%rsat%

n. An adversative word. Harris. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aversatio, fr. aversari to turn away, v. intens. of avertere. See Avert. ] A turning from with dislike; aversion. [ Obs.or Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Some men have a natural aversation to some vices or virtues, and a natural affection to others. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. circumcursare, -satum, to run round about. ] The act of running about; also, rambling language. [ Obs. ] Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. conversacio (in senses 1 & 2), OF. conversacion, F. conversation, fr. L. conversatio frequent abode in a place, intercourse, LL. also, manner of life. ] 1. General course of conduct; behavior. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel. Philip. i. 27. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Familiar intercourse; intimate fellowship or association; close acquaintance. “Conversation with the best company.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

I set down, out of long experience in business and much conversation in books, what I thought pertinent to this business. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Commerce; intercourse; traffic. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

All traffic and mutual conversation. Hakluyt. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Colloquial discourse; oral interchange of sentiments and observations; informal dialogue. [ 1913 Webster ]

The influence exercised by his [ Johnson's ] conversation was altogether without a parallel. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Sexual intercourse; as, criminal conversation.

Syn. -- Intercourse; communion; commerce; familiarity; discourse; dialogue; colloquy; talk; chat. -- Conversation, Talk. There is a looser sense of these words, in which they are synonymous; there is a stricter sense, in which they differ. Talk is usually broken, familiar, and versatile. Conversation is more continuous and sustained, and turns ordinarily upon topics or higher interest. Children talk to their parents or to their companions; men converse together in mixed assemblies. Dr. Johnson once remarked, of an evening spent in society, that there had been a great deal of talk, but no conversation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to conversation; in the manner of one conversing; as, a conversational style. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A conversationist. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Aaquaintea with m`nners aod deportment; behaved. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Till she be better conversationed, . . . I'll keep
As far from her as the gallows. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A word or phrase used in conversation; a colloquialism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who converses much, or who excels in conversation. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to intercourse with men; social; -- opposed to contemplative. [ 1913 Webster ]

She chose . . . to endue him with the conversative qualities of youth. Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Indorsement. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. malverser to be corrupt in office, fr. L. male ill + versari to move about, to occupy one's self, vertere to turn. See Malice, and Verse. ] Evil conduct; fraudulent practices; misbehavior, corruption, or extortion in office. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. Supersaturate. ] To saturate to excess. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖‖ } a. [ It. ] (Mus.) Growing gradually fainter and softer; dying away; morendo. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To add to beyond saturation; as, to supersaturate a solution. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The operation of supersaturating, or the state of being supersaturated. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ L. tergiversatus, p. p. of tergiversari to turn one's back, to shift; tergum back + versare, freq. of vertere to turn. See Verse. ] To shift; to practice evasion; to use subterfuges; to shuffle. [ R. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. tergiversario: cf. F. tergiversation. ] 1. The act of tergiversating; a shifting; shift; subterfuge; evasion. [ 1913 Webster ]

Writing is to be preferred before verbal conferences, as being freer from passions and tergiversations. Abp. Bramhall. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fickleness of conduct; inconstancy; change. [ 1913 Webster ]

The colonel, after all his tergiversations, lost his life in the king's service. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] One who tergiversates; one who suffles, or practices evasion. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not fully saturated; imperfectly saturated. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. versatilis, fr. versare to turn around, v. freq. of vertere: cf. F. versatile. See Verse. ] 1. Capable of being turned round. Harte. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Liable to be turned in opinion; changeable; variable; unsteady; inconstant; as, a versatile disposition. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Turning with ease from one thing to another; readily applied to a new task, or to various subjects; many-sided; as, versatile genius; a versatile politician. [ 1913 Webster ]

Conspicuous among the youths of high promise . . . was the quick and versatile [ Charles ] Montagu. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Nat. Hist.) Capable of turning; freely movable; as, a versatile anther, which is fixed at one point to the filament, and hence is very easily turned around; a versatile toe of a bird. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Ver"sa*tile*ly, adv. -- -- Ver"sa*tile*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]