O the inexpressible horror that will seize upon a

ACQUAINTANCE.

Acknowledging is a simple declaration < confessing or owning is a specific private communication; avowal is a public declaration. We acknowledge facts; confess or own faults; avow motives, opinions, &c.

We acknowledge in consequence of a question; we confess in consequence of an accusation; we own in consequence of a charge; we avow voluntarily. We acknowledge having been concerned in a trans

TO ACCUSE, CENSURE.

South.

ACCUSE, v. To accuse, charge. CENSURE, in French censure, in Latin censura, is derived from censor, a Roman magistrate who took cognizance of the morals and manners of the citizens, as also of the domestic arrangements of the city. It signifies not only the office of censor, but, in an extended sense, the act of blaming or punishing offenders against morality, which formed a prominent feature in his office.

To accuse is only to assert the guilt of another; to censure is to take that guilt for granted.

We accuse only to make known the offence, to provoke inquiry; we censure in order to inflict a punishment.

An accusation may be false or true; a censure mild or severe.

It is extremely wrong to accuse another without suficient grounds; but still worse to censure him without the most substantial grounds.

Every one is at liberty to accuse another of offences which he knows him for a certainty to have committed; but none can censure who are not authorized by their age or station.

Mr. Locke accuses those of great negligence who discourse of moral things with the least obscurity in the terms they make use of.

Budgell.

To achieve, v. To accomplish.
ACHIEVEMENT, v. Deed.

TO ACKNOWLEDGE, OWN, CONFESS, AVOW. ACKNOWLEDGE, compounded of ac or ed and knowledge, implies to bring to knowledge, to make known.

OWN is a familiar figure, signifying to take to one's self, to make one's own it is a common substitute for confess.

CONFESS, in French confesser, Latin confessus, participle of confiteor, compoundad of can and fateor, signifies to impart to any one.

AVOW, in French avower, Latin advo* signifies to vow, or protest to any one.

a thing is wrong; but we are ashamed to arow our motives. Candour leads to an acknowledgment; repentance produces a confession; the desire of forgiveness leads to owning; generosity or pride occasions an avowal.

An acknowledgment of what is not demanded may be either politic or impolitic according to circumstances: a confession dictated merely by fear is of avail only in the sight of man: those who are most ready to own themselves in an error are not always the first to amend: an avowal of the principles which actuate the conduct is often the greatest aggravation of guilt.

I must acknowledge for my own part, that I take greater pleasure in considering the works of the creation in their immensity, than in their minuteness. Addison.

And now, my dear, cried she to me, I will fairly own, that it was I that instructed my girls to encou rage our landlord's addresses. Goldsmith. Spite of herself o'en envy must confess, That I the friendship of the great'possess. Francis. Whether by their settled and avowed scorn of thoughtless talkers, the Persians were able to diffuse to any great extent the virtue of taciturnity, we are hindered by the distance of those times from being able to discover. Johnson

TO ACKNOWLEDGE, v. To recognise. TO ACQUAINT, v. To inform. ACQUAINTANCE, FAMILIARITY, INTIMACY. ACQUAINTANCE comes from acquaint, which is compounded of the intensive syllable ac or ad and quaint, in old French coint, Teut. gekannt known, signifying

known to one.

FAMILIARITY comes from familiar, in Latin familiaris and familia, signifying known as one of the family.

INTIMACY, from intimate, in Latin intimatus, participle of intimo to love entirely, from intimus innermost, signifies known to the innermost recesses of the heart.

These terms mark different degrees of closeness in the social intercourse; acquaintance expressing less than familiarity and that less than intimacy.

A slight knowledge of eny one constitutes an ac

quaintance; to be familiar requires an acquaint

ance of some standing; intimacy supposes such an acquaintanes as is supported by endship. Trusler

Acquaintance springs from occasional intercourse; familiarity is produced by a daily

ACQUAINTANCE.

intercourse, which wears off all constraint, and banishes all ceremony; intimacy arises not merely from frequent intercourse, but unreserved communication. An acquaint ance will be occasionally a guest; but one that is on terms of familiarity has easy access to our table; and an intimate, likewise, Jays claim to a share at least of our confidence. An acquaintance with a person affords but little-opportunity for knowing his character; familiarily puts us in the way of seeing his foibles, rather than his virtues; but intimacy enables us to appreciate his worth.

Those who are apt to be familiar on a slight acquaintance, will never acquire any degree of inti

inacy.

Trusler.

