depth, and have also a power of resistance or exclude every thing of the same kind from being in the same place: this is the proper character of matter or body. Watts Logick. 9. 2. Materials; that of which any thing is composed. The upper regions of the air perceive the collection of the matter of tempests before the air here below. Bacon. 3. Subject; thing treated. The subject or matter of laws in general is thus far forth constant, which matter is that for the ordering whereof laws were instituted. Hooker. I have words to speak in thy ear will make thee dumb; yet are they much too light for the Shakspeare. matter. Son of God, Saviour of men! Thy name Shall be the copious matter of my song. Milton. It is matter of the greatest astonishment to observe the common boldness of men. Dec. of Piety. I shall turn Full fraught with joytul tiding of these works, New matter of his praise, and of our songs. Dryd. This is so certain in true philosophy, that it is matter of astonishment to me how it came to be doubted. Cheyne. 4. The whole; the very thing supposed. He grants the deluge to have come so very near the matter, that but very few escaped. Tillotson. 5. Affair; business: in a familiar sense. To help the matter, the alchemists call in many vanities out of astrology. Bacon. Matters succeeded so well with him, that every body was in admiration to see how mighty rich he was grown. L'Estrange. Never was any thing gotten by sensuality and sloth in matter of profit or reputation. L'Estr. A fawn was reasoning the matter with a stag, why he should run away from the dogs. L'Estr. Some young female seems to have carried matters so far, that she is ripe for asking advice. Spectator. If chance herself should vary, Observe how matters would miscarry. Prior. 6. Cause of disturbance. Where art thou? What's the matter with thee? What's the matter, you dissentious rogues, Shaksp. Slender, I broke your head; what matter have you against me? -Marry, Sir, I have matter in my head against you. Shakspeare. If the craftsmen have a matter against any man, the law is open; let them implead one another. Acts. In armies, if the matter should be tried by duel between two champions, the victory should go on the one side; and yet if tried by the gross, it would go on the other. s. Import; consequence; importance;' moment. Bacon. If I had had time to have made new liveries, I would have bestowed the thousand I borrowed of you: but it is no matter, this poor shew doth better. Shakspeare. And please yourselves this day; No matter from what hands you have the play. Dryden. A prophet some, and some a poet cry, No matter which, so neither of them lie, From steepy Othrys' top to Pilus drove His herd. Pleas'd or displeas'd, no matter now 'tis past; The first who dares be angry breathes his last. Granville. Thing; object; that which has some particular relation, or is subject to particular consideration. The king of Armenia had in his company three of the most famous men for matters of Sidney arms. Plato reprehended a young man for entering into a dissolute house; the young man said, Why for so small a matter? Plato replied, But custom is no small matter. Bacon. Many times the things deduced to judgment may be meum and tuum, when the reason and consequence thereof may trench to point of estate. I cail matter of estate not only the parts of sovereignty, but whatsoever introduceth any great alteration, or dangerous precedent. Bacon. It is a maxim in state, that all countries of new acquest, till they be settled, are rather matters of burden than of strength. Bacon. 10. Question considered: Upon the whole matter, it is absurd to think that conscience can be kept in order without South. frequent examination. 11. Space or quantity nearly computed. Away he goes to the market-town, a matter of seven miles off, to enquire if any had seen his L'Estrange. ass. I have thoughts to tarry a small matter in town, to learn somewhat of your lingo. Congreve, 12. Purulent running; that which is formed by suppuration. In an inflamed tubercle in the great angle of the left eye, the matter being suppurated, I opened it. Wiseman's Surgery. 