Webster's Dictionary, 1913
Co-meddle transitive verb To mix; to mingle, to temper. [ Obsolete] Shak.
Comb-shaped adjective (Botany) Pectinate.
Combinate adjective [ Late Latin combinatus , past participle ] United; joined; betrothed. [ R.]
Combination noun [ Late Latin
combinatio . See
Combine .]
1. The act or process of combining or uniting persons and things. Making new compounds by new combinations .
Boyle.
A solemn combination shall be made
Of our dear souls.
Shak.
2. The result of combining or uniting; union of persons or things; esp. a union or alliance of persons or states to effect some purpose; -- usually in a bad sense. A combination of the most powerful men in Rome who had conspired my ruin.
Melmoth.
3. (Chemistry) The act or process of uniting by chemical affinity, by which substances unite with each other in definite proportions by weight to form distinct compounds. 4. plural (Math.) The different arrangements of a number of objects, as letters, into groups. » In
combinations no regard is paid to the order in which the objects are arranged in each group, while in
variations and
permutations this order is respected.
Brande & C. Combination car ,
a railroad car containing two or more compartments used for different purposes. [ U. S.] --
Combination lock ,
a lock in which the mechanism is controlled by means of a movable dial (sometimes by several dials or rings) inscribed with letters or other characters. The bolt of the lock can not be operated until after the dial has been so turned as to combine the characters in a certain order or succession. --
Combination room ,
in the University of Cambridge, Eng., a room into which the fellows withdraw after dinner, for wine, dessert, and conversation. --
Combination by volume (Chemistry) ,
the act, process, or ratio by which gaseous elements and compounds unite in definite proportions by volume to form distinct compounds. --
Combination by weight (Chemistry) ,
the act, process, or ratio, in which substances unite in proportions by weight, relatively fixed and exact, to form distinct compounds. See Law of definite proportions , under Definite . Syn. -- Cabal; alliance; association; league; union; confederacy; coalition; conspiracy. See
Cabal .
Combine transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Combined ;
present participle & verbal noun Combining .] [ Late Latin
combinare ,
combinatum ; Latin
com- +
binus , plural
bini , two and two, double: confer French
combiner . See
Binary .]
1. To unite or join; to link closely together; to bring into harmonious union; to cause or unite so as to form a homogeneous substance, as by chemical union. So fitly them in pairs thou hast combined .
Milton.
Friendship is the cement which really combines mankind.
Dr. H. More.
And all combined , save what thou must combine
By holy marriage.
Shak.
Earthly sounds, though sweet and well combined .
Cowper.
2. To bind; to hold by a moral tie. [ Obsolete]
I am combined by a sacred vow.
Shak.
Combine intransitive verb 1. To form a union; to agree; to coalesce; to confederate. You with your foes combine ,
And seem your own destruction to design
Dryden.
So sweet did harp and voice combine .
Sir W. Scott.
2. To unite by affinity or natural attraction; as, two substances, which will not combine of themselves, may be made to combine by the intervention of a third. 3. (Card Playing) In the game of casino, to play a card which will take two or more cards whose aggregate number of pips equals those of the card played. Combining weight (Chemistry) ,
that proportional weight, usually referred to hydrogen as a standard, and for each element fixed and exact, by which an element unites with another to form a distinct compound. The combining weights either are identical with, or are multiples or submultiples of, the atomic weight. See Atomic weight , under Atomic , adjective
Combined adjective United closely; confederated; chemically united.
Combinedly adverb In combination or coöperation; jointly .
Combiner noun One who, or that which, combines.
Combing noun 1. The act or process of using a comb or a number of combs; as, the combing of one's hair; the combing of wool. » The process of
combing is used in straightening wool of long staple; short wool is
carded .
2. plural (a) That which is caught or collected with a comb, as loose, tangled hair. (b) Hair arranged to be worn on the head. The baldness, thinness, and . . . deformity of their hair is supplied by borders and combings .
Jer. Taylor.
(c) (Nautical) See Coamings . Combing machine (Textile Manuf.) ,
a machine for combing wool, flax, cotton, etc., and separating the longer and more valuable fiber from the shorter. See also Carding machine , under Carding .
Combless adjective Without a comb or crest; as, a combless cock.
