%suit%

n. (Mil. Antiq.) A suit of light armor covering less than the whole body, as having no protection for the legs below the thighs, no vizor to the helmet, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Contract bridge, Whist) A plain suit in which a player (or side) could, except for trumping, take tricks with all his remaining cards. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ gravity + suit. 1944[ MW10 ] ] (Aeronautics) A suit worn by aviators and astronauts, designed to counteract the effects of high accelerations experienced in aerial maneuvers, in particular to avoid unconsciousness; called also anti-g suit. It exerts force on the abdomen and legs to prevent blackouts by counteracting the tendency of blood to accumulate below the heart, thus reducing the supply to the brain, when the forces due to acceleration are directed from head to toe. [ PJC ]

a. Unsuitable. [ Obs. ] -- In*suit`a*bil"i*ty n. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

n. [ F. Jésuite, Sp. Jesuita: cf. It. Gesuita. ] 1. (R. C. Ch.) One of a religious order founded by Ignatius Loyola, and approved in 1540, under the title of The Society of Jesus. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The order consists of Scholastics, the Professed, the Spiritual Coadjutors, and the Temporal Coadjutors or Lay Brothers. The Jesuit novice after two years becomes a Scholastic, and takes his first vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience simply. Some years after, at the close of a second novitiate, he takes his second vows and is ranked among the Coadjutors or Professed. The Professed are bound by a fourth vow, from which only the pope can dispense, requiring them to go wherever the pope may send them for missionary duty. The Coadjutors teach in the schools, and are employed in general missionary labors. The Society is governed by a General who holds office for life. He has associated with him “Assistants” (five at the present time), representing different provinces. The Society was first established in the United States in 1807. The Jesuits have displayed in their enterprises a high degree of zeal, learning, and skill, but, by their enemies, have been generally reputed to use art and intrigue in promoting or accomplishing their purposes, whence the words Jesuit, Jesuitical, and the like, have acquired an opprobrious sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: A crafty person; an intriguer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Jesuits' bark, Peruvian bark, or the bark of certain species of Cinchona; -- so called because its medicinal properties were first made known in Europe by Jesuit missionaries to South America. --
Jesuits' drops. See Friar's balsam, under Friar. --
Jesuits' nut, the European water chestnut. --
Jesuits' powder, powdered cinchona bark. --
Jesuits' tea, a Chilian leguminous shrub, used as a tea and medicinally. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Conforming to the principles of the Jesuits. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. Jésuitesse. ] (R. C. Hist.) One of an order of nuns established on the principles of the Jesuits, but suppressed by Pope Urban in 1633.

{ } a. [ Cf. F. jésuitique. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Of or pertaining to the Jesuits, or to their principles and methods. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Designing; cunning; deceitful; crafty; -- an opprobrious use of the word. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a jesuitical manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. jésuitisme. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The principles and practices of the Jesuits. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Cunning; deceit; deceptive practices to effect a purpose; subtle argument; -- an opprobrious use of the word. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Jesuit + -cracy, as in aristocracy. ] Government by Jesuits; also, the whole body of Jesuits in a country. [ R. ] C. Kingsley. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Jesuitism; subtle argument. [ R. ] Carlyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a one-piece coverall used by parachutists while jumping from an airplane. [ PJC ]

2. a one-piece garment resembling a jumpsuit{ 1 }, having a shirt or blouse attached to trousers or shorts. [ PJC ]

n. An action at law; a suit in equity or admiralty; any legal proceeding before a court for the enforcement of a claim. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bridge) A suit of playing cards which has higher scoring value; specifically, either spades or hearts. Contrasted with a minor suit, being either diamonds or clubs. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. (Law) A neglect or failure by the plaintiff to follow up his suit; a stopping of the suit; a renunciation or withdrawal of the cause by the plaintiff, either because he is satisfied that he can not support it, or upon the judge's expressing his opinion. A compulsory nonsuit is a nonsuit ordered by the court on the ground that the plaintiff on his own showing has not made out his case. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Nonsuited; p. pr. & vb. n. Nonsuiting. ] (Law) To determine, adjudge, or record (a plaintiff) as having dropped his suit, upon his withdrawal or failure to follow it up. “When two are joined in a writ, and one is nonsuited.” Z. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Nonsuited. D. A. Tyng. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. poursuite, fr. poursuivre. See Pursue, v. t. ] 1. The act of following or going after; esp., a following with haste, either for sport or in hostility; chase; prosecution; as, the pursuit of game; the pursuit of an enemy. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

