‖n. [ D., earth-pig. ] (Zool.) An edentate mammal, of the genus Orycteropus (Orycteropus afer), somewhat resembling a pig, common in some parts of Southern Africa. It is a nocturnal ungulate, burrows in the ground with its powerful claws, and feeds entirely on ants and termites, which it catches with its long, extensile, slimy tongue. It is the sole extant representative of the order Tubulidentata. [ Spelled also Aard-vark. ]
Syn. --ant bear, anteater, Orycteropus afer, oryctere, orycterope [ 1913 Webster WordNet 1.5 ]

‖n. [ D, earth-wolf ] (Zool.) A carnivorous, striped, quadruped mammal (Proteles cristata, formerly Proteles Lalandii), of South Africa, resembling the fox and hyena. It feeds chiefly on insects. See Proteles. [ 1913 Webster WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. [ Pref. a- on, in + board. ] 1. On board; into or within a ship or boat; hence, into or within a railway car. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Alongside; as, close aboard. [ 1913 Webster ]

(Naut.):
To fall aboard of, to strike a ship's side; to fall foul of. --
To haul the tacks aboard, to set the courses. --
To keep the land aboard, to hug the shore. --
To lay (a ship) aboard, to place one's own ship close alongside of (a ship) for fighting. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. 1. On board of; as, to go aboard a ship. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Across; athwart. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Nor iron bands aboard
The Pontic Sea by their huge navy cast. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Above the board or table. Hence: in open sight; without trick, concealment, or deception. “Fair and aboveboard.” Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ This expression is said by Johnson to have been borrowed from gamesters, who, when they change their cards, put their hands under the table. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Gr. &unr_;; 'a priv. + &unr_; heart. ] Without a heart; as, an acardiac fetus. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. broad in scope or content limited, exclusive
Syn. -- all-embracing, all-inclusive, blanket(prenominal), broad, complete, global, panoptic, wide [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. Award. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. a. [ OE. afered, AS. āf&aemacr_;red, p. p. of āf&aemacr_;ran to frighten; ā- (cf. Goth. us-, Ger. er-, orig. meaning out) + f&aemacr_;ran to frighten. See Fear. ] Afraid. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Be not afeard; the isle is full of noises. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Naut.) The seaman or seamen stationed on the poop or after part of the ship, to attend the after-sails. Totten. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. [ AS. æfteweard, a., behind. See Aft, and -ward (suffix). The final s in afterwards is adverbial, orig. a genitive ending. ] At a later or succeeding time. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. (Naut.) Toward the stern. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Back again. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Sp., contr. of agua ardiente burning water (L. aqua water + ardens burning). ] 1. A inferior brandy of Spain and Portugal. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A strong alcoholic drink, especially pulque. [ Mexico and Spanish America. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. Toward the air; upward. [ R. ] Keats. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Bot.) Belonging to, or resembling, a family, or order, of plants of which the cashew tree is the type, and the species of sumac are well known examples. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or derived from, the cashew nut; as, anacardic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ NL., fr. Gr. &unr_; similar to + &unr_; heart; -- the fruit of this plant being thought to resemble the heart of a bird. ] (Bot.) A genus of plants including the cashew tree. See Cashew. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. (cf. Sp. ardacina), fr. ardasse a kind of silk thread, fr. Ar. & Per. ardan a kind of raw silk. ] A very fine sort of Persian silk. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. 1 a familu of wading birds incuding the herons, egrets, night herons, and bitterns.
Syn. -- family Ardeidae. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. Heat. [ R. ] Sir T. Herbert. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Warmth of passion or affection; ardor; vehemence; eagerness; as, the ardency of love or zeal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a wooded plateau in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France; the site of intense fighting in World Wars I and II. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ OE. ardaunt, F. ardant, p. pr. of arder to burn, fr. L. ardere. ] 1. Hot or burning; causing a sensation of burning; fiery; as, ardent spirits, that is, distilled liquors; an ardent fever. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Having the appearance or quality of fire; fierce; glowing; shining; as, ardent eyes. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Warm, applied to the passions and affections; passionate; fervent; zealous; vehement; as, ardent love, feelings, zeal, hope, temper. [ 1913 Webster ]

An ardent and impetuous race. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Burning; hot; fiery; glowing; intense; fierce; vehement; eager; zealous; keen; fervid; fervent; passionate; affectionate. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an ardent manner; eagerly; with warmth; affectionately; passionately. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Ardency. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. any type of strongly alcoholic beverage prepared by distillation of an alcohol-containing fermented material. [ PJC ]

(Naut.) A widely used system of electric night signals in which a series of double electric lamps (white and red) is arranged vertically on a mast, and operated from a keyboard below. [ Archaic ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ L. ardor, fr. ardere to burn: cf. OF. ardor, ardur, F. ardeur. ] [ Spelt also ardour. ] 1. Heat, in a literal sense; as, the ardor of the sun's rays. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Warmth or heat of passion or affection; eagerness; zeal; as, he pursues study with ardor; the fought with ardor; martial ardor. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. pl. Bright and effulgent spirits; seraphim. [ Thus used by Milton. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Fervor; warmth; eagerness. See Fervor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. arduus steep, high; akin to Ir. ard high, height. ] 1. Steep and lofty, in a literal sense; hard to climb. [ 1913 Webster ]

