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adj. 1. 1 undecided as to whether or not to take a proposed course of action; having feelings both for and against the proposed action.
Syn. -- on the fence(predicate), suspensive, uncertain [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. attollens, p. pr. of attollere; ad + tollere to lift. ] Lifting up; raising; as, an attollent muscle. Derham. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. benevolens, -entis; bene well (adv. of bonus good) + volens, p. pr. of volo I will, I wish. See Bounty, and Voluntary. ] Having a disposition to do good; possessing or manifesting love to mankind, and a desire to promote their prosperity and happiness; disposed to give to good objects; kind; charitable. -- Be*nev"o*lent*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Benevolent, Beneficent. Etymologically considered, benevolent implies wishing well to others, and beneficent, doing well. But by degrees the word benevolent has been widened to include not only feelings, but actions; thus, we speak of benevolent operations, benevolent labors for the public good, benevolent societies. In like manner, beneficent is now often applied to feelings; thus, we speak of the beneficent intentions of a donor. This extension of the terms enables us to mark nicer shades of meaning. Thus, the phrase “benevolent labors” turns attention to the source of these labors, viz., benevolent feeling; while beneficent would simply mark them as productive of good. So, “beneficent intentions” point to the feelings of the donor as bent upon some specific good act; while “benevolent intentions” would only denote a general wish and design to do good. [1913 Webster]

a. [ L. bis twice + valens, p. pr. See Valence. ] (Chem.) Equivalent in combining or displacing power to two atoms of hydrogen; dyad. [ 1913 Webster ]

imp. & p. p. of Blend to blind. Blinded. Also (Chaucer), 3d sing. pres. Blindeth. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

imp. & p. p. of Blend to mingle. Mingled; mixed; blended; also, polluted; stained. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rider and horse, friend, foe, in one red burial blent. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. calenture, fr. Sp. calenture heat, fever, fr. calentar to heat, fr. p. pr. of L. calere to be warm. ] (Med.) A name formerly given to various fevers occuring in tropics; esp. to a form of furious delirium accompanied by fever, among sailors, which sometimes led the affected person to imagine the sea to be a green field, and to throw himself into it. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To see as in the delirium of one affected with calenture. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Hath fed on pageants floating through the air
Or calentures in depths of limpid flood. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of ashes. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖i>or ‖ } n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. koi^los hollow + &unr_; intestines. ] (Zool.) A comprehensive group of Invertebrata, mostly marine, comprising the Anthozoa, Hydrozoa, and Ctenophora. The name implies that the stomach and body cavities are one. The group is sometimes enlarged so as to include the sponges. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Zool.) Belonging to the Cœlentera. -- n. One of the Cœlentera. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. convellens, p. pr. of convellere. See Convulse. ] Tending to tear or pull up. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The ends of the fragment . . . will not yield to the convellent force. Todd & Bowman. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. corpulentus, fr. corpus: cf. F. corpulent. See Corpse. ] 1. Very fat; obese. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Solid; gross; opaque. [ Obs. ] Holland.

Syn. -- Stout; fleshy; bulky; obese. See Stout. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a corpulent manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. crapulentus, crapulosus: cf. F. crapuleux. ] Surcharged with liquor; sick from excessive indulgence in liquor; drunk; given to excesses. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. dedolens, p. pr. of dedolere to give over grieving; de- + dolere to grieve. ] Feeling no compunction; apathetic. [ R. ] Hallywell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. di- + L. valens, valentis, p. pr. See Valence. ] (Chem.) Having two units of combining power; bivalent. Cf. Valence. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. divellens, p. pr. ] Drawing asunder. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. diversus diverse + volens, -entis, p. pr. of velle to wish. ] Desiring different things. [ Obs. ] Webster (White Devil). [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. dolens, p. pr. of dolere: cf. F. dolent. See Dole sorrow. ] Sorrowful. [ Obs. ] Ford. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. & adv. [ It. ] (Mus.) Plaintively. See Doloroso. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. aequipollens; aequus equal + pollens, -entis, p. pr. of pollere to be strong, able: cf. F. équipollent. ] 1. Having equal power or force; equivalent. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Logic) Having equivalent signification and reach; expressing the same thing, but differently. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. With equal power. Barrow.

