From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:
Sympathetic \Sym`pa*thet"ic\, a. [See {Sympathy}, and cf.
{Pathetic}.]
1. Inclined to sympathy; sympathizing.
[1913 Webster]
Far wiser he, whose sympathetic mind
Exults in all the good of all mankind. --Goldsmith.
[1913 Webster]
2. Produced by, or expressive of, sympathy.
[1913 Webster]
Ope the sacred source of sympathetic tears. --Gray.
[1913 Webster]
3. (Physiol.)
(a) Produced by sympathy; -- applied particularly to
symptoms or affections. See {Sympathy}.
(b) Of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system or
some of its branches; produced by stimulation on the
sympathetic nervious system or some part of it; as,
the sympathetic saliva, a modified form of saliva,
produced from some of the salivary glands by
stimulation of a sympathetic nerve fiber.
[1913 Webster]
{Sympathetic ink}. (Chem.) See under {Ink}.
{Sympathetic nerve} (Anat.), any nerve of the sympathetic
system; especially, the axial chain of ganglions and
nerves belonging to the sympathetic system.
{Sympathetic powder} (Alchemy), a kind of powder long
supposed to be able to cure a wound if applied to the
weapon that inflicted it, or even to a portion of the
bloody clothes. --Dunglison.
{Sympathetic sounds} (Physics), sounds produced from solid
bodies by means of vibrations which have been communicated
to them from some other sounding body, by means of the air
or an intervening solid.
{Sympathetic system} (Anat.), a system of nerves and nerve
ganglions connected with the alimentary canal, the
vascular system, and the glandular organs of most
vertebrates, and controlling more or less their actions.
The axial part of the system and its principal ganglions
and nerves are situated in the body cavity and form a
chain of ganglions on each side of the vertebral column
connected with numerous other ganglions and nerve
plexuses.
[1913 Webster]
From WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006) [wn]:
sympathetic
adj 1: of or relating to the sympathetic nervous system;
"sympathetic neurons"; "sympathetic stimulation"
2: expressing or feeling or resulting from sympathy or
compassion or friendly fellow feelings; disposed toward;
"sympathetic to the students' cause"; "a sympathetic
observer"; "a sympathetic gesture" [ant: {unsympathetic}]
3: showing or motivated by sympathy and understanding and
generosity; "was charitable in his opinions of others";
"kindly criticism"; "a kindly act"; "sympathetic words"; "a
large-hearted mentor" [syn: {charitable}, {benevolent},
{kindly}, {sympathetic}, {good-hearted}, {openhearted},
{large-hearted}]
4: (of characters in literature or drama) evoking empathic or
sympathetic feelings; "the sympathetic characters in the
play" [syn: {sympathetic}, {appealing}, {likeable},
{likable}] [ant: {unappealing}, {unlikable}, {unlikeable},
{unsympathetic}]
5: having similar disposition and tastes; "with their many
similar tastes, he found her a most sympathetic companion"
6: relating to vibrations that occur as a result of vibrations
in a nearby body; "sympathetic vibration" [syn: {harmonic},
{sympathetic}]
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