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a. [ L. absolvens, p. pr. of absolvere. ] Absolving. [ R. ] Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An absolver. [ R. ] Hobbes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who absolves. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

A duty payable to the lord mayor of London by the sellers of ale within the city. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Alvearies [ L. alvearium, alveare, beehive, fr. alveus a hollow vessel, beehive, from alvus belly, beehive. ] 1. A beehive, or something resembling a beehive. Barret. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Anat.) The hollow of the external ear. Quincy. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. alveatus hollowed out. ] Formed or vaulted like a beehive. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. alveolus a small hollow or cavity: cf. F. alvéolaire. ] (Anat.) 1. Of, pertaining to, or resembling, alveoli or little cells, sacs, or sockets. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Phon.) Articulated with the tip of the tongue pressing against the alveolar processes of the upper front teeth. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Alveolar processes, the processes of the maxillary bones, containing the sockets of the teeth. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Alveolar. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. alveolatus, fr. alveolus. ] (Bot.) Deeply pitted, like a honeycomb. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Alveolus. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. alveolus + -form. ] Having the form of alveoli, or little sockets, cells, or cavities. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Alveoli [ L., a small hollow or cavity, dim. of alveus: cf. F. alvéole. See Alveary. ] 1. A cell in a honeycomb. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) A small cavity in a coral, shell, or fossil [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Anat.) A small depression, sac, or vesicle, as the socket of a tooth, the air cells of the lungs, the ultimate saccules of glands, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n.; pl. Alvei [ L. ] The channel of a river. Weate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ It., fr. bello, bel, beautiful + vedere to see. ] (Arch.) A small building, or a part of a building, more or less open, constructed in a place commanding a fine prospect. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. bivalve; bi- (L. bis) + valve valve. ] 1. (Zool.) A mollusk having a shell consisting of two lateral plates or valves joined together by an elastic ligament at the hinge, which is usually strengthened by prominences called teeth. The shell is closed by the contraction of two transverse muscles attached to the inner surface, as in the clam, -- or by one, as in the oyster. See Mollusca. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) A pericarp in which the seed case opens or splits into two parts or valves. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + valve. ] (Zool. & Bot.) Having two shells or valves which open and shut, as the oyster and certain seed vessels. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having two valves, as the oyster and some seed pods; bivalve. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Mach.) See Snifting valve. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Calved 3; p. pr. & vb. n. Calving. ] [ AS. cealfian. See Calf. ] 1. To bring forth a calf. “Their cow calveth.” Job xxi. 10. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To bring forth young; to produce offspring. [ 1913 Webster ]

Canst thou mark when the hinds do calve? Job xxxix. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

The grassy clods now calved. Molton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Phys. Geog.) To throw off fragments which become icebergs; -- said of a glacier. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. i. 1. To cut in slices and pickle, as salmon. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

For a change, leave calvered salmon and eat sprats. Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To crimp; as, calvered salmon. Nares. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To bear, or be susceptible of, being calvered; as, grayling's flesh will calver. Catton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) Snapdragon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Mica. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Circumvolved p. pr. & vb. n. Circumvolving. ] [ L. circumvolvere, -volutum; circum + volvere to roll. ] To roll round; to cause to revolve; to put into a circular motion. Herrick. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To roll round; to revolve. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Firearms) A revolver made according to a system using a patented revolving cylinder, holding six cartridges, patented by Samuel Colt, an American inventor, in 1835. With various modifications, it was for many years been the standard for the United States army. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Convolved p. pr. & vb. n. Convolving. ] [ L. convolvere, -volutum; con- + volvere to roll. See Voluble. ] To roll or wind together; to roll or twist one part on another. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then Satan first knew pain,
And writhed him to and fro convolved. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. culfre, perh. fr. L. columba. ] A dove. “Culver in the falcon's fist.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Abbrev. fr. Culverin. ] A culverin. [ 1913 Webster ]

Falcon and culver on each tower
Stood prompt their deadly hail to shower. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A dovecote. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. coulevrine, prop. fem. of couleuvrin like a serpent, fr. couleuvre adder, fr. L. coluber, colubra. ] A long cannon of the 16th century, usually an 18-pounder with serpent-shaped handles. [ 1913 Webster ]

Trump, and drum, and roaring culverin. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A bunch of the keys or samaras of the ash tree. Wright. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An English meadow plant, perhaps the columbine or the bluebell squill (Scilla nutans). [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A girl cropping culverkeys and cowslips to make garlands. Walton. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or . [ So called after a Dr. Culver, who used it. ] (Bot.) The root of a handsome erect herb (Leptandra Virginica syn. Veronica Virginica) common in most moist woods of North America , used as an active cathartic and emetic; also, the plant itself. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Prob. from OF. coulouere, F. couloir, channel, gutter, gallery, fr. couler to flow. See Cullis. ] A transverse drain or waterway of masonry under a road, railroad, canal, etc.; a small bridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Carp.) Dovetail. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. United or fastened by a dovetailed joint. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Delved p. pr. & vb. n. Delving. ] [ AS. delfan to dig; akin to OS. bidelban to bury, D. delven to dig, MHG. telben, and possibly to E. dale. Cf. Delf a mine. ] 1. To dig; to open (the ground) as with a spade. [ 1913 Webster ]

Delve of convenient depth your thrashing floor. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To dig into; to penetrate; to trace out; to fathom. [ 1913 Webster ]

I can not delve him to the root. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To dig or labor with a spade, or as with a spade; to labor as a drudge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Delve may I not: I shame to beg. Wyclif (Luke xvi. 3). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Delve, v. t., and cf. Delf a mine. ] A place dug; a pit; a ditch; a den; a cave. [ 1913 Webster ]

Which to that shady delve him brought at last. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

The very tigers from their delves
Look out. Moore. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who digs, as with a spade. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mil. Antiq.) A kind of ordnance, carrying a ball weighing from nine to thirteen pounds. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To deprive of silver; as, to desilver lead. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or the process of freeing from silver; also, the condition resulting from the removal of silver. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To deprive, or free from, silver; to remove silver from. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Devolved p. pr. & vb. n. Devolving. ] [ L. devolvere, devolutum, to roll down; de + volvere to roll down; de + volvere to roll. See Voluble. ] 1. To roll onward or downward; to pass on. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every headlong stream
Devolves its winding waters to the main. Akenside. [ 1913 Webster ]

Devolved his rounded periods. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To transfer from one person to another; to deliver over; to hand down; -- generally with upon, sometimes with to or into. [ 1913 Webster ]

They devolved a considerable share of their power upon their favorite. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

They devolved their whole authority into the hands of the council of sixty. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To pass by transmission or succession; to be handed over or down; -- generally with on or upon, sometimes with to or into; as, after the general fell, the command devolved upon (or on) the next officer in rank. [ 1913 Webster ]

His estate . . . devolved to Lord Somerville. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or process of devolving;; devolution. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To uncover; to unfold or unroll; to disentangle. [ R. ] Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]