n. [ Cf. F. actrice. ] 1. A female actor or doer. [ Obs. ] Cockeram. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A female stageplayer; a woman who acts a part. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. acus needle + premere, pressum, to press. ] (Surg.) A mode of arresting hemorrhage resulting from wounds or surgical operations, by passing under the divided vessel a needle, the ends of which are left exposed externally on the cutaneous surface. Simpson. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Addressed p. pr. & vb. n. Addressing. ] [ OE. adressen to raise erect, adorn, OF. adrecier, to straighten, address, F. adresser, fr. à (L. ad) + OF. drecier, F. dresser, to straighten, arrange. See Dress, v. ] 1. To aim; to direct. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

And this good knight his way with me addrest. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To prepare or make ready. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

His foe was soon addressed. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Turnus addressed his men to single fight. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

The five foolish virgins addressed themselves at the noise of the bridegroom's coming. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Reflexively: To prepare one's self; to apply one's skill or energies (to some object); to betake. [ 1913 Webster ]

These men addressed themselves to the task. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To clothe or array; to dress. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Tecla . . . addressed herself in man's apparel. Jewel. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To direct, as words (to any one or any thing); to make, as a speech, petition, etc. (to any one, an audience). [ 1913 Webster ]

The young hero had addressed his players to him for his assistance. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To direct speech to; to make a communication to, whether spoken or written; to apply to by words, as by a speech, petition, etc., to speak to; to accost. [ 1913 Webster ]

Are not your orders to address the senate? Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

The representatives of the nation addressed the king. Swift. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To direct in writing, as a letter; to superscribe, or to direct and transmit; as, he addressed a letter. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To make suit to as a lover; to court; to woo. [ 1913 Webster ]

9. (Com.) To consign or intrust to the care of another, as agent or factor; as, the ship was addressed to a merchant in Baltimore. [ 1913 Webster ]

To address one's self to. (a) To prepare one's self for; to apply one's self to. (b) To direct one's speech or discourse to. --
To address the ball (Golf), to take aim at the ball, adjusting the grip on the club, the attitude of the body, etc., to a convenient position. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To prepare one's self. [ Obs. ] “Let us address to tend on Hector's heels.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To direct speech. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Young Turnus to the beauteous maid addrest. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The intransitive uses come from the dropping out of the reflexive pronoun. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. adresse. See Address, v. t. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Act of preparing one's self. [ Obs. ] Jer Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Act of addressing one's self to a person; verbal application. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A formal communication, either written or spoken; a discourse; a speech; a formal application to any one; a petition; a formal statement on some subject or special occasion; as, an address of thanks, an address to the voters. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Direction or superscription of a letter, or the name, title, and place of residence of the person addressed. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Manner of speaking to another; delivery; as, a man of pleasing or insinuating address. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Attention in the way one's addresses to a lady. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. Skill; skillful management; dexterity; adroitness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Speech; discourse; harangue; oration; petition; lecture; readiness; ingenuity; tact; adroitness. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. marked with a destination; -- of mail [ Narrower terms: self-addressed ] unaddressed [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One to whom anything is addressed. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of addressing or directing one's course. [ Rare & Obs. ] Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a printer that automatically prints addresses on letters for mailing.
Syn. -- addressing machine [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ L. adpressus, p. p. of adprimere. ] See Appressed. -- Ad*pressed", a. [1913 Webster]

n. A woman who flatters with servility. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Fem. from L. adulter. Cf. Advoutress. ] 1. A woman who commits adultery. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Script.) A woman who violates her religious engagements. James iv. 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female adventurer; a woman who tries to gain position by equivocal means. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An adulteress. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Aggressed p. pr. & vb. n. Aggressing. ] [ L. aggressus, p. p. of aggredi to go to, approach; ad + gradi to step, go, gradus step: cf. OF. aggresser. See Grade. ] To commit the first act of hostility or offense; to begin a quarrel or controversy; to make an attack; -- with on. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. take the initiative and go on the offensive, as in a game.
Syn. -- attack [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. To set upon; to attack. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aggressus. ] Aggression. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Their military aggresses on others. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aggressio, fr. aggredi: cf. F. agression. ] The first attack, or act of hostility; the first act of injury, or first act leading to a war or a controversy; unprovoked attack; assault; as, a war of aggression. “Aggressions of power.” Hallam [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Attack; offense; intrusion; provocation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. agressif. ] 1. Tending or disposed to aggress; having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of one's own ends at the expense of others or mindless of others' needs or desires; characterized by aggression; making assaults; unjustly attacking; as, an aggressive policy, war, person, nation; an aggressive businessman; an aggressive basketball player; he was aggressive and imperious in his convictions; aggressive drivers. Opposite of unaggressive. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

