To improve; to increase. Death comes not at call; justice divine Milton. When upon the sands the traveller Dryden. To MEND. v. n. To grow better; to advance in any good; to be changed for the better. MENDABLE. adj. [from mend.] Capable In this delivery there were additional mendasities; for the commandment forbid not to touch the fruit, and positively said, Ye shall surely die; but she, extenuating, replied, Lest ye die. ME'NDER. 2.5. [from mend.] One who makes any change for the better. Brown. thousand. clesian; the menology saith they were twenty Stilling fleets ME NOW. n. s. commonly minnow, [phoxinus.] A fish. MENSAL. adj. [mensalis, Lat.] Belonging to the table; transacted at table. A word yet scarcely naturalized. Conversation either mental or mensal. Clare MENSTRUAL. adj. [menstrual, Fr. menstruus, Latin.] 1. Monthly; happening once a month; lasting a month. She turns all her globe to the sun, by moving in her menstrual orb, and enjoys night and day alternately, one day of her's being equal to fourteen days and nights of our's. Bentley. 2. Pertaining to a menstruum. [menstrueux, French.] The dissents of the menstrual or strong waters hinder the incorporation, as well as those of the metal. Bacon ME'NSTRUOUS. adj. [menstruus, Lat.] 1. Having the catamenia. What trade art thou? A trade that I may use with a safe conscience; a wender of bad soals. 2. Shakspeare. MENDICANT. adj. [mendicans, Lat.] Begging; poor to a state of beggary. Be not righteous over-much, is applicable to those who, out of an excess of zeal, practise mortifications, whereby they macerate their bodies; or to those who voluntarily reduce themselves to a poor and mendicant state. Fiddes. MENDICANT. n.s. [mendicant, Fr.] A beggar; one of some begging fraternity in the Romish church. TO ME NDICATE. v. a. [mendico, Lat. mendier, Fr.] To beg; to ask alms. MENDI CITY. n. s. [mendicitas, Lat. mendicité, Fr.] The life of a beggar. MENDS, for amends. Let her be as she is: If she be fair, 'tis the better for her; and if she be not, she has the mends in her own hands. Shakspeare. MENIAL. adj. [from meiny or many; meni, Sax. or mesnie, old Fr.] 1. Belonging to the retinue or train of servants. Two menial dogs before their master press'd; Thus clad, and guarded thus, he seeks his kingly guest. Dryden. 2. Swift seems not to have known the meaning of this word. The women attendants perform only the most menial offices. Gulliver. MENIAL. n. s. One of the train of servants. MENINGES. H. s. [μevily.] The menin ges are the two membranes that envelope the brain, which are called the pia mater and dura mater; the latter being the exterior involucrum, is, from its thickness, so denominated. The brain being exposed to the air groweth quid, and is thrust forth by the contraction of Wiseman.. the meninges. MENOLOGY. n. s. [unvoλoyiov; menologe, Fr. A register of months. In the Roman martyrology we find, at one time, many thousand martyrs destroyed by Dio O thou of late belov'd, Now like a menstruous woman art remov'd. Sandys, Happening to women at certain times. Many, from being women, have proved men at the first point of their menstruous eruptions. Brown. ME'NSTRUUM. n. s. [This name probably was derived from some notion of the old chymists about the influence of the moon in the preparation of dissolvents.J All liquors are called menstruums which are used as dissolvents, or to extract the virtues of Quincy. ingredients by infusion, decoction. Enquire what is the proper menstruum to dis solve metal, what will touch upon the one and not upon the other, and what several menstrua will dissolve any metal. Bacon. White metalline bodies must be excepted, which, by reason of their excessive density, seem to reflect almost all the light incident on their first superficies, unless by solution in menstruums they be reduced into very small particles, and then they become transparent. Newton. MENSURABILITY. n. s. [mensurabilité, Fr.] Capacity of being measured. MENSURABLE. adj. [mensura, Lat.] Measurable; that may be measured. We measure our time by law and not by na ture. The solar month is no periodical motion, and not easily mensurable, and the months un equal among themselves, and not to be measured by even weeks or days. MENSURAL. adj. [from mensura, Lat.] Relating to measure. Holder. To MENSURATE. v. a. [from mensura, Lat.] To measure; to take the dimension of any thing. MENSURATION. n. s. [from_mensura, Lat.] The act or practice of measuring; result of measuring. After giving the mensuration and argumentation of Dr. Cumberland, it would not have been fair to have suppressed those of another prelate. Arbuthnot. MENTAL. adj. [mentale, Fr. mentis, Lat.] This eye shoots