v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Attempered p. pr. & vb. n. Attempering. ] [ OF. atemprer, fr. L. attemperare; ad + temperare to soften, temper. See Temper, and cf. Attemperate. ] 1. To reduce, modify, or moderate, by mixture; to temper; to regulate, as temperature. [ 1913 Webster ]

If sweet with bitter . . . were not attempered still. Trench. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To soften, mollify, or moderate; to soothe; to temper; as, to attemper rigid justice with clemency. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To mix in just proportion; to regulate; as, a mind well attempered with kindness and justice. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To accommodate; to make suitable; to adapt. [ 1913 Webster ]

Arts . . . attempered to the lyre. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This word is now not much used, the verb temper taking its place. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. attemprement. ] A tempering, or mixing in due proportion. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. atemprance. ] Temperance; attemperament. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. attemperatus, p. p. of attemperare. See Attemper. ] Tempered; proportioned; properly adapted. [ 1913 Webster ]

Hope must be . . . attemperate to the promise. Hammond. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To attemper. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of attempering or regulating. [ Archaic ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Temperately. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Attemperament. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. contemperare, -temperatum; con- + temperare to temper. Cf. Contemperate. ] To modify or temper; to allay; to qualify; to moderate; to soften. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The antidotes . . . have allayed its bitterness and contempered its malignancy. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ See Contemper. ] To temper; to moderate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Moisten and contemperate the air. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of tempering or moderating. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Proportionate mixture or combination. “Contemperation of light and shade.” Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The condition of being tempered; proportionate mixture; temperature. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The different contemperature of the elements. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Physics), A certain temperature, different for different gases, but always the same for each gas, regarded as the temperature above which no amount of pressure can produce condensation to a liquid; the temperature above which a gas cannot be liquified. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. détrempe, fr. détremper. ] A kind of painting. See Distemper. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Distempered p. pr. & vb. n. Distempering. ] [ OF. destemprer, destremper, to distemper, F. détremper to soak, soften, slake (lime); pref. des- (L. dis-) + OF. temprer, tremper, F. tremper, L. temperare to mingle in due proportion. See Temper, and cf. Destemprer. ] 1. To temper or mix unduly; to make disproportionate; to change the due proportions of. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

When . . . the humors in his body ben distempered. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To derange the functions of, whether bodily, mental, or spiritual; to disorder; to disease. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The imagination, when completely distempered, is the most incurable of all disordered faculties. Buckminster. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To deprive of temper or moderation; to disturb; to ruffle; to make disaffected, ill-humored, or malignant. “Distempered spirits.” Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To intoxicate. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The courtiers reeling,
And the duke himself, I dare not say distempered,
But kind, and in his tottering chair carousing. Massinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Paint.) To mix (colors) in the way of distemper; as, to distemper colors with size. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Distemper, v. t., and cf. Destemprer. ] 1. An undue or unnatural temper, or disproportionate mixture of parts. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This meaning and most of the following are to be referred to the Galenical doctrine of the four “humors” in man. See Humor. According to the old physicians, these humors, when unduly tempered, produce a disordered state of body and mind. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Severity of climate; extreme weather, whether hot or cold. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Those countries . . . under the tropic, were of a distemper uninhabitable. Sir W. Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A morbid state of the animal system; indisposition; malady; disorder; -- at present chiefly applied to diseases of brutes; as, a distemper in dogs; the horse distemper; the horn distemper in cattle. [ 1913 Webster ]

They heighten distempers to diseases. Suckling. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Morbid temper of the mind; undue predominance of a passion or appetite; mental derangement; bad temper; ill humor. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Little faults proceeding on distemper. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some frenzy distemper had got into his head. Bunyan. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Political disorder; tumult. Waller. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Paint.) (a) A preparation of opaque or body colors, in which the pigments are tempered or diluted with weak glue or size (cf. Tempera) instead of oil, usually for scene painting, or for walls and ceilings of rooms. (b) A painting done with this preparation.

