n. [ OE. breke, breche, AS. brice, gebrice, gebrece (in comp.), fr. brecan to break; akin to Dan. bræk, MHG. breche, gap, breach. See Break, and cf. Brake (the instrument), Brack a break ] . 1. The act of breaking, in a figurative sense. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Specifically: A breaking or infraction of a law, or of any obligation or tie; violation; non-fulfillment; as, a breach of contract; a breach of promise. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A gap or opening made made by breaking or battering, as in a wall or fortification; the space between the parts of a solid body rent by violence; a break; a rupture. [ 1913 Webster ]

Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A breaking of waters, as over a vessel; the waters themselves; surge; surf. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Lord hath broken forth upon mine enemies before me, as the breach of waters. 2 Sam. v. 20. [ 1913 Webster ]

A clear breach implies that the waves roll over the vessel without breaking. --
A clean breach implies that everything on deck is swept away. Ham. Nav. Encyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A breaking up of amicable relations; rupture. [ 1913 Webster ]

There's fallen between him and my lord
An unkind breach. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A bruise; a wound. [ 1913 Webster ]

Breach for breach, eye for eye. Lev. xxiv. 20. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (Med.) A hernia; a rupture. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. A breaking out upon; an assault. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Lord had made a breach upon Uzza. 1. Chron. xiii. 11. [ 1913 Webster ]

Breach of falth, a breaking, or a failure to keep, an expressed or implied promise; a betrayal of confidence or trust. --
Breach of peace, disorderly conduct, disturbing the public peace. --
Breach of privilege, an act or default in violation of the privilege or either house of Parliament, of Congress, or of a State legislature, as, for instance, by false swearing before a committee. Mozley. Abbott. [ 1913 Webster ]

-
Breach of promise, violation of one's plighted word, esp. of a promise to marry. --
Breach of trust, violation of one's duty or faith in a matter entrusted to one. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Rent; cleft; chasm; rift; aperture; gap; break; disruption; fracture; rupture; infraction; infringement; violation; quarrel; dispute; contention; difference; misunderstanding. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Breached p. pr. & vb. n. Breaching. ] To make a breach or opening in; as, to breach the walls of a city. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To break the water, as by leaping out; -- said of a whale. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Apt to break fences or to break out of pasture; unruly; as, breachy cattle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Earshot. Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The range or reach of the eye; eyeshot. “A seat in eyereach of him.” B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. having a wide range or effect; as, far-reaching (or extensive) forests; a far-reaching reform.
Syn. -- extensive. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. (Naut.) To advance or gain upon; -- said of a vessel that gains upon another when sailing closehauled. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. (Naut.) To shoot ahead, especially when going in stays. R. H. Dana, Jr. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The reach or distance to which a gun will shoot; gunshot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Reaching high or upward; hence, ambitious; aspiring. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To surpass in preaching. [ 1913 Webster ]

And for a villain's quick conversion
A pillory can outpreach a parson. Trumbull. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To reach beyond. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of reaching out; an effort to build connections from one person or group to another; as, the Police Department insituted a community outreach program. [ PJC ]

2. The extension of assistance or services to persons or groups not previously served. [ PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Overreached (Overraught obs.); p. pr. & vb. n. Overreaching. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To reach above or beyond in any direction. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To deceive, or get the better of, by artifice or cunning; to outwit; to cheat. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To defeat one's own purpose by trying to do too much or by trying too hard or with excessive eagerness; -- used reflexively; as, the candidate overreached himself by trying to plant false rumors, which backfired/ [ PJC ]

v. i. 1. To reach too far; as: (a) To strike the toe of the hind foot against the heel or shoe of the forefoot; -- said of horses. (b) (Naut.) To sail on one tack farther than is necessary. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cheat by cunning or deception. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of striking the heel of the fore foot with the toe of the hind foot; -- said of horses. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who overreaches; one who cheats; a cheat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The breaking of a public pound for releasing impounded animals. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Preached p. pr. & vb. n. Preaching. ] [ OE. prechen, OF. preechier, F. prêcher, fr. L. praedicare to cry in public, to proclaim; prae before + dicare to make known, dicere to say; or perhaps from (assumed) LL. praedictare. See Diction, and cf. Predicate, Predict. ] 1. To proclaim or publish tidings; specifically, to proclaim the gospel; to discourse publicly on a religious subject, or from a text of Scripture; to deliver a sermon. [ 1913 Webster ]