forth? How big imagination Mores in this lip? To the dumbness of the ges ture One might interpret. Shakspeare. So deep the pow'r of these ingredients pierc'd, Ev'n to the inmost seat of mental sight, That Adam now enforc'd to close his eyes, Sunk down and all his spirits became entranc'd. Milton. The metaphor of taste would not have been so general, had there not been a conformity between the mental taste and that sensitive taste that affects the palate. Addison. If the ideas be not innate, there was a time when the mind was without those principles; for where the ideas are not, there can be no knowledge, no assent, no mental or verbal propositions about them. She kindly talk'd, at least three hours, Of plastick forms, and mental pow'rs. Locke. Prior. Those inward representations of spirit, thought, tove, and hatred, are pure and mental ideas, belonging to the mind, and carry nothing of shape or seuse in them. Watts. MENTALLY. adv. [from mental.] In. tellectually; in the mind; not practically or externally, but in thought or meditation. If we consider the heart the first principle of life, and mentally divide it into its constituent parts, we find nothing but what is in any muscle of the body. Bentley. MENTION. n .n.s. [mention, Fr. mentio, Lat.] 1. Oral or written expression, or recital of any thing. Think on me when it shall be well with thee; and make mention of me unto Pharaoh. Genesis. The Almighty introduces the proposal of his laws rather with the mention of some particular acts of kindness, than by reminding mankind of his severity. Rogers. 2. Cursory or incidental nomination. Haply mention may arise Of something not unseasonable to ask, Milton. To MENTION. v. a. [mentionner, Fr. from the noun.] To write or express in words or writing. I will mention the loving kindnesses of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord. Isaiah. These mentioned by their names were princes in their families. 1 Chronicles. All his transgressions shall not be mentioned. Joys Exchiel. Then sweet, now sad to mention, through dire change Befall'n us, unforeseen, unthought of. Milton. No more be mentioned then of violence Against ourselves, and wilful barrenness. Milt. MEPHITICAL. adj. [mephitis, Lat.] Ill. savoured; stinking. Mephitical exhalations are poisonous or noxious steams issuing out of the earth, from what Quincy. MERA'CIOUS. adj. [meracus, Lat.] Strong; cause soever. racy. MERCABLE. adj. [mercor, Lat.] To be sold or bought. Dict. MERCANTANT. n. s. [mercantante, Ital.] This word in Shakspeare seems to signify a foreigner, or foreign trader. What is he? -A mercantant, or else a pedant; I know not what but formal in apparel. Shaksp. MERCANTILE. adj. Trading; commercial: relating to traders. The expedition of the Argonauts was partly mercantile, partly military. Arbuslabi. Let him travel and fulfil the duties of the military or mercantile life; let prosperous or adverse fortune call him to the most distant parts of the globe, still let him carry on his knowledge, and the improvement of his soul. Watts. MERCAT. n. s. [mercatus, Lat.] Market; trade. With irresistible majesty and authority our Saviour removed the exchange, and drove the mercat out of the temple. Spratt. MERCATURE. n. s. [mercatura, Lat.] The practice of buying and selling. MERCENARINESS. n.s. [from mercenary.1 Venality; respect to hire or reward. To forego the pleasures of sense, and undergo the hardships that attend a holy life, is such a kind of mer enariness, as none but a resigned, believing soul is likely to be guilty of; if fear itself, and even the fear of hell, may be one justifiable motive of men's actions. Boyle. MERCENARY. adj. [mercenaire, Ft. mercenarius, Lat.] 1. Venal; hired; sold for money. Many of our princes, woe the while! Lie drown'd, and soak'd in mercenary blood. Shakspeare. Divers Almains, who served in the garrisons, being merely mercenary, did easily incline to the Haywood. a. Too studious of profit; acting only for hire. strongest. 'Twas not for nothing I the crown resign'd; I still must own a mercenary mind. Dryden. MERCENARY. n. s. [mercenaire, Fr.] A hireling; one retained or serving for pay. He a poor mercenary serves for bread; For all his travel, only cloth'd and fed. Sandys. MEʼRCER. n. s. [mercier, Fr.] One who sells silks. The draper and mercer may measure religion as they please, and the weaver cast her upon what loom he please. Horvel. MERCERY. n. s. [mercerie, Fr. from mercer.] Trade of mercers; traffick of silks. The mercery gone from out of Lombardstreet and Cheapside into Paternoster-row and Fleet-street. Graunt. To MERCHAND. v. n. [merchander, F..] To transact by traffick. Ferdinando merchanded with France for the reStoring Roussiglion and Perpignan, oppignorated to them. Bacon. MERCHANDISE. n. s. [marchandise, Fr.] 1. Traffick; commerce; trade. If a son, that is sent by his father about merchandise, fall into some lewd action, his wickedness, by your rule, should be imposed upon his father. Shakspeare. If he pay thee to the utmost farthing, thou hast forgiven nothing: it is merchandise, and not forgiveness, to restore him that does as much as you can require. Taylor. 