v. t. [ L ab + stringere, strictum, to press together. ] To unbind. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. accipitrin. ] (Zool.) Like or belonging to the Accipitres; raptorial; hawklike. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. &unr_; colorless + E. dextrin. ] (Physiol. Chem.) Dextrin not colorable by iodine. See Dextrin. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. See Astringent. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of, pertaining to, or like, alabaster; as alabastrine limbs. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. Alpestris. ] 1. Pertaining to the Alps, or other high mountains; as, Alpestrine diseases, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) Growing on the elevated parts of mountains, but not above the timber line; subalpine. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. The antiparticle of a neutrino. Each type of neutrino has a corresponding antineutrino. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

The string of an apron. [ 1913 Webster ]

To be tied to a wife's apron strings or
To be tied to a mother's apron strings, to be unduly controlled by a wife or mother. [ 1913 Webster ]

He was so made that he could not submit to be tied to the apron strings even of the best of wives. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Astringed p. pr. & vb. n. Astringing ] [ L. astringere; ad + stringere to draw tight. Cf. Astrict, and see Strain, v. t. ] 1. To bind fast; to constrict; to contract; to cause parts to draw together; to compress. [ 1913 Webster ]

Which contraction . . . astringeth the moisture of the brain and thereby sendeth tears into the eyes. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To bind by moral or legal obligation. Wolsey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being astringent; the power of contracting the parts of the body; that quality in medicines or other substances which causes contraction of the organic textures; as, the astringency of tannin. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. astringens, p. pr. of astringere: cf. F. astringent. See Astringe. ] 1. Drawing together the tissues; binding; contracting; -- opposed to laxative; as, astringent medicines; a butter and astringent taste; astringent fruit. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Stern; austere; as, an astringent type of virtue. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A medicine or other substance that produces contraction in the soft organic textures, and checks discharges of blood, mucus, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

External astringents are called styptics. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an astringent manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. ostreger, OF. ostrucier, F. autoursier, fr. OF. austour, ostor, hawk, F. autour; cf. L. acceptor, for accipiter, hawk. ] A falconer who keeps a goshawk. [ Obs. ] Shak. Cowell. [ Written also austringer. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. austrinus, from auster south. ] Southern; southerly; austral. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The string of a bow. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A string used by the Turks for strangling offenders. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bowstring bridge, a bridge formed of an arch of timber or iron, often braced, the thrust of which is resisted by a tie forming a chord of the arch. --
Bowstring girder, an arched beam strengthened by a tie connecting its two ends. --
Bowstring hemp (Bot.), the tenacious fiber of the Sanseviera Zeylanica, growing in India and Africa, from which bowstrings are made. Balfour. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bowstringed r Bowstrung p. pr. & vb. n. Bowstringing. ] To strangle with a bowstring. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. a. 1. Furnished with bowstring. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Put to death with a bowstring; strangled. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. See Centring. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A cord by which a person in a carriage or horse car may signal to the driver. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a vitamin that maintains the resistance of cell and capillary walls to permeation; -- called also vitamin P.
Syn. -- vitamin P, bioflavinoid. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ See Citrine. ] The process by which anything becomes of the color of a lemon; esp., in alchemy, the state of perfection in the philosopher's stone indicated by its assuming a deep yellow color. Thynne. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ F. citrin. See Citron. ] Like a citron or lemon; of a lemon color; greenish yellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

Citrine ointment (Med.), a yellowish mercurial ointment, the unguentum hydrargyri nitratis. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A yellow, pellucid variety of quartz. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Constringed p. pr. & vb. n. Constringing. ] [ L. constringere. See onstrain. ] To dawn together; to contract; to force to contract itself; to constrict; to cause to shrink. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Strong liquors . . . intoxicate, constringe, harden the fibers, and coagulate the fluids. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. constringens, p. pr. ] Having the quality of contracting, binding, or compressing. Thomson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. dextrine, G. dextrin. See Dexter. ] (Chem.) A translucent, gummy, amorphous substance, nearly tasteless and odorless, used as a substitute for gum, for sizing, etc., and obtained from starch by the action of heat, acids, or diastase. It is of somewhat variable composition, containing several carbohydrates which change easily to their respective varieties of sugar. It is so named from its rotating the plane of polarization to the right; -- called also British gum, Alsace gum, gommelin, leiocome, etc. See Achroodextrin, and Erythrodextrin. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ L., that you distrain, fr. distringere. See Distrain. ] (Law) A writ commanding the sheriff to distrain a person by his goods or chattels, to compel a compliance with something required of him. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of the nature of, or constituting, doctrine. [ Obs. ] Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. See Doctrine. ] One who would apply to political or other practical concerns the abstract doctrines or the theories of his own philosophical system; a propounder of a new set of opinions; a dogmatic theorist. Used also adjectively; as, doctrinaire notions. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In french history, the Doctrinaires were a constitutionalist party which originated after the restoration of the Bourbons, and represented the interests of liberalism and progress. After the Revolution of July, 1830, when they came into power, they assumed a conservative position in antagonism with the republicans and radicals. Am. Cyc. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A matter of doctrine; also, a system of doctrines. T. Goodwin. Sir T. Elyot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ LL. doctrinalis, fr. L. doctrina: cf. F. doctrinal. See Doctrine. ] 1. Pertaining to, or containing, doctrine or something taught and to be believed; as, a doctrinal observation. “Doctrinal clauses.” Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Pertaining to, or having to do with, teaching. [ 1913 Webster ]