13. Upon the MATTER. A low phrase now out of use. Considering the whole; with respect to the main; nearly. In their superiors it quencheth jealousy, and layeth their competitors asleep; so that upon the matter, in a great wit deformity is an advantage to rising. Bacon's Essays. Upon the matter, in these prayers I do the same thing I did before, save only that what before I spake without book I now read. Bp.Saunderson. The elder, having consumed his whole fortune, when forced to leave his title to his younger brother, left upon the matter nothing to supClarendon. port it. Waller, with Sir William Balfour, exceeded in horse, but were, upon the matter, equal in foot. Clarendon. If on one side there are fair proofs, and no pretence of proof on the other, and that the difficulties are most pressing on that side which is destitute of proof, I desire to know, whether this be not upon the matter as satisfactory to a wise man as a demonstration. Tillotson. It To MATTER. v. n. [from the noun.] 1. To be of importance; to import. is used with only it, this, that, or what before it. It matters not, so they deny it all; And can but carry the lye constantly, B. Jens. It matters not how they were called, so we know who they are. Locke. If Petrarch's muse did Laura's wit rehearse; And Cowley flatter'd dear Orinda's verse; She hopes from you-Pox take her hopes and fears, I plead her sex's claim: what matters hers? Prior. Dryden. 2. To generate matter. by suppuration. Deadly wounds inward bleed, each slight sore mattereth. Sidney. The herpes beneath mattered, and were dried up with common epuloticks. Wiseman. To MATTER. v. a. [from the noun.] To regard; not to neglect: as, I matter not that calumny. Laws my pindarick parents matter'd not. MATTERY. adj. [from matter.] Parulent; generating matter. The putrid vapours colliquate the phlegmatick humours of the body, which transcending to the lungs, causes their mattery cough. Harvey. MATTOCK. n. s. [mattúc, Saxon.] 1. A kind of toothed instrument to pull up weeds. Give me that mattock, and the wrenching iron. Shakspeare. 2. A pickaxe. You must dig with mattock and with spade, And pierce the inmost centre of the earth. Shakspeare. The Turks laboured with mattocks and pickaxes to dig up the foundation of the wall. Knolles. 3. In physick. Maturation, by some physical writers, is applied to the suppuration of excrementitious or extravasated juices into matter, and differs from concoction or digestion, which is the raising to a greater perfection the alimentary and natural juices in their proper canals. Quincy. MATURATIVE. adj. [from maturo, Lat.] 1. Ripening; conducive to ripeness. Between the tropicks and equator their se cond summer is hotter, and more maturative of fruits than the former. Brown. 2. Conducive to the suppuration of a sore. Butter is maturative, and is profitably mixed with anodynes and suppuratives. Wiseman. MATU'RE. adj. [maturus, Latin.] 1. Ripe; perfected by time. When once he was mature for man; In Britain where was he, That could stand up his parallel, Or rival object be? Shakspeare Thee I'll rake up; and in the mature time, 3. Well. disposed; fit for execution; welldigested. To MATURE. v. a. [maturo, Latin.] 1. To ripen; to advance to ripeness. Prick an apple with a pin full of holes, not deep, and smear it a little with sack, to see if the virtual heat of the wine will not mature it. Bacon. 2. To advance toward perfection. Love indulg'd my labours past, Matures my present, and shall bound my last. Pope. MA'TURELY. adv. [from mature.] 1. Ripely; completely. 2. With counsel well-digested. A prince ought maturely to consider, when he enters on a war, whether his coffers be full, and his revenues clear of debts. Swift. 