Comboloio (kŏm`bo*lō"yo) noun A Mohammedan rosary, consisting of ninety-nine beads. Byron.
Combust adjective [ Latin
combustus , past participle of
comburere to burn up;
com- +
burere (only in comp.), of uncertain origin; confer
bustum funeral pyre,
prurire to itch,
pruna a live coal, Greek
pyrso`s firebrand, Sanskrit
plush to burn.]
1. Burnt; consumed. [ Obsolete]
Chaucer. 2. (Astron.) So near the sun as to be obscured or eclipsed by his light, as the moon or planets when not more than eight degrees and a half from the sun. [ Obsolete]
Planets that are oft combust .
Milton.
Combustibility noun The quality of being combustible.
Combustible adjective [ Confer French
combustible .]
1. Capable of taking fire and burning; apt to catch fire; inflammable. Sin is to the soul like fire to combustible matter.
South.
2. Easily kindled or excited; quick; fiery; irascible. Arnold was a combustible character.
W. Irving.
Combustible noun A substance that may be set on fire, or which is liable to take fire and burn. All such combustibles as are cheap enough for common use go under the name of fuel.
Ure.
Combustibleness noun Combustibility.
Combustion noun [ Latin
combustio : confer French
combustion .]
1. The state of burning. 2. (Chemistry) The combination of a combustible with a supporter of combustion, producing heat, and sometimes both light and heat. Combustion results in common cases from the mutual chemical action and reaction of the combustible and the oxygen of the atmosphere, whereby a new compound is formed.
Ure.
Supporter of combustion (Chemistry) ,
a gas, as oxygen, the combination of which with a combustible, as coal, constitutes combustion. 3. Violent agitation; confusion; tumult. [ Obsolete]
There [ were] great combustions and divisions among the heads of the university.
Mede.
But say from whence this new combustion springs.
Dryden.
Combustion chamber (Mech.) (a) A space over, or in front of , a boiler furnace where the gases from the fire become more thoroughly mixed and burnt. (b) The clearance space in the cylinder of an internal combustion engine where the charge is compressed and ignited.
Combustious adjective Inflammable. [ Obsolete] Shak.
Come intransitive verb [
imperfect Came ;
past participle Come ;
p. pr & verbal noun Coming .] [ Middle English
cumen ,
comen , Anglo-Saxon
cuman ; akin to Old Saxon
kuman , Dutch
komen , Old High German
queman , German
kommen , Icelandic
koma , Swedish
komma , Danish
komme , Goth.
giman , Latin
venire (
gvenire ), Greek ... to go, Sanskrit
gam . √23. Confer
Base ,
noun ,
Convene ,
Adventure .]
1. To move hitherward; to draw near; to approach the speaker, or some place or person indicated; -- opposed to go . Look, who comes yonder?
Shak.
I did not come to curse thee.
Tennyson.
2. To complete a movement toward a place; to arrive. When we came to Rome.
Acts xxviii. 16.
Lately come from Italy.
Acts xviii. 2.
3. To approach or arrive, as if by a journey or from a distance. "Thy kingdom
come ."
Matt. vi. 10. The hour is coming , and now is.
John. v. 25.
So quick bright things come to confusion.
Shak.
4. To approach or arrive, as the result of a cause, or of the act of another. From whence come wars?
James iv. 1.
Both riches and honor come of thee !
1 Chron. xxix. 12.
5. To arrive in sight; to be manifest; to appear. Then butter does refuse to come .
Hudibras.
6. To get to be, as the result of change or progress; -- with a predicate; as, to come untied. How come you thus estranged?
Shak.
How come her eyes so bright?
Shak.
»
Am come ,
is come , etc., are frequently used instead of
have come ,
has come , etc., esp. in poetry. The verb
to be gives a clearer adjectival significance to the participle as expressing a state or condition of the subject, while the auxiliary
have expresses simply the completion of the action signified by the verb.
Think not that I am come to destroy.
Matt. v. 17.
We are come off like Romans.
Shak.
The melancholy days are come , the saddest of the year.
Bryant.
Come may properly be used (instead of
go ) in speaking of a movement hence, or away, when there is reference to an approach to the person addressed; as, I shall
come home next week; he will
come to your house to-day. It is used with other verbs almost as an auxiliary, indicative of approach to the action or state expressed by the verb; as, how
came you to do it?