2. Wares; any thing to be bought or sold. Fair when her bre like a rich laden bark With precious merchandise, she forth doth lay. Spenser. Thou shalt not sell her at all for money; thou shalt not make merchandise of her. Deuteronomy. As for any merchandise you have brought, ve shall have your return in merchandise or in gold. Bacon. So active a people will always have money, whilst they can send what merchandises they please to Mexico. Addison. To MERCHANDISE. V. n. To trade; to traffick; to exercise commerce. The Phoenicians, of whose exceeding merchan dising we read so much in ancient histories were Canaanites, whose very name signifies merchants. Brerewood. MERCHANT. n. s. [marchand, Fr.] One who trafficks to remote countries. France hath flaw'd the league, and hath attach'd Our merchants goods at Bourdeaux. Shaksp. The Lord hath given a commandment against the merchant city to destroy the strong holds thereof. Isaiah. The most celebrated merchants in the world were situated in the island of Tyre. Addison. MERCHANTLY. adj. [from merchant.] MERCHANTLIKE.S Like a merchant. Ainsworth. MERCHANT-MAN. n. s. [merchant and man.] A ship of trade. Pirates have fair winds and a calm sea, when the just and peaceful merchant-man hath them. Taylor. In the time of Augustus and Tiberius, the southern coasts of Spain sent great fleets of merchant-men to Italy. Arbuthnot. MERCHANTABLE. adj. [mercabilis, Lat. from merchant.] Fit to be bought or sold. Milton. His providence, and on him sole depend, Merciful over all his works, with good Still overcoming evil. MERCIFULLY. adv. [from merciful.] Tenderly; mildly; with pity; with compassion. Make the true use of those afflictions which his hand, mercifully severe, hath been pleased to lay upon thee. Atterbury. MERCIFULNESS. n. s. [from merciful.] Tenderness; willingness to spare. The band that ought to knit all these excellencies together is a kind mercifulness to such a one, as is in his soul devoted to such perfections. Sidney. Use the means ordinary and lawful, among which mercifulness and liberality is one, to which the promise of secular wealth is most frequently made. Hammond. ME ́RCILESS. adj. [from mercy.] Void of mercy; pitiless; hardhearted; cruel; His mother merciless, severe. Most merciless of women Wyden hight, So merciless a tyrant to obey! Dryden. Whatever ravages a merciless distemper may commit, she shall have one man as much her admirer as ever. Pope. The torrent merciless imbibes Commissions, perquisites, and bribes. Swift. MERCILESSLY. adv. [from merciless.] In a manner void of pity. MERCILESSNESS. n. s. [from merciless.] Want of pity. MERCURIAL. adj. [mercurialis, Lat.] I know the shape of's leg; this is his hand, Shakspeare. This youth was such a mercurial, as could make his own part, if at any time he chanced to be out. Bacon. Tully considered the dispositions of a sincere, more ignorant, and less mercurial nation, by dwelling on the pathetick part. Swift. 2. Consisting of quicksilver: as, mercurial medicines. MERCURIFICATION. adj. [from mercury.] The act of mixing any thing with quicksilver. Boyle. I add the ways of mercurification. MERCURY. n. s. [mercurius, Lat.] The chymist's name for quicksilver is 1. mercury. Hill. The gall of animals and mercury kill worms; and the water in which mercury is boiled has this Arbuthnot. effect. 2. Sprightly qualities. Thus the mercury of man is fix'd, Strong grows the virtue with his nature mix'd; The dross cements what else were too refin'd, And in one int'rest body acts with mind. Pope. 3. A news-paper; so called from Mercury, the intelligencer of the gods. Ainsworth. 