3. Early; soon. A latinism. We are so far from repining at God, that he hath not extended the period of our lives to the longevity of the antediluvians; that we give him thanks for contracting the days of our trial, and receiving us more maturely into those everlasting habitations above. Bentley. MATU ́RITY. n. s. [maturité, Fr. maturitas, Lat.] Ripeness; completion. It may not be unfit to call some of young years to train up for those weighty affairs, against the time of greater maturity. Bacon. Inpatient nature had taught motion To start from time, and cheerfully to fly Before, and seize upon maturity. Crashar. Various mortifications must be undergone, many difficulties and obstructions conquered, before we can arrive at a just maturity in religion. Rogers MA UDLIN. adj. [Maudlin is the corrupt appellation of Magdelen, who is drawn by painters with swoln eyes, and disordered look; a drunken countenance, seems to have been so named from a ludicrous resemblance to the picture of Magdelen.] Drunk; fuddled; approaching to ebriety. And the kind maudling crowd melts in her praise. Southern. She largely, what she wants in words, supplies With maudlin eloquence of trickling eyes. Roscommon. MAUDLIN. z. s. [ageratum, Latin.] A plant. The flowers of the maudlin are digested into loose umbels. Miller. MAUGRE. adj. [malgré, Fr.] In spite of; notwithstanding. Out of use. This, maugre all the world, will I keep safe; Or some of you shall smoke for it in Rome. Shakspeare. Maugve thy strength, place, youth, and on .nence; Thy valour, and thy heart; thou art a traitor. Maugre all which, 'twas to stand fast, Milton. Hudibras. He prophesied of the success of his gospel; which, after his death, immediately took root, and spread itself every where, maugre all opposition or persecution. Burnet. MAVIS. n. s. [mauvis, Fr.] A thrush, or bird like a thrush. An old word. The world that cannot deem of worthy things, When I do praise her, say I do but flatter; So doth the cuckow, when the mavis sings, Begins his witless note apace to clear. Spenser. In birds, kites have a resemblance with hawks, and black-birds with thrushes and mavises. Bacon. To MAUL. v.a. [from malleus, Lat.] To beat; to bruise; to hurt in a coarse or butcherly manner. Will he who saw the soldier's mutton fist, And saw thee maul'd, appear within the list, To witness truth? Dryden. Once ev'ry week poor Hannibal is maul'd, The theme is given, and strait the council's call'd, Whether he should to Rome directly go? Dryd. Swift. But fate with butchers plac'd thy priestly stall, Meek modern faith to murder, hack and maul. Pope [AUL. u. s. [malleus, Lat.] A heavy hammer commonly written mall. A man that beareth false witness is a maul, a sword, and sharp arrow. Proverbs. MAUND. n. s. [mand, Sax. mande, Fr.] A hand-basket. To MA UNDER. v. n. [maudire, Fr.] To grumble; to murmur. He made me many visits, maundring as if I had done him a discourtesy in leaving such an opening. Wiseman. MAUNDERER. n. s. [from maunder.] A murmurer; a grumbler. MAUNDY THURSDAY. n. s. [derived by Spelman from mande, a hand-basket, in which the king was accustomed to give alms to the poor; by others from dies mandati, the day on which our Saviour gave his great mandate, That we should love one another.] The Thursday be. fore Good friday. MAUSOLEUM. n. s. [Lat. mausolée, Fr. A name which was first given to a stately monument erected by queen Artimesia to her husband Mausolus, king of Caria.] A pompous funeral monu Though plenteous, all too little seems, To stuff this maw, this vast unhidebound corps. Milton. The serpent, who his maw obscene had fill'd, The branches in his curl'd embraces held. Dryd 2. The craw of birds. Granivorous birds have the mechanism of z mill; their maw is the hopper which holds and softens the grain, letting it down by degrees into the stomach, where it is ground by two strong muscles; in which action they are assisted by small stones, which they swallow for the pur pose. Arbuthnot. MA WKISH. adj. [perhaps from maw.] Apt to give satiety; apt to cause loathing. flow, Welsted! flow, like thine inspirer beer. So sweetly mawkish, and so smoothly dull. Pope. MAWKISHNESS. n. s. [from mawkish.] Aptness to cause loathing. MA'WMET. n. s. [or mammet; from mam or mother.] A puppet, anciently an idol. MA WMISH. adj. [from maw or marwmet.] Foolish; idle; nauseous. It is one of the most nauseous, mawnish mortifications, for a man to have to do with a punctual, finical fop. L'Estrange. MAW-WORM. n. s. [maw and worm.] Ordinary gut-worms loosen, and slide off from, the intern tunick of the guts, and frequently creep into the stomach for nutriment, being attracted thither by the sweet chyle; whence they are called stomach or maw-worms. Harv. MAXILLAR. 