n. 1. 1 one of many families or subfamilies into which some classification systems subdivide the Liliaceae: includes genera Asparagus and sometimes Ruscus.
Syn. -- family Asparagaceae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. F. asparagine. ] (Chem.) A white, nitrogenous, crystallizable substance, C4H8N2O3+H2O, found in many plants, and first obtained from asparagus. It is believed to aid in the disposition of nitrogenous matter throughout the plant; -- called also altheine. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining or allied to, or resembling, asparagus; having shoots which are eaten like asparagus; as, asparaginous vegetables. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fr. Gr. 'aspa`ragos, 'asfa`ragos; cf. sparga^n to swell with sap or juice, and Zend çparegha prong, sprout, Pers. asparag, Lith. spurgas sprout, Skr. sphurj to swell. Perh. the Greek borrowed from the Persian. Cf. Sparrowgrass. ] 1. (Bot.) A genus of perennial plants belonging to the natural order Liliaceæ, and having erect much branched stems, and very slender branchlets which are sometimes mistaken for leaves. Asparagus racemosus is a shrubby climbing plant with fragrant flowers. Specifically: The Asparagus officinalis, a species cultivated in gardens. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The young and tender shoots of Asparagus officinalis, which form a valuable and well-known article of food. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This word was formerly pronounced sparrowgrass; but this pronunciation is now confined exclusively to uneducated people. [ 1913 Webster ]

Asparagus beetle (Zool.), a small beetle (Crioceris asparagi) injurious to asparagus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Inequality in marriage; marriage with an inferior. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dissuaded her from such a disparage. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disparaged p. pr. & vb. n. Disparaging ] [ OF. desparagier, F. déparager, to marry unequally; pref. des- (L. dis-) + F. parage extraction, lineage, from L. par equal, peer. See Peer. ] 1. To match unequally; to degrade or dishonor by an unequal marriage. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Alas! that any of my nation
Should ever so foul disparaged be. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To dishonor by a comparison with what is inferior; to lower in rank or estimation by actions or words; to speak slightingly of; to depreciate; to undervalue. [ 1913 Webster ]

Those forbidding appearances which sometimes disparage the actions of men sincerely pious. Bp. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou durst not thus disparage glorious arms. Milton.

Syn. -- To decry; depreciate; undervalue; underrate; cheapen; vilify; reproach; detract from; derogate from; degrade; debase. See Decry. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. desparagement. ] 1. Matching any one in marriage under his or her degree; injurious union with something of inferior excellence; a lowering in rank or estimation. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And thought that match a foul disparagement. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Injurious comparison with an inferior; a depreciating or dishonoring opinion or insinuation; diminution of value; dishonor; indignity; reproach; disgrace; detraction; -- commonly with to. [ 1913 Webster ]

It ought to be no disparagement to a star that it is not the sun. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Imitation is a disparagement and a degradation in a Christian minister. I. Taylor.

Syn. -- Indignity; derogation; detraction; reproach; dishonor; debasement; degradation; disgrace. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who disparages or dishonors; one who vilifies or disgraces. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. expressing a low opinion of; same as derogatory; as, disparaging remarks about the new house.
Syn. -- belittling, depreciative, deprecatory, depreciatory, derogative, derogatory, detractive, detracting, slighting, pejorative, denigratory. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. In a manner to disparage or dishonor; slightingly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. L. par, adj., equal. Cf. Peerage, Peer an equal. ] 1. (Old Eng. Law) Equality of condition, blood, or dignity; also, equality in the partition of an inheritance. Spelman. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Feudal Law) Equality of condition between persons holding unequal portions of a fee. Burrill. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Kindred; family; birth. [ Obs. ] Ld. Berners. [ 1913 Webster ]

