v. t. To write (a book, article, speech, etc.) for someone else; -- the written material appears under the name of the person for whom it was written.
Syn. -- ghost. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One who ghost-writes (a book, article, etc.) for someone else. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. The cast or form of writing peculiar to each hand or person; chirography. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is written by hand; manuscript. [ 1913 Webster ]

The handwriting on the wall, a doom pronounced; an omen of disaster. Dan. v. 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. written by hand.
Syn. -- handwritten. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. To write incorrectly. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who gathers news for, and writes, news-letters, articles in news periodicals, or items for broadcast on news programs. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

v. t. To exceed or excel in writing. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A writer of plays; a dramatist; a playwright. Lecky. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To write again. Young. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who writes short stories, as for magazines. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An historian; a chronicler. [ Obs. ] “Rathums, the story-writer.” 1 Esdr. ii. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. To write with a typewriter. [ Recent ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. An instrument for writing by means of type, a typewheel, or the like, in which the operator makes use of a sort of keyboard, in order to obtain printed impressions of the characters upon paper. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who uses such an instrument. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act or art of using a typewriter; also, a print made with a typewriter. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. Underwrote Obs. Underwrit p. p. Underwritten Obs. Underwrit; p. pr. & vb. n. Underwriting. ] 1. To write under something else; to subscribe. [ 1913 Webster ]

What addition and change I have made I have here underwritten. Bp. Sanderson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To subscribe one's name to for insurance, especially for marine insurance; to write one's name under, or set one's name to, as a policy of insurance, for the purpose of becoming answerable for loss or damage, on consideration of receiving a certain premium per cent; as, individuals, as well as companies, may underwrite policies of insurance. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

The broker who procures the insurance ought not, by underwriting the policy, to deprive the parties of his unbiased testimony. Marshall. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To practice the business of insuring; to take a risk of insurance on a vessel or the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who underwrites his name to the conditions of an insurance policy, especially of a marine policy; an insurer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The business of an underwriter, [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ 1st pref. un- + write. ] To cancel, as what is written; to erase. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Not written; not reduced to writing; oral; as, unwritten agreements. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Containing no writing; blank; as, unwritten paper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Unwritten doctrines (Theol.), such doctrines as have been handed down by word of mouth; oral or traditional doctrines. --
Unwritten law. [ Cf. L. lex non scripta. ] That part of the law of England and of the United States which is not derived from express legislative enactment, or at least from any enactment now extant and in force as such. This law is now generally contained in the reports of judicial decisions. See Common law, under Common. --
Unwritten laws, such laws as have been handed down by tradition or in song. Such were the laws of the early nations of Europe. [ 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 ]