a. [ L. aequivalens, -entis, p. pr. of aequivalere to have equal power; aequus equal + valere to be strong, be worth: cf. F. équivalent. See Equal, and Valiant. ] 1. Equal in worth or value, force, power, effect, import, and the like; alike in significance and value; of the same import or meaning. [ 1913 Webster ]

For now to serve and to minister, servile and ministerial, are terms equivalent. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Geom.) Equal in measure but not admitting of superposition; -- applied to magnitudes; as, a square may be equivalent to a triangle. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Geol.) Contemporaneous in origin; as, the equivalent strata of different countries. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Something equivalent; that which is equal in value, worth, weight, or force; as, to offer an equivalent for damage done. [ 1913 Webster ]

He owned that, if the Test Act were repealed, the Protestants were entitled to some equivalent. . . . During some weeks the word equivalent, then lately imported from France, was in the mouths of all the coffeehouse orators. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Chem.) That comparative quantity by weight of an element which possesses the same chemical value as other elements, as determined by actual experiment and reference to the same standard. Specifically: (a) The comparative proportions by which one element replaces another in any particular compound; thus, as zinc replaces hydrogen in hydrochloric acid, their equivalents are 32.5 and 1. (b) The combining proportion by weight of a substance, or the number expressing this proportion, in any particular compound; as, the equivalents of hydrogen and oxygen in water are respectively 1 and 8, and in hydric dioxide 1 and 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This term was adopted by Wollaston to avoid using the conjectural expression atomic weight, with which, however, for a time it was practically synonymous. The attempt to limit the term to the meaning of a universally comparative combining weight failed, because of the possibility of several compounds of the substances by reason of the variation in combining power which most elements exhibit. The equivalent was really identical with, or a multiple of submultiple of, the atomic weight. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Chem.) A combining unit, whether an atom, a radical, or a molecule; as, in acid salt two or more equivalents of acid unite with one or more equivalents of base. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mechanical equivalent of heat (Physics), originally defined as the number of units of work which the unit of heat can perform, equivalent to the mechanical energy which must be expended to raise the temperature of a pound of water one degree Fahrenheit; later this value was defined as one British thermal unit (B.t.u). Its value was found by Joule to be 772 foot pounds; later measurements give the value as 777.65 foot-pounds, equivalent to 107.5 kg-meters. This value was originally called Joule's equivalent, but the modern Joule is defined differently, being 107 ergs. The B.t.u. is now given as 1, 054.35 absolute Joules, and therefore 1 calorie (the amount of heat needed to raise one gram of water one degree centigrade) is equivalent to 4.186 Joules. [ 1913 Webster + PJC ]

☞ The original definition of the Mechanical equivalent of heat in the 1913 Webster was as below. The difference between foot pounds and kilogram-meters ("on the centigrade scale") is puzzling as it should be a factor of 7.23, and the figure given for kilogram-meters may be a mistaken misinterpretation of the report. -- PJC:

The number of units of work which the unit of heat can perform; the mechanical energy which must be expended to raise the temperature of a unit weight of water from 0° C. to 1° C., or from 32° F. to 33° F. The term was introduced by Dr. Mayer of Heilbronn. Its value was found by Joule to be 1390 foot pounds upon the Centigrade, or 772 foot pounds upon the Fahrenheit, thermometric scale, whence it is often called Joule's equivalent, and represented by the symbol J. This is equal to 424 kilogram meters (Centigrade scale). A more recent determination by Professor Rowland gives the value 426.9 kilogram meters, for the latitude of Baltimore. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

v. t. To make the equivalent to; to equal; equivalence. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an equal manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. esculentus, fr. escare to eat, fr. esca food, fr. edere to eat: cf. F. esculent. See Eat. ] Suitable to be used by man for food; eatable; edible; as, esculent plants; esculent fish. [ 1913 Webster ]

Esculent grain for food. Sir W. Jones. [ 1913 Webster ]

