‖ [ L., to infinity. ] Without limit; endlessly. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of the nature of affinity. -- Af*fin"i*ta*tive*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

a. Closely connected, as by affinity. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Affinities [ OF. afinité, F. affinité, L. affinites, fr. affinis. See Affined. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Relationship by marriage (as between a husband and his wife's blood relations, or between a wife and her husband's blood relations); -- in contradistinction to consanguinity, or relationship by blood; -- followed by with, to, or between. [ 1913 Webster ]

Solomon made affinity with Pharaoh. 1 Kings iii. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Kinship generally; close agreement; relation; conformity; resemblance; connection; as, the affinity of sounds, of colors, or of languages. [ 1913 Webster ]

There is a close affinity between imposture and credulity. Sir G. C. Lewis. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Companionship; acquaintance. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

About forty years past, I began a happy affinity with William Cranmer. Burton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Chem.) That attraction which takes place, at an insensible distance, between the heterogeneous particles of bodies, and unites them to form chemical compounds; chemism; chemical or elective affinity or attraction. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Nat. Hist.) A relation between species or higher groups dependent on resemblance in the whole plan of structure, and indicating community of origin. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Spiritualism) A superior spiritual relationship or attraction held to exist sometimes between persons, esp. persons of the opposite sex; also, the man or woman who exerts such psychical or spiritual attraction. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality which constitutes an alkali; alkaline property. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being asinine; stupidity combined with obstinacy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Named in allusion to the form of the crystals, fr. Gr. &unr_; an ax. ] (Min.) A borosilicate of alumina, iron, and lime, commonly found in glassy, brown crystals with acute edges. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. Native bismuth sulphide; -- sometimes called bismuthite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Named after Count Cancrin, a minister of finance in Russia. ] (Min.) A mineral occurring in hexagonal crystals, also massive, generally of a yellow color, containing silica, alumina, lime, soda, and carbon dioxide. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From George Catlin, an American traveler. ] A red clay from the Upper Missouri region, used by the Indians for their pipes. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Privacy or secrecy. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Math.) Having a common beginning. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. confinité. ] Community of limits; contiguity. [ R. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. consanguinitas: cf. F. consanguintité. ] The relation of persons by blood, in distinction from affinity or relation by marriage; blood relationship; as, lineal consanguinity; collateral consanguinity. [ 1913 Webster ]

Invoking aid by the ties of consanguinity. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Convicinities Immediate vicinity; neighborhood. [ 1913 Webster ]

The convicinity and contiguity of the two parishes. T. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Paleon.) A fossil coralline. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Same as Crinite, 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

He the star crinital adoreth. Stanyhurst. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. crinitus, p. p. of crinire to provide or cover with hair, fr. crinis hair. ] 1. Having the appearance of a tuft of hair; having a hairlike tail or train. “Comate, crinite, caudate stars.” Fairfax. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Bearded or tufted with hairs. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or relating to hair; as, a crinitory covering. T. Hook. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. definitis, p. p. of definire: cf. F. défini. See Define. ] 1. Having certain or distinct; determinate in extent or greatness; limited; fixed; as, definite dimensions; a definite measure; a definite period or interval. [ 1913 Webster ]

Elements combine in definite proportions. Whewell. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having certain limits in signification; determinate; certain; precise; fixed; exact; clear; as, a definite word, term, or expression. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Determined; resolved. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Serving to define or restrict; limiting; determining; as, the definite article. [ 1913 Webster ]

Definite article (Gram.), the article the, which is used to designate a particular person or thing, or a particular class of persons or things; -- also called a definitive. See Definitive, n. - -
Definite inflorescence. (Bot.) See Determinate inflorescence, under Determinate. --
Law of definite proportions (Chem.), the essential law of chemical combination that every definite compound always contains the same elements in the same proportions by weight; and, if two or more elements form more than one compound with each other, the relative proportions of each are fixed. Compare Law of multiple proportions, under Multiple. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A thing defined or determined. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a definite manner; with precision; precisely; determinately. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being definite; determinateness; precision; certainty. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. definitio: cf. F. définition. ] 1. The act of defining; determination of the limits; as, a telescope accurate in definition. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Act of ascertaining and explaining the signification; a description of a thing by its properties; an explanation of the meaning of a word or term; as, the definition of “circle;” the definition of “wit;” an exact definition; a loose definition. [ 1913 Webster ]

Definition being nothing but making another understand by words what the term defined stands for. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Description; sort. [ R. ] “A new creature of another definition.” Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Logic) An exact enunciation of the constituents which make up the logical essence. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Opt.) Distinctness or clearness, as of an image formed by an optical instrument; precision in detail.

