a. Swallowing, engrossing; as, an absorbing pursuit. -- Ab*sorb"ing, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. Absorption. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Sour or severe. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. acerbitudo, fr. acerbus. ] Sourness and harshness. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. acerbité, L. acerbitas, fr. acerbus. See Acerb. ] 1. Sourness of taste, with bitterness and astringency, like that of unripe fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Harshness, bitterness, or severity; as, acerbity of temper, of language, of pain. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. adverbialis: cf. F. adverbial. ] Of or pertaining to an adverb; of the nature of an adverb; as, an adverbial phrase or form. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being adverbial. Earle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To give the force or form of an adverb to. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In the manner of an adverb. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) The placenta and membranes with which the fetus is connected, when they are expelled from the womb after delivery. [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

a. & n. (Anat.) Same as Antorbital. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. anti- + orbital. ] (Anat.) Pertaining to, or situated in, the region of the front of the orbit. -- n. The antorbital bone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. arbiter; ar- (for ad) + the root of betere to go; hence properly, one who comes up to look on. ] 1. A person appointed, or chosen, by parties to determine a controversy between them. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In modern usage, arbitrator is the technical word. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Any person who has the power of judging and determining, or ordaining, without control; one whose power of deciding and governing is not limited. [ 1913 Webster ]

For Jove is arbiter of both to man. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Arbitrator; umpire; director; referee; controller; ruler; governor. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To act as arbiter between. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. arbitrable, fr. L. arbitrari. See Arbitrate, v. t. ] Capable of being decided by arbitration; determinable. [ Archaic ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. arbiter to give judgment, L. arbitrari. ] 1. Judgment by an arbiter; authoritative determination. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Com.) A traffic in bills of exchange (see Arbitration of Exchange). [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Finance) the simultaneous or near simultaneous purchase and sale of the same or closely linked securities or commodities in different markets to make a profit on the (often small) differences in price. [ PJC ]

n. same as arbitrageur.
Syn. -- arb, arbitrageur [ PJC ]

n. someone who engages in arbitrage; i. e. one who purchases securities in one market for immediate resale in another in the hope of profiting from the price differential.
Syn. -- arb, arbitrager. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. arbitralis. ] Of or relating to an arbiter or an arbitration. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. arbitramentum. ] 1. Determination; decision; arbitration. [ 1913 Webster ]

The arbitrament of time. Everett. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gladly at this moment would MacIvor have put their quarrel to personal arbitrament. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The award of arbitrators. Cowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an arbitrary manner; by will only; despotically; absolutely. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being arbitrary; despoticalness; tyranny. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. arbitrarius. See Arbitrary. ] Arbitrary; despotic. [ Obs. ] -- Ar`bi*tra"ri*ous*ly, adv. [Obs.] [1913 Webster]

a. [ L. arbitrarius, fr. arbiter: cf. F. arbitraire. See Arbiter. ] 1. Depending on will or discretion; not governed by any fixed rules; as, an arbitrary decision; an arbitrary punishment. [ 1913 Webster ]

It was wholly arbitrary in them to do so. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rank pretends to fix the value of every one, and is the most arbitrary of all things. Landor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Exercised according to one's own will or caprice, and therefore conveying a notion of a tendency to abuse the possession of power. [ 1913 Webster ]

Arbitrary power is most easily established on the ruins of liberty abused licentiousness. Washington. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Despotic; absolute in power; bound by no law; harsh and unforbearing; tyrannical; as, an arbitrary prince or government. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Arbitrary constant,
Arbitrary function (Math.), a quantity of function that is introduced into the solution of a problem, and to which any value or form may at will be given, so that the solution may be made to meet special requirements. --
Arbitrary quantity (Math.), one to which any value can be assigned at pleasure. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Arbitrated p. pr. & vb. n. Arbitrating ] [ L. arbitratus, p. p. of arbitrari to be a hearer or beholder of something, to make a decision, to give judgment, fr. arbiter. See Arbiter. ] 1. To hear and decide, as arbitrators; as, to choose to arbitrate a disputed case. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To decide, or determine generally. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

There shall your swords and lances arbitrate
The swelling difference of your settled hate. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To decide; to determine. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To act as arbitrator or judge; as, to arbitrate upon several reports; to arbitrate in disputes among neighbors; to arbitrate between parties to a suit. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. arbitration, L. arbitratio, fr. arbitrari. ] The hearing and determination of a cause between parties in controversy, by a person or persons chosen by the parties. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This may be done by one person; but it is usual to choose two or three called arbitrators; or for each party to choose one, and these to name a third, who is called the umpire. Their determination is called the award. Bouvier [ 1913 Webster ]