See obnoxious.
See observable.
See observant.
See obstructive.
See obvious.
See official.
See officious.
See oppressive.
See ordinary.
See ordinate.
See original.
See ornamental.
See orthodox.
See ostentatious.
See pacifiable.
See pacific.
See painful.
See palatable.
See parallelable.
See pardonable.
See partable.
See participant.
See passionate.
See pastoral.
See pathetic.
See patriotic.
See peaceable.
See peaceful.
See pedantic.
See perceivable.
See perceptible.
See perilous.
See permanent.
See personable.
See perspirable.
See persuadable.
See persuasive.
See philanthropic.
See philosophic.
See philosophical.
See physical.
See picturesque.
See pierceable.
See pitiful.
See plain.
See plausible.
See plausive.
See pleadable.
See pleasurable.
See pliable.
See pliant.
See plumb.
See poetic.
See poetical.
See political.
See popular.
See populous.
See portable.
See potable.
See precarious.
See precise.
See pregnant.
See prejudicate.
See prelatical.
See premeditable.
See presentable.
See preservable.
See presumptuous.
See pretentious.
See pretty.
See prevalent.
See priestly.
See primitive.
See princely.
See procurable.
See producible.
See productive.
See professional.
See profitable.
See prolific.
See pronounceable.
See prophetic.
See propitious.
See proportionable.
See proportionate.
See prosperous.
See provable.
See punctilious.
See punctual.
See punishable.
See pure.
See qualifiable.
See quenchable.
See quiet.
See rational.
See readable.
See reasonable.
See recallable.
See reclaimable.
See recognizable.
See reconcilable.
See recoverable.
See recumbent.
See reformable.
See refusable.
See regardable.
See regardant.
See relative.
See relievable.
See reluctant.
See remarkable.
See remediable.
See rememberable.
See remorseful.
See removable.
See remunerative.
See repairable.
See repealable.
See repentant.
See reprovable.
See repugnant.
See requisite.
See requitable.
See resolvable.
See respectable.
See restful.
See retentive.
See returnable.
See revengeful.
See ridable.
See ridiculous.
See rightful.
See romantic.
See rough.
See royal.
See ruinable.
See ruly.
See sacrificial.
See safe.
See sage.
See sailable.
See salable.
See sane.
See sanguine.
See sanitary.
See satisfactory.
See satisfiable.
See saturable.
See savory.
See scalable.
See scaly.
See scholarly.
See scholastic.
See scientific.
See scornful.
See scriptural.
See sculptural.
See seaworthy.
See sectarian.
See secular.
See sedentary.
See selfish.
See sentient.
See sentimental.
See serviceable.
See severe.
See shamefaced.
See shamefast.
See shapely.
See shy.
See sick.
See sicker.
See sightly.
See simple.
See sinewy.
See sizable.
See sleek.
See slumberous.
See sly.
See smooth.
See smotherable.
See smutty.
See sober.
See sociable.
See social.
See solemn.
See soliciutous.
See solvable.
See speakable.
See speedy.
See spiritual.
See spontaneous.
See sportful.
See sportsmanlike.
See statutable.
See steadfast.
See steady.
See stormy.
See stout.
See strong.
See subduable.
See subject.
See submissive.
See subordinate.
See substantial.
See successive.
See succorable.
See suggestive.
See suitable.
See sunny.
See superfluous.
See supple.
See sure.
See surpassable.
See susceptible.
See suspect.
See suspectable.
See suspicious.
See sustainable.
See sweet.
See syllogistical.
See symbolic.
See sympathetic.
See systematic.
See tamable.
See tame.
See teachable.
See technical.
See tellable.
See tenable.
See tender.
See terrestrial.
See terrific.
See thankful.
See theological.
See thinkable.
See thirsty.
See thorny.
See thoughtful.
See tidy.
See tillable.
See toothsome.
See touchable.
See traceable.
See tractable.
See tragic.
See tranquil.
See transferable.
See translatable.
See transmutable.
See transparent.
See transpassable.
See traversable.
See tremulous.
See trimphant.
See trustworthy.
See trusty.
See tumultous.
See tunable.
See uniform.
See usable.
See useful.
See vanquishable.
See variant.
See venerable.
See venomous.
See veracious.
See verdant.
See veritable.
See vigilant.
See vigorous.
See virtuous.
See vital.
See vitrifiable.
See vocal.
See voidable.
See voluptuous.
See voyageable.
See vulgar.
See walkable.
See warlike.
See watchful.
See watery.
See wealthy.
See wearable.
See weary.
See welcome.
See wet.
See wholesome.
See wieldsome.
See willful.
See wily.
See witty.
See womanly.
See workable.
See workmanlike.
See worldly.
See worshipful.
See wrathful.
See writable.
See zealous.
------ and the like.
[ 1913 Webster ]

archaic imp. & p. p. of Write. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

obs. 3d pers. sing. pres. of Write, for writeth. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. writ, gewrit. See Write. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. That which is written; writing; scripture; -- applied especially to the Scriptures, or the books of the Old and New testaments; as, sacred writ. “Though in Holy Writ not named.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then to his hands that writ he did betake,
Which he disclosing read, thus as the paper spake. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Babylon, so much spoken of in Holy Writ. Knolles. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) An instrument in writing, under seal, in an epistolary form, issued from the proper authority, commanding the performance or nonperformance of some act by the person to whom it is directed; as, a writ of entry, of error, of execution, of injunction, of mandamus, of return, of summons, and the like. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Writs are usually witnessed, or tested, in the name of the chief justice or principal judge of the court out of which they are issued; and those directed to a sheriff, or other ministerial officer, require him to return them on a day specified. In former English law and practice, writs in civil cases were either original or judicial; the former were issued out of the Court of Chancery, under the great seal, for the summoning of a defendant to appear, and were granted before the suit began and in order to begin the same; the latter were issued out of the court where the original was returned, after the suit was begun and during the pendency of it. Tomlins. Brande. Encyc. Brit. The term writ is supposed by Mr. Reeves to have been derived from the fact of these formulae having always been expressed in writing, being, in this respect, distinguished from the other proceedings in the ancient action, which were conducted orally. [ 1913 Webster ]

Writ of account,
Writ of capias, etc. See under Account, Capias, etc. --
Service of a writ. See under Service. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Ability or capacity to write. [ R. ] Walpole. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of, or suitable for, being written down. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Inclined to much writing; -- correlative to talkative. [ R. ] Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. Wrote p. p. Written Archaic imp. & p. p. Writ p. pr. & vb. n. Writing. ] [ OE. writen, AS. wrītan; originally, to scratch, to score; akin to OS. wrītan to write, to tear, to wound, D. rijten to tear, to rend, G. reissen, OHG. rīzan, Icel. rīta to write, Goth. writs a stroke, dash, letter. Cf. Race tribe, lineage. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To set down, as legible characters; to form the conveyance of meaning; to inscribe on any material by a suitable instrument; as, to write the characters called letters; to write figures. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To set down for reading; to express in legible or intelligible characters; to inscribe; as, to write a deed; to write a bill of divorcement; hence, specifically, to set down in an epistle; to communicate by letter. [ 1913 Webster ]