Come is used colloquially, with reference to a definite future time approaching, without an auxiliary; as, it will be two years,
come next Christmas;
i. e. , when Christmas shall come.
They were cried
In meeting, come next Sunday.
Lowell.
Come , in the imperative, is used to excite attention, or to invite to motion or joint action;
come , let us go. "This is the heir;
come , let us kill him."
Matt. xxi. 38. When repeated, it sometimes expresses haste, or impatience, and sometimes rebuke. "
Come ,
come , no time for lamentation now."
Milton. To come ,
yet to arrive, future. "In times
to come ."
Dryden. "There's pippins and cheese
to come ."
Shak. --
To come about .
(a) To come to pass; to arrive; to happen; to result; as, how did these things come about ? (b) To change; to come round; as, the ship comes about . "The wind is
come about ."
Shak. On better thoughts, and my urged reasons,
They are come about , and won to the true side.
B. Jonson.
--
To come abroad .
(a) To move or be away from one's home or country. "Am
come abroad to see the world."
Shak. (b) To become public or known. [ Obsolete] "Neither was anything kept secret, but that it should
come abroad ."
Mark. iv. 22. --
To come across ,
to meet; to find, esp. by chance or suddenly. "We
come across more than one incidental mention of those wars."
E. A. Freeman. "Wagner's was certainly one of the strongest and most independent natures I ever
came across ."
H. R. Haweis. --
To come after .
(a) To follow. (b) To come to take or to obtain; as, to come after a book. --
To come again ,
to return . "His spirit
came again and he revived."
Judges. xv. 19. - -
To come and go .
(a) To appear and disappear; to change; to alternate. "The color of the king doth
come and go ."
Shak. (b) (Mech.) To play backward and forward. --
To come at .
(a) To reach; to arrive within reach of; to gain; as, to come at a true knowledge of ourselves. (b) To come toward; to attack; as, he came at me with fury. --
To come away ,
to part or depart . --
To come between ,
to intervene; to separate; hence, to cause estrangement . --
To come by .
(a) To obtain, gain, acquire. "Examine how you
came by all your state."
Dryden. (b) To pass near or by way of. --
To come down .
(a) To descend. (b) To be humbled. --
To come down upon ,
to call to account, to reprimand. [ Colloq.]
Dickens. --
To come home .
(a) To return to one's house or family. (b) To come close; to press closely; to touch the feelings, interest, or reason. (c) (Nautical) To be loosened from the ground; -- said of an anchor. --
To come in .
(a) To enter, as a town, house, etc. "The thief
cometh in ."
Hos. vii. 1. (b) To arrive; as, when my ship comes in . (c) To assume official station or duties; as, when Lincoln came in . (d) To comply; to yield; to surrender. "We need not fear his
coming in "
Massinger. (e) To be brought into use. "Silken garments did not
come in till late."
Arbuthnot. (f) To be added or inserted; to be or become a part of. (g) To accrue as gain from any business or investment. (h) To mature and yield a harvest; as, the crops come in well. (i) To have sexual intercourse; -- with to or unto . Gen. xxxviii. 16. (j) To have young; to bring forth; as, the cow will come in next May. [ U. S.] --
To come in for ,
to claim or receive. "The rest
came in for subsidies."
Swift. --
To come into ,
to join with; to take part in; to agree to; to comply with; as, to come into a party or scheme . - -
To come it over ,
to hoodwink; to get the advantage of. [ Colloq.] --
To come near or nigh ,
to approach in place or quality; to be equal to. "Nothing ancient or modern seems to
come near it."
Sir W. Temple. --
To come of .
(a) To descend or spring from. "
Of Priam's royal race my mother
came ."
Dryden. (b) To result or follow from. "This
comes of judging by the eye."
L'Estrange. --
To come off .
(a) To depart or pass off from. (b) To get free; to get away; to escape. (c) To be carried through; to pass off; as, it came off well. (d) To acquit one's self; to issue from (a contest, etc.); as, he came off with honor; hence, substantively, a come-off , an escape; an excuse; an evasion. [ Colloq.]
(e) To pay over; to give. [ Obsolete]
(f) To take place; to happen; as, when does the race come off ? (g) To be or become after some delay; as, the weather came off very fine. (h) To slip off or be taken off, as a garment; to separate. (i) To hurry away; to get through. Chaucer. --
To come off by ,
to suffer . [ Obsolete] "
To come off by the worst."