Those arduous paths they trod. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Attended with great labor, like the ascending of acclivities; difficult; laborious; as, an arduous employment, task, or enterprise. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Difficult; trying; laborious; painful; exhausting. -- Arduous, Hard, Difficult. Hard is simpler, blunter, and more general in sense than difficult; as, a hard duty to perform, hard work, a hard task, one which requires much bodily effort and perseverance to do. Difficult commonly implies more skill and sagacity than hard, as when there is disproportion between the means and the end. A work may be hard but not difficult. We call a thing arduous when it requires strenuous and persevering exertion, like that of one who is climbing a precipice; as, an arduous task, an arduous duty. “It is often difficult to control our feelings; it is still harder to subdue our will; but it is an arduous undertaking to control the unruly and contending will of others.” [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an arduous manner; with difficulty or laboriousness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being arduous; difficulty of execution. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Burning; ardent. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Lo! further on,
Where flames the arduous Spirit of Isidore. Cary. [ 1913 Webster ]

. The termination of many English words; as, coward, reynard, drunkard, mostly from the French, in which language this ending is of German origin, being orig. the same word as English hard. It usually has the sense of one who has to a high or excessive degree the quality expressed by the root; as, braggart, sluggard. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. (Naut.) Over to the starboard side; -- said of the tiller. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Awkward. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. avant before + E. guard, F. avant-garde. See Avaunt. ] The most advanced group of people in any field of endeavor, especially in literary and artistic work, usually characterized by new ideas and experimental techniques. [ PJC ]

a. 1. Of, pertaining to, or belonging to the avant-garde. [ PJC ]

2. Characterized by the use of experimental techniques; modern; daring; radical. [ PJC ]

n. [ F. avant before + E. guard, F. avant-garde. See Avaunt. ] 1. The van or advanced body of an army. See Vanguard. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Same as avant-garde, n.. [ PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Awarded; p. pr. & vb. n. Awarding. ] [ OF. eswarder to look at, consider, decide, judge; es (L. ex) + warder, garder, to observe, take heed, keep, fr. OHG. wartēn to watch, guard. See Ward. ] To give by sentence or judicial determination; to assign or apportion, after careful regard to the nature of the case; to adjudge; as, the arbitrators awarded damages to the complainant. [ 1913 Webster ]

To review
The wrongful sentence, and award a new. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To determine; to make an award. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. OF. award, awart, esgart. See Award, v. t. ] 1. A judgment, sentence, or final decision. Specifically: The decision of arbitrators in a case submitted.“Impatient for the award.” Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

An award had been given against. Gilpin. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The paper containing the decision of arbitrators; that which is warded. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who awards, or assigns by sentence or judicial determination; a judge. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Turned away; away. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Awk + -ward. ] 1. Wanting dexterity in the use of the hands, or of instruments; not dexterous; without skill; clumsy; wanting ease, grace, or effectiveness in movement; ungraceful; as, he was awkward at a trick; an awkward boy. [ 1913 Webster ]

And dropped an awkward courtesy. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not easily managed or effected; embarrassing. [ 1913 Webster ]

A long and awkward process. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

An awkward affair is one that has gone wrong, and is difficult to adjust. C. J. Smith. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Perverse; adverse; untoward. [ Obs. ] “Awkward casualties.” “Awkward wind.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

O blind guides, which being of an awkward religion, do strain out a gnat, and swallow up a cancel. Udall. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Ungainly; unhandy; clownish; lubberly; gawky; maladroit; bungling; inelegant; ungraceful; unbecoming. -- Awkward, Clumsy, Uncouth. Awkward has a special reference to outward deportment. A man is clumsy in his whole person, he is awkward in his gait and the movement of his limbs. Clumsiness is seen at the first view. Awkwardness is discovered only when a person begins to move. Hence the expressions, a clumsy appearance, and an awkward manner. When we speak figuratively of an awkward excuse, we think of a lack of ease and grace in making it; when we speak of a clumsy excuse, we think of the whole thing as coarse and stupid. We apply the term uncouth most frequently to that which results from the lack of instruction or training; as, uncouth manners; uncouth language. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Awk"ward*ly adv. -- Awk"ward*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Mil.) A squad of inapt recruits assembled for special drill. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

The part of the framing of a railway car or truck, by which an axle box is held laterally, and in which it may move vertically; -- also called a jaw in the United States, and a housing in England. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Backward. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., a babbler. ] (Zool.) The lesser whitethroat of Europe; -- called also babbling warbler. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 2d back, n. + board. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A board which supports the back when one is sitting; specifically, the board athwart the after part of a boat. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A board serving as the back part of anything, as of a wagon. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A thin stuff used for the backs of framed pictures, mirrors, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A board attached to the rim of a water wheel to prevent the water from running off the floats or paddles into the interior of the wheel. W. Nicholson. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A board worn across the back to give erectness to the figure. Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Directed to the back or rear; as, backward glances. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Unwilling; averse; reluctant; hesitating; loath. [ 1913 Webster ]

For wiser brutes were backward to be slaves. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Not well advanced in learning; not quick of apprehension; dull; inapt; as, a backward child. “The backward learner.” South. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Late or behindhand; as, a backward season. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Not advanced in civilization; undeveloped; as, the country or region is in a backward state. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. Already past or gone; bygone. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

And flies unconscious o'er each backward year. Byron. [ 1913 Webster ]