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n. 1. an aberrant state or condition. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. aberrans, -rantis, p. pr. of aberrare. See Aberr. ] 1. Wandering; straying from the right way. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Biol.) Deviating from the ordinary or natural type; exceptional; abnormal. [ 1913 Webster ]

The more aberrant any form is, the greater must have been the number of connecting forms which, on my theory, have been exterminated. Darwin. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ L. aberratus, p. pr. of aberrare; ab + errare to wander. See Err. ] To go astray; to diverge. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Their own defective and aberrating vision. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aberratio: cf. F. aberration. See Aberrate. ] 1. The act of wandering; deviation, especially from truth or moral rectitude, from the natural state, or from a type. “The aberration of youth.” Hall. “Aberrations from theory.” Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A partial alienation of reason. “Occasional aberrations of intellect.” Lingard. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whims, which at first are the aberrations of a single brain, pass with heat into epidemic form. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Astron.) A small periodical change of position in the stars and other heavenly bodies, due to the combined effect of the motion of light and the motion of the observer; called annual aberration, when the observer's motion is that of the earth in its orbit, and daily or diurnal aberration, when of the earth on its axis; amounting when greatest, in the former case, to 20.4'', and in the latter, to 0.3''. Planetary aberration is that due to the motion of light and the motion of the planet relative to the earth. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Opt.) The convergence to different foci, by a lens or mirror, of rays of light emanating from one and the same point, or the deviation of such rays from a single focus; called spherical aberration, when due to the spherical form of the lens or mirror, such form giving different foci for central and marginal rays; and chromatic aberration, when due to different refrangibilities of the colored rays of the spectrum, those of each color having a distinct focus. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Physiol.) The passage of blood or other fluid into parts not appropriate for it. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Law) The producing of an unintended effect by the glancing of an instrument, as when a shot intended for A glances and strikes B. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Insanity; lunacy; madness; derangement; alienation; mania; dementia; hallucination; illusion; delusion. See Insanity. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Characterized by aberration. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ It. atterrare (cf. LL. atterrare to cast to earth); L. ad + terra earth, land. ] To fill up with alluvial earth. [ Obs. ] Ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of filling up with earth, or of forming land with alluvial earth. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + serrate. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Bot.) Doubly serrate, or having the serratures serrate, as in some leaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Serrate on both sides, as some antennæ. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. (Geography) The capital city of Australia. Population (2000) = 307, 700. [ PJC ]

a. [ Pref. circum- + L. terra earth. ] Being or dwelling around the earth. “Circumterraneous demouns.” H. Hallywell. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>a. Capable of being conferred. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. the act of conferring an honor or presenting a gift.
Syn. -- bestowal, conferment. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } a. [ L. conterraneus; con- + terra country. ] Of or belonging to the same country. Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. de + terra earth: cf. F. déterrer to unearth. ] The uncovering of anything buried or covered with earth; a taking out of the earth or ground. Woodward. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Liable to error; fallible. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Liability to error. Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. errabundus. ] Erratic. “Errabund guesses.” Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. errantia. ] A wandering; state of being in error. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. erende, erande, message, business, AS. ærende, ærend; akin to OS. arundi, OHG. arunti, Icel. eyrendi, örendi, erendi, Sw. ärende, Dan. ærende; perh. akin to AS. earu swift, Icel. örr, and to L. oriri to rise, E. orient. ] A special business intrusted to a messenger; something to be told or done by one sent somewhere for the purpose; often, a verbal message; a commission; as, the servant was sent on an errand; to do an errand. Also, one's purpose in going anywhere. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have a secret errand to thee, O king. Judg. iii. 19. [ 1913 Webster ]

I will not eat till I have told mine errand. Gen. xxiv. 33. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any specific task, usually of a routine nature, requiring some form of travel, usually locally. An errand is often on behalf of someone else, but sometimes for one's own purposes. [ PJC ]

3. A mission. [ PJC ]

To run an errand, To perform an errand{ 2 }. [ PJC ]

a. [ F. errant, p. pr. fr. OF. errer to travel, LL. iterare, fr. L. iter journey; confused somewhat with L. errare to err. See Eyre, and cf. Arrant, Itinerant. ] 1. Wandering; deviating from an appointed course, or from a direct path; roving. [ 1913 Webster ]

Seven planets or errant stars in the lower orbs of heaven. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Notorious; notoriously bad; downright; arrant. [ 1913 Webster ]

