a. [ As if fr. abstort, fr. L. ab, abs + tortus, p. p. of torquere to twist. ] Wrested away. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ OE. ancestre, auncestre, also ancessour; the first forms fr. OF. ancestre, F. ancêtre, fr. the L. nom. antessor one who goes before; the last form fr. OF. ancessor, fr. L. acc. antecessorem, fr. antecedere to go before; ante before + cedere to go. See Cede, and cf. Antecessor. ]
a. Ancestral. Grote. [ 1913 Webster ]
adv. With regard to ancestors. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. (Law) A assister. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. i. & t. [ Barn + storm, v. ]
n. [ Barn + storm, v. ]
v. i. & t. To storm. Young. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ L. bis + tortus, p. p. of torquere to twist: cf. F. bistorte. ] (Bot.) An herbaceous plant of the genus
n. (Arch.) The triforium as opposed to the clearstory. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. A store where books are kept for sale; -- called in England a bookseller's shop. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ Gr. &unr_; &unr_;ox-guiding. ] Boustrophedonic. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. the clear (and often sudden) understanding of a complex situation; a sudden brilliant insight.
v. t. & i. to try to solve a problem by discussing it exhaustively in an intense group meeting encouraging uninhibited and spontaneous contributions from all members.
n. [ L. castor the beaver, Gr. &unr_;; of uncertain origin. ]
I have always been known for the jaunty manner in which I wear my castor. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. See Caster, a small wheel. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ L. ] (Astron.) the northernmost of the two bright stars in the constellation Gemini, the other being Pollux. [ 1913 Webster ]
[ Castor and Pollux were twin sons of Jupiter and Leda. ] (Naut.) See
(Bot.) The bean or seed of the castor-oil plant (Ricinus communis, or Palma Christi.) [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ L. See Castor. ] A peculiar bitter orange-brown substance, with strong, penetrating odor, found in two sacs between the anus and external genitals of the beaver; castor; -- used in medicine as an antispasmodic, and by perfumers. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. a natural family comprising the beavers.
n. [ From 1st Castor. ] (Chem.) A white crystalline substance obtained from castoreum. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. a genus of extinct beavers of the Pleistocene; of eastern and southern U.S.
A mild cathartic oil, expressed or extracted from the seeds of the Ricinus communis, or Palma Christi. When fresh the oil is inodorous and insipid. [ 1913 Webster ]
Castor-oil plant.
n. Same as Clearstory. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. See Clearstory. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ Cf. F. consistorial. ] Of or pertaining to a consistory. “Consistorial laws.” Hooker. “Consistorial courts.” Bp. Hoadley. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Pertaining to a Presbyterian consistory; -- a contemptuous term of 17th century controversy. [ 1913 Webster ]
You fall next on the consistorian schismatics; for so you call Presbyterians. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
pos>n.;
To council summons all his mighty peers,
Within thick clouds and dark tenfold involved,
A gloomy consistory. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]
Pius was then hearing of causes in consistory. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]
☞ In some churches, as the Dutch Reformed in America, a consistory is composed of the minister and elders of an individual church, corresponding to a Presbyterian church session, and in others, as the Reformed church in France, it is composed of ministers and elders, corresponding to a presbytery. In some Lutheran countries it is a body of clerical and lay officers appointed by the sovereign to superintend ecclesiastical affairs. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. Of the nature of, or pertaining to, a consistory. “To hold consistory session.” Strype. [ 1913 Webster ]
. A store keeping a great variety of goods which are arranged in several departments. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. +PJC ]
n. See Digester. [ 1913 Webster ]
a. [ L. distortus, p. p. of distorquere to twist, distort; dis- + torquere to twist. See Torsion. ] Distorted; misshapen. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
Her face was ugly and her mouth distort. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]
v. t.
Whose face was distorted with pain. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]
Wrath and malice, envy and revenge, do darken and distort the understandings of men. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. One who, or that which, distorts. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ L. distortio: cf. F. distortion. ]
a. Causing distortion. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. a retail shop where medicine and other articles are sold.
n. A strong windstorm that lifts particles of dust or dry soil into the air and blows them around, covering land or objects with a thick layer of dust.
adj.
v. t. [ See Instaurate. ] To restore. [ Obs. ] Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. [ LL. faldistorium, faldestorium, from OHG. faldstuol; faldan, faltan, to fold (G. falten) + stuol stool. So called because it could be folded or laid together. See Fold, and Stool, and cf. Faldstool, Fauteuil. ] The throne or seat of a bishop within the chancel. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]
‖n. [ NL., from Gaston M. Plante, the discover + Gr. &unr_; bird. ] (Paleon.) A genus of large eocene birds from the Paris basin. [ 1913 Webster ]
n. A storm accompanied with hail; a shower of hail. [ 1913 Webster ]
‖n.;
a. [ L. historialis: cf. F. historial. ] Historical. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]