%hod%

‖n. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_; like flowers, flowery; 'a`nqos flower + e'i^dos form. ] (Bot.) The inflorescence of a compound flower in which many florets are gathered into a involucrate head. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Phys.) The part of a vacuum tube opposite the cathode. Upon it the cathode rays impinge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. asphodelus, Gr. &unr_;. See Daffodil. ] (Bot.) A general name for a plant of the genus Asphodelus. The asphodels are hardy perennial plants, several species of which are cultivated for the beauty of their flowers. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The name is also popularly given to species of other genera. The asphodel of the early English and French poets was the daffodil. The asphodel of the Greek poets is supposed to be the Narcissus poeticus. Dr. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

Pansies, and violets, and asphodel. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 small genus of tall striking annuals or perennials with grasslike foliage and flowers in dense racemes or panicles; Mediterranean to Himalayas; sometimes placed in family Asphodelaceae.
Syn. -- genus Asphodelus. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. 1 a family of small motile sulphur bacteria.
Syn. -- family Athiorhodaceae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

. (Physics) A method of attaining successively lower temperatures by utilizing the cooling effect of the expansion of one gas in condensing another less easily liquefiable, and so on. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; descent; &unr_; down + &unr_; way. ] (Physics) The part of a voltaic battery by which the electric current leaves substances through which it passes, or the surface at which the electric current passes out of the electrolyte; the negative pole; -- opposed to anode. Faraday. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cathode ray (Phys.), a kind of ray generated at the cathode in a vacuum tube, by the electrical discharge. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ n. Also . [ Cathode + -graph. ] (Physics) A picture produced by the Roentgen rays; a radiograph. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. (Physiol.) A term applied to the centrifugal, or efferent, course of the nervous influence. Marshall Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

the old imp. of chide. See Chide. [ 1913 Webster ]

Condorcet's method is one of several pairwise methods, which are great methods for electing people in single-seat elections (president, governor, mayor, etc.). Condorcet's method is named after the 18th century election theorist who invented it. Unlike most methods which make you choose the lesser of two evils, Condorcet's method and other pairwise methods let you rank the candidates in the order in which you would see them elected. The way the votes are tallied is by computing the results of separate pairwise elections between all of the candidates, and the winner is the one that wins a majority in all of the pairwise elections.
The best result of this is that if there is Candidate A on one extreme who pulls 40% of the vote, Candidate B in the middle who only pulls 20% of the vote, and Candidate C on the other extreme who pulls 40% of the vote, Candidate B will get elected as a compromise. Why? Because in a two-way contest between A and B, B would win with 60% of the vote, and in a two-way contest between B and C, B would also win with 60% of the vote. (Note that if B is a loony billionaire, he might not be able to win separate pairwise elections against anyone, and this would be reflected with Condorcet's method.)
Condorcet's method lets voters mark their sincere wishes for who they would like to win the election, without having to consider strategy ("I'd vote for Candidate B, but I'm afraid of wasting my vote."). It's really just a logical extension of majority rule when more than two choices are involved. Other pairwise methods, such as Copeland's method and Smith's method, have other desirable characteristics. The best of the pairwise methods is something that is quite debatable.
Wait, I've heard of this before...
You may have. However, there are many methods other methods similar to this one (though in my opinion, inferior), so don't be so sure. In order to be fair, here are a couple of those other methods:
* Majority preference voting (MPV) -- related to PV. Like PV, the voter simply ranks candidates in an order of preference (e. 1. Perot 2. Clinton 3. Bush). The candidate with the least number of first place votes is eliminated, and their votes are "transferred" to their 2nd choice until a candidate has a majority. It is frequently advocated and is better than our current system, but still has some nasty properties (like possibly knocking compromise candidates out of the running early). MPV is actually in use in Australia, among other places. Also known as Hare's Method.
* Approval -- Voters are allowed to vote for all candidates they approve. For example, Bush-Yes Perot-No Clinton-Yes. The candidate with the highest number of "yes" votes wins. For a more complete explanation, see here.
Rob Lanphier (from https://web.archive.org/web/20050722235546/http://www.eskimo.com/~robla/politics/condorcet.html). [ PJC ]