Calamy. --
To come off from ,
to leave. "
To come off from these grave disquisitions."
Felton. --
To come on .
(a) To advance; to make progress; to thrive. (b) To move forward; to approach; to supervene. --
To come out .
(a) To pass out or depart, as from a country, room, company, etc. "They shall
come out with great substance."
Gen. xv. 14. (b) To become public; to appear; to be published. "It is indeed
come out at last."
Bp. Stillingfleet. (c) To end; to result; to turn out; as, how will this affair come out ? he has come out well at last. (d) To be introduced into society; as, she came out two seasons ago. (e) To appear; to show itself; as, the sun came out . (f) To take sides; to take a stand; as, he came out against the tariff. --
To come out with ,
to give publicity to; to disclose. --
To come over .
(a) To pass from one side or place to another. "Perpetually teasing their friends to
come over to them."
Addison. (b) To rise and pass over, in distillation. --
To come over to ,
to join. --
To come round .
(a) To recur in regular course. (b) To recover. [ Colloq.]
(c) To change, as the wind. (d) To relent. J. H. Newman. (e) To circumvent; to wheedle. [ Colloq.] --
To come short ,
to be deficient; to fail of attaining. "All have sinned and
come short of the glory of God."
Rom. iii. 23. --
To come to .
(a) To consent or yield. Swift. (b) (Nautical) (with the accent on
to )
To luff; to bring the ship's head nearer the wind; to anchor. (c) (with the accent on
to )
To recover, as from a swoon. (d) To arrive at; to reach. (e) To amount to; as, the taxes come to a large sum. (f) To fall to; to be received by, as an inheritance. Shak. --
To come to blows .
See under Blow . --
To come to grief .
See under Grief . --
To come to a head .
(a) To suppurate, as a boil. (b) To mature; to culminate; as a plot. --
To come to one's self ,
to recover one's senses. --
To come to pass ,
to happen; to fall out. --
To come to the scratch .
(a) (Prize Fighting) To step up to the scratch or mark made in the ring to be toed by the combatants in beginning a contest; hence:
(b) To meet an antagonist or a difficulty bravely. [ Colloq.] --
To come to time .
(a) (Prize Fighting) To come forward in order to resume the contest when the interval allowed for rest is over and "time" is called ; hence:
(b) To keep an appointment; to meet expectations. [ Colloq.] --
To come together .
(a) To meet for business, worship, etc.; to assemble. Acts i. 6. (b) To live together as man and wife. Matt. i. 18. --
To come true ,
to happen as predicted or expected. --
To come under ,
to belong to, as an individual to a class. --
To come up (a) to ascend; to rise. (b) To be brought up; to arise, as a question. (c) To spring; to shoot or rise above the earth, as a plant. (d) To come into use, as a fashion. --
To come up the capstan (Nautical) ,
to turn it the contrary way, so as to slacken the rope about it. --
To come up the tackle fall (Nautical) ,
to slacken the tackle gently. Totten. --
To come up to ,
to rise to; to equal. --
To come up with ,
to overtake or reach by pursuit. --
To come upon .
(a) To befall. (b) To attack or invade. (c) To have a claim upon; to become dependent upon for support; as, to come upon the town. (d) To light or chance upon; to find; as, to come upon hid treasure.
Come transitive verb To carry through; to succeed in; as, you can't come any tricks here. [ Slang]
To come it , to succeed in a trick of any sort. [ Slang]
Come noun Coming. [ Obsolete] Chaucer.
Come-along noun A gripping device, as for stretching wire, etc., consisting of two jaws so attached to a ring that they are closed by pulling on the ring.
Come-outer noun One who comes out or withdraws from a religious or other organization; a radical reformer. [ Colloq. U. S.]
Comedian noun [ Confer French comédien .]
1. An actor or player in comedy. "The famous comedian , Roscius." Middleton. 2. A writer of comedy. Milton.
Comédienne noun [ French, fem. of comédien .] A women who plays in comedy.
Comedietta noun [ Italian ] A dramatic sketch; a brief comedy.
Comedo noun ;
plural Comedones . [ Latin , a glutton. See
Comestible .]
