insult

n. [ L. insultus, fr. insilire to leap upon: cf. F. insulte. See Insult, v. t. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of leaping on; onset; attack. [ Obs. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Gross abuse offered to another, either by word or act; an act or speech of insolence or contempt; a deprecatory remark; an affront; an indignity. [ 1913 Webster ]

The ruthless sneer that insult adds to grief. Savage.

3. (Med., Biology) An injury to an organism; trauma; as, to produce an experimental insult to investigate healing processes. [ PJC ]

Syn. -- Affront; indignity; abuse; outrage; contumely. See Affront. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Insulted; p. pr. & vb. n. Insulting. ] [ F. insulter, L. insultare, freq. fr. insilire to leap into or upon; pref. in- in, on + salire to leap. See Salient. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To leap or trample upon; to make a sudden onset upon. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To treat with abuse, insolence, indignity, or contempt, by word or action; to abuse; as, to call a man a coward or a liar, or to sneer at him, is to insult him. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To leap or jump. [ 1913 Webster ]

Give me thy knife, I will insult on him. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Like the frogs in the apologue, insulting upon their wooden king. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To behave with insolence; to exult. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The lion being dead, even hares insult. Daniel. [ 1913 Webster ]

An unwillingness to insult over their helpless fatuity. Landor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being insulted or affronted. [ R. ] Emerson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. insultatio, fr. insultare: cf. OF. insultation. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of insulting; abusive or insolent treatment; insult. [ Obs. ] Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Exultation. [ Obs. ] Is. xiv. (heading). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who insults. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Containing, or characterized by, insult or abuse; tending to insult or affront; as, insulting language, treatment, etc. -- In*sult"ing*ly, adv.

Syn. -- Insolent; impertinent; saucy; rude; abusive; contemptuous. See Insolent. [1913 Webster]