Instrument In"stru·ment noun [ French
instrument , Latin
instrumentum . See
Instruct .]
1. That by means of which any work is performed, or result is effected; a tool; a utensil; an implement; as, the instruments of a mechanic; astronomical instruments . All the lofty instruments of war.
Shak. 2. A contrivance or implement, by which musical sounds are produced; as, a musical instrument . Praise him with stringed instruments and organs.
Ps. cl. 4. But signs when songs and instruments he hears.
Dryden. 3. (Law) A writing, as the means of giving formal expression to some act; a writing expressive of some act, contract, process, as a deed, contract, writ, etc. Burrill. 4. One who, or that which, is made a means, or is caused to serve a purpose; a medium, means, or agent. Or useful serving man and instrument ,
To any sovereign state.
Shak. The bold are but the instruments of the wise.
Dryden. Syn. -- Tool; implement; utensil; machine; apparatus; channel; agent.
Instrument In"stru·ment transitive verb To perform upon an instrument; to prepare for an instrument; as, a sonata instrumented for orchestra.
Instrumental In`stru·men"tal adjective [ Confer French
instrumental .]
1. Acting as an instrument; serving as a means; contributing to promote; conductive; helpful; serviceable; as, he was instrumental in conducting the business. The head is not more native to the heart,
The hand more instrumental to the mouth.
Shak. 2. (Mus.) Pertaining to, made by, or prepared for, an instrument, esp. a musical instrument; as, instrumental music, distinguished from vocal music. "He defended the use of
instrumental music in public worship."
Macaulay. Sweet voices mix'd with instrumental sounds.
Dryden. 3. (Gram.) Applied to a case expressing means or agency; as, the instrumental case. This is found in Sanskrit as a separate case, but in Greek it was merged into the dative, and in Latin into the ablative. In Old English it was a separate case, but has disappeared, leaving only a few anomalous forms. Instrumental errors ,
those errors in instrumental measurements, etc., which arise, exclusively from want of mathematical accuracy in an instrument.
Instrumentalism In`stru·men"tal·ism noun (Philos.) The view that the sanction of truth is its utility, or that truth is genuine only in so far as it is a valuable instrument. --
In`stru*men"tal*ist ,
noun Instrumentalism views truth as simply the value belonging to certain ideas in so far as these ideas are biological functions of our organisms, and psychological functions whereby we direct our choices and attain our successes.
Josiah Royce.
Instrumentalist In`stru·men"tal·ist noun One who plays upon an instrument of music, as distinguished from a vocalist .
Instrumentality In`stru·men·tal"i·ty noun ;
plural Instrumentalities The quality or condition of being instrumental; that which is instrumental; anything used as a means; medium; agency. The instrumentality of faith in justification.
Bp. Burnet. The discovery of gunpowder developed the science of attack and defense in a new instrumentality .
J. H. Newman.
Instrumentally In`stru·men"tal·ly adverb 1. By means of an instrument or agency; as means to an end. South. They will argue that the end being essentially beneficial, the means become instrumentally so.
Burke. 2. With instruments of music; as, a song instrumentally accompanied. Mason.
Instrumentalness In`stru·men"tal·ness noun Usefulness or agency, as means to an end; instrumentality. [ R.]
Hammond.
Instrumentary In`stru·men"ta·ry adjective Instrumental. [ R.]
Instrumentation In`stru·men·ta"tion noun 1. The act of using or adapting as an instrument; a series or combination of instruments; means; agency. Otherwise we have no sufficient instrumentation for our human use or handling of so great a fact.
H. Bushnell. 2. (Mus.) (a) The arrangement of a musical composition for performance by a number of different instruments; orchestration; instrumental composition; composition for an orchestra or military band. (b) The act or manner of playing upon musical instruments; performance; as, his instrumentation is perfect.
Instrumentist In"stru·men`tist noun A performer on a musical instrument; an instrumentalist.
Instyle In·style" transitive verb To style. [ Obsolete]
Crashaw.
Insuavity In·suav"i·ty noun [ Latin
insuavitas : confer French
insuavité . See
In- not, and
Suavity .]
Want of suavity; unpleasantness. [ Obsolete]
Burton.
Insubjection In`sub·jec"tion noun Want of subjection or obedience; a state of disobedience, as to government.
