnis, all, every, and genus, kind.] Consisting of all kinds.
OMNIPARITY, n. [L. omnis, all, and par, equal.] General equality.
OMNIPERCIPIENCE, n. [L. omnis, and percipiens, perceiving.] Perception of every thing.
OMNIPERCIPIENT, a. Perceiving every thing.
OMNIPOTENCE, OMNIPOTENCY, n. [L. omnipotens; omnis, all, and potens, powerful.]
1. Almighty power; unlimited or infinite power; a word in strictness applicable only to God. Hence it is sometimes used for God. The works of creation demonstrate the omnipotence of God.
Will Omnipotence neglect to save the suffering virtue of the wise and brave?
2. Unlimited power over particular things; as the omnipotence of love.
OMNIPOTENT, a. [supra.]
1. Almighty; possessing unlimited power; all powerful. The being that can create worlds must be omnipotent.
2. Having unlimited power of a particular kind; as omnipotent love.
OMNIPOTENTLY, adv. With almighty power.
OMNIPRESENCE, n. s as z. [L. omnis, and presens, present.]
Presence in every place at the same time; unbounded or universal presence; ubiquity. Omnipresence is an attribute peculiar to God.
OMNIPRESENT, a. Present in all places at the same time; ubiquitary; as the omnipresent Jehovah.
OMNIPRESENTIAL, a. Implying universal presence.
OMNISCIENCE, OMNISCIENCY, n. [L. omnis, all, and scientia, knowledge.]
The quality of knowing all things at once; universal knowledge; knowledge unbounded or infinite. Omniscience is an attribute peculiar to God.
OMNISCIENT, a. Having universal knowledge or knowledge of all things; infinitely knowing; all-seeing; as the omniscient God.
OMNISCIOUS, a. [L. omnis, all, and scio, to know.] All-knowing. [Not used.]
OMNIUM, n. [L. omnis, all.] The aggregate of certain portions of different stocks in the public funds; a word in use among dealers in the English stocks.
Omnium denotes all the particulars included in the contract between government and the public for a loan.
OMNIVOROUS, a. [L. omnivorus; omnis, all, and voro, to eat.]
All-devouring; eating every thing indiscriminately.
OMOPLATE, n. [Gr. shoulder, and broad.] The shoulder blade or scapula.
OMPHACINE, a. [Gr. from unripe fruit.]
Pertaining to or expressed from unripe fruit. Omphacine oil is a viscous brown juice extracted from green olives. With this the wrestlers in the ancient gymnastic exercises used to anoint their bodies.
OMPHACITE, n. A mineral of a pale leek green color, massive or disseminated, and in narrow radiated concretions.
OMPHALIC, n. [Gr. the navel.] Pertaining to the navel.
OMPHALOCELE, n. [L. navel, and tumor.] A rupture at the navel.
OMPHALOPTER, OMPHALOPTIC, n. [Gr. navel, and optic.]
An optical glass that is convex on both sides; commonly called a convex lens.
OMPHALOTOMY, n. [Gr. the navel, and to cut.]
The operation of dividing the navel string.
OMY, a. Mellow; as land.
ON, pre. [L. in; Gr. Hence they denote nearness, closeness or contiguity, and from meeting the Latin in and the English un have their power of negation or opposing.]
1. Being in contact with the surface or upper part of a thing and supported by it; placed or lying in contact with the surface; as, my book is on the table; the table stands on the floor; the house rests on its foundation; we lie on a bed, or stand on the earth.
2. Coming or falling to the surface of any thing; as, rain falls on the earth.
Whosoever shall fall on this stone, shall be broken. Matthew 21:44.
3. Performing or acting by contact with the surface, upper part or outside of anything; as, to play on a harp, a violin, or a drum.
4. Noting addition; as heaps on heaps; mischief on mischief; loss on loss.
5. At or near. When we say, a vessel is on shore, we mean that she is aground; but when we say, a fleet on a ship is on the American coast, or an isle is situated on the coast of England, we mean only that it is near the coast. So we say, on each side stands an armed man, that is, at or near each side.
So we say, Philadelphia is situated on the Delaware; Middlebury is on the Otter Creek; Guilford stands on the Sound; that is, near the river or Sound, instead of on the bank, side or shore.
6. It denotes resting for support; as, to depend on, to rely on; hence, the ground of any thing; as, he will covenant on certain considerations or conditions; the considerations being the support of the covenant.
7. At or in the time of; as, on the sabbath we abstain from labor. We usually say, at the hour, on or in the day, in or on the week, month or year.
8. At the time of, with some reference to cause or motive. On public occasions, the officers appear in full dress or uniform.
9. It is put before the object of some passion, with the sense of towards or for. Have pity or compassion on him.
10. At the peril of, or for the safety of. Hence, on thy life.
11. Denoting a pledge or engagement, or put before the thing pledged. He affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honor.