We claim to be of high parage. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. para- + genesis. ] 1. (Min.) The science which treats of minerals with special reference to their origin. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Geol.) (a) The formation of minerals in contact, so as to affect one another's development. (b) The order in which minerals occurring together in rocks and veins have developed. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ Pref. para- the root of ge`nos birth. ] (Biol.) Originating in the character of the germ, or at the first commencement of an individual; -- said of peculiarities of structure, character, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Pref. para- + globulin. ] (Physiol. Chem.) A protein in blood serum, belonging to the group of globulins. See Fibrinoplastin. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Paraglossæ [ NL., from Gr. para` beside + glw^ssa tongue. ] (Zool.) One of a pair of small appendages of the lingua or labium of certain insects. See Illust. under Hymenoptera. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) Same as Paragnathus. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Having both mandibles of equal length, the tips meeting, as in certain birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Paragnathi [ NL. See Para-, and Gnathic. ] (Zool.) (a) One of the two lobes which form the lower lip, or metastome, of Crustacea. (b) One of the small, horny, toothlike jaws of certain annelids. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. paragwgh`, from para`gein to lead beside, protract; para` beside + 'a`gein to lead. ] 1. (Gram.) The addition of a letter or syllable to the end of a word, as withouten for without. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) Coaptation. [ Obs. ] Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ Cf. F. paragogique. ] Of, pertaining to, or constituting, a paragoge; added to the end of, or serving to lengthen, a word. [ 1913 Webster ]

Paragogic letters, in the Semitic languages, letters which are added to the ordinary forms of words, to express additional emphasis, or some change in the sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. paragon, F. parangon; cf. It. paragone, Sp. paragon, parangon; prob. fr. Gr. &unr_; to rub against; para` beside + &unr_; whetstone; cf. LGr. &unr_; a polishing stone. ] 1. A companion; a match; an equal. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Philoclea, who indeed had no paragon but her sister. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Emulation; rivalry; competition. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Full many feats adventurous
Performed, in paragon of proudest men. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A model or pattern; especially a pattern of excellence or perfection; as, a paragon of beauty or eloquence. Udall. [ 1913 Webster ]

Man, . . . the paragon of animals ! Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The riches of sweet Mary's son,
Boy-rabbi, Israel's paragon. Emerson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Print.) A size of type between great primer and double pica. See the Note under Type. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. OF. paragonner, F. parangonner. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To compare; to parallel; to put in rivalry or emulation with. [ Obs. ] Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To compare with; to equal; to rival. [ R. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

In arms anon to paragon the morn,
The morn new rising. Glover. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To serve as a model for; to surpass. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He hath achieved a maid
That paragons description and wild fame. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To be equal; to hold comparison. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Few or none could . . . paragon with her. Shelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Gr. &unr_;, p. pr. of &unr_; to mislead. ] (Min.) A kind of mica related to muscovite, but containing soda instead of potash. It is characteristic of the paragonite schist of the Alps. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; that which one writes beside. See Paragraph. ] A pun. [ 1913 Webster ]

Puns, which he calls paragrams. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A punster. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ It., from parare to parry + grandine hail. ] An instrument to avert the occurrence of hailstorms. See Paragrêle. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. paragraphe, LL. paragraphus, fr. Gr. para`grafos (sc. grammh`) a line or stroke drawn in the margin, fr. paragra`fein to write beside; para` beside + gra`fein to write. See Para-, and Graphic, and cf. Paraph. ] 1. Originally, a marginal mark or note, set in the margin to call attention to something in the text, e. g., a change of subject; now, the character ¶, commonly used in the text as a reference mark to a footnote, or to indicate the place of a division into sections. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This character is merely a modification of a capital P (the initial of the word paragraph), the letter being reversed, and the black part made white and the white part black for the sake of distinctiveness. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A distinct part of a discourse or writing; any section or subdivision of a writing or chapter which relates to a particular point, whether consisting of one or many sentences. The division is sometimes noted by the mark ¶, but usually, by beginning the first sentence of the paragraph on a new line and at more than the usual distance from the margin, also called indenting the line. See indentation{ 4 }.

3. A brief composition complete in one typographical section or paragraph; an item, remark, or quotation comprised in a few lines forming one paragraph; as, a column of news paragraphs; an editorial paragraph. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Paragraphed p. pr. & vb. n. Paragraphing. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To divide into paragraphs; to mark with the character ¶. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To express in the compass of a paragraph; as, to paragraph an article. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To mention in a paragraph or paragraphs [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A writer of paragraphs; a paragraphist. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Pertaining to, or consisting of, a paragraph or paragraphs. -- Par`a*graph"ic*al*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. A paragrapher. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or relating to a paragraphist. [ R. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., fr. parer to guard + grêle hail. ] A lightning conductor erected, as in a vineyard, for drawing off the electricity in the atmosphere in order to prevent hailstorms. [ France ] Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to Paraguay. -- n. A native or inhabitant of Paraguay. [ 1913 Webster ]

See Mate, the leaf of the Brazilian holly. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. Obs. or corrupt forms of Asparagus. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having no paragon or equal; matchless; peerless. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Your unparagoned mistress is dead. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]