Syn. -- Disease; disorder; sickness; illness; malady; indisposition; ailment. See Disease. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Distemperature. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ LL. distemperatus, p. p. ] 1. Immoderate. [ Obs. ] Sir W. Raleigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Diseased; disordered. [ Obs. ] Wodroephe. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Unduly. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Bad temperature; intemperateness; excess of heat or cold, or of other qualities; as, the distemperature of the air. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Disorder; confusion. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Disorder of body; slight illness; distemper. [ 1913 Webster ]

A huge infectious troop
Of pale distemperatures and foes to life. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Perturbation of mind; mental uneasiness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sprinkled a little patience on the heat of his distemperature. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Distempered state; distemperature. [ Obs. ] Feltham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Empress. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An empress. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To put in peril. See Imperil. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Perished; decayed. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I deem thy brain emperished be. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. empereor, empereour, F. empereur, L. imperator, fr. imperare to command; in in + parare to prepare, order. See Parade, and cf. Imperative, Empress. ] The sovereign or supreme monarch of an empire; -- a title of dignity superior to that of king; as, the emperor of Germany or of Austria; the emperor or Czar of Russia. [ 1913 Webster ]

Emperor goose (Zoöl.), a large and handsome goose (Philacte canagica), found in Alaska. --
Emperor moth (Zoöl.), one of several large and beautiful bombycid moths, with transparent spots on the wings; as the American Cecropia moth (Platysamia cecropia), and the European species (Saturnia pavonia). --
Emperor paper. See under Paper. --
Purple emperor (Zoöl.), a large, strong British butterfly (Apatura iris). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The rank or office of an emperor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. imperium, influenced by OF. emperie, empire. See Empire. ] Empire; sovereignty; dominion. [ Archaic ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Struggling for my woman's empery. Mrs. Browning. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a good temper; not easily vexed or irritated. See Good-natured.
Syn. -- equable, even-tempered, placid. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

a. 1. Of bad temper; grouchy; morose; crabbed; sour; peevish; fretful; quarrelsome.
Syn. -- crabbed, crabby, cross, fussy, fussbudgety, grouchy, grumpy, bad-tempered. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Unhealthy; ill-conditioned. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

So ill-tempered I am grown, that I am afraid I shall catch cold, while all the world is afraid to melt away. Pepys. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A bad state; as, the intemperament of an ulcerated part. [ R. ] Harvey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. intempérance, L. intemperantia. See In- not, and Temperance. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of becoming, or state of being, intemperate; excess in any kind of action or indulgence; any immoderate indulgence of the appetites or passions. [ 1913 Webster ]

God is in every creature; be cruel toward none, neither abuse any by intemperance. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some, as thou sawest, by violent stroke shall die,
By fire, flood, famine, by intemperance more
In meats and drinks. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically: Habitual or excessive indulgence in alcoholic liquors. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Intemperance. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. intemperans, -antis. See In- not, and Temperant. ] Intemperate. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Such as be intemperant, that is, followers of their naughty appetites and lusts. Udall. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. intemperatus. See In- not, and Temperate. ] 1. Indulging any appetite or passion to excess; immoderate in enjoyment or exertion. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically, addicted to an excessive or habitual use of alcoholic liquors. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Excessive; ungovernable; inordinate; violent; immoderate; as, intemperate language, zeal, etc.; intemperate weather. [ 1913 Webster ]

Most do taste through fond intemperate thirst. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Use not thy mouth to intemperate swearing. Ecclus. xxiii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To disorder. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an intemperate manner; immoderately; excessively; without restraint. [ 1913 Webster ]

The people . . . who behaved very unwisely and intemperately on that occasion. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The state of being intemperate; excessive indulgence of any appetite or passion; as, intemperateness in eating or drinking. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Severity of weather; inclemency. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

By unseasonable weather, by intemperateness of the air or meteors. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. intemperature. ] Intemperateness. [ Obs. ] Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To temper ill; to disorder; as, to mistemper one's head. Warner. [ 1913 Webster ]