Arbitration bond, a bond which obliges one to abide by the award of an arbitration. --
Arbitration of Exchange, the operation of converting the currency of one country into that of another, or determining the rate of exchange between such countries or currencies. An arbitrated rate is one determined by such arbitration through the medium of one or more intervening currencies. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. relating to or resulting from arbitration. an arbitrational settlement
Syn. -- arbitral [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. 1. of or pertaining to arbitration; relating to or having the authority to arbitrate. an arbitrative board [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L., fr. arbitrari: cf. F. arbitrateur. ] 1. A person, or one of two or more persons, chosen by parties who have a controversy, to determine their differences. See Arbitration. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who has the power of deciding or prescribing without control; a ruler; a governor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Though Heaven be shut,
And Heaven's high Arbitrators sit secure. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Masters of their own terms and arbitrators of a peace. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Judge; umpire; referee; arbiter. See Judge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L., fem. of arbitrator. ] A female who arbitrates or judges. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Arbiter. ] A female arbiter; an arbitratrix. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ OE. barbican, barbecan, F. barbacane, LL. barbacana, barbicana, of uncertain origin: cf. Ar. barbakh aqueduct, sewer. F. barbacane also means, an opening to let out water, loophole. ] 1. (Fort.) A tower or advanced work defending the entrance to a castle or city, as at a gate or bridge. It was often large and strong, having a ditch and drawbridge of its own. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An opening in the wall of a fortress, through which missiles were discharged upon an enemy. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ LL. barbicanagium. See Barbican. ] Money paid for the support of a barbican. [ Obs. ] Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ NL. barbicella, dim. of L. barba. See 1st Barb. ] (Zool.) One of the small hooklike processes on the barbules of feathers. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. (Med.) A variety of paralysis, peculiar to India and the Malabar coast; -- considered by many to be the same as beriberi in a chronic form. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. barba a beard + -gerous. ] Having a beard; bearded; hairy. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or . (Painting) A French school of the middle of the 19th century centering in the village of Barbizon near the forest of Fontainebleau. Its members went straight to nature in disregard of academic tradition, treating their subjects faithfully and with poetic feeling for color, light, and atmosphere. It is exemplified, esp. in landscapes, by Corot, Rousseau, Daubigny, Jules Dupré, and Diaz. Associated with them are certain painters of animals, as Troyon and Jaque, and of peasant life, as Millet and Jules Breton. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n. [ L., fr. Gr. ba`rbiton. ] (Mus.) An ancient Greek instrument resembling a lyre. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Chem.) A white, crystalline substance, CH2(CO.NH)2.CO, derived from alloxantin, also from malonic acid and urea, and regarded as a substituted urea. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) The bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Zool.) any species of shrike of the genus Lanius, so called because they impale their prey on thorns. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

2. (Zool.) large carnivorous Australian bird with the shrikelike habit of impaling prey on thorns. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

☞ The Lanius excubitor is the common butcher bird of Europe. In England, the bearded tit is sometimes called the lesser butcher bird. The American species are Lanius borealis, or northern butcher bird, and Lanius Ludovicianus or loggerhead shrike. The name butcher bird is derived from its habit of suspending its prey impaled upon thorns, after killing it. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) The rice bunting or bobolink; -- so called in the island of Jamaica. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Carbon + -ide. ] (Chem.) A binary compound of carbon with some other element or radical, in which the carbon plays the part of a negative; -- formerly termed carburet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Carbon + imide ] (Chem.) The technical name for isocyanic acid. See under Isocyanic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. carbine, OF. calabrin carabineer (cf. Ot. calabrina a policeman), fr. OF & Pr. calabre, OF. cable, chable, an engine of war used in besieging, fr. LL. chadabula, cabulus, a kind of projectile machine, fr. Gr. &unr_; a throwing down, fr. &unr_; to throw; &unr_; down + &unr_; to throw. Cf. Parable. ] (Mil.) A short, light musket or rifle, esp. one used by mounted soldiers or cavalry. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. carabinier. ] (Mil.) A soldier armed with a carbine. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Carbin (Kolbe's name for the radical) + -ol. ] (Chem.) Methyl alcohol, CH3OH; -- also, by extension, any one in the homologous series of paraffine alcohols of which methyl alcohol is the type. [ 1913 Webster ]

, n. (Zool.) Same as cedar waxwing. [ PJC ]

{ } n. An instrument turning on a center, for boring holes. See Bit, n., 3. [ 1913 Webster ]