Insubmergible In`sub·mer"gi·ble adjective Not capable of being submerged; buoyant. [ R.]
Insubmission In`sub·mis"sion noun Want of submission; disobedience; noncompliance.
Insubordinate In`sub·or"di·nate adjective Not submitting to authority; disobedient; rebellious; mutinous.
Insubordination In`sub·or`di·na"tion noun [ Confer French
insubordination .]
The quality of being insubordinate; disobedience to lawful authority.
Insubstantial In`sub·stan"tial adjective Unsubstantial; not real or strong. "
Insubstantial pageant." [ R.]
Shak.
Insubstantiality In`sub·stan`ti·al"i·ty noun Unsubstantiality; unreality. [ R.]
Insuccation In`suc·ca"tion noun [ Latin
insucare ,
insucatum , to soak in; prefix
in- +
succus ,
sucus , sap.]
The act of soaking or moistening; maceration; solution in the juice of herbs. [ Obsolete]
Coxe. The medicating and insuccation of seeds.
Evelyn.
Insuccess In`suc·cess" noun Want of success. [ R.]
Feltham.
Insue In·sue" intransitive verb See Ensue , intransitive verb
Insuetude In"sue·tude noun [ Latin
insuetudo , from
insuetus unaccustomed; prefix
in- not +
suetus , past participle of
suescere to be accustomed.]
The state or quality of being unaccustomed; absence of use or habit. Absurdities are great or small in proportion to custom or insuetude .
Landor.
Insufferable In·suf"fer·a·ble adjective 1. Incapable of being suffered, borne, or endured; insupportable; unendurable; intolerable; as, insufferable heat, cold, or pain; insufferable wrongs. Locke. 2. Offensive beyond endurance; detestable. A multitude of scribblers who daily pester the world with their insufferable stuff.
Dryden.
Insufferably In·suf"fer·a·bly adverb In a manner or to a degree beyond endurance; intolerably; as, a blaze insufferably bright; a person insufferably proud.
Insufficience In`suf·fi"cience noun Insufficiency. Shak.
Insufficiency In`suf·fi"cien·cy noun [ Latin
insufficientia : confer French
insuffisance , whence Middle English
insuffisance . See
Insufficient .]
1. The quality or state of being insufficient; want of sufficiency; deficiency; inadequateness; as, the insufficiency of provisions, of an excuse, etc. The insufficiency of the light of nature is, by the light of Scripture, . . . fully supplied.
Hooker. 2. Want of power or skill; inability; incapacity; incompetency; as, the insufficiency of a man for an office.
Insufficient In`suf·fi"cient adjective [ Latin
insufficiens ,
-entis . See
In- not, and
Sufficient .]
1. Not sufficient; not enough; inadequate to any need, use, or purpose; as, the provisions are insufficient in quantity, and defective in quality. "
Insufficient for His praise."
Cowper. 2. Wanting in strength, power, ability, capacity, or skill; incompetent; incapable; unfit; as, a person insufficient to discharge the duties of an office. Syn. -- Inadequate; scanty; incommensurate; unequal; unfit; incompetent; incapable; inefficient.
Insufficiently In`suf·fi"cient·ly adverb In an insufficient manner or degree; unadequately.
Insufflate In·suf"flate adjective [ See
Insufflation .]
To blow upon; to breath upon or into; to use insufflation upon.
Insufflation In`suf·fla"tion noun [ Latin
insuffatio : confer French
insuffation . See
In- in, and
Sufflation .]
The act of breathing on or into anything ; especially:
(a) (R. C. Ch.) The breathing upon a person in the sacrament of baptism to symbolize the inspiration of a new spiritual life. (b) (Medicine) The act of blowing (a gas, powder, or vapor) into any cavity of the body.
Insuitable In·suit"a·ble adjective Unsuitable. [ Obsolete] --
In*suit`a*bil"i*ty noun [ Obsolete]
Insular In"su·lar adjective [ Latin
insularis , from
insula island: confer French
insulaire . See
Isle .]
1. Of or pertaining to an island; of the nature, or possessing the characteristics, of an island; as, an insular climate, fauna, etc. 2. Of or pertaining to the people of an island; narrow; circumscribed; illiberal; contracted; as, insular habits, opinions, or prejudices. The penury of insular conversation.
