n. [ A desid. of L. agere, actum, to act. ] Tendency or impulse to act. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Acturience, or desire of action, in one form or another, whether as restlessness, ennui, dissatisfaction, or the imagination of something desirable. J. Grote. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. aire, eire, air, nest, also origin, descent, OF. aire, LL. area, aera, nest of a bird of prey, perh. fr. L. area an open space (for birds of prey like to build their nests on flat and open spaces on the top of high rocks). Cf. Area. ] The nest of a bird of prey, as of an eagle or hawk; also a brood of such birds; eyrie. Shak. Also fig.: A human residence or resting place perched like an eagle's nest. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. p. Made friends; reconciled. [ Obs. ] “Deadly foes . . . affriended.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. agrevance, fr. agrever. See Aggrieve. ] Oppression; hardship; injury; grievance. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Aggrieved p. pr. & vb. n. Aggrieving ] [ OE. agreven, OF. agrever; a (L. ad) + grever to burden, injure, L. gravare to weigh down, fr. gravis heavy. See Grieve, and cf. Aggravate. ] To give pain or sorrow to; to afflict; hence, to oppress or injure in one's rights; to bear heavily upon; -- now commonly used in the passive TO be aggrieved. [ 1913 Webster ]

Aggrieved by oppression and extortion. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To grieve; to lament. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 subjected to an injustice. the aggrieved mother.
Syn. -- injured, wronged. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adv. [ Pref. a- + grief. ] In grief; amiss. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Chem.) a series of acyclic non-aromatic saturated hydrocarbons with the general formula CnH(2n+2). They include methane, ethane, propane, butane, and the paraffins.
Syn. -- methane series, alkane series, paraffin [ WordNet 1.5 PC ]

a. [ L. aperiens, p. pr. of aperire to uncover, open; ab + parire, parere, to bring forth, produce. Cf. Cover, Overt. ] (Med.) Gently opening the bowels; laxative. -- n. An aperient medicine or food. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A chief priest; also, a kind of vicar, or a rural dean. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Heb. ariël, perh. confused with E. aërial. ] In the Cabala, a water spirit; in later folklore, a light and graceful spirit of the air. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

☞ In Zoology, ariel is used adjectively of certain birds noted for their graceful flight; as, the ariel toucan; the ariel petrel. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n., or /mhw>. [ Ar. aryil, ayyil, stag. ] (Zool.) (a) A variety of the gazelle (Antilope dorcas, or Gazella, dorcas), found in Arabia and adjacent countries. (b) A squirrel-like Australian marsupial, a species of Petaurus. (c) A beautiful Brazilian toucan Ramphastos ariel). [ 1913 Webster ]

‖ prop. n. [ L. ] 1. (Astron.) (a) The Ram; the first of the twelve signs in the zodiac, which the sun enters at the vernal equinox, about the 21st of March. (b) A constellation west of Taurus, drawn on the celestial globe in the figure of a ram. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Rom. Antiq.) A battering-ram. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ L. arietatus, p. p. of arietare, fr. aries ram. ] To butt, as a ram. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. arietatio. ] 1. The act of butting like a ram; act of using a battering-ram. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Act of striking or conflicting. [ R. ] Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ ‖ } n. [ It. arietta, dim. of aria; F. ariette. ] (Mus.) A short aria, or air. “A military ariette.” Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. arrière. See Arrear. ] “That which is behind”; the rear; -- chiefly used as an adjective in the sense of behind, rear, subordinate. [ 1913 Webster ]

Arriere fee,
Arriere fief, a fee or fief dependent on a superior fee, or a fee held of a feudatory. --
Arriere vassal, the vassal of a vassal. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. OE. arban, heriban, fr. OHG. hariban, heriban, G. heerbann, the calling together of an army; OHG. heri an army + ban a public call or order. The French have misunderstood their old word, and have changed it into arrière-ban, though arrière has no connection with its proper meaning. See Ban, Abandon. ] A proclamation, as of the French kings, calling not only their immediate feudatories, but the vassals of these feudatories, to take the field for war; also, the body of vassals called or liable to be called to arms, as in ancient France. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. avant before + courrier. See Avaunt, and Courier. ] A person dispatched before another person or company, to give notice of his or their approach. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. ] Adultery. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. p. Wearied. [ Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. pl. (Zool.) Feathers connecting the under surface of the wing and the body, and concealed by the closed wing. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. See Aerie. Drayton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Back, n. or adv. + friend. ] A secret enemy. [ Obs. ] South. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. The presence of bacteria in the blood; same as bacteremia. [ PJC ]

‖n. [ F. ] A vessel for holding hot water in which another vessel may be heated without scorching its contents; -- used for warming or preparing food or pharmaceutical preparations. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. barrere, barere, F. barrière, fr. barre bar. See Bar, n. ] 1. (Fort.) A carpentry obstruction, stockade, or other obstacle made in a passage in order to stop an enemy. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fortress or fortified town, on the frontier of a country, commanding an avenue of approach. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. pl. A fence or railing to mark the limits of a place, or to keep back a crowd. [ 1913 Webster ]

No sooner were the barriers opened, than he paced into the lists. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Any obstruction; anything which hinders approach or attack. “Constitutional barriers.” Hopkinson. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Any limit or boundary; a line of separation. [ 1913 Webster ]

