%ference%

n. [ L. circumferentia. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The line that goes round or encompasses a circular figure; a periphery. Millon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A circle; anything circular. [ 1913 Webster ]

His ponderous shield . . .
Behind him cast. The broad circumference
Hung on his shoulders like the moon. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The external surface of a sphere, or of any orbicular body. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. conférence. See Confer. ] 1. The act of comparing two or more things together; comparison. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Helps and furtherances which . . . the mutual conference of all men's collections and observations may afford. Hocker. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of consulting together formally; serious conversation or discussion; interchange of views. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor with such free and friendly conference
As he hath used of old. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A meeting for consultation, discussion, or an interchange of opinions. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A meeting of the two branches of a legislature, by their committees, to adjust between them. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Methodist Church) A stated meeting of preachers and others, invested with authority to take cognizance of ecclesiastical matters. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A voluntary association of Congregational churches of a district; the district in which such churches are. [ 1913 Webster ]

Conference meeting, a meeting for conference. Specifically, a meeting conducted (usually) by laymen, for conference and prayer. [ U. S. ] --
Conference room, a room for conference and prayer, and for the pastor's less formal addresses. [ U. S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a reference at one place in a work to information at another place in the same work.
Syn. -- cross-index. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. déférence. See 3d Defer. ] A yielding of judgment or preference from respect to the wishes or opinion of another; submission in opinion; regard; respect; complaisance. [ 1913 Webster ]

Deference to the authority of thoughtful and sagacious men. Whewell. [ 1913 Webster ]

Deference is the most complicate, the most indirect, and the most elegant of all compliments. Shenstone.

Syn. -- Deference, Reverence, Respect. Deference marks an inclination to yield one's opinion, and to acquiesce in the sentiments of another in preference to one's own. Respect marks the estimation that we have for another, which makes us look to him as worthy of high confidence for the qualities of his mind and heart. Reverence denotes a mingling of fear with a high degree of respect and esteem. Age, rank, dignity, and personal merit call for deference; respect should be paid to the wise and good; reverence is due to God, to the authors of our being, and to the sanctity of the laws. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. différence, L. differentia. ] 1. The act of differing; the state or measure of being different or unlike; distinction; dissimilarity; unlikeness; variation; as, a difference of quality in paper; a difference in degrees of heat, or of light; what is the difference between the innocent and the guilty? [ 1913 Webster ]

Differencies of administration, but the same Lord. 1 Cor. xii. 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Disagreement in opinion; dissension; controversy; quarrel; hence, cause of dissension; matter in controversy. [ 1913 Webster ]

What was the difference? It was a contention in public. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Away therefore went I with the constable, leaving the old warden and the young constable to compose their difference as they could. T. Ellwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That by which one thing differs from another; that which distinguishes or causes to differ; mark of distinction; characteristic quality; specific attribute. [ 1913 Webster ]

The marks and differences of sovereignty. Davies. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Choice; preference. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

That now he chooseth with vile difference
To be a beast, and lack intelligence. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Her.) An addition to a coat of arms to distinguish the bearings of two persons, which would otherwise be the same. See Augmentation, and Marks of cadency, under Cadency. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Logic) The quality or attribute which is added to those of the genus to constitute a species; a differentia. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Math.) The quantity by which one quantity differs from another, or the remainder left after subtracting the one from the other. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ascensional difference. See under Ascensional.

Syn. -- Distinction; dissimilarity; dissimilitude; variation; diversity; variety; contrariety; disagreement; variance; contest; contention; dispute; controversy; debate; quarrel; wrangle; strife. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Differenced p. pr. & vb. n. Differencing. ] To cause to differ; to make different; to mark as different; to distinguish. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thou mayest difference gods from men. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

Kings, in receiving justice and undergoing trial, are not differenced from the meanest subject. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

So completely differenced by their separate and individual characters that we at once acknowledge them as distinct persons. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. an arbitrary set of spatial coordinates used to describe the position or motion of objects. The coordinates may be fixed or moving; as, a rotating frame of reference. [ PJC ]

2. a set of assumptions or conditions that are used to discuss or understand something; as, a religious frame of reference. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. indifferentia similarity, lack of difference: cf. F. indifférence. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The quality or state of being indifferent, or not making a difference; lack of sufficient importance to constitute a difference; absence of weight; insignificance. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Passableness; mediocrity. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Impartiality; freedom from prejudice, prepossession, or bias. [ 1913 Webster ]

He . . . is far from such indifference and equity as ought and must be in judges which he saith I assign. Sir T. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Absence of anxiety or interest in respect to what is presented to the mind; unconcernedness; as, entire indifference to all that occurs. [ 1913 Webster ]

Indifference can not but be criminal, when it is conversant about objects which are so far from being of an indifferent nature, that they are highest importance. Addison.

