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n. [ OE. ermite, eremite, heremit, heremite, F. hermite, ermite, L. eremita, Gr. &unr_;, fr. &unr_; lonely, solitary. Cf. Eremite. ] 1. A person who retires from society and lives in solitude; a recluse; an anchoret; especially, one who so lives from religious motives. [ 1913 Webster ]

He had been Duke of Savoy, and after a very glorious reign, took on him the habit of a hermit, and retired into this solitary spot. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A beadsman; one bound to pray for another. [ Obs. ] “We rest your hermits.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Cookery) A spiced molasses cookie, often containing chopped raisins and nuts. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Hermit crab (Zool.), a marine decapod crustacean of the family Paguridae. The species are numerous, and belong to many genera. Called also soldier crab. The hermit crabs usually occupy the dead shells of various univalve mollusks. See Illust. of Commensal. --
Hermit thrush (Zool.), an American thrush (Turdus Pallasii), with retiring habits, but having a sweet song. --
Hermit warbler (Zool.), a California wood warbler (Dendroica occidentalis), having the head yellow, the throat black, and the back gray, with black streaks. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. hermitage, ermitage, F. hermitage, ermitage. See Hermit. ] 1. The habitation of a hermit; a secluded residence. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some forlorn and naked hermitage,
Remote from all the pleasures of the world. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. [ F. Vin de l'Hermitage. ] A celebrated French wine, both white and red, of the Department of Drôme. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. LL. hermitorium, eremitorium. ] A cell annexed to an abbey, for the use of a hermit. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female hermit. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or suited for, a hermit. Coventry. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Intermitted p. pr. & vb. n. Intermitting. ] [ L. intermittere; inter between + mittere, missum, to send: cf. OE. entremeten to busy (one's self) with, F. s'entremettre. See Missile. ] To cause to cease for a time, or at intervals; to interrupt; to suspend. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pray to the gods to intermit the plague. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To cease for a time or at intervals; to moderate; to be intermittent, as a fever. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. intermittence. ] Act or state of intermitting; intermission. Tyndall. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. intermittens, -entis, p. pr. of intermittere: cf. F. intermittent. ] Coming and going at intervals; alternating; recurrent; periodic; as, an intermittent fever. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

Intermittent fever (Med.), a disease with fever which recurs at certain intervals; -- applied particularly to fever and ague. See Fever. --
Intermittent gearing (Mach.), gearing which receives, or produces, intermittent motion. --
Intermittent springs, springs which flow at intervals, not apparently dependent upon rain or drought. They probably owe their intermittent action to their being connected with natural reservoirs in hills or mountains by passages having the form of a siphon, the water beginning to flow when it has accumulated so as to fill the upper part of the siphon, and ceasing when, by running through it, it has fallen below the orifice of the upper part of the siphon in the reservoir. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) An intermittent fever or disease. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With intermissions; in an intermittent manner; intermittingly. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With intermissions; at intervals. W. Montagu. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A natural family comprising primitive termites.
Syn. -- family Mastotermitidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ From Panderma, a port on the Black Sea from which it is exported. ] (Min.) A hydrous borate of lime, near priceite. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Permitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Permitting. ] [ L. permittere, permissum, to let through, to allow, permit; per + mittere to let go, send. See Per-, and Mission. ] 1. To consent to; to allow or suffer to be done; to tolerate; to put up with. [ 1913 Webster ]

What things God doth neither command nor forbid . . . he permitteth with approbation either to be done or left undone. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To grant (one) express license or liberty to do an act; to authorize; to give leave; -- followed by an infinitive. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Acts xxvi. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To give over; to resign; to leave; to commit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let us not aggravate our sorrows,
But to the gods permit the event of things. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To allow; let; grant; admit; suffer; tolerate; endure; consent to. -- To Allow, Permit, Suffer, Tolerate. To allow is more positive, denoting (at least originally and etymologically) a decided assent, either directly or by implication. To permit is more negative, and imports only acquiescence or an abstinence from prevention. The distinction, however, is often disregarded by good writers. To suffer has a stronger passive or negative sense than to permit, sometimes implying against the will, sometimes mere indifference. To tolerate is to endure what is contrary to will or desire. To suffer and to tolerate are sometimes used without discrimination. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To grant permission; to allow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Warrant; license; leave; permission; specifically, a written license or permission given to a person or persons having authority; as, a permit to land goods subject to duty. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Sp. palamida a kind of scombroid fish. ] (a) A large pompano (Trachinotus goodei) of the West Indies, Florida, etc. It becomes about three feet long. (b) The round pompano. (Trachinotus falcatus). [ Local, U. S. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. The act of permitting; allowance; permission; leave. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One to whom a permission or permit is given. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who permits. [ 1913 Webster ]

A permitter, or not a hinderer, of sin. J. Edwards. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. See Pretermit. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Pretermitted; p. pr. & vb. n. Pretermitting. ] [ L. praetermittere, praetermissum; praeter beyond + mittere to send. See Mission. ] To pass by; to omit; to disregard. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) (a) The hard integument of Crustacea. (b) Sclerenchyma. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Termites [ F. See Termes. ] (Zool.) Any one of numerous species of pseudoneoropterous insects belonging to Termes and allied genera; -- called also white ant. See Illust. of White ant. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ They are very abundant in tropical countries, and are noted for their destructive habits, their large nests, their remarkable social instincts, and their division of labor among the polymorphic individuals of several kinds. Besides the males and females, each nest has ordinary workers, and large-headed individuals called soldiers. [ 1913 Webster ]