How shall they preach, except they be sent? Rom. x. 15. [ 1913 Webster ]

From that time Jesus began to preach. Matt. iv. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To give serious advice on morals or religion; to discourse in the manner of a preacher. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. 1. To proclaim by public discourse; to utter in a sermon or a formal religious harangue. [ 1913 Webster ]

That Cristes gospel truly wolde preche. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. Isa. lxi. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To inculcate in public discourse; to urge with earnestness by public teaching. “I have preached righteousness in the great congregation.” Ps. xl. 9. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To deliver or pronounce; as, to preach a sermon. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To teach or instruct by preaching; to inform by preaching. [ R. ] “As ye are preached.” Southey. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To advise or recommend earnestly. [ 1913 Webster ]

My master preaches patience to him. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

To preach down, to oppress, or humiliate by preaching. Tennyson. --
To preach up, to exalt by preaching; to preach in support of; as, to preach up equality. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. prêche, fr. prêcher. See Preach, v. ] A religious discourse. [ Obs. ] Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. preeschierre, prescheur, F. prêcheur, L. praedicator. ] 1. One who preaches; one who discourses publicly on religious subjects. [ 1913 Webster ]

How shall they hear without a preacher? Rom. x. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who inculcates anything with earnestness. [ 1913 Webster ]

No preacher is listened to but Time. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

Preacher bird (Zool.), a toucan. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office of a preacher. “The preachership of the Rolls.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ Preach + -fy. ] To discourse in the manner of a preacher. [ Colloq. ] Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of delivering a religious discourse; the art of sermonizing; also, a sermon; a public religious discourse; serious, earnest advice. Milner. [ 1913 Webster ]

Preaching cross, a cross, sometimes surmounting a pulpit, erected out of doors to designate a preaching place. --
Preaching friars. See Dominican. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Preachmen A preacher; -- so called in contempt. [ Obs. ] Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A religious harangue; a sermon; -- used derogatively. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To retch. Cheyne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An effort to vomit. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act of stretching or extending; extension; power of reaching or touching with the person, or a limb, or something held or thrown; as, the fruit is beyond my reach; to be within reach of cannon shot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The power of stretching out or extending action, influence, or the like; power of attainment or management; extent of force or capacity. [ 1913 Webster ]

Drawn by others who had deeper reaches than themselves to matters which they least intended. Hayward. [ 1913 Webster ]

Be sure yourself and your own reach to know. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Extent; stretch; expanse; hence, application; influence; result; scope. [ 1913 Webster ]

And on the left hand, hell,
With long reach, interposed. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am to pray you not to strain my speech
To grosser issues, nor to larger reach
Than to suspicion. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. An extended portion of land or water; a stretch; a straight portion of a stream or river, as from one turn to another; a level stretch, as between locks in a canal; an arm of the sea extending up into the land. “The river's wooded reach.” Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

The coast . . . is very full of creeks and reaches. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. An artifice to obtain an advantage. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Duke of Parma had particular reaches and ends of his own underhand to cross the design. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The pole or rod which connects the hind axle with the forward bolster of a wagon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Reached Raught, the old preterit, is obsolete); p. pr. & vb. n. Reaching. ] [ OE. rechen, AS. r&aemacr_;can, r&aemacr_;cean, to extend, stretch out; akin to D. reiken, G. reichen, and possibly to AS. rīce powerful, rich, E. rich. √115. ] 1. To extend; to stretch; to thrust out; to put forth, as a limb, a member, something held, or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her tresses yellow, and long straughten,
Unto her heeles down they raughten. Rom. of R. [ 1913 Webster ]

Reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side. John xx. 27. [ 1913 Webster ]

Fruit trees, over woody, reached too far
Their pampered boughs. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence, to deliver by stretching out a member, especially the hand; to give with the hand; to pass to another; to hand over; as, to reach one a book. [ 1913 Webster ]

He reached me a full cup. 2 Esd. xiv. 39. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To attain or obtain by stretching forth the hand; to extend some part of the body, or something held by one, so as to touch, strike, grasp, or the like; as, to reach an object with the hand, or with a spear. [ 1913 Webster ]

O patron power, . . . thy present aid afford,
Than I may reach the beast. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To strike, hit, or touch with a missile; as, to reach an object with an arrow, a bullet, or a shell. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Hence, to extend an action, effort, or influence to; to penetrate to; to pierce, or cut, as far as. [ 1913 Webster ]

If these examples of grown men reach not the case of children, let them examine. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To extend to; to stretch out as far as; to touch by virtue of extent; as, his land reaches the river. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thy desire . . . leads to no excess
That reaches blame. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To arrive at; to come to; to get as far as. [ 1913 Webster ]

Before this letter reaches your hands. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To arrive at by effort of any kind; to attain to; to gain; to be advanced to. [ 1913 Webster ]

The best account of the appearances of nature which human penetration can reach, comes short of its reality. Cheyne. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. To understand; to comprehend. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Do what, sir? I reach you not. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. To overreach; to deceive. [ Obs. ] South. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To stretch out the hand. [ 1913 Webster ]

Goddess humane, reach, then, and freely taste! Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To strain after something; to make efforts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Reaching above our nature does no good. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To extend in dimension, time, amount, action, influence, etc., so as to touch, attain to, or be equal to, something. [ 1913 Webster ]

And behold, a ladder set upon the earth, and the top of it reached to heaven. Gen. xxviii. 12. [ 1913 Webster ]

The new world reaches quite across the torrid zone. Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Naut.) To sail on the wind, as from one point of tacking to another, or with the wind nearly abeam. [ 1913 Webster ]

To reach after or
To reach for or
To reach at, to make efforts to attain to or obtain. [ 1913 Webster ] He would be in the posture of the mind reaching after a positive idea of infinity. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Being within reach. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who reaches. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An exaggeration. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Being beyond reach; lofty. [ 1913 Webster ]

Unto a reachless pitch of praises hight. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

A breaking or overflow of a bank or a dike by the sea. L'Estrange. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Adultery. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. trichour, trichur, OF. tricheor deceiver, traitor, F. tricheur a cheat at play, a trickster. See Treachery. ] A traitor; a cheat. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Treacher and coward both. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Treacher. ] Like a traitor; involving treachery; violating allegiance or faith pledged; traitorous to the state or sovereign; perfidious in private life; betraying a trust; faithless. [ 1913 Webster ]

Loyal father of a treacherous son. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The treacherous smile, a mask for secret hate. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Faithless; perfidious; traitorous; false; insidious; plotting. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Treach"er*ous*ly, adv. -- Treach"er*ous*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. trecherïe, trichere, OF. trecherie, tricherie, F. tricherie trickery, from tricher to cheat, to trick, OF. trichier, trechier; probably of Teutonic origin. See Trickery, Trick. ] Violation of allegiance or of faith and confidence; treasonable or perfidious conduct; perfidy; treason. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

Be ware, ye lords, of their treachery. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

In the council chamber at Edinburgh, he had contracted a deep taint of treachery and corruption. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ See Treacher. ] A traitor. [ Obs. ] “Treachour full of false despite.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + preach. ] To undo or overthrow by preaching. [ R. ] De Foe. [ 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 ]