n. 1. any of various spectacular orchids of the genus Angraecum having 2-ranked dark green leathery leaves and usually nocturnally scented white or ivory flowers. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. irrecuperabilis: cf. OF. irrecuperable. See In- not, and Recuperate. ] Irrecoverable. -- Ir`re*cu"per*a*bly, adv. [1913 Webster]

a. Incurable. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. irrecusabilis; pref. ir-- not + recusabilis that should be rejected, fr. recusare to reject: cf. F. irrécusable. ] Not liable to exception or rejection. Sir W. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not recurring. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Nonrecurrent; as, the costs of a layoff are considered as a nonrecurring expense. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F., fr. outre beyond + cuider to think, L. cogitare. ] Excessive presumption. [ R. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A precursor. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. praecursus. ] A forerunning. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Preceding; introductory; precursory. “A deep precursive sound.” Coleridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. praecursor, fr. praecurrere to run before; prae before + currere to run. See Course. ] One who, or that which, precedes an event, and indicates its approach; a forerunner; a harbinger. [ 1913 Webster ]

Evil thoughts are the invisible, airy precursors of all the storms and tempests of the soul. Buckminster. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Predecessor; forerunner; harbinger; messenger; omen; sign. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The position or condition of a precursor. Ruskin. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. praecursorius. ] Preceding as a precursor or harbinger; indicating something to follow; as, precursory symptoms of a fever. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. An introduction. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. recubare to lie upon the back. ] Recumbence. [ Obs. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To recoil. [ Obs. ] Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ F. reculement. ] Recoil. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ L. recumbere; pref. re- back + cumbere (in comp.), akin to cubare to lie down. ] To lean; to recline; to repose. [ Obs. ] J. Allen (1761). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of leaning, resting, or reclining; the state of being recumbent. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Recumbence. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. recumbens, -entis, p. pr. of recumbere. See Recumb, Incumbent. ] Leaning; reclining; lying; as, the recumbent posture of the Romans at their meals. Hence, figuratively; Resting; inactive; idle. -- Re*cum"bent*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

a. [ Cf.F. récupérable. See Recover. ] Recoverable. Sir T. Elyot. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Recuperated p. pr. & vb. n. Recuperating. ] [ L. recuperatus, p. p. of recuperare. See Recover to get again. ] To recover health; to regain strength; to convalesce. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To recover; to regain; as, to recuperate the health or strength. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. recuperatio: cf. F. récupération. ] Recovery, as of anything lost, especially of the health or strength. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. L. recuperator a recoverer. ] (Steel Manuf.) Same as Regenerator. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. recuperativus, recuperatorius. ] Of or pertaining to recuperation; tending to recovery. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Recurred p. pr. & vb. n. Recurring. ] [ L. recurrere; pref. re- re- + currere to run. See Current. ] 1. To come back; to return again or repeatedly; to come again to mind. [ 1913 Webster ]

When any word has been used to signify an idea, the old idea will recur in the mind when the word is heard. I. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To occur at a stated interval, or according to some regular rule; as, the fever will recur to-night. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To resort; to have recourse; to go for help. [ 1913 Webster ]

If, to avoid succession in eternal existence, they recur to the “punctum stans” of the schools, they will thereby very little help us to a more positive idea of infinite duration. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Recurring decimal (Math.), a circulating decimal. See under Decimal. --
Recurring series (Math.), an algebraic series in which the coefficients of the several terms can be expressed by means of certain preceding coefficients and constants in one uniform manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. Recover. ] 1. To arrive at; to reach; to attain. [ Obs. ] Lydgate. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To recover; to regain; to repossess. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

When their powers, impaired through labor long,
With due repast, they had recured well. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To restore, as from weariness, sickness; or the like; to repair. [ 1913 Webster ]

In western waves his weary wagon did recure. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To be a cure for; to remedy. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

No medicine
Might avail his sickness to recure. Lydgate. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Cure; remedy; recovery. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

But whom he hite, without recure he dies. Fairfax. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Incapable of cure. [ Obs. ] Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Cf. F. récurrence. ] The act of recurring, or state of being recurrent; return; resort; recourse. [ 1913 Webster ]

I shall insensibly go on from a rare to a frequent recurrence to the dangerous preparations. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. recurrens, -entis, p. pr. of recurrere: cf.F. récurrent. See Recur. ] 1. Returning from time to time; recurring; as, recurrent pains. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Anat.) Running back toward its origin; as, a recurrent nerve or artery. [ 1913 Webster ]

Recurrent fever. (Med.) See Relapsing fever, under Relapsing. --
Recurrent pulse (Physiol.), the pulse beat which appears (when the radial artery is compressed at the wrist) on the distal side of the point of pressure through the arteries of the palm of the hand. --
Recurrent sensibility (Physiol.), the sensibility manifested by the anterior, or motor, roots of the spinal cord (their stimulation causing pain) owing to the presence of sensory fibers from the corresponding sensory or posterior roots. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. recursans, -antis, p. pr. of recursare to run back, v. freq. of recurrere. See Recure. ] (Her.) Displayed with the back toward the spectator; -- said especially of an eagle. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. recursio. See Recur. ] The act of recurring; return. [ Obs. ] Boyle. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. recurvatus, p. p. of recurvare. See Re-, and Curvate. ] (Bot.) Recurved. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To bend or curve back; to recurve. Pennant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of recurving, or the state of being recurved; a bending or flexure backward. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To curve in an opposite or unusual direction; to bend back or down. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Curved in an opposite or uncommon direction; bent back; as, a bird with a recurved bill; flowers with recurved petals. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. recurvus bent back + rostrum beack; cf. F. récurvirostre. ] (Zool.) A bird whose beak bends upward, as the avocet. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Recurviroster. ] (Zool.) Having the beak bent upwards. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Recurvation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. recurvus; pref. re- re + curvus curved. ] Recurved. Derham. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being recusant; nonconformity. Coke. [ 1913 Webster ]

a.[ L. recusans, -antis, p. pr. of recure to refuse, to oject to; pref. re- re + causa a cause, pretext: cf. F. récusant. See Cause, and cf. Ruse. ] Obstinate in refusal; specifically, in English history, refusing to acknowledge the supremacy of the king in the church, or to conform to the established rites of the church; as, a recusant lord. [ 1913 Webster ]

It stated him to have placed his son in the household of the Countess of Derby, a recusant papist. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who is obstinate in refusal; one standing out stubbornly against general practice or opinion. [ 1913 Webster ]

The last rebellious recusants among the European family of nations. De Quincey. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Eng. Hist.) A person who refuses to acknowledge the supremacy of the king in matters of religion; as, a Roman Catholic recusant, who acknowledges the supremacy of the pope. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. One who refuses communion with the Church of England; a nonconformist. [ 1913 Webster ]

All that are recusants of holy rites. Holyday. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. recusatio: cf. F. récusation. ] 1. Refusal. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Old Law) The act of refusing a judge or challenging that he shall not try the cause, on account of his supposed partiality. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Refusing; denying; negative. [ R. ] Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ F. récuser, or L. recusare. See Recusant. ] (Law) To refuse or reject, as a judge; to challenge that the judge shall not try the cause. [ Obs. ] Sir K. Digby. [ 1913 Webster ]