Would make me an errant fool. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Eng. Law) Journeying; itinerant; -- formerly applied to judges who went on circuit and to bailiffs at large. Mozley & W. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who wanders about. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. L. errare to wander. See Err. ] (Zoöl.) A group of chætopod annelids, including those that are not confined to tubes. See Chætopoda. [ Written also Errantes. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A wandering; a roving; esp., a roving in quest of adventures. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The employment of a knight-errant. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ L. ] 1. Plural of erratum. See Erratum. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A list of errors together with the corrections for the errors, added as a separate page of a text prior to publication, or as a separate sheet inserted into a printed text; as, the errata was added after the printing was finished.. [ PJC ]

Although originally a plural word, the use of errata as a singular word in second sense has become common. [ PJC ]

a. [ L. erraticus, fr. errare to wander: cf. F. erratique. See Err. ] 1. Having no certain course; roving about without a fixed destination; wandering; moving; -- hence, applied to the planets as distinguished from the fixed stars. [ 1913 Webster ]

The earth and each erratic world. Blackmore. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Deviating from a wise of the common course in opinion or conduct; eccentric; strange; queer; as, erratic conduct. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Irregular; changeable. “Erratic fever.” Harvey. [ 1913 Webster ]

Erratic blocks,
gravel, etc. (Geol.), masses of stone which have been transported from their original resting places by the agency of water, ice, or other causes. --
Erratic phenomena, the phenomena which relate to transported materials on the earth's surface. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who deviates from common and accepted opinions; one who is eccentric or preserve in his intellectual character. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A rogue. [ Obs. ] Cockeram. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Geol.) Any stone or material that has been borne away from its original site by natural agencies; esp., a large block or fragment of rock; a bowlder. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the plural the term is applied especially to the loose gravel and stones on the earth's surface, including what is called drift. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Erratic. -- Er*rat"ic*al*ly, adv. -- Er*rat"ic*al*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. erratio. See Err. ] A wandering; a roving about. [ Obs. ] Cockeram. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Errata [ L., fr. errare, erratum, to wander, err. See Err. ] An error or mistake in writing or printing. [ 1913 Webster ]

A single erratum may knock out the brains of a whole passage. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. exterraneus; es out + terra land. ] Foreign; belonging to, or coming from, abroad. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F.; cf. OF. ferrant iron-gray, from L. ferrum iron. ] A stuff made of silk and wool. [ 1913 Webster ]

I did buy a colored silk ferrandine. Pepys. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ . (Elec.) A form of conductor, designed by Ferranti, for currents of high potential, and consisting of concentric tubes of copper separated by an insulating material composed of paper saturated with black mineral wax. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

. (Elec.) An increase in the ratio of transformation of an alternating current converter, accompanied by other changes in electrical conditions, occurring when the secondary of the converter is connected with a condenser of moderate capacity; -- so called because first observed in connection with the Ferranti cables in London. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A sword bearing the mark of one of the Ferrara family of Italy. These swords were highly esteemed in England and Scotland in the 16th and 17th centuries. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to Ferrara, in Italy. -- n., sing. & pl. A citizen of Ferrara; collectively, the inhabitants of Ferrara. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. Geraldine Anne Ferraro, a United States politician. Born in 1935, she was a congresswoman from New York in the United States Congress from 1978 to 1984, and ran unsuccessfully in 1984 a candidate for Vice President of the United States, with Walter Mondale as the Presidential candidate. She was the first woman to be nominated by a major U. S. political party for the office of Vice President. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. ferraria iron works. See Ferreous. ] The art of working in iron. [ Obs. ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ferrum iron. ] (Chem.) A salt of ferric acid.

n. Freedom or exemption from error; infallibility. Eikon Basilike. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. inerrabilis. See In- not, and Err. ] Incapable of erring; infallible; unerring. “Inerabble and requisite conditions.” Sir T. Browne. “Not an inerrable text.” Gladstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Exemption from error; inerrability; infallibility. Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With security from error; infallibly; unerringly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Exemption from error. [ 1913 Webster ]

The absolute inerrancy of the Bible. The Century. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not erratic or wandering; fixed; settled; established. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Between the radii, or rays; -- in Zoology, said of certain parts of radiate animals; as, the interradial plates of a starfish. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. inter- + L. ramus a branch. ] (Anat.) Between rami or branches; esp., between the mandibles, or rami of the lower jaw; intermandibular. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Knight-errants, or Knights-errant. A wandering knight; a knight who traveled in search of adventures, for the purpose of exhibiting military skill, prowess, and generosity. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Knight-errantries The character or actions of wandering knights; the practice of wandering in quest of adventures; chivalry; a quixotic or romantic adventure or scheme. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rigid guardian [ i. e., conscience ] of a blameless heart
Is weak with rank knight-erratries o'errun. Young. [ 1913 Webster ]