A simple acquaintance is the most desirable footing on which to stand with all persons however deserving. If it have not the pleasures of familiarity or intimacy, it can claim the privilege of being exempted From their pains. "Too much familiarity,” according to the old proverb, "breeds contempt." The unlicensed freedom which commonly attends familiarity affords but too ample scope for the indulgence of the selfish and unamiable passions. Intimacies begun in love often end in hatred, as ill chosen friends commonly become the bite terest enemies. A man may have a thou sand acquaintance, and not one whom he should make his intimate.

Acquaintance grew; th' acquaintance they improve To friendship; friendship ripen'd into love. Eusden. That familiarity produces neglect has been long observed. Johnson. The intimacy between the father of Eugenio and Agrestis produced a tender friendship between his

sister and Amelia.

Hawkesworth.

At an entertainment given by Pisistratus to some of his intimates, Thrasippus took some occasion, not recorded, to break out into the most violent abuse. Cumberland. These terms may be applied to things as well as persons, in which case they bear a similar analogy. An acquaintance with a subject is opposed to entire ignorance upon it; familiarity with it is the consequence of frequent repetition; and intimacy of a steady and thorough research. In our intercourse with the world we become daily acquainted with fresh subjects to engage our attention. Some men have by extraordinary diligence acquired a considerable familiarity with more than one language and science; but few, if any, can boast of having possessed an intimate acquaintance with all the particulars of even one language or science. When we can translate

TO ACQUIESCE, v. To accede.

TO ACQUIRE, OBTAIN, GAIN, WIN, EARN. ACQUIRE, in French acquirer, Latin acquiro, is compounded of ac or ad and quæro to seek, signifying to seek or get to one's self.

OBTAIN, in French obtenir, Latin obtineo, is compounded of ob and teneo to hold, signifying to lay hold or secure within one's reach

GAIN and WIN are derived from the same source; namely, the French gagner, German gewinnen, Saxon winnen, from the Latin vinco, Greek nawoμas or vix to conquer, signifying to get the mastery over, to get into one's possession.

EARN comes from the Saxon tharnan, German erndten, Friezlandish arnan to reap, which is connected with the Greek apron to take or get.

The idea of getting is common to these terms, but the circumstances of the action vary. We acquire by our own efforts; we obtain by the efforts of others, as well as ourselves; we gain or win by striving; we earn by labour. Talents and industry are requisite for acquiring; what we acquire comes gradually to us in consequence of the regular exercise of our abilities; in this manner, knowledge, honour, and reputation, are acquired. Things are obtained by all means, honest or dishonest; whatever comes into our possession agreeable to our wishes is obtained. Favours and requests are always obtained. Fortune assists in both gaining and winning, but particularly in the latter case: a subsistence, a superiority, a victory or battle, is gained; a game or a prize in the lottery is won. A good constitution and full employment are all that is necessary for earning a liveli hood. Fortunes are acquired after a course of years; they are obtained by inheritance, or gained in trade; they are sometimes won at the gaming table, but seldom earned.

What is acquired is solid, and produces lasting benefit: what is obtained may often be injurious to one's health, one's interest, or one's morals: what is gained or won is often only a partial advantage, and transitory in its nature; it is gained or won only to be lost: what is earned serves only to supply the necessity of the moment; it is

ACQUIREMENT,

hardly got and quickly spent. Scholars acquire learning, obtain rewards, gain applause, and win prizes, which are often hardly earned by the loss of health.

It is Sallust's remark upon Cato, that the less he coveted glory, the more he acquired it. Addison.

Were not this desire of fame very strong, the difficulty of obtaining it, and the danger of losing it when obtained, would be sufficient to deter a man from so vain a pursuit. Addison.

He whose mind is engaged by the acquisition or improvement of a fortune, not only excapes the insipidity of indifference and the tediousness of inactivity, but gains enjoyments wholly unknown to those who live lazily on the toils of others.

Johnson.

The goat was mine, by singing fairly won. Dryden.

They who have earned their fortune by a labori

ACRIMONY.

employed; acquisition the benefit or gain accruing. To learn a language is an acquirement; to gain a class or a degree, an acquisition. The acquirements of literature far exceed in value theacquisitions of fortune. Men of the greatest application and acquirements can look back upon many vacant spaces and neglected parts of time. Hughes.

To me who have taken pains to look at beauty, abstracted from the consideration of its being an object of desire; at power only as it sits upon another without any hopes of partaking any share of it; at wisdom and capacity without any pretension to rival or envy its acquisitions; the world is not only a mere scene, ,but a pleasant one. Steele.

ACQUISITION, v. Acquirement.

TO ACQUIT, v. To Absolve.

TO ACQUIRE, ATTAIN.

Blair.