12. Noting imprecation or invocation, or coming to, falling or resting on. On us be all the blame.
His blood be on us, and on our children. Matthew 27:25.
13. In consequence of, or immediately after. On the ratification of the treaty, the armies were disbanded.
14. Noting part, distinction or opposition; as on one side and on the other. On our part, expect punctuality.
On the way, on the road, denote proceeding, traveling, journeying, or making progress.
On the alert, in a state of vigilance or activity.
On high, in an elevated place; sublimely.
On fire, in a state of burning or inflammation, and metaphorically, in a rage or passion.
On a sudden, suddenly.
On the wing, in flight; flying; metaphorically, departing.
On it, on’t, is used for of it. I heard nothing on’t. the gamester has a poor trade on’t. [This use is now vulgar.]
Upon is used in the same sense with on, often with elegance, and frequently without necessity or advantage.
ON, adv.
1. Forward, in progression; as, move on; go on.
2. Forward, in succession. From father to son, from the son to the grandson, and so on.
3. In continuance; without interruption or ceasing; as, sleep on, take your ease; say on; sing on; write on.
4. Adhering; not off; as in the phrase, “he is neither on nor off,” that is, he is not steady; he is irresolute.
5. Attached to the body; as, his clothes are not on.
To put on, to attach to the body, as clothes or arms.
On, when it expresses contact with the surface of a thing, is opposed to under, off, or within, and when it expresses contact with the side of a thing, is opposed to off.
On is sometimes used as an exclamation, or rather as a command to move or proceed, some verb being understood; as, cheerily on, courageous friends; that is, go on, move on.
ONAGER, n. [L.] The wild ass.
ONANISM, n. [from Onan, in Scripture.] The crime of self-pollution.
ONCE, adv. wuns. [from one.]
1. One time.
Trees that bear mast are fruitful but once in two years.
2. One time, though no more. The mind once tainted with vice is prone to grow worse and worse.
3. At one former time; formerly.
My soul had once some foolish fondness for thee, but hence ‘tis gone.
4. At the same point of time; not gradually.
At once the winds arise, the thunders roll.
At once, at the same time; as, they all moved at once; hence, when it refers to two or more, the sense is together, as one.
This hath all its force at once, on the first impression.
Once is used as a noun, when preceded by this or that; as this once, that once.
ONCE, n. ons. A quadruped of the genus Felis, less than the panther, of a whitish gray color. It is found in Africa and Asia, is easily tamed and is employed like a dog in hunting.
ONE, a. wun. [L. unus; Gr.]
1. Single in number; individual; as one man; one book. There is one sun only in our system of planets.
2. Indefinitely, some or any. You will one day repent of your folly. But in this phrase, one day is equivalent to some future time.
3. It follows any.
When any one heareth the word of the kingdom. Matthew 13:19.
4. Different; diverse; opposed to another. It is one thing to promise, and another to fulfill.
5. It is used with another, to denote mutuality or reciprocation. Be kind and assist one another.
6. It is used with another, to denote average or mean proportion. The coins one with another, weigh seven penny weight each.
7. One of two; opposed to other.
Ask from one side of heaven to the other. Deuteronomy 4:32.
8. Single by union; undivided; the same.
The church is therefore one, though the members may be many.
9. Single in kind; the same.
One plague was on you all and on your lords. 1 Samuel 6:4.
1. One day, on a certain or particular day, referring to time past.
One day when Phoebe fair with all her band was following the chase.
2. Referring to future time; at a future time, indefinitely. [See One, No. 2.]
At one, in union; in agreement or concord.
The king resolved to keep Ferdinand and Philip at one with themselves.
In one, in union; in one united body.
One, like many other adjectives is used without a noun, and is to be considered as a substitute for some noun understood. Let the men depart one by one; count them one by one; every one has his peculiar habits; we learn of one another, that is, we learn, one of us learns of another.
In this use, as a substitute, one may be plural; as the great ones of the earth; they came with their little ones.
It also denotes union, a united body.
Ye are all one in Christ Jesus. Galatians 3:28.
One o’clock, one hour of the clock that is, as signified or represented by the clock.
One is used indefinitely for any person; as, one sees; one knows; after the French manner, on voit. Our ancestors used man in this manner; man sees; man knows; “man brohte,” man brought, that is, they brought.
This word we have received from the Latin through the Italian and French. The same word from our Saxon ancestors we write an.
ONE-BERRY, n. wun’-berry. A plant of the genus Paris; true love.
ONE-EYED, a. wun’-eyed. Having one eye only.
ONEIROCRITIC, n. [Gr. a dream, and discerning.]
An interpreter of dreams; one who judges what is signified by dreams.
ONEIROCRITIC, n. The art of interpreting dreams.
ONEIROCRITIC, ONEIROCRITICAL, ONIROCRITIC, a. Having the power of interpreting dreams or pretending to judge of future events signified by dreams.
My oneirocritical correspondent.