Weak we are, and can not shun pursuit. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A following with a view to reach, accomplish, or obtain; endeavor to attain to or gain; as, the pursuit of knowledge; the pursuit of happiness or pleasure. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Course of business or occupation; continued employment with a view to same end; as, mercantile pursuits; a literary pursuit. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) Prosecution. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

That pursuit for tithes ought, and of ancient time did pertain to the spiritual court. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

Curve of pursuit (Geom.), a curve described by a point which is at each instant moving towards a second point, which is itself moving according to some specified law. [ 1913 Webster ]

. A costume consisting of a plain belted blouse and skirt of the same material. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. a protective suit covering the whole body, completely airtight and designed to withstand internal pressure, worn by astronauts to protect them from the vacuum and other hazards of outer space. It typically contains an air supply and other life-support equipment to allow functioning independent of any other equipment for a period of time while in space. [ PJC ]

n. [ OE. suite, F. suite, OF. suite, sieute, fr. suivre to follow, OF. sivre; perhaps influenced by L. secta. See Sue to follow, and cf. Sect, Suite. ] 1. The act of following or pursuing, as game; pursuit. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of suing; the process by which one endeavors to gain an end or an object; an attempt to attain a certain result; pursuit; endeavor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thenceforth the suit of earthly conquest shone. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The act of wooing in love; the solicitation of a woman in marriage; courtship. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rebate your loves, each rival suit suspend,
Till this funereal web my labors end. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) The attempt to gain an end by legal process; an action or process for the recovery of a right or claim; legal application to a court for justice; prosecution of right before any tribunal; as, a civil suit; a criminal suit; a suit in chancery. [ 1913 Webster ]

I arrest thee at the suit of Count Orsino. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

In England the several suits, or remedial instruments of justice, are distinguished into three kinds -- actions personal, real, and mixed. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. That which follows as a retinue; a company of attendants or followers; the assembly of persons who attend upon a prince, magistrate, or other person of distinction; -- often written suite, and pronounced [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Things that follow in a series or succession; the individual objects, collectively considered, which constitute a series, as of rooms, buildings, compositions, etc.; -- often written suite, and pronounced [ 1913 Webster ]

7. A number of things used together, and generally necessary to be united in order to answer their purpose; a number of things ordinarily classed or used together; a set; as, a suit of curtains; a suit of armor; a suit of clothes; a three-piece business suit. “Two rogues in buckram suits.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

8. (Playing Cards) One of the four sets of cards which constitute a pack; -- each set consisting of thirteen cards bearing a particular emblem, as hearts, spades, clubs, or diamonds; also, the members of each such suit held by a player in certain games, such as bridge; as, hearts were her long suit. [ 1913 Webster ]

