v. t. [ F. affranchir; &unr_; (L. ad) + franc free. See Franchise and Frank. ] To make free; to enfranchise. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. affranchissement. ] The act of making free; enfranchisement. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Catechised p. pr. & vb. n. Catechising. ] [ L. catechizare, Gr. &unr_;, equiv. to &unr_; to resound, sound a thing into one's ears, impress it upon one by word of mouth; &unr_; + &unr_; to sound, &unr_; a sound. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To instruct by asking questions, receiving answers, and offering explanations and corrections, -- esp. in regard to points of religious faith. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To question or interrogate; to examine or try by questions; -- sometimes with a view to reproof, by eliciting from a person answers which condemn his own conduct. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who catechises. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. chisel, F. ciseau, fr. LL. cisellus, prob. for caesellus, fr. L. caesus, p. p. of caedere to cut. Cf. Scissors. ] A tool with a cutting edge on one end of a metal blade, used in dressing, shaping, or working in timber, stone, metal, etc.; -- usually driven by a mallet or hammer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cold chisel. See under Cold, a. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Chiseled or Chiselled (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Chiseling, or Chiselling. ] [ Cf. F. ciseler. ] 1. To cut, pare, gouge, or engrave with a chisel; as, to chisel a block of marble into a statue. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cut close, as in a bargain; to cheat. [ Slang ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a person who swindles you by means of deception or fraud.
Syn. -- swindler, chiseler, gouger, sharper, sharpie, sharpy. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A narrow chisel adapted for cutting a groove. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ . See Disfranchise, Disfranchisement. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To disfranchise; to deprive of the rights of a citizen. -- Dis`en*fran"chise*ment n. [1913 Webster]

adj. deprived of the rights of citizenship, especially the right to vote. Opposite of enfranchised.
Syn. -- disfranchised, voteless. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Disfranchised p. pr. & vb. n. Disfranchising. ] [ Cf. Diffranchise. ] To deprive of a franchise or chartered right; to dispossess of the rights of a citizen, or of a particular privilege, as of voting, holding office, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sir William Fitzwilliam was disfranchised. Fabyan (1509). [ 1913 Webster ]

He was partially disfranchised so as to be made incapable of taking part in public affairs. Thirlwall. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. deprived of the rights of citizenship especially the right to vote. Opposite of enfranchised.
Syn. -- disenfranchised, voteless. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The act of disfranchising, or the state of being disfranchised; deprivation of privileges of citizenship or of chartered immunities. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sentenced first to dismission from the court, and then to disfranchisement and expulsion from the colony. Palfrey. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. ex- + franchise: cf. OF. esfranchir. ] To enfranchise. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To cut with a chisel. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Enfranchised p. pr. & vb. n. Enfranchising ] [ Pref. en- + franchise: cf. F. enfranchir. ] 1. To set free; to liberate from slavery, prison, or any binding power. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To endow with a franchise; to incorporate into a body politic and thus to invest with civil and political privileges; to admit to the privileges of a freeman; to give the right to vote. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To receive as denizens; to naturalize; as, to enfranchise foreign words. I. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. endowed with the rights of citizenship especially the right to vote. disenfranchised [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. Releasing from slavery or custody. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Admission to the freedom of a corporation or body politic; investiture with the privileges of free citizens. [ 1913 Webster ]

Enfranchisement of copyhold (Eng. Law), the conversion of a copyhold estate into a freehold. Mozley & W. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who enfranchises. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A chisel, thin in proportion to its width. It has a tang to enter the handle instead of a socket for receiving it. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. franc, fem. franche, free. See Frank, a. ] 1. Exemption from constraint or oppression; freedom; liberty. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (LAw) A particular privilege conferred by grant from a sovereign or a government, and vested in individuals; an immunity or exemption from ordinary jurisdiction; a constitutional or statutory right or privilege, esp. the right to vote. [ 1913 Webster ]

Election by universal suffrage, as modified by the Constitution, is the one crowning franchise of the American people. W. H. Seward. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The district or jurisdiction to which a particular privilege extends; the limits of an immunity; hence, an asylum or sanctuary. [ 1913 Webster ]

Churches and mobasteries in Spain are franchises for criminals. London Encyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Magnanimity; generosity; liberality; frankness; nobility. “Franchise in woman.” [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Elective franchise, the privilege or right of voting in an election of public officers. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Franchised p. pr. & vb. n. Franchising. ] [ Cf. OF. franchir to free, F., to cross. ] To make free; to enfranchise; to give liberty to. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. franchissement. ] Release; deliverance; freedom. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. See Enfranchise. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Mech.) A kind of chisel or punch, variously shaped, with a broad flat end, used for stripping off rivet heads, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]