The word of God serveth no otherwise than in the nature of a doctrinal instrument. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a doctrinal manner or form; by way of teaching or positive direction. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A doctrinaire. J. H. Newman. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The principles or practices of the Doctrinaires. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. doctrine, L. doctrina, fr. doctor. See Doctor. ] 1. Teaching; instruction. [ 1913 Webster ]

He taught them many things by parables, and said unto them in his doctrine, Hearken. Mark iv. 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. That which is taught; what is held, put forth as true, and supported by a teacher, a school, or a sect; a principle or position, or the body of principles, in any branch of knowledge; any tenet or dogma; a principle of faith; as, the doctrine of atoms; the doctrine of chances. “The doctrine of gravitation.” I. Watts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Articles of faith and doctrine. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Monroe doctrine (Politics), a policy enunciated by President Monroe (Message, Dec. 2, 1823), the essential feature of which is that the United States will regard as an unfriendly act any attempt on the part of European powers to extend their systems on this continent, or any interference to oppress, or in any manner control the destiny of, governments whose independence had been acknowledged by the United States.

Syn. -- Precept; tenet; principle; maxim; dogma. -- Doctrine, Precept. Doctrine denotes whatever is recommended as a speculative truth to the belief of others. Precept is a rule down to be obeyed. Doctrine supposes a teacher; precept supposes a superior, with a right to command. The doctrines of the Bible; the precepts of our holy religion. [ 1913 Webster ]

Unpracticed he to fawn or seek for power
By doctrines fashioned to the varying hour. Goldsmith. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. electrinus of amber. See Electric. ] 1. Belonging to, or made of, amber. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Made of electrum, an alloy used by the ancients. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From Elytrum. ] (Chem.) See Chitin. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Pref. en- + doctrine. ] To teach; to indoctrinate. [ Obs. ] Donne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Gr. 'eryqro`s red + E. dextrin. ] (Physiol. Chem.) A dextrin which gives a red color with iodine. See Dextrin. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. extrinsecus; exter on the outside + secus otherwise, beside; akin to E. second: cf. F. extrinsèque. See Exterior, Second. ] 1. Not contained in or belonging to a body; external; outward; unessential; -- opposed to intrinsic. [ 1913 Webster ]

The extrinsic aids of education and of artificial culture. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Anat.) Attached partly to an organ or limb and partly to some other part; -- said of certain groups of muscles. Opposed to intrinsic. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Extrinsic. -- Ex*trin"sic*al*lyadv.

{ } n. The state or quality of being extrinsic. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The tendon by which the eye is moved. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One of the catgut strings of a fiddle. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. First to play in a game; not reserved as a substitute; -- of members of a team. Also used in non-sports contexts to mean first-rate. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. 1. a patch of cloth attached to and supported by string-like cords, worn over the hips, and serving to cover only the pubic area; -- often worn by stripteasers.
Syn. -- thong, merkin. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. A small covering for the loins.
Syn. -- breechcloth, breechclout, loincloth. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. [ from Dr. Graubau. ] (Physics) A transmission line consisting a single wire coated with dielectric, thus permitting surface-wave propagation. [ slang ] Dict. Sci. Technol. [ PJC ]

n. (Anat.) One of the great tendons situated in each side of the ham, or space back of the knee, and connected with the muscles of the back of the thigh. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Hamstrung; p. pr. & vb. n. Hamstringing. See String. ] To lame or disable by cutting the tendons of the ham or knee; to hough; hence, to cripple; to incapacitate; to disable. [ 1913 Webster ]

So have they hamstrung the valor of the subject by seeking to effeminate us all at home. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A nerve or tendon, supposed to brace and sustain the heart. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sobbing, as if a heartstring broke. Moore. [ 1913 Webster ]