Johnson.
Insular In"su·lar noun An islander. [ R.]
Berkeley.
Insularity In`su·lar"i·ty noun [ Confer French
insularité .]
1. The state or quality of being an island or consisting of islands; insulation. The insularity of Britain was first shown by Agricola, who sent his fleet round it.
Pinkerton. 2. Narrowness or illiberality of opinion; prejudice; exclusiveness; as, the insularity of the Chinese or of the aristocracy.
Insularly In"su·lar·ly adverb In an insular manner.
Insulary In"su·la·ry adjective Insular. [ Obsolete]
Howell.
Insulate In"su·late transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Insulated ;
present participle & verbal noun Insulating .] [ Latin
insulatus insulated, from
insula island. See
Isle , and confer
Isolate .]
1. To make an island of. [ Obsolete]
Pennant. 2. To place in a detached situation, or in a state having no communication with surrounding objects; to isolate; to separate. 3. (Elec. & Thermotics) To prevent the transfer of electricity or heat to or from (bodies) by the interposition of nonconductors. Insulating stool (Electricity) ,
a stool with legs of glass or some other nonconductor of electricity, used for insulating a person or any object placed upon it.
Insulated In"su·la`ted (ĭn"su*lā"tĕd)
p. adjective 1. Standing by itself; not being contiguous to other bodies; separated; unconnected; isolated; as, an insulated house or column. The special and insulated situation of the Jews.
De Quincey. 2. (Elect. & Thermotics) Separated from other bodies by means of nonconductors of heat or electricity. 3. (Astron.) Situated at so great a distance as to be beyond the effect of gravitation; -- said of stars supposed to be so far apart that the affect of their mutual attraction is insensible. C. A. Young. Insulated wire ,
wire wound with silk, or covered with other nonconducting material, for electrical use.
Insulation In`su·la"tion noun 1. The act of insulating, or the state of being insulated; detachment from other objects; isolation. 2. (Elec. & Thermotics) The act of separating a body from others by nonconductors, so as to prevent the transfer of electricity or of heat; also, the state of a body so separated.
Insulation In`su·la"tion noun The material or substance used in insulating.
Insulator In"su·la`tor noun 1. One who, or that which, insulates. 2. (Elec. & Thermotics) The substance or body that insulates; a nonconductor.
Insulite In"su·lite noun (Electricity) An insulating material, usually some variety of compressed cellulose, made of sawdust, paper pulp, cotton waste, etc.
Insulous In"su·lous adjective [ Latin
insulosus , from
insula island.]
Abounding in islands. [ R.]
Insulse In·sulse" adjective [ Latin
insulsus ; prefix
in- not +
salsus salted, from
salire ,
salsum , to salt.]
Insipid; dull; stupid. [ Obsolete]
Milton.
Insulsity In·sul"si·ty noun [ Latin
insulsitas .]
Insipidity; stupidity; dullness. [ Obsolete]
The insulsity of mortal tongues.
Milton.
Insult In"sult noun [ Latin
insultus , from
insilire to leap upon: confer French
insulte . See
Insult ,
transitive verb ]
1. The act of leaping on; onset; attack. [ Obsolete]
Dryden. 2. Gross abuse offered to another, either by word or act; an act or speech of insolence or contempt; an affront; an indignity. The ruthless sneer that insult adds to grief.
Savage. Syn. -- Affront; indignity; abuse; outrage; contumely. See
Affront .
Insult In·sult" transitive verb [
imperfect & past participle Insulted ;
present participle & verbal noun Insulting .] [ French
insulter , Latin
insultare , freq. from
insilire to leap into or upon; prefix
in- in, on +
salire to leap. See
Salient .]
1. To leap or trample upon; to make a sudden onset upon. [ Obsolete]
Shak. 2. To treat with abuse, insolence, indignity, or contempt, by word or action; to abuse; as, to call a man a coward or a liar, or to sneer at him, is to insult him.
Insult In·sult" intransitive verb 1. To leap or jump. Give me thy knife, I will insult on him.
Shak. Like the frogs in the apologue, insulting upon their wooden king.
Jer. Taylor. 2. To behave with insolence; to exult. [ Archaic]
The lion being dead, even hares insult .
Daniel. An unwillingness to insult over their helpless fatuity.
Landor.
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