2 adj. [maxillaris, Lat.] MAXILLARY. Belonging to the jaw bone. } Yet, as in duty bound, they serve him on; Nor ease, nor wealth, nor life itself regard, For 'tis their maxim, love is love's reward. Dryd. That the temper, the sentiments, the morality of men, is influenced by the example and disposition of those they converse with, is a reflexion which has long since passed into proverbs, and been ranked among the standing maxims of human wisdom. Rogers. MAY, auxiliary verb, preterit might. [magan, Sax maghen, Dutch.] 1. To be at liberty; to be permitted; to be allowed: as, you may do for me [per me licet] all you can. He that is sent out to travel with the thoughts of a man, designing to improve himself, may get into the conversation of persons of condition. Locke. Bacon. For she has really two ages. Prior. May you live happily and long for the service of your country. Dryden. MAY be. Perhaps; it may be that. Spenser. In the unlawful purpose. Shakspears. Tis nothing yet, yet all thou haɛt to give; Then add those may-be years, thou hast to live. Dryden. May-be the amorous count solicits her What they offer is bare may-be and shift, and scarce ever amounts to a tolerable reason. Creech. MAY. n. s. [Maius, Lat.] 1. The fifth month of the year; the confine of spring and summer. May must be drawn with a sweet and amiable countenance, clad in a robe of white and green, embroidered with daffidils, hawthorns, and bluebottles. Peacham. Hail! bounteous May, that dost inspire Mirth and youth, and warm desire; Woods and groves are of thy dressing, Hill and dale doth boast thy blessing. Milton. 2. The early or gay part of life. On a day, alack the day; Love, whose month is ever May, 'Spied a blossom passing fair, Playing in the wanton air. Shakspeare. Maids are May when they are maids, Is in the very May morn of his youth, Shakspeare. I'll prove it on his body, if he dare; Despight his nice fence, and his active practice, His May of youth, and bloom of lustihood. Shakspeare. To MAY. v. n. [from the noun.] To gather flowers on May morning . Milton. When merry May first early calls the morn, With merry maids a maying they do go. Sidney. Cupid with Aurora playing, As he met her once a maying. MAY-BUG. n. s. [May and bug.] A chaffer. Ainsworth. MAY-DAY. n. s. [May and day.] The first of May. "Tis as much impossible, Unless we sweep them from the door with can Amid the area wide she took her stand; Where the tall May-pele once o'erlook'd the Pope. MAY-WEED. n. s. [May and weed.] A species of chamomile, called also stinking chamomile, which grows wild. Miller. The Maie-weed doth burne, and the thistle doth freat, To be the mayor of some poor paltry town? Dryden. MAYORALTY. n. s. [from mayor.] The office of a mayor. It is incorporated with the mayoralty and ameth burgesses to the parliament. mayoBacon. Carer There was a sharp prosecution against Sir William Capel, for misgovernment in his ralty. MAYORESS. n. s. [from mayor.] The wife of the inayor. MAʼZARD. n. s. [maschoire, Fr.] A jaw. Hanmer. Now my lady Worm's chapless, and knockt, about the mazard with a sexton's spade. Shaksp. Where thou might'st stickle without hazard Of outrage to thy hide and mazard. Hudibras. MAZE. n. s. [missen, Dutch, to mistake; mare, Sax. a whirlpool, Skinner.] A labyrinth; a place of perplexity and winding passages. Circular base of rising folds, that tower'd Fold above fold, a surging maze. Milton, The ways of heav'n are dark and intricate; Puzzled with mazes and perplex'd with error, Our understanding searches them in vain. Addit. He, like a copious river, pour'd his song O'er all the mazes of enchanted ground. Thom. 2. Confusion of thought; uncertainty ; perplexity. He left in himself nothing but a maze of longing, and a dungeon of sorrow. Sidney. While they study how to bring to pass that religion may seem but a matter made, they lose themselves in the very maze of their own discourses, as if reason did even purposely forsake them, who of purpose forsake God, the author thereof. Hooker. I have thrust myself into this maze, Haply to wive and thrive as best I may. Shaks. Others apart sat on a hill retir'd, In thoughts more elevate, and reason'd high Of providence, foreknowledge, will and fate, Fix'd fate, free-will, foreknowledge absolute, And