‖n. [ Gr. koryfh` head, peak + 'odoy`s, 'odo`ntos, tooth. ] (Paleon.) A genus of extinct mammals from the eocene tertiary of Europe and America. Its species varied in size between the tapir and rhinoceros, and were allied to those animals, but had short, plantigrade, five-toed feet, like the elephant. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Paleon.) Pertaining to, or resembling, the genus Coryphodon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL., from Gr. &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_; dog-rose; &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;&unr_;, &unr_;&unr_;&unr_;, dog + &unr_;&unr_;&unr_; rose. ] (Bot.) A fruit like that of the rose, consisting of a cup formed of the calyx tube and receptacle, and containing achenes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Without wetting the feet; having or keeping the feet or shoes dry; as, a land bridge over which man and beasts could have crossed dry-shod. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; a spear + 'odoy`s, 'odo`ntos, a tooth. ] (Paleon.) A genus of extinct Cretaceous fishes; -- so named from their spear-shaped teeth. They were allied to the pike (Esox). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Heb. 'ēphōd, fr. 'āphad to put on. ] (Jew. Antiq.) A part of the sacerdotal habit among Jews, being a covering for the back and breast, held together on the shoulders by two clasps or brooches of onyx stones set in gold, and fastened by a girdle of the same stuff as the ephod. The ephod for the priests was of plain linen; that for the high priest was richly embroidered in colors. The breastplate of the high priest was worn upon the ephod in front. Exodus xxviii. 6-12. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prov. E. for hold, i. e., that which holds. See Hold. ] 1. A kind of wooden tray with a handle, having V-shaped trough, made of wood or metal, attached to a long handle and usually carried over the shoulder; it is a tool used by construction workers for carrying bricks or mortar. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

2. A utensil for holding coal; a coal scuttle. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. A construction worker whose main function is to carry construction materials in a hod{ 1 }. [ PJC ]

a. [ Perh. akin to E. hoiden rustic, clownish. ] Applied to coarse cloth made of undyed wool, formerly worn by Scotch peasants. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prob. for hooded. ] (Zool.) See Dun crow, under Dun, a. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Prob. E. also hoddypeke, hoddypoule, hoddymandoddy. ] An awkward or foolish person. [ Obs. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A mixed mass; a medley. See Hotchpot. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Med.) A morbid condition characterized by progressive anæmia and enlargement of the lymphatic glands; -- first described by Dr. Hodgkin, an English physician.

{ } a. [ L. hodiernus, fr. hodie today. ] Of this day; belonging to the present day. [ R. ] Boyle. Quart. Rev. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Hodmen(&unr_;). A man who carries a hod; a mason's tender. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Obs. ] See Dodman. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr.&unr_; path + graph. ] (Math.) A curve described by the moving extremity of a line the other end of which is fixed, this line being constantly parallel to the direction of motion of, and having its length constantly proportional to the velocity of, a point moving in any path; -used in investigations respecting central forces. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. "odo`metron, "odo`metros, an instrument for measuring distance; "odo`s way, path, road + me`tron measure: cf. F. odométre, hodométre. See also odometer.] A device for measuring the length of a path, consisting of a wheel of known circumference attached to a rod held in the hand, and pushed along a surface, which is usually the ground or a floor. The number of times the wheel makes a complete circle multiplied by the circumference is a measure of the length of the path traversed. It may be used to measure distances on curved as well as straight paths. A variant which registers the miles and rods traversed is sometimes used by surveyors. [PJC + 1913 Webster]

prop. n. 1. A blind god; misled by Loki he kills Balder by throwing a bough of mistletoe.
Syn. -- Hoth, Hothr, Hoder. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Orthodox to an excessive degree.
Syn. -- ultraorthodox. [ PJC ]

n. Orthodoxy pushed to excess.
Syn. -- ultraorthodoxy. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not methodical; without method or systematic arrangement; without order or regularity; confused. Addison.