Syn. -- Definition, Explanation, Description. A definition is designed to settle a thing in its compass and extent; an explanation is intended to remove some obscurity or misunderstanding, and is therefore more extended and minute; a description enters into striking particulars with a view to interest or impress by graphic effect. It is not therefore true, though often said, that description is only an extended definition. “Logicians distinguish definitions into essential and accidental. An essential definition states what are regarded as the constituent parts of the essence of that which is to be defined; and an accidental definition lays down what are regarded as circumstances belonging to it, viz., properties or accidents, such as causes, effects, etc.” Whately. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Relating to definition; of the nature of a definition; employed in defining. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. definitivus: cf. F. définitif. ] 1. Determinate; positive; final; conclusive; unconditional; express. [ 1913 Webster ]

A strict and definitive truth. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some definitive . . . scheme of reconciliation. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Limiting; determining; as, a definitive word. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Determined; resolved. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Gram.) A word used to define or limit the extent of the signification of a common noun, such as the definite article, and some pronouns. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Definitives . . . are commonly called by grammarians articles. . . . They are of two kinds, either those properly and strictly so called, or else pronominal articles, such as this, that, any, other, some, all, no, none, etc. Harris (Hermes). [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a definitive manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being definitive. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Definiteness. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Definitude . . . is a knowledge of minute differences. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. delinere to smear. See Liniment. ] A smearing. [ Obs. ] Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ For definitive. ] Definitive; determinate; final. [ Obs. ] Sir H. Wotton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Divinities [ F. divinité, L. divinitas. See Divine, a. ] 1. The state of being divine; the nature or essence of God; deity; godhead. [ 1913 Webster ]

When he attributes divinity to other things than God, it is only a divinity by way of participation. Bp. Stillingfleet. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The Deity; the Supreme Being; God. [ 1913 Webster ]

This the divinity that within us. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A pretended deity of pagans; a false god. [ 1913 Webster ]

Beastly divinities, and droves of gods. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A celestial being, inferior to the supreme God, but superior to man. [ 1913 Webster ]

God . . . employing these subservient divinities. Cheyne. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Something divine or superhuman; supernatural power or virtue; something which inspires awe. [ 1913 Webster ]

They say there is divinity in odd numbers. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

There's such divinity doth hedge a king. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The science of divine things; the science which treats of God, his laws and moral government, and the way of salvation; theology. [ 1913 Webster ]

Divinity is essentially the first of the professions. Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Case divinity, casuistry. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Bookbinding) Calf stained dark brown and worked without gilding, often used for theological books. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. Of, or like, an echinite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. échinite. See Echinus. ] (Paleon.) A fossil echinoid. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. (Paleon.) Relating to encrinites; containing encrinites, as certain kinds of limestone. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; in + &unr_; a lily: cf. F. encrinite. ] (Paleon.) A fossil crinoid, esp. one belonging to, or resembling, the genus Encrinus. Sometimes used in a general sense for any crinoid.

{ } a. (Paleon.) Pertaining to encrinites; encrinal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Min.) A hydrous arseniate of copper, of an emerald-green color; -- so called from Erin, or Ireland, where it occurs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Med.) Privation or destitution of blood; -- opposed to plethora. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The quality or nature of the female sex; womanliness. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The female form. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

O serpent under femininitee. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Womanliness; femininity. [ Obs. ] “Trained up in true feminity.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. finitus, p. p. of finire. See Finish, and cf. Fine, a. ] Having a limit; limited in quantity, degree, or capacity; bounded; -- opposed to infinite; as, finite number; finite existence; a finite being; a finite mind; finite duration. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Infinite. [ Obs. ] Sir T. browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a finite manner or degree. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being finite. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. finire. See Finish. ] Limitation. Cheyne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Min.) A kind of mineral of the spinel group. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Named after Gadolin, a Russian chemist. ] (Min.) A mineral of a nearly black color and vitreous luster, and consisting principally of the silicates of yttrium, cerium, and iron. [ 1913 Webster ]