To deal and shuffle, to divide and sort
Her mingled suits and sequences. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. Regular order; succession. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Every five and thirty years the same kind and suit of weather comes again. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. Hence: (derived from def 7) Someone who dresses in a business suit, as contrasted with more informal attire; specifically, a person, such as business executive, or government official, who is apt to view a situation formalistically, bureaucratically, or according to formal procedural criteria; -- used derogatively for one who is inflexible, esp. when a more humanistic or imaginative approach would be appropriate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Out of suits, having no correspondence. [ Obs. ] Shak. --
Suit and service (Feudal Law), the duty of feudatories to attend the courts of their lords or superiors in time of peace, and in war to follow them and do military service; -- called also suit service. Blackstone. --
Suit broker, one who made a trade of obtaining the suits of petitioners at court. [ Obs. ] --
Suit court (O. Eng. Law), the court in which tenants owe attendance to their lord. --
Suit covenant (O. Eng. Law), a covenant to sue at a certain court. --
Suit custom (Law), a service which is owed from time immemorial. --
Suit service. (Feudal Law) See Suit and service, above. --
To bring suit. (Law) (a) To bring secta, followers or witnesses, to prove the plaintiff's demand. [ Obs. ] (b) In modern usage, to institute an action. --
To follow suit. (a) (Card Playing) See under Follow, v. t. (b) To mimic the action of another person; to perform an action similar to what has preceded; as, when she walked in, John left the room and his wife followed suit. --
long suit (a) (Card Playing) the suit{ 8 } of which a player has the largest number of cards in his hand; as, his long suit was clubs, but his partner insisted on making hearts trumps.. Hence: [ fig. ] that quality or capability which is a person's best asset; as, we could see from the mess in his room that neatness was not his long suit. --
strong suit same as long suit, (b). “I think our strong suit is that we can score from both the perimeter and the post.” Bill Disbrow (basketball coach) 1998. “Rigid ideological consistency has never been a strong suit of the Whole Earth Catalogue.” Bruce Sterling (The Hacker Crackdown, 1994) [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Suited; p. pr. & vb. n. Suiting. ] 1. To fit; to adapt; to make proper or suitable; as, to suit the action to the word. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To be fitted to; to accord with; to become; to befit. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ill suits his cloth the praise of railing well. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Raise her notes to that sublime degree
Which suits song of piety and thee. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To dress; to clothe. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

So went he suited to his watery tomb. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To please; to make content; as, he is well suited with his place; to suit one's taste. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To agree; to accord; to be fitted; to correspond; -- usually followed by with or to. [ 1913 Webster ]

The place itself was suiting to his care. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Give me not an office
That suits with me so ill. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To agree; accord; comport; tally; correspond; match; answer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being suitable; suitableness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of suiting; fitting; accordant; proper; becoming; agreeable; adapted; as, ornaments suitable to one's station; language suitable for the subject. -- Suit"a*ble*ness, n. -- Suit"a*bly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Proper; fitting; becoming; accordant; agreeable; competent; correspondent; compatible; consonant; congruous; consistent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. See Suit, n. ] 1. A retinue or company of attendants, as of a distinguished personage; as, the suite of an ambassador. See Suit, n., 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A connected series or succession of objects; a number of things used or clessed together; a set; as, a suite of rooms; a suite of minerals. See Suit, n., 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

Mr. Barnard took one of the candles that stood upon the king's table, and lighted his majesty through a suite of rooms till they came to a private door into the library. Boswell. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mus.) One of the old musical forms, before the time of the more compact sonata, consisting of a string or series of pieces all in the same key, mostly in various dance rhythms, with sometimes an elaborate prelude. Some composers of the present day affect the suite form. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Among tailors, cloth suitable for making entire suits of clothes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who sues, petitions, or entreats; a petitioner; an applicant. [ 1913 Webster ]

She hath been a suitor to me for her brother. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Especially, one who solicits a woman in marriage; a wooer; a lover. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (a) (Law) One who sues or prosecutes a demand in court; a party to a suit, as a plaintiff, petitioner, etc. (b) (O. Eng. Law) One who attends a court as plaintiff, defendant, petitioner, appellant, witness, juror, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female supplicant. Rowe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A suit worn under another suit; a suit of underclothes. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + suit. ] Not to suit; to be unfit for. [ Obs. ] Quarles. [ 1913 Webster ]