(Medicine) A small nodule or cystic tumor, common on the nose, etc., which on pressure allows the escape of a yellow wormlike mass of retained oily secretion, with a black head (dirt).
Comedown noun A downfall; an humiliation. [ Colloq.]
Comedy noun ;
plural Comedies . [ French
comédie , Latin
comoedia , from Greek ...; ... a jovial festivity with music and dancing, a festal procession, an ode sung at this procession (perh. akin to ... village, English
home ) + ... to sing; for comedy was originally of a lyric character. See
Home , and
Ode .]
A dramatic composition, or representation of a bright and amusing character, based upon the foibles of individuals, the manners of society, or the ludicrous events or accidents of life; a play in which mirth predominates and the termination of the plot is happy; -- opposed to tragedy . With all the vivacity of comedy .
Macaulay.
Are come to play a pleasant comedy .
Shak.
Comelily adverb In a suitable or becoming manner. [ R.] Sherwood.
Comeliness noun [ See
Comely .]
The quality or state of being comely. Comeliness is a disposing fair
Of things and actions in fit time and place.
Sir J. Davies.
Strength, comeliness of shape, or amplest merit.
Milton.
Comeliness signifies something less forcible than beauty, less elegant than grace, and less light than prettiness.
Johnson.
Comely (kŭm"lȳ)
adjective [
Compar. Comelier ;
superl. Comeliest .] [ Middle English
comeliche , Anglo-Saxon
cymlīc ;
cyme suitable (fr.
cuman to come, become) +
līc like.]
1. Pleasing or agreeable to the sight; well- proportioned; good-looking; handsome. He that is comely when old and decrepit, surely was very beautiful when he was young.
South.
Not once perceive their foul disfigurement
But boast themselves more comely than before.
Milton.
2. Suitable or becoming; proper; agreeable. This is a happier and more comely time
Than when these fellows ran about the streets,
Crying confusion.
Shak.
It is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely .
Ps. cxlvii. 1.
Comely adverb In a becoming manner. Ascham.
Comer noun One who comes, or who has come; one who has arrived, and is present.
All comers , all who come, or offer, to take part in a matter, especially in a contest or controversy. "To prove it against all comers ." Bp. Stillingfleet.
Comes noun [ Latin , a companion.] (Mus.) The answer to the theme ( dux ) in a fugue.
Comessation noun [ Latin comissatio , comessatio .] A reveling; a rioting. [ Obsolete] Bp. Hall.
Comestible adjective [ French
comestible , from Latin
comesus ,
comestus , past participle of
comedere to eat;
com- +
edere to eat.]
Suitable to be eaten; eatable; esculent. Some herbs are most comestible .
Sir T. Elyot.
Comestible noun Something suitable to be eaten; -- commonly in the plural. Thackeray.
Comet noun [ Latin cometes , cometa , from Greek ... comet, prop. long-haired, from ... to wear long hair, from ... hair, akin to Latin coma : confer French comète .] (Astron.) A member of the solar system which usually moves in an elongated orbit, approaching very near to the sun in its perihelion, and receding to a very great distance from it at its aphelion. A comet commonly consists of three parts: the nucleus, the envelope, or coma, and the tail; but one or more of these parts is frequently wanting. See Illustration in Appendix.
Comet-finder, Comet- seeker noun (Astron.) A telescope of low power, having a large field of view, used for finding comets.
Cometarium noun [ New Latin ] (Astron.) An instrument, intended to represent the revolution of a comet round the sun. Hutton.
Cometary adjective [ Confer French cométaire .] Pertaining to, or resembling, a comet. Cheyne.
Comether noun [ Prob. dial. pron. of
come hither , used in calling cows, etc.] [ Dial. or Colloq., Brit.]
1. Matter; affair. 2. Friendly communication or association. To put the, or one's ,
comether on ,
to exercise persuasion upon; to get under one's influence; to beguile; to wheedle. How does ut come about, sorr, that whin a man has put the comether on wan woman he's sure bound to put ut on another?
Kipling.
Cometic adjective Relating to a comet.
Cometographer noun One who describes or writes about comets.
Cometography noun [ Comet + -graphy : confer French cométographie .] A description of, or a treatise concerning, comets.
Cometology noun [ Comet + -logy .] The department of astronomy relating to comets.