4. It is now applied in cant phrase, to the carriers of news and pamphlets. MERCURY. n. s. [mercurialis, Lat.] A plant. Herb mercury is of an emollient nature, and is eaten in the manner of spinach, which, when cultivated in a garden, it greatly excels. Hill. MERCURY'S finger. n. s. [hermodactylus, MERCY. n. s. [merci, Fr. contracted Lat.] Wild saffron. from misericordia, Lat.] 1. Tenderness; goodness; pity; willing ness to spare and save; clemency; mildness; unwillingness to punish. Oh heav'n have mercy on me! -I say, amen. And have you mercy too? Mercy is not strain'd; Sbaksp It droppeth, as the gentle rain from heav'n, I cry thee mercy with all my heart, for suspecting a friar of the least good-nature. Dryd. 3. Discretion; power of acting at pleasure. Condition! What good condition can a treaty find Shaksp. The most authentick record of so ancient a family should lie at the mercy of every infant who flings a stone. Pope. A lover is ever complaining of cruelty while any thing is denied him; and when the lady ceases to be cruel, she is, from the next moment, at his mercy, Swift. MERCY-SEAT. n. s. [mercy and seat.] The mercy-seat was the covering of the ark of the covenant, in which the tables of the law were deposited: it was of gold, and at its two ends were fixed the two cherubims, of the same metal, which with their wings extended forwards, seemed to form a throne for the majesty of God, who in scripture is represented as sitting between the cherubims, and the ark was his footstool: it was from hence that God gave his oracles to Moses, or to the high priest that consulted him. Calmet, Make a mercy-seat of pure gold. Exodus. MERE. adj. [merus, Lat.] That or this only; such and nothing else; this only. Scotland hath foisons to fill up your will Of your mere own. Shakspeare. I have engag'd myself to a dear friend, Engag'd my friend to his mere enemy, To feed my means. Shakspeare. The mere Irish were not admitted to the benefit of the laws of England, until they had purchased charters of denization. Dav. on Ireland. From mere success nothing can be concluded in favour of any nation upon whom it is bestowed. Atterbury. What if the head, the eye, or ear repin'd, To serve mere engines to the ruling mind. Pope. Let eastern tyrants from the light of heav'n Seclude their bosom slaves, meanly possess'd Of a mere, lifeless, violated form. Thomson. MERE or Mer, in the beginning, middle, or end, signify the same with the Saxon mene, a pool or lake. Gibson. MERE. n. s. [mene, Saxon.] 1. A pool; commonly a large pool or lake: as, Winander mere. Meres stored both with fish and fowl. Camden. 2. A boundary. The mislayer of a mere-stone is to blame; but it is the unjust judge that is the capital remover of land-marks, who defineth amiss of lands. Bacon, VOL. III. MERELY. adv. [from mere.] Simply; only; thus and no other way; for this and for no other end or purpose. Which thing we ourselves would grant, if the use thereof had been merely and only mystical. Hooker These external manners of laments It is below reasonable creatures to be conversant in such diversions as are merely innocent, and have nothing else to recommend them. Addison. Above a thousand bought his almanack merely to find what he said against me. Swift. Prize not your life for other ends Than merely to oblige your friends. Swift. MERETRICIOUS. adj. [meretricius, meretrix, Lat.] Whorish; such as is practised by prostitutes; alluring by false show. Our degenerate understandings have suffered a sad divorce from their dearest object, defile themselves with every meretricious semblance, that the variety of opinion presents them with. Glanville. Not by affected, meretricious arts, But strict harmonious symmetry of parts. Roscommon. MERETRICIOUSLY. adv. [from meretricious.] Whorishly; after the manner of whores. MERETRICIOUSNESS. n. s. [from meretricious.] False allurement like those of strumpets. MERIDIAN. n.s. [meridien, Fr. meri dies, Lat.] 1. Noon; midday. He promis'd in his East a glorious race, Now sunk from his meridian, sets apace. Dryd 2. The line drawn from north to south, which the sun crosses at noon. The true meridian is a circle passing through the poles of the world, and the zenith or vertex of any place, exactly dividing the east from the Brown. The sun or moon, rising or setting, our idea represents bigger than when on the meridian. west. Watts. 3. The particular place or state of any 4. thing. All other knowledge merely serves the con cerns of this life, and is fitted to the meridian thereof; they are such as will be of little use to a separate soul. Hale. The highest point of glory or power. I've touch'd the highest point of all my great ness, And from that full meridian of my glory Shakspeare. I haste now to my setting. Your full majesty at once breaks forth In the meridian of your reign. MERIDIAN. adj. 1. Being at the point of noon. Waller. Sometimes tow'rds Eden, which now in his view Lay pleasant, his griev'd look he fixes sad; Sometimes tow'rds heav'n, and the full blazing In the southern coast of America and Africa, the southern point varieth toward the land, as being disposed that way by the meridional or proper hemisphere. Brown. 