Esculent swallow (Zoöl.), the swallow which makes the edible bird's-nest. See Edible bird's-nest, under Edible. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Anything that is fit for eating; that which may be safely eaten by man. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. excellent, L. excellens, -entis, p. pr. of excellere. See Excel. ] 1. Excelling; surpassing others in some good quality or the sum of qualities; of great worth; eminent, in a good sense; superior; as, an excellent man, artist, citizen, husband, discourse, book, song, etc.; excellent breeding, principles, aims, action. [ 1913 Webster ]

To love . . .
What I see excellent in good or fair. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Superior in kind or degree, irrespective of moral quality; -- used with words of a bad significance. [ Obs. or Ironical ] “An excellent hypocrite.” Hume. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their sorrows are most excellent. Beau. & Fl.

Syn. -- Worthy; choice; prime; valuable; select; exquisite; transcendent; admirable; worthy. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Excellently; eminently; exceedingly. [ Obs. ] “This comes off well and excellent.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In an excellent manner; well in a high degree. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In a high or superior degree; -- in this literal use, not implying worthiness. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

When the whole heart is excellently sorry. J. Fletcher. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. faeculentus, fr. faecula: cf. F. féculent. See Fecula. ] Foul with extraneous or impure substances; abounding with sediment or excrementitious matter; muddy; thick; turbid. [ 1913 Webster ]

Both his hands most filthy feculent. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. flatus a blowing, flatus ventris windiness, flatulence, fr. flare to blow: cf. F. flatulent. See Blow. ] 1. Affected with flatus{ 2 } or gases generated in the alimentary canal; windy. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Generating, or tending to generate, wind in the stomach. [ 1913 Webster ]

Vegetables abound more with aërial particles than animal substances, and therefore are more flatulent. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Turgid with flatus; as, a flatulent tumor. Quincy. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Pretentious without substance or reality; puffy; empty; vain; as, a flatulent vanity. [ 1913 Webster ]

He is too flatulent sometimes, and sometimes too dry. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a flatulent manner; with flatulence. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Flock of wool. ] 1. Clothed with small flocks or flakes; woolly. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Applied to the down of newly hatched or unfledged birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Chem.) Having a structure like shredded wool, as some precipitates. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ L. florulentus, fr. flos, floris, flower. ] Flowery; blossoming. [ Obs. ] Blount. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. fraudulentus, fr. fraus, fraudis, fraud: cf. F. fraudulent. ] 1. Using fraud; tricky; deceitful; dishonest. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Characterized by, founded on, or proceeding from, fraud; as, a fraudulent bargain. [ 1913 Webster ]

He, with serpent tongue, . . .
His fraudulent temptation thus began. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Obtained or performed by artifice; as, fraudulent conquest. Milton.

Syn. -- Deceitful; fraudful; guileful; crafty; wily; cunning; subtle; deceiving; cheating; deceptive; insidious; treacherous; dishonest; designing; unfair. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a fraudulent manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. frustulentus. See Frustule. ] Abounding in fragments. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. & v. See Glint. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ a. [ L. gracilis, gracilentus. ] Slender; thin. [ Obs. ] Bailey.
Syn. -- willowy. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. graveolens; gravis heavy + olere to smell. ] Having a rank smell. [ R. ] Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Hepta- + L. valens, p. pr. See Valence. ] (Chem.) Having seven units of attractive force or affinity; -- said of heptad elements or radicals. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Hexa- + L. valens, -entis, p. pr. See Valence. ] (Chem.) Having a valence of six; -- said of hexads. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. impellens, p. pr. of impellere. ] Having the quality of impelling. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An impelling power or force. Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. in- not + L. dolens, -entis, p. pr. of dolere to feel pain: cf. F. indolent. See Dolorous. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Free from toil, pain, or trouble. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Indulging in ease; avoiding labor and exertion; habitually idle; lazy; inactive; as, an indolent man. [ 1913 Webster ]

To waste long nights in indolent repose. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Med.) Causing little or no pain or annoyance; as, an indolent tumor.

Syn. -- Idle; lazy; slothful; sluggish; listless; inactive; inert. See Idle. [ 1913 Webster ]