'Twixt that [ instinct ] and reason, what a nice barrier! Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Barrier gate, a heavy gate to close the opening through a barrier. --
Barrier reef, a form of coral reef which runs in the general direction of the shore, and incloses a lagoon channel more or less extensive. --
To fight at barriers, to fight with a barrier between, as a martial exercise. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Befriended; p. pr. & vb. n. Befriending. ] To act as a friend to; to favor; to aid, benefit, or countenance. [ 1913 Webster ]

By the darkness befriended. Longfellow. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Act of befriending. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Furnished with berries; consisting of a berry; baccate; as, a berried shrub. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. bi- + parietal. ] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the diameter of the cranium, from one parietal fossa to the other. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ German, blitz lightning + krieg war. ] an overwhelming all-out attack with infantry, armor, and air forces, especially by surprise against an unprepared enemy. [ PJC ]

v. to fight a quick and surprising war.
Syn. -- fight a blitzkrieg. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. a small restaurant serving beer and wine as well as food; usually cheap. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

{ } n. [ OE. brere, brer, AS. brēr, brær; cf. Ir. briar prickle, thorn, brier, pin, Gael. preas bush, brier, W. prys, prysg. ] 1. A plant with a slender woody stem bearing stout prickles; especially, species of Rosa, Rubus, and Smilax. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Fig.: Anything sharp or unpleasant to the feelings. [ 1913 Webster ]

The thorns and briers of reproof. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Brier root, the root of the southern Smilax laurifolia and Smilax Walteri; -- used for tobacco pipes. See also 2nd brier. --
Cat brier,
Green brier, several species of Smilax (Smilax rotundifolia, etc.) --
Sweet brier (Rosa rubiginosa). See Sweetbrier. --
Yellow brier, the Rosa Eglantina. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. same as Brie cheese.
[ PJC ]

A kind of soft French cream cheese; -- so called from the district in France where it is made; it is milder than Camembert; -- called also fromage de Brie, Brie and brie (uncapitalized). [ Webster 1913 Suppl. + WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ OE. bref, F. brief, bref, fr. L. brevis; akin to Gr. brachy`s short, and perh. to Skr. barh to tear. Cf. Breve. ] 1. Short in duration. [ 1913 Webster ]

How brief the life of man. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Concise; terse; succinct. [ 1913 Webster ]

The brief style is that which expresseth much in little. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Rife; common; prevalent. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

In brief. See under Brief, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Short; concise; succinct; summary; compendious; condensed; terse; curt; transitory; short-lived. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. Briefly. [ Obs. or Poetic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Adam, faltering long, thus answered brief. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Soon; quickly. [ Obs. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Brief, a., and cf. Breve. ] 1. A short concise writing or letter; a statement in few words. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bear this sealed brief,
With winged hastle, to the lord marshal. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

And she told me
In a sweet, verbal brief. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An epitome. [ 1913 Webster ]

Each woman is a brief of womankind. Overbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) An abridgment or concise statement of a client's case, made out for the instruction of counsel in a trial at law. This word is applied also to a statement of the heads or points of a law argument. [ 1913 Webster ]

It was not without some reference to it that I perused many a brief. Sir J. Stephen. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In England, the brief is prepared by the attorney; in the United States, counsel generally make up their own briefs. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) A writ; a breve. See Breve, n., 2. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Scots Law) A writ issuing from the chancery, directed to any judge ordinary, commanding and authorizing that judge to call a jury to inquire into the case, and upon their verdict to pronounce sentence. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A letter patent, from proper authority, authorizing a collection or charitable contribution of money in churches, for any public or private purpose. [ Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

7. pl. a type of men's underpants without legs, fitting tightly and held by an elastic waistband; also called Jockey shorts. [ PJC ]

Apostolical brief, a letter of the pope written on fine parchment in modern characters, subscribed by the secretary of briefs, dated “a die Nativitatis, ” i. e., “from the day of the Nativity, ” and sealed with the ring of the fisherman. It differs from a bull, in its parchment, written character, date, and seal. See Bull. --
Brief of title, an abstract or abridgment of all the deeds and other papers constituting the chain of title to any real estate. --
In brief, in a few words; in short; briefly. “Open the matter in brief.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make an abstract or abridgment of; to shorten; as, to brief pleadings. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a small suitcase with a handle; it is used for carrying papers or files or books. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. giving detailed instructions, as for a military operation. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. a detailed set of instructions before an operation, given to those who are to execute it. [ PJC ]

3. a summary report of an operation or event after it has occurred, by a participant or observer. [ PJC ]

a. Having no brief; without clients; as, a briefless barrister. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. Concisely; in few words. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who makes a brief. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A copier of a manuscript. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality of being brief; brevity; conciseness in discourse or writing. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. the white heath Erica arborea. RHUD. [ PJC ]

2. a smoking pipe made of the root of the brier{ 1 }. Brierroot seems to have been used formerly as a term meaning root of the Smilax laurifolia and is now defined as root of the Erica arborea. Not clear when this changed. -- PJC. [ PJC ]

a. Set with briers. Chatterton. [ 1913 Webster ]