Syn. -- Irregular; confused; disoderly; unsystematic; desultory. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Without method; confusedly; unsystematically. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Lack of method. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To render immethodical; to destroy the method of; to confuse. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. laby`rinthos labyrinth + 'odoy`s, 'odo`ntos, tooth. ] (Paleon.) A genus of very large fossil amphibians, of the Triassic period, having bony plates on the under side of the body. It is the type of the order Labyrinthodonta. Called also Mastodonsaurus. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Paleon.) Of or pertaining to the Labyrinthodonta. -- n. One of the Labyrinthodonta. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖prop. n. pl. [ NL. See Labyrinthodon. ] (Paleon.) An extinct order of Amphibia, including the typical genus Labyrinthodon, and many other allied forms, from the Carboniferous, Permian, and Triassic formations. By recent writers they are divided into two or more orders. See Stegocephala. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ [ NL., fr. L. lignum wood + Gr. "ro`don a rose.] (Bot.) The fragrant wood of several shrubs and trees, especially of species of Rhodorhiza from the Canary Islands, and of the West Indian Amyris balsamifera. [1913 Webster]

n. [ Litho- + Gr. do`mos house: cf. F. lithodome. ] (Zool.) Any one of several species of bivalves, which form holes in limestone, in which they live; esp., any species of the genus Lithodomus. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Like, or pertaining to, Lithodomus; lithophagous. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL. See Lithodome. ] (Zool.) A genus of elongated bivalve shells, allied to the mussels, and remarkable for their ability to bore holes for shelter, in solid limestone, shells, etc. Called also Lithophagus. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ These holes are at first very small and shallow, but are enlarged with the growth of the shell, sometimes becoming two or three inches deep and nearly an inch diameter. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A method of teaching by question and answer; it was used by Socrates to elicit truths from his students; -- called also the Socratic method [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. méthode, L. methodus, fr. Gr. meqodos method, investigation following after; meta` after + "odo`s way.] 1. An orderly procedure or process; regular manner of doing anything; hence, manner; way; mode; as, a method of teaching languages; a method of improving the mind. Addison. [1913 Webster]

2. Orderly arrangement, elucidation, development, or classification; clear and lucid exhibition; systematic arrangement peculiar to an individual. [1913 Webster]

Though this be madness, yet there's method in it. Shak. [1913 Webster]

All method is a rational progress, a progress toward an end. Sir W. Hamilton. [1913 Webster]

3. (Nat. Hist.) Classification; a mode or system of classifying natural objects according to certain common characteristics; as, the method of Theophrastus; the method of Ray; the Linnaean method. [1913 Webster]

4. A technique used in acting in which the actor tries to identify with the individual personality of the specific character being portrayed, so as to provide a realistic rendering of the character's role. Also called the Method, method acting, the Stanislavsky Method or Stanislavsky System. [PJC]

Syn. -- Order; system; rule; regularity; way; manner; mode; course; process; means. -- Method, Mode, Manner. Method implies arrangement; mode, mere action or existence. Method is a way of reaching a given end by a series of acts which tend to secure it; mode relates to a single action, or to the form which a series of acts, viewed as a whole, exhibits. Manner is literally the handling of a thing, and has a wider sense, embracing both method and mode. An instructor may adopt a good method of teaching to write; the scholar may acquire a bad mode of holding his pen; the manner in which he is corrected will greatly affect his success or failure. [1913 Webster]

{ } a. [ L. methodicus, Gr. &unr_;: cf. F. méthodique. ] 1. Arranged with regard to method; disposed in a suitable manner, or in a manner to illustrate a subject, or to facilitate practical observation; well-ordered; as, the methodical arrangement of arguments; a methodical treatise. [ wns=2 ] “Methodical regularity.” Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Proceeding with regard to method; characterized by method or orderliness; systematic; as, a methodical investigation. [ wns=1 ] “Aristotle, strict, methodic, and orderly.” Harris. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of or pertaining to the ancient school of physicians called methodists. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Me*thod"ic*al*ly, adv. -- Me*thod"ic*al*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The art and principles of method. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Eccl.) The system of doctrines, polity, and worship, of the sect called Methodists. Bp. Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]