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a. [ Basi- + occipital. ] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the bone in the base of the cranium, frequently forming a part of the occipital in the adult, but usually distinct in the young. -- n. The basioccipital bone. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Gr. ba`sis a base. ] (Anat.) The middle of the anterior margin of the great foramen of the skull. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. kataba`sion. ] A vault under altar of a Greek church. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Corrade. ] (Geol.) The erosion of the bed of a stream by running water, principally by attrition of the detritus carried along by the stream, but also by the solvent action of the water. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. dissuasio: cf. F. dissuasion. See Dissuade. ] 1. The act of dissuading; exhortation against a thing; dehortation. [ 1913 Webster ]

In spite of all the dissuasions of his friends. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A motive or consideration tending to dissuade; a dissuasive. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of erasing; a rubbing out; obliteration. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. evasio: cf. F. évasion. See Evade. ] The act of eluding or avoiding, particularly the pressure of an argument, accusation, charge, or interrogation; artful means of eluding. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou . . . by evasions thy crime uncoverest more. Milton.

Syn. -- Shift; subterfuge; shuffling; prevarication; equivocation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. invasio: cf. F. invasion. See Invade. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of invading; the act of encroaching upon the rights or possessions of another; encroachment; trespass. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A warlike or hostile entrance into the possessions or domains of another; the incursion of an army for conquest or plunder. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The incoming or first attack of anything hurtful or pernicious; as, the invasion of a disease.

Syn. -- Invasion, Irruption, Inroad. Invasion is the generic term, denoting a forcible entrance into a foreign country. Incursion signifies a hasty and sudden invasion. Irruption denotes particularly violent invasion. Inroad is entry by some unusual way involving trespass and injury. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A member of the Lasiocampidae, a family of medium-sized stout-bodied neutral-colored moth with comblike antennae.
Syn. -- lasiocampid moth. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A natural family of moths whose larvae include the tent caterpillars; the eggars; the lappet moths.
Syn. -- family Lasiocampidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A false persuasion; wrong notion or opinion. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. L. nasus nose. ] (Anat.) The middle point of the nasofrontal suture. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. occasion, L. occasio, fr. occidere, occasum, to fall down; ob (see Ob-) + cadere to fall. See Chance, and cf. Occident. ] 1. A falling out, happening, or coming to pass; hence, that which falls out or happens; occurrence; incident; event. [ 1913 Webster ]

The unlooked-for incidents of family history, and its hidden excitements, and its arduous occasions. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A favorable opportunity; a convenient or timely chance; convenience. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me. Rom. vii. 11. [ 1913 Webster ]

I'll take the occasion which he gives to bring
Him to his death. Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An occurrence or condition of affairs which brings with it some unlooked-for event; that which incidentally brings to pass an event, without being its efficient cause or sufficient reason; accidental or incidental cause. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her beauty was the occasion of the war. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Need; exigency; requirement; necessity; as, I have no occasion for firearms. [ 1913 Webster ]

After we have served ourselves and our own occasions. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

When my occasions took me into France. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A reason or excuse; a motive; a persuasion. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whose manner was, all passengers to stay,
And entertain with her occasions sly. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

On occasion, (a) in case of need; in necessity; as convenience requires. “That we might have intelligence from him on occasion, ” De Foe. -- (b) occasionally; from time to time; now and then. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Syn. -- Need; incident; use. See Opportunity. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Occasioned p. pr. & vb. n. Occasioning. ] [ Cf. F. occasionner. ] To give occasion to; to cause; to produce; to induce; as, to occasion anxiety. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

If we inquire what it is that occasions men to make several combinations of simple ideas into distinct modes. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being occasioned or caused. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. occasionnel. ] 1. Occuring at times, but not constant, regular, or systematic; made or happening as opportunity requires or admits; casual; incidental; as, occasional remarks, or efforts. [ 1913 Webster ]

The . . . occasional writing of the present times. Bagehot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Produced by accident; as, the occasional origin of a thing. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of or pertaining to an occasion or to occasions; intended for a specific occasion; for use only when needed, and not regularly. [ PJC ]

Occasional cause (Metaph.), some circumstance preceding an effect which, without being the real cause, becomes the occasion of the action of the efficient cause; thus, the act of touching gunpowder with fire is the occasional, but not the efficient, cause of an explosion. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Metaph.) The system of occasional causes; -- a name given to certain theories of the Cartesian school of philosophers, as to the intervention of the First Cause, by which they account for the apparent reciprocal action of the soul and the body. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Quality or state of being occasional; occasional occurrence. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an occasional manner; on occasion; at times, as convenience requires or opportunity offers; not regularly. Stewart. [ 1913 Webster ]

The one, Wolsey, directly his subject by birth; the other, his subject occasionally by his preferment. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To occasion. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The lowest may occasionate much ill. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, occasions, causes, or produces. Bp. Sanderson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. persuasio; Cf. F. persuasion. ] 1. The act of persuading; the act of influencing the mind by arguments or reasons offered, or by anything that moves the mind or passions, or inclines the will to a determination. [ 1913 Webster ]

For thou hast all the arts of fine persuasion. Otway. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being persuaded or convinced; settled opinion or conviction, which has been induced. [ 1913 Webster ]

If the general persuasion of all men does so account it. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

My firm persuasion is, at least sometimes,
That Heaven will weigh man's virtues and his crimes
With nice attention. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A creed or belief; a sect or party adhering to a certain creed or system of opinions; as, of the same persuasion; all persuasions are agreed. [ 1913 Webster ]

Of whatever state or persuasion, religious or political. Jefferson. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The power or quality of persuading; persuasiveness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Is 't possible that my deserts to you
Can lack persuasion? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. That which persuades; a persuasive. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- See Conviction. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. pervasio. See Pervade. ] The act of pervading, passing, or spreading through the whole extent of a thing. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. shmasi`a signification + -logy. ] (Philol.) The science of meanings or sense development (of words); the explanation of the development and changes of the meanings of words; -- more commonly referred to as semantics. -- Se*ma`si*o*log"ic*al a. [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

adv. Once in a while; on rare occasions. [ Colloq. U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. suasio, fr. suadere, suasum, to advise, persuade, fr. suadus persuading, persuasive; akin to suavis sweet: cf. OF. suasion. See Suave, and cf. Dissuade, Persuade. ] The act of persuading; persuasion; as, moral suasion. [ 1913 Webster ]