2. Sutherly; having a southern aspect. All offices that require heat, as kitchens, stillatories, and stoves, should be meridional. Wott. MERIDIONALITY. n. s. [from meridional.] Position in the south; aspect toward the south. MERIDIONALLY. adv. [from meridional.] In the direction of the meridian. The Jews, not willing to lie as their temple stood, do place their bed from north to south, and delight to sleep meridionally. Brown. MERIT. n. s. [meritum, Lat. merite, Fr.] 1. Desert; excellence deserving honour or reward. She deem'd I well deserv'd to die, And made a merit of her cruelty. Dryden. Roscommon, not more learn'd than good, With manners gen'rous as his noble blood; To him the wit of Greece and Rome was known, And ev'ry author's merit but his own. Than titles, figure, shape, and dress; 'That merit should be chiefly plac'd In judgment, knowledge, wit, and taste. Swift. 2. Reward deserved. Those laurel groves, the merits of thy youth, Which thou from Mahomet didst greatly gain, While bold assertor of resistless truth, Thy sword did godlike liberty maintain. Prior. 3. Claim; right; character with respect to desert of good or evil. You have the captives; use them Shaksp. As I am studious to promote the honour of my native country, I put Chaucer's merits to the trial, by turning some of the Canterbury Tales into our language. Dryden. When a point hath been well examined, and our own judgment settled, after a large survey of the merits of the cause, it would be a weakness to continue fluttering. Waits. To MERIT. v. a. [meriter, Fr.] 1. To deserve; to have a right to claim any thing as deserved. Amply have merited of me, of all Th' infernal empire. Milton, A man at best is uncapable of meriting any thing from God. South. 2. To deserve; to earn: it is used generally of good, but sometimes of ill. Whatsoever jewels I have merited, I am sure I have received none, unless experience be a jewel; that I have purchased at an infinite rate. Shakspeare. If such rewards to vanquish'd men are due, What prize may Nisus from your bounty claim, Who merited the first rewards, and fame? Dryd. MERITORIOUS. adj. [meritoire, Fr. from merit.] Deserving of reward; high in desert. Instead of so great and meritorious a service, in bringing all the Irish to acknowledge the king for their liege, they did great hurt, Spenser 6 The war that hath such a foundation will not only be reputed just, but holy and meritorious. Raleigh. Sufficient means of redemption and salvation, by the satisfactory and meritorious death and obedience of the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ, God blessed for ever. Sanderson. This is not only the most prudent, but the most meritorious charity, which we can practise. Addison. MERITORIOUSLY. adv. [from meritorious.] In such a manner as to deserve reward. He carried himself meriteriously in foreign employments in time of the interdict, which held up his credit among the patriots. Wotton. MERITORIOUSNESS. n. s. [from meritsrious.] The act or state of deserving well. South. There was a full persuasion of the high meri toriousness of what they did; but still there was no law of God to ground it upon, and conse MERITOT. n.s. [oscillum, Lat.] A kind quently it was not conscience. of play. Ainsworth. MERLIN. n. s. A kind of hawk. Not yielding over to old age his country delights, he was at that time following a merlin. MERMAID. .s. [mer, the sea; and maid.] Sidney A sea woman; an animal with a woman's head and fish's tail. I'll drown more sailors than the mermaid shall. Thou remembrest, Since once I sat upon a promontory, Did sense persuade Ulysses not to hear Few eyes have escaped the picture of a mer maid: Horace his monster, with woman's head above and fishy extremity below, answers the shape of the ancient syrens that attempted upon Ulysses. Brown. MERMAID'S TRUMPET. H.S. A kind of fish. Ainsworth. MERRILY. adv. [from merry.] Gayly; airily; cheerfully; with mirth; with gayety; with laughter. Merrily, merrily, shall we live now, Under the blossom that hangs on the bough. Shakspeare. When men come to borrow of your masters, they approach sadly, and go away merrily. Shak. A paisan of France thinks of no more than his coarse bread and his onions, his canvass clothes and wooden shoes, labours contentedly on working days, and dances or plays merrily on holidays. Temple. Granville. Merrily sing, and sport, and play, For 'tis Oriana's nuptial day. MERRIMAKE. n. s. [merry and make.] A festival; a meeting for mirth; merry pranks. Thenot now nis the time of merrymake, Nor Pan to herie, nor with love to play, Sike mirth in May is meetest for to make, Or summer shade, under the cocked hay. Spente The knight did not forbear, Her honest mirth and pleasure to partake, But when he saw her gibe, and toy, and geare, |