Causality Cau·sal"i·ty noun ; plural Causalities 1. The agency of a cause; the action or power of a cause, in producing its effect.

The causality of the divine mind.
Whewell.

2. (Phren.) The faculty of tracing effects to their causes. G. Combe.

Causally Caus"al·ly adverb According to the order or series of causes; by tracing effects to causes.

Causally Caus"al·ly noun (Mining.) The lighter, earthy parts of ore, carried off washing.

Causation Cau·sa"tion noun The act of causing; also the act or agency by which an effect is produced.

The kind of causation by which vision is produced.
Whewell.

Law of universal causation , the theoretical or asserted law that every event or phenomenon results from, or is the sequel of, some previous event or phenomenon, which being present, the other is certain to take place.

Causationist Cau·sa"tion·ist noun One who believes in the law of universal causation.

Causative Caus"a·tive adjective [ Latin causativus pertaining to a lawsuit ( causa ), but in the English sense from English cause .] 1. Effective, as a cause or agent; causing.

Causative in nature of a number of effects.
Bacon.

2. Expressing a cause or reason; causal; as, the ablative is a causative case.

Causative Caus"a·tive (ka"zȧ*tĭv) noun A word which expresses or suggests a cause.

Causatively Caus"a·tive·ly adverb In a causative manner.

Causator Cau·sa"tor (ka*zā"tŏr) noun [ See Cause .] One who causes. [ R.] Sir T. Browne.

Cause Cause (kaz) noun [ French cause , from Latin causa . Confer Cause , v. , Kickshaw .] 1. That which produces or effects a result; that from which anything proceeds, and without which it would not exist.

Cause is substance exerting its power into act, to make one thing begin to be.
Locke.

2. That which is the occasion of an action or state; ground; reason; motive; as, cause for rejoicing.

3. Sake; interest; advantage. [ Obsolete]

I did it not for his cause .
2 Cor. vii. 12.

4. (Law) A suit or action in court; any legal process by which a party endeavors to obtain his claim, or what he regards as his right; case; ground of action.

5. Any subject of discussion or debate; matter; question; affair in general.

What counsel give you in this weighty cause !
Shak.

6. The side of a question, which is espoused, advocated, and upheld by a person or party; a principle which is advocated; that which a person or party seeks to attain.

God befriend us, as our cause is just.
Shak.

The part they take against me is from zeal to the cause .
Burke.

Efficient cause , the agent or force that produces a change or result. -- Final cause , the end, design, or object, for which anything is done. -- Formal cause , the elements of a conception which make the conception or the thing conceived to be what it is; or the idea viewed as a formative principle and coöperating with the matter. -- Material cause , that of which anything is made. -- Proximate cause . See under Proximate . -- To make common cause with , to join with in purposes and aims. Macaulay.

Syn. -- Origin; source; mainspring; motive; reason; incitement; inducement; purpose; object; suit; action.

Cause Cause transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Caused ; present participle & v. noun Causing .] [ French causer , from cause , from Latin causa . See Cause , noun , and confer Acouse .] To effect as an agent; to produce; to be the occasion of; to bring about; to bring into existence; to make; -- usually followed by an infinitive, sometimes by that with a finite verb.

I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days.
Gen. vii. 4.

Cause that it be read also in the church of the Laodiceans.
Col. iv. 16.

Syn. -- To create; produce; beget; effect; occasion; originate; induce; bring about.

Cause Cause intransitive verb To assign or show cause; to give a reason; to make excuse. [ Obsolete] Spenser.

Cause Cause conj. Abbreviation of Because . B. Jonson.

Causeful Cause"ful noun Having a cause. [ Obsolete]

Causeless Cause"less adjective 1. Self- originating; uncreated.

2. Without just or sufficient reason; groundless.

My fears are causeless and ungrounded.
Denham.

Causeless Cause"less adverb Without cause or reason.

Causelessness Cause"less·ness noun The state of being causeless.

Causer Caus"er noun One who or that which causes.

Causerie Cause`rie" noun [ French, from causer to chat.] Informal talk or discussion, as about literary matters; light conversation; chat.

Causeuse Cau`seuse" (ko`zẽz") noun [ French, from causer to talk.] A kind of sofa for two persons. A tête-à- tête .