Syn. -- Carelessness; negligence; unconcern; apathy; insensibility; coldness; lukewarmness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Infer. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act or process of inferring by deduction or induction. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though it may chance to be right in the conclusions, it is yet unjust and mistaken in the method of inference. Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which inferred; a truth or proposition drawn from another which is admitted or supposed to be true; a conclusion; a deduction. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

These inferences, or conclusions, are the effects of reasoning, and the three propositions, taken all together, are called syllogism, or argument. I. Watts.

Syn. -- Conclusion; deduction; consequence. -- Inference, Conclusion. An inference is literally that which is brought in; and hence, a deduction or induction from premises, -- something which follows as certainly or probably true. A conclusion is stronger than an inference; it shuts us up to the result, and terminates inquiry. We infer what is particular or probable; we conclude what is certain. In a chain of reasoning we have many inferences, which lead to the ultimate conclusion. “An inference is a proposition which is perceived to be true, because of its connection with some known fact.” “When something is simply affirmed to be true, it is called a proposition; after it has been found to be true by several reasons or arguments, it is called a conclusion.” I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Interfere. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act or state of interfering; as, the stoppage of a machine by the interference of some of its parts; a meddlesome interference in the business of others. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Physics) The mutual influence, under certain conditions, as from streams of light, or pulsations of sound, or, generally, two waves or vibrations of any kind, producing certain characteristic phenomena, as colored fringes, dark bands, or darkness, in the case of light, silence or increased intensity in sounds; neutralization or superposition of waves generally. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term is most commonly applied to light, and the undulatory theory of light affords the proper explanation of the phenomena which are considered to be produced by the superposition of waves, and are thus substantially identical in their origin with the phenomena of heat, sound, waves of water, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Patent Law) The act or state of interfering, or of claiming a right to the same invention. [ 1913 Webster ]

Interference figures (Optics), the figures observed when certain sections of crystallized bodies are viewed in converging polarized light; thus, a section of a uniaxial crystal, cut normal to the vertical axis, shows a series of concentric colored rings with a single black cross; -- so called because produced by the interference of luminous waves. --
Interference fringe. (Optics) See Fringe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a foreign policy of staying out of other countries' disputes; nonintervention.
Syn. -- nonintervention. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ Cf. F. préférence. ] 1. The act of Preferring, or the state of being preferred; the setting of one thing before another; precedence; higher estimation; predilection; choice; also, the power or opportunity of choosing; as, to give him his preference. [ 1913 Webster ]

Leave the critics on either side to contend about the preference due to this or that sort of poetry. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Knowledge of things alone gives a value to our reasonings, and preference of one man's knowledge over another's. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is preferred; the object of choice or superior favor; as, which is your preference? [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Refer. ] 1. The act of referring, or the state of being referred; as, reference to a chart for guidance. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which refers to something; a specific direction of the attention; as, a reference in a text-book. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Relation; regard; respect. [ 1913 Webster ]

Something that hath a reference to my state. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. One who, or that which, is referred to. Specifically; (a) One of whom inquires can be made as to the integrity, capacity, and the like, of another. (b) A work, or a passage in a work, to which one is referred. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Law) (a) The act of submitting a matter in dispute to the judgment of one or more persons for decision. (b) (Equity) The process of sending any matter, for inquiry in a cause, to a master or other officer, in order that he may ascertain facts and report to the court. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Appeal. [ R. ] “Make your full reference.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Reference Bible, a Bible in which brief explanations, and references to parallel passages, are printed in the margin of the text. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Half of a circumference. [ 1913 Webster ]

. Telepathy. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]