See accommodating.
See aching.
See ailing.
See aiming.
See alarming.
See altering.
See appreciating.
See approving.
See aspiring.
See assisting.
See attempting.
See attending.
See bearing.
See befitting.
See beginning.
See believing.
See bleaching.
See bleeding.
See blemishing.
See blenching.
See blossoming.
See blushing.
See boding.
See branching.
See breathing.
See burning.
See calculating.
See ceasing.
See changing.
See charming.
See communicating.
See complaining.
See complying.
See conceiving.
See conducing.
See confessing.
See conniving.
See consenting.
See considering.
See conspiring.
See consulting.
See consuming.
See contending.
See contriving.
See conversing.
See convincing.
See dawning.
See decaying.
See delaying.
See depending.
See derogating.
See deserving.
See desiring.
See despairing.
See detesting.
See deviating.
See differencing.
See discerning.
See discording.
See discriminating.
See disobliging.
See dispensing.
See dissembling.
See dissolving.
See distinguishing.
See distracting.
See disturbing.
See doubting.
See dreading.
See drooping.
See ebbing.
See echoing.
See edifying.
See ending.
See enduring.
See engaging.
See enjoying.
See entering.
See enterprising.
See entertaining.
See envying.
See existing.
See fadging.
See fading.
See fainting.
See faltering.
See fearing.
See feigning.
See fighting.
See fitting.
See flagging.
See flattering.
See flinching.
See folding.
See forbearing.
See foreboding.
See foreseeing.
See forgiving.
See giving.
See grudging.
See harming.
See heeding.
See hesitating.
See hoping.
See hurting.
See importing.
See imposing.
See improving.
See interesting.
See intermitting.
See intoxicating.
See inviting.
See jarring.
See laboring.
See lingering.
See listening.
See loving.
See meddling.
See meriting.
See mistrusting.
See moving.
See murmuring.
See obliging.
See observing.
See offending.
See opening.
See pardoning.
See paying.
See perceiving.
See performing.
See perishing.
See pitying.
See pleasing.
See possessing.
See preaching.
See prepossessing.
See presuming.
See pretending.
See prevailing.
See prevaricating.
See profiting.
See promising.
See proving.
See quailing.
See questioning.
See reasoning.
See recalling.
See reclining.
See recurring.
See referring.
See reflecting.
See refunding.
See refusing.
See rejoicing.
See relaxing.
See relishing.
See remembering.
See repenting.
See repining.
See reproving.
See repulsing.
See resisting.
See resolving.
See resting.
See returning.
See rewarding.
See sanctifying.
See satisfying.
See searching.
See seeing.
See setting.
See shrinking.
See sinking.
See sleeping.
See slipping.
See slumbering.
See speaking.
See stinting.
See stirring.
See stooping.
See submitting.
See sufficing.
See suiting.
See surging.
See suspecting.
See sweating.
See swerving.
See sympathizing.
See tasting.
See thriving.
See tiring.
See toiling.
See trading.
See trembling.
See trespassing.
See trifling.
See vacillating.
See varying.
See walking.
See wandering.
See waning.
See wasting.
See wavering.
See weeping.
See winking.
See winning.
See withdrawing.
See withering.
See wondering.
See working.
See writing.
See yielding.
----- and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

The above classes of words are unlimited in extent, and such compounds may be formed by any writer or speaker at will from almost all the adjectives or participles in the language, excepting those which have a recognized and usual negative correspondent with the prefix -in. No attempt will be made, therefore, to define them all in this Dictionary; many will be omitted from its Vocabulary which are negations of the simple word, and are readily explained by prefixing a not to the latter. Derivatives of these words in -ly and -ness will also, for the most part, be omitted for the same or similar reasons. [ 1913 Webster ]

There will be inserted as separate articles with definitions, the following: -- [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Those which have acquired an opposed or contrary, instead of a merely negative, meaning; as, unfriendly, ungraceful, unpalatable, unquiet, and the like; or else an intensive sense more than a prefixed not would express; as, unending, unparalleled, undisciplined, undoubted, unsafe, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Those which have the value of independent words, inasmuch as the simple words are either not used at all, or are rarely, or at least much less frequently, used; as, unavoidable, unconscionable, undeniable, unspeakable, unprecedented, unruly, and the like; or inasmuch as they are used in a different sense from the usual meaning of the primitive, or especially in one of the significations of the latter; as, unaccountable, unalloyed, unbelieving, unpretending, unreserved, and the like; or inasmuch as they are so frequently and familiarly used that they are hardly felt to be of negative origin; as, uncertain, uneven, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Those which are anomalous, provincial, or, for some other reason, not desirable to be used, and are so indicated; as, unpure for impure, unsatisfaction for dissatisfaction, unexpressible for inexpressible, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

II. Un- is prefixed to nouns to express the absence of, or the contrary of, that which the noun signifies; as, unbelief, unfaith, unhealth, unrest, untruth, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Compounds of this last class are given in full in their proper order in the Vocabulary. [ 1913 Webster ]