Causeway Cause"way (kaz"wa), Cau"sey ((ka"zȳ) noun [ Middle English cauci , cauchie , Old French cauchie , French chaussée , from Late Latin ( via ) calciata , fr calciare to make a road, either from Latin calx lime, hence, to pave with limestone (cf. English chalk ), or from Latin calceus shoe, from calx heel, hence, to shoe, pave, or wear by treading.] A way or road raised above the natural level of the ground, serving as a dry passage over wet or marshy ground.

But that broad causeway will direct your way.
Dryden.

The other way Satan went down
The causey to Hell-gate.
Milton.

Causewayed, Causeyed Cause"wayed, Cau"seyed adjective Having a raised way (causeway or causey); paved. Sir W. Scott. C. Bronté.

Causidical Cau·sid"i·cal adjective [ Latin causidicakis ; causa a cause in law + dicare to say.] Pertaining to an advocate, or to the maintenance and defense of suits.

Caustic Cau"stic noun [ Latin causticum (sc. medicamentum ). See Caustic , adjective ] 1. Any substance or means which, applied to animal or other organic tissue, burns, corrodes, or destroys it by chemical action; an escharotic.

2. (Optics) A caustic curve or caustic surface.

Caustic, Caustical Caus"tic, Caus"tic·al adjective [ Latin caustucs , Ge. ..., from ... to burn. Confer Calm , Ink .] 1. Capable of destroying the texture of anything or eating away its substance by chemical action; burning; corrosive; searing.

2. Severe; satirical; sharp; as, a caustic remark.

Caustic curve (Optics) , a curve to which the ray of light, reflected or refracted by another curve, are tangents, the reflecting or refracting curve and the luminous point being in one plane. -- Caustic lime . See under Lime . -- Caustic potash , Caustic soda (Chemistry) , the solid hydroxides potash, KOH, and soda, NaOH, or solutions of the same. -- Caustic silver , nitrate of silver, lunar caustic. -- Caustic surface (Optics) , a surface to which rays reflected or refracted by another surface are tangents. Caustic curves and surfaces are called catacaustic when formed by reflection, and diacaustic when formed by refraction.

Syn. -- Stinging; cutting; pungent; searching.

Caustically Caus"tic·al·ly adverb In a caustic manner.

Causticily Caus·tic"i·ly noun 1. The quality of being caustic; corrosiveness; as, the causticity of potash.

2. Severity of language; sarcasm; as, the causticity of a reply or remark.

Causticness Caus"tic·ness noun The quality of being caustic; causticity.

Cautel Cau"tel noun [ French cautèle , Latin cautela , from cavere to be on one's guard, to take care.] 1. Caution; prudence; wariness. [ Obsolete] Fulke.

2. Craft; deceit; falseness. [ Obsolete] Shak.

Cautelous Cau"te·lous adjective [ French cauteleux , Late Latin cautelosus . See Cautel .] 1. Caution; prudent; wary. [ Obsolete] " Cautelous , though young." Drayton.

2. Crafty; deceitful; false. [ Obsolete] Shak.

-- Cau"te*lous*ly , adverb -- Cau"te*lous*ness , noun [ Obsolete]

Cauter Cau"ter noun [ French cautère , Latin cauterium , from Greek ... a branding iron, from ... to burn. Confer Caustic , Cautery .] A hot iron for searing or cauterizing. Minsheu.

Cauterant Cau"ter·ant noun A cauterizing substance.

Cauterism Cau"ter·ism noun The use or application of a caustic; cautery. Ferrand.

Cauterization Cau`ter·i·za"tion noun [ Confer French cautèrisation .] (Medicine) The act of searing some morbid part by the application of a cautery or caustic; also, the effect of such application.

Cauterize Cau"ter·ize transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Cauterized ; present participle & verbal noun Cauterizing .] [ Latin cauterizare , Greek ..., from a branding iron: confer French cautérised .. See cauter .] 1. To burn or sear with a cautery or caustic. Dunglison.

2. To sear, as the conscience. Jer. Taylor.

Cautery Cau"ter·y noun ; plural Cauteries . [ Latin cauterium , Greek .... See Cauter .] 1. (Medicine) A burning or searing, as of morbid flesh, with a hot iron, or by application of a caustic that will burn, corrode, or destroy animal tissue.

2. The iron of other agent in cauterizing.

Actual cautery , a substance or agent (as a hot iron) which cauterizes or sears by actual heat; or the burning so effected. -- Potential cautery , a substance which cauterizes by chemical action; as, lunar caustic ; also, the cauterizing produced by such substance.