No aggressive movement was made. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Marked by self-confident ambition, vigorous competitiveness, energy and initiative; as, an aggressive young executive.
Syn. -- enterprising, pushful, pushing, pushy [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. (Med., Biol.) Tending to grow or spread quickly; as, an aggressive tumor. [ Narrower terms: invasive (vs. noninvasive) ] AS
Syn. -- fast-growing(prenominal) [ WordNet 1.5 ]

4. Tending to initiate unprovoked attacks; initiating unprovoked military action; eager to fight; as, aggressive acts against another country.
Syn. -- belligerent. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

Narrower related terms: bellicose, combative, pugnacious, scrappy, truculent ; hard-hitting, high-pressure ; hostile (used of attempts to buy or take control of a business: "hostile takeover"; "hostile tender offer"); predatory, rapacious, raptorial, ravening, vulturine, vulturous . See also: assertive, hostile, offensive. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

-- Ag*gres"sive*ly, adv. -- Ag*gres"sive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L.: cf. F. agresseur. ] The person who first attacks or makes an aggression; he who begins hostility or a quarrel; an assailant. [ 1913 Webster ]

The insolence of the aggressor is usually proportioned to the tameness of the sufferer. Ames. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. allégresse, fr. L. alacer sprightly. ] Joy; gladsomeness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female ambassador; also, the wife of an ambassador. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female ancestor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female anchoret. [ 1913 Webster ]

And there, a saintly anchoress, she dwelt. Wordsworth. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ }, a. [ p. p. appress, which is not in use. See Adpress. ] (Bot.) Pressed close to, or lying against, something for its whole length, as against a stem. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Arbiter. ] A female arbiter; an arbitratrix. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female archer. Markham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female architect. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female hearer. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female author. Glover. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The word is not very much used, author being commonly applied to a female writer as well as to a male. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A female avenger. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ , n. A woman aviator (in senses 1 or 3). [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A female baker. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a woman who trains ballet dancers. [ PJC ]

n. A female banker. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A woman who confers a benefit. [ 1913 Webster ]

His benefactress blushes at the deed. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. any of various herbs of the genus Cardamine, having usually pinnate leaves and racemes of white, pink or purple flowers; cosmopolitan except in the Antarctic.
Syn. -- bitter cress. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

A hydrostatic press of immense power, invented by Joseph Bramah of London. See under Hydrostatic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. butrasse, boterace, fr. F. bouter to push; cf. OF. bouteret (nom. sing. and acc. pl. bouterez) buttress. See Butt an end, and cf. Butteris. ] 1. (Arch.) A projecting mass of masonry, used for resisting the thrust of an arch, or for ornament and symmetry. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ When an external projection is used merely to stiffen a wall, it is a pier. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anything which supports or strengthens. “The ground pillar and buttress of the good old cause of nonconformity.” South. [ 1913 Webster ]

Flying buttress. See Flying buttress. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Buttressed (&unr_;); p. pr. & vb. n. Buttressing. ] To support with a buttress; to prop; to brace firmly. [ 1913 Webster ]

To set it upright again, and to prop and buttress it up for duration. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. caresse, It. carezza, LL. caritia dearness, fr. L. carus dear. See Charity. ] An act of endearment; any act or expression of affection; an embracing, or touching, with tenderness. [ 1913 Webster ]

Wooed her with his soft caresses. Langfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

He exerted himself to win by indulgence and caresses the hearts of all who were under his command. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Caressed p. pr. & vb. n. Caressing. ] [ F. caresser, fr. It. carezzare, fr. carezza caress. See Caress., n. ] To treat with tokens of fondness, affection, or kindness; to touch or speak to in a loving or endearing manner; to fondle. [ 1913 Webster ]

The lady caresses the rough bloodhound. Sir W. Scott.

Syn. -- To fondle; embrace; pet; coddle; court; flatter. -- Caress, Fondle. “We caress by words or actions; we fondle by actions only.” Crabb. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. the act of embracing; holding in one's arms . [ PJC ]

2. foreplay without contact with the genital organs.
Syn. -- caressing, cuddling, fondling, hugging, kissing, necking, petting, smooching, snuggling. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. In caressing manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. showing love. caressing words [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A woman who caters. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. chanteresse. ] A female chanter or singer. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An enchantress. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. She who chides. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A nun. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]