found no end, in wandering mazes lost. Milton To MAZE. v. a. [from the noun.] To bewilder; to confuse. Much was I maz'd to see this monster kind, In hundred forms to change his fearful hue. Spenser. MAZER. n. s. [maeser, Dutch, a knot of maple.] A maple cup. Then, lo! Perigot, the pledge which I plight, A mazer ywrought of the maple ware, Wherein is enchased many a fair sight Of bears and tigers that make fierce war. Spens. Virgil observes, like Theocritus, a just decorum, both of the subject and persons, as in the third pastoral, where one of his shepherds describes a bowl, or mazer, curiously carved. Dryd. MAZY. adj. [from maze.] Perplexed with windings; confused. How from that saphire fount the crisped Rolling on orient pearl and sands of gold, Ran nectar. Milton. The Lapitha to chariots add the state Of bits and bridles, taught the steed to bound, To run the ring, and trade the mazy round. Dryden. M. D. Medicina doctor, doctor of physick. ME. 1. The oblique case of I. Me, only me, the hand of fortune bore,. Unblest to tread an interdicted shore. Pope. For me the fates severely kind, ordain A cool suspense. Pope. 2. Me is sometimes a kind of ludicrous expletive. He thrusts me himself into the company of three or four gentlemanlike dogs, under the duke's table. Shakspeare. He presently, as greatness knows itself, Steps me a little higher than his vow Made to my father, while his blood was poor. Shakspeare. I, acquainted with the smell before, knew it was Crab, and goes me to the fellow that whips the dogs. Shakspeare. I followed me close, came in foot and hand, and, with a thought, seven of the eleven I paid. Shakspeare. 3. It is sometimes used ungrammatically for I: as, methinks, Me rather had, my heart might feel your love, Than my unpleas'd eye see your courtesy. Shakspeare. ME ACOCK. n. s. [mes coq, Fr. Skinner.] An uxorious or effeminate man. MEACOCK. adj. Tame; timorous; cowardly. 'Tis a world to see, How tame, when men and women are alone, A meacock wretch can make the curstest shrew. Shakspeare. MEAD. n.s. [mædo, Saxon; meetke, Dut. meth, German; hydromeli, Lat.] A kind of drink made of water and honey. Though not so solutive a drink as mead, yet it will be more grateful to the stomach. Bacon. He sheers his over-burden'd sheep; Or mead for cooling drink prepares, Of virgin honey in the jars. Dryden. MEAD. 7. s. [mæde, Sax.] Ground MEADOW. J somewhat watery, not plowed, but covered with grass and flowers. Mead is a word chiefly poetical. Latin.] A plant. The meadow-saffron hath a flower consisting of one leaf, shaped like a lily, rising in form of a small tube, and is gradually widened into six segments; it has likewise a solid, bulbous root, covered with a membranous skin. Miller. MEADOW SWEET. n. s. [ulmaria, Latin.] A plant. ME AGER. adj. [maigre, Fr. macer, Lat.] 1. Lean; wanting flesh; starven. Thou art so lean and meagre waxen late, That scarce thy legs uphold thy feeble gate. Spenser Now will the canker sorrow eat my bud, And chase the native beauty from his cheek, And he will look as hollow as a ghost, As dim and meagre as an ague's fit. Shaksp. Meagre were his looks, Sharp misery had worn him to the bones. Shak. In swarms th' offending wretch surround, Dryden Canaan's happy land, when worn with toil, Requir'da Sabbath year to mend the meagre soil. Dryden. To ME AGER. v. a. [from the adjective.] To make lean. It cannot be, that I should be so shamefully betrayed, and as a man meagered with long watching and painful labour, laid himself down to sleep. Knolles' Hist. of the Turks. MEʼAGERNESS. n. s. [from meager.] 1. Leanness; want of flesh. 2. Scantness; bareness. Poynings, the better to make compensation of the meagerness of his service in the wars by acts of peace, called a parliament. Bacon. MEAK. n. 5. A hook with a long bandle. A meake for the pease, and to swing up the brake. Tusser MEAL. . . [male, Saxon, repast or portion.] 1. The act of eating at a certain time, Boaz said unto her, at meal time, Come eat, and dip thy morsel. Ruth. The quantity of aliment necessary to keep the animal in a due state of vigour, ought to be divided into meals at proper intervals. Arbuth 2. A repast; the food eaten. What strange fish Shaksp |