Caution Cau"tion noun [ French caution a security, Latin cautio , from cavere (For scavere ) to be on one's guard, to take care (orig.) to be on the watch, see; akin to English show .] 1. A careful attention to the probable effects of an act, in order that failure or harm may be avoided; prudence in regard to danger; provident care; wariness.

2. Security; guaranty; bail. [ R.]

The Parliament would yet give his majesty sufficient caution that the war should be prosecuted.
Clarendon.

3. Precept or warning against evil of any kind; exhortation to wariness; advice; injunction.

In way of caution I must tell you.
Shak.

Caution money , money deposited by way of security or guaranty, as by a student at an English university.

Syn. -- Care; forethought; forecast; heed; prudence; watchfulness; vigilance; circumspection; anxiety; providence; counsel; advice; warning; admonition.

Caution Cau"tion transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Cautioned ; present participle & verbal noun Cautioning .] To give notice of danger to; to warn; to exhort [ one] to take heed.

You cautioned me against their charms.
Swift.

Caution Cau"tion noun (Civil & Scots Law) A pledge, bond, or other security for the performance of an obligation either in or out of judicial proceedings; the promise or contract of one not for himself but another; security.

Cautionary Cau"tion·a·ry adjective 1. Conveying a caution, or warning to avoid danger; as, cautionary signals.

2. Given as a pledge or as security.

He hated Barnevelt, for his getting the cautionary towns out of his hands.
Bp. Burnet.

3. Wary; cautious. [ Obsolete] Bacon.

Cautionary block Cau"tion·a·ry block (Railroads) A block in which two or more trains are permitted to travel, under restrictions imposed by a caution card or the like.

Cautioner Cau"tion·er noun 1. One who cautions or advises.

2. (Scots Law) A surety or sponsor.

Cautionry Cau"tion·ry noun (Scots Law) Suretyship.

Cautious Cau"tious adjective [ Confer Latin cautus , from caver . See Caution .] Attentive to examine probable effects and consequences of acts with a view to avoid danger or misfortune; prudent; circumspect; wary; watchful; as, a cautious general.

Cautious feeling for another's pain.
Byron.

Be swift to hear; but cautious of your tongue.
Watts.

Syn. -- Wary; watchful; vigilant; prudent; circumspect; discreet; heedful; thoughtful; scrupulous; anxious; careful. -- Cautious , Wary , Circumspect . A man is cautious who realizes the constant possibility of danger; one may be wary , and yet bold and active; a man who is circumspect habitually examines things on every side in order to weigh and deliberate. It is necessary to be cautious at all times; to be wary in cases of extraordinary danger; to be circumspect in matters of peculiar delicacy and difficulty.

Cautiously Cau"tious·ly adverb In a cautious manner.

Cautiousness Cau"tious·ness noun The quality of being cautious.

Cavalcade Cav"al·cade` noun [ French cavalcade , from Italian cavalcata , from cavalcare to go on horseback, from Late Latin caballicare , from Latin caballus an inferior horse, Greek .... Confer Cavalier , Cavalry .] A procession of persons on horseback; a formal, pompous march of horsemen by way of parade.

He brought back war-worn cavalcade to the city.
Prescott.

Cavalero, Cavaliero Cav`a·le"ro, Cav`a·lie"ro (kăv`ȧ*lē"ro) noun [ Spanish caballero . See Cavalier .] A cavalier; a gallant; a libertine. Shak.

Cavalier Cav`a·lier" (kăv`ȧ*lēr") noun [ French cavalier , Italian cavaliere , Late Latin caballarius , from Latin caballus . See Cavalcade , and confer Chevalier , Caballine .] 1. A military man serving on horseback; a knight.

2. A gay, sprightly, military man; hence, a gallant.

3. One of the court party in the time of king Charles I. as contrasted with a Roundhead or an adherent of Parliament. Clarendon.

4. (Fort.) A work of more than ordinary height, rising from the level ground of a bastion, etc., and overlooking surrounding parts.

Cavalier Cav`a·lier" adjective Gay; easy; offhand; frank.

The plodding, persevering scupulous accuracy of the one, and the easy, cavalier , verbal fluency of the other, form a complete contrast.
Hazlitt.

2. High-spirited. [ Obsolete] "The people are naturally not valiant, and not much cavalier ." Suckling.

3. Supercilious; haughty; disdainful; curt; brusque.

4. Of or pertaining to the party of King Charles I. "An old Cavalier family." Beaconsfield.

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
You are here: Webster > Letter C > Page 39 of 212.
« Previous ¦31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 ¦ Next »