This inundation of mistempered humor. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. [ See Obtemperate. ] (Scots Law) To obey (a judgment or decree). [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. obtemperare, obtemperatum to obey. ] To obey. [ Obs. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. semper always + virens, p. pr. of virere to be green. ] Always fresh; evergreen. [ R. ] Smart. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. semperviva, sempervivum, fr. sempervivus ever-living; semper always + vivus living. ] (Bot.) The houseleek. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. (Bot.) A genus of fleshy-leaved plants, of which the houseleek (Sempervivum tectorum) is the commonest species. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Tempered p. pr. & vb. n. Tempering. ] [ AS. temprian or OF. temper, F. tempérer, and (in sense 3) temper, L. temperare, akin to tempus time. Cf. Temporal, Distemper, Tamper. ] 1. To mingle in due proportion; to prepare by combining; to modify, as by adding some new element; to qualify, as by an ingredient; hence, to soften; to mollify; to assuage; to soothe; to calm. [ 1913 Webster ]

Puritan austerity was so tempered by Dutch indifference, that mercy itself could not have dictated a milder system. Bancroft. [ 1913 Webster ]

Woman! lovely woman! nature made thee
To temper man: we had been brutes without you. Otway. [ 1913 Webster ]

But thy fire
Shall be more tempered, and thy hope far higher. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]

She [ the Goddess of Justice ] threw darkness and clouds about her, that tempered the light into a thousand beautiful shades and colors. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To fit together; to adjust; to accomodate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thy sustenance . . . serving to the appetite of the eater, tempered itself to every man's liking. Wisdom xvi. 21. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Metal.) To bring to a proper degree of hardness; as, to temper iron or steel. [ 1913 Webster ]

The tempered metals clash, and yield a silver sound. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To govern; to manage. [ A Latinism & Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

With which the damned ghosts he governeth,
And furies rules, and Tartare tempereth. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To moisten to a proper consistency and stir thoroughly, as clay for making brick, loam for molding, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Mus.) To adjust, as the mathematical scale to the actual scale, or to that in actual use. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To soften; mollify; assuage; soothe; calm. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The state of any compound substance which results from the mixture of various ingredients; due mixture of different qualities; just combination; as, the temper of mortar. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Constitution of body; temperament; in old writers, the mixture or relative proportion of the four humors, blood, choler, phlegm, and melancholy. [ 1913 Webster ]

The exquisiteness of his [ Christ's ] bodily temper increased the exquisiteness of his torment. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Disposition of mind; the constitution of the mind, particularly with regard to the passions and affections; as, a calm temper; a hasty temper; a fretful temper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Remember with what mild
And gracious temper he both heared and judged. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The consequents of a certain ethical temper. J. H. Newman. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Calmness of mind; moderation; equanimity; composure; as, to keep one's temper. [ 1913 Webster ]

To fall with dignity, with temper rise. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Restore yourselves to your tempers, fathers. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Heat of mind or passion; irritation; proneness to anger; -- in a reproachful sense. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The state of a metal or other substance, especially as to its hardness, produced by some process of heating or cooling; as, the temper of iron or steel. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Middle state or course; mean; medium. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The perfect lawgiver is a just temper between the mere man of theory, who can see nothing but general principles, and the mere man of business, who can see nothing but particular circumstances. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Sugar Works) Milk of lime, or other substance, employed in the process formerly used to clarify sugar. [ 1913 Webster ]

Temper screw, in deep well boring, an adjusting screw connecting the working beam with the rope carrying the tools, for lowering the tools as the drilling progresses. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Disposition; temperament; frame; humor; mood. See Disposition. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To accord; to agree; to act and think in conformity. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To have or get a proper or desired state or quality; to grow soft and pliable. [ 1913 Webster ]

I have him already tempering between my finger and my thumb, and shortly will I seal with him. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ It. ] (Paint.) A mode or process of painting; distemper. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The term is applied especially to early Italian painting, common vehicles of which were yolk of egg, yolk and white of egg mixed together, the white juice of the fig tree, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being tempered. [ 1913 Webster ]

The fusible, hard, and temperable texture of metals. Emerson. [ 1913 Webster ]