Last night she enjoined me to write some lines to one she loves. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

I chose to write the thing I durst not speak
To her I loved. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Hence, to compose or produce, as an author. [ 1913 Webster ]

I purpose to write the history of England from the accession of King James the Second down to a time within the memory of men still living. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To impress durably; to imprint; to engrave; as, truth written on the heart. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To make known by writing; to record; to prove by one's own written testimony; -- often used reflexively. [ 1913 Webster ]

He who writes himself by his own inscription is like an ill painter, who, by writing on a shapeless picture which he hath drawn, is fain to tell passengers what shape it is, which else no man could imagine. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

To write to, to communicate by a written document to. --
Written laws, laws deriving their force from express legislative enactment, as contradistinguished from unwritten, or common, law. See the Note under Law, and Common law, under Common, a. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To form characters, letters, or figures, as representative of sounds or ideas; to express words and sentences by written signs. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

So it stead you, I will write,
Please you command. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To be regularly employed or occupied in writing, copying, or accounting; to act as clerk or amanuensis; as, he writes in one of the public offices. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To frame or combine ideas, and express them in written words; to play the author; to recite or relate in books; to compose. [ 1913 Webster ]

They can write up to the dignity and character of the authors. Felton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To compose or send letters. [ 1913 Webster ]

He wrote for all the Jews that went out of his realm up into Jewry concerning their freedom. 1 Esdras iv. 49. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ AS. wrītere. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. One who writes, or has written; a scribe; a clerk. [ 1913 Webster ]

They [ came ] that handle the pen of the writer. Judg. v. 14. [ 1913 Webster ]

My tongue is the pen of a ready writer. Ps. xlv. 1. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who is engaged in literary composition as a profession; an author; as, a writer of novels. [ 1913 Webster ]

This pitch, as ancient writers do report, doth defile. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A clerk of a certain rank in the service of the late East India Company, who, after serving a certain number of years, became a factor. [ 1913 Webster ]

Writer of the tallies (Eng. Law), an officer of the exchequer of England, who acted as clerk to the auditor of the receipt, and wrote the accounts upon the tallies from the tellers' bills. The use of tallies in the exchequer has been abolished. Wharton (Law. Dict.) --
Writer's cramp,
Writer's palsy or
Writer's spasm (Med.), a painful spasmodic affection of the muscles of the fingers, brought on by excessive use, as in writing, violin playing, telegraphing, etc. Called also scrivener's palsy. --
Writer to the signet. See under Signet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The office of a writer. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. Writhed p. p. Writhed, Obs. or Poetic Writhen p. pr. & vb. n. Writhing. ] [ OE. writhen, AS. wrī&unr_;an to twist; akin to OHG. rīdan, Icel. rī&unr_;a, Sw. vrida, Dan. vride. Cf. Wreathe, Wrest, Wroth. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To twist; to turn; now, usually, to twist or turn so as to distort; to wring. “With writhing [ turning ] of a pin.” Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

Then Satan first knew pain,
And writhed him to and fro. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

Her mouth she writhed, her forehead taught to frown. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

His battle-writhen arms, and mighty hands. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To wrest; to distort; to pervert. [ 1913 Webster ]

The reason which he yieldeth showeth the least part of his meaning to be that whereunto his words are writhed. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To extort; to wring; to wrest. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The nobility hesitated not to follow the example of their sovereign in writhing money from them by every species of oppression. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To twist or contort the body; to be distorted; as, to writhe with agony. Also used figuratively. [ 1913 Webster ]

After every attempt, he felt that he had failed, and writhed with shame and vexation. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having a twisted distorted from. [ 1913 Webster ]

A writhen staff his step unstable guides. Fairfax. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Freq. of writhe. ] To wrinkle. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act or art of forming letters and characters on paper, wood, stone, or other material, for the purpose of recording the ideas which characters and words express, or of communicating them to others by visible signs. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anything written or printed; anything expressed in characters or letters; as: (a) Any legal instrument, as a deed, a receipt, a bond, an agreement, or the like. (b) Any written composition; a pamphlet; a work; a literary production; a book; as, the writings of Addison. (c) An inscription. [ 1913 Webster ]

And Pilate wrote a title . . . And the writing was, Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews. John xix. 19. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Handwriting; chirography. [ 1913 Webster ]

Writing book, a book for practice in penmanship. --
Writing desk, a desk with a sloping top for writing upon; also, a case containing writing materials, and used in a similar manner. --
Writing lark (Zool.), the European yellow-hammer; -- so called from the curious irregular lines on its eggs. [ Prov. Eng. ] --
Writing machine. Same as Typewriter. --
Writing master, one who teaches the art of penmanship. --
Writing obligatory (Law), a bond. --
Writing paper, paper intended for writing upon with ink, usually finished with a smooth surface, and sized. --
Writing school, a school for instruction in penmanship. --
Writing table, a table fitted or used for writing upon. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. p. of Write, v. [ 1913 Webster ]