n. [ L. abecedarius. A word from the first four letters of the alphabet. ] 1. One who is learning the alphabet; hence, a tyro. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One engaged in teaching the alphabet. Wood. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. Pertaining to, or formed by, the letters of the alphabet; alphabetic; hence, rudimentary. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abecedarian psalms,
hymns, etc., compositions in which (like the 119th psalm in Hebrew) distinct portions or verses commence with successive letters of the alphabet. Hook. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A primer; the first principle or rudiment of anything. [ R. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. pl. [ NL., fr. Gr. 'a priv. + &unr_; border. ] (Zool.) A group of acalephs, including most of the larger jellyfishes; the Discophora. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a breed of large wiry-coated terriers, bred in Yorkshire.
Syn. -- Airedale terrier [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ L., fr. Gr. &unr_;, the daughter of Cepheus and Cassiopeia. When bound to a rock and exposed to a sea monster, she was delivered by Perseus. ] 1. (Astron.) A northern constellation, supposed to represent the mythical Andromeda. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (bot.) A genus of ericaceous flowering plants of northern climates, of which the original species was found growing on a rock surrounded by water. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Antecede. ] Antecedent; preceding in time. “Capable of antecedaneous proof.” Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. Prior date; a date antecedent to another which is the actual date. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anticipation. [ Obs. ] Donne. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Antedated; p. pr. & vb. n. Antedating. ] 1. To date before the true time; to assign to an earlier date; ; thus, to antedate a deed or a bond is to give it a date anterior to the true time of its execution. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To precede in time. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To anticipate; to make before the true time. [ 1913 Webster ]

And antedate the bliss above. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Who rather rose the day to antedate. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Hinduism) a collection of mantras and formulas. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. azédarac, Sp. acederaque, Pers. āzāddirakht noble tree. ] 1. (Bot.) a handsome tree (Melia azedarach) of the mahogany family, native to Northern India and China, having long clusters of fragrant purple blossoms and small ornamental but inedible yellow fruits. It has been naturalized as a shade tree and is common in the southern United States; -- called also, chinaberry, China tree, Pride of India, Pride of China, and Bead tree.
Syn. -- chinaberry, chinaberry tree, China tree, Persian lilac, pride-of-India, azedarach, Melia azederach, Melia azedarach [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

2. (Med.) The bark of the roots of the azedarach, used as a cathartic and emetic. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. pedal backwards, as on a bicycle. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. step backwards, in boxing. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. modify one' opinion, usually by making it less strong or adding qualifications. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedabbled p. pr. & vb. n. Bedabbling ] To dabble; to sprinkle or wet. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make a daff or fool of. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. The sacred books of the Buddhists in Burmah. Malcom. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To daggle. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedashed (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Bedashing. ] To wet by dashing or throwing water or other liquid upon; to bespatter. “Trees bedashed with rain.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedaubed (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Bedaubing. ] To daub over; to besmear or soil with anything thick and dirty. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bedaub foul designs with a fair varnish. Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. ornamented in a vulgar or showy fashion. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. to cause to be senseless, groggy, or dizzy; cause to lose ability to respond normally; desensitize.
Syn. -- stun, daze. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bedazzled (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Bedazzling (&unr_;). ] To dazzle or make dim by a strong light. “Bedazzled with the sun.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. bipedalis: cf. F. bipédal. See Biped, n. ] 1. Having two feet; biped. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pertaining to a biped. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to cedar. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. ceder, fr. L. cedrus, Gr. ke`dros. ] (Bot.) The name of several evergreen trees. The wood is remarkable for its durability and fragrant odor. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The cedar of Lebanon is the Cedrus Libani; the white cedar (Cupressus thyoides) is now called Chamœcyparis sphæroidea; American red cedar is the Juniperus Virginiana; Spanish cedar, the West Indian Cedrela odorata. Many other trees with odoriferous wood are locally called cedar. [ 1913 Webster ]

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

a. Covered, or furnished with, cedars. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to the cedar or its wood. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) a species of chatterer (Bombycilla cedrorum, formerly Ampelis cedrorum) widely distributed over temperate North America, so named from its frequenting cedar trees; -- called also cedar bird, cherry bird, Canada robin, and American waxwing. It is a brownish bird about 7 inches long, between the size of a robin and a sparrow, has a crest on the head, a black face mask, and a yellow-tipped tail. The name comes from the black color of the tips of the wings, like that of a black sealing wax. They sometimes are seen in flocks. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The durable aromatic wood of any of numerous cedar and cedarlike trees; especially the wood of the red cedar, often used for cedar chests.
Syn. -- cedar. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a genus consisting of only one species, the leatherleaf.
Syn. -- genus Chamaedaphne. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ Hindi chaukī-dār. ] A watchman; an officer of customs or police. [ India ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. contredanse (fr. E. Country-dance). ] 1. (a) A dance in which the partners are arranged face to face, or in opposite lines. (b) The quadrille. [ Obs. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. (Music) A piece of music in the rhythm of such a dance. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

{ , a. [ L. daedalus cunningly wrought, fr. Gr. &unr_;; cf. &unr_; to work cunningly. The word also alludes to the mythical Dædalus (Gr. &unr_;, lit., the cunning worker). ] 1. Cunningly or ingeniously formed or working; skillful; artistic; ingenious. [ 1913 Webster ]

Our bodies decked in our dædalian arms. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

The dædal hand of Nature. J. Philips. [ 1913 Webster ]

The doth the dædal earth throw forth to thee,
Out of her fruitful, abundant flowers. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Crafty; deceitful. [ R. ] Keats. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Having a variously cut or incised margin; -- said of leaves.

a. (Zool.) Dasypædic. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. decem ten + E. pedal. ] 1. Ten feet in length. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Having ten feet; decapodal. [ R. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Dædalian. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Dædalous. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] (Court Tennis) A division, at one end of a tennis court, for spectators. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. defoedare, defoedatum, to defile; de- + foedare to foul, foedus foul. ] The act of making foul; pollution. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Defedation. [ Obs. ]

a. Liable to depredation. [ Obs. ] “Made less depredable.” Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Depredated p. pr. & vb. n. Depredating ] [ L. depraedatus, p. p. of depraedari to plunder; de- + praedari to plunder, praeda plunder, prey. See Prey. ] To subject to plunder and pillage; to despoil; to lay waste; to prey upon. [ 1913 Webster ]

It makes the substance of the body . . . less apt to be consumed and depredated by the spirits. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To take plunder or prey; to commit waste; as, the troops depredated on the country. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. depraedatio: cf. F. déprédation. ] The act of depredating, or the state of being depredated; the act of despoiling or making inroads; as, the sea often makes depredation on the land. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. depraedator. ] One who plunders or pillages; a spoiler; a robber. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending or designed to depredate; characterized by depredation; plundering; as, a depredatory incursion. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Dive, Didapper. ] (Zool.) A water fowl; the didapper. See Dabchick. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Dromedaries [ F. dromadaire, LL. dromedarius, fr. L. dromas (sc. camelus), fr. Gr. droma`s running, from dramei^n, used as aor. of tre`chein to run; cf. Skr. dram to run. ] (Zool.) The Arabian camel (Camelus dromedarius), having one hump or protuberance on the back, in distinction from the Bactrian camel, which has two humps. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In Arabia and Egypt the name is restricted to the better breeds of this species of camel. See Deloul.

a. [ L. edax, edacis, fr. edere to eat. ] Given to eating; voracious; devouring. [ 1913 Webster ]

Swallowed in the depths of edacious Time. Carlyle.

-- E*da"cious*ly, adv. -- E*da"cious*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]