ACQUIRE, v. To acquire, obtain. ATTAIN, in Latin attineo, is compounded of ab or ad and teneo to hold, signifying to rest at a thing.

To acquire is a progressive and permanent action; to attain is a perfect and finishing action: we always go on acquir ing; but we stop when we have attained. What is acquired is something got into the possession; what is attained is the point arrived at. We acquire a language; we attain to a certain degree of perfection.

By abilities and perseverance we may ac quire a considerable fluency in speaking several languages; but we can scarcely ex

pect to attain to the perfection of a native in any foreign language. Ordinary powers coupled with diligence will enable & person to acquire whatever is useful; but we cannot attain to superiority without extraordinary talents and determined perseve rance. Acquirements are always serviceable; attainments always creditable.

A genius is never to be acquired by art, but is the gift of nature. Gay Inquiries after happiness, and rules for attaining it, are not so necessary and useful to mankind as the arts of consolation, and supporting one's self under

affliction.

Shephard.

ACQUIREMENT, ACQUISITION. Two abstract nouns, from the same verb, denoting the thing acquired.

ACQUIREMENT implies the thing acquired for and by ourselves; ACQUISITION, that which is acquired for another, or to the advantage of another.

People can expect to make but slender aquirements without a considerable share of industry; and in such case they will be no acquisition to the community to which they have attached themselves.

Acquirement respects rather the exertions

NESS.

THESE epithets are figuratively employed to denote sharpness of feeling corresponding to the quality in natural bodies.

acer, sharp, is the characteristic of garlic, ACRIMONY, in Latin acrimonia, from mustard, and pepper, that is, a biting sharp

ness.

TARTNESS, from tart, is not improbably derived from tartar, the quality of which it in some degree resembles; it is a high degree of acid peculiar to vinegar.

ASPERITY, in Latin asperitas, from asper, and the Greek aσpos, fallow, without culture and without fruit, signifying land that is too hard and rough to be tilled.

HARSHNESS, from harsh, in German Latin acerbus, denotes the sharp rough taste and Teutonic herbe, herbisch, Swedish kerb, of unripe fruit.

A quick sense produces acrimony: it is too frequent among disputants, who embitbility coupled with quickness of intellect ter each other's feelings. An acute sensiproduces tartness: it is too frequent among females. Acrimony is a transient feeling that discovers itself by the words; tartness is an habitual irritability that mingles itself with the tone and looks. An acrimonious reply frequently gives rise to much ill-will; a tart reply is often treated with indiffer ence, as indicative of the natural temper, rather than of any unfriendly feeling.

Asperity and harshness respect one's conduct to inferiors; the latter expresses a strong degree of the former. Asperity is opposed to mildness and forbearance; harshness to kindness. A reproof is conveyed with asperity, when the words and looks convey strong displeasure; a treatment is harsh when it wounds the feelings, and does violence to the affections. Mistresses sometimes chide their servants with asperity; parents deal harshly with their children.

TO ACT, DO.

ACT, in Latin actus, from ago, to direct, signifies the putting in motion.

DO, in German thun, comes probably from the Greek Java to put, signifying to dispose, put in order, or bring to pass.

We act whenever we do any thing; but we may act without doing any thing. The first of these words is intransitive, and the second transitive: we do not act a thing, but we always do a thing. The first approaches nearest to the idea of move; it is properly the exertion of power corporeal or mental: the second is closely allied to effect; it is the producing an effect by such an exertion. They act very unwisely who attempt to do more than their abilities will enable them to complete: whatever we do, let us be careful to act considerately.

We have made this a maxim, "That a man who is commonly called good-natured is hardly to be thanked for what he docs, because half that is acted about him is done rather by his sufferance than approbation." Steele.

ACTION, ACT, DEED. THE words action, act, and deed, though derived from the preceding verbs, have an obvious distinction in their meaning.

ACTION, in French action, Latin actio, signifies doing.

ACT, in French acte, Latin actum, denotes the thing done: the former implies a process: the latter a result.

We mark the degrees of action which indicate energy; we mark the number of acts which may serve to designate a habit or character: we speak of a lively, vehement, or impetuous action; a man of action, in distinction from a mere talker or an idler; whatever rests without influence or movement has lost its action: we speak of many acts of a particular kind; we call him a fool who commits continued acts of folly; and him a niggard who commits nothing but acts of meanness.

Action is a continued exertion of power: act is a single exertion of power; the physical movement; the simple acting. Our actions are our works in the strict sense of the word; our acts are the operations of our faculties. The character of a man must be judged by his actions; the merit of actions

*Reaband; "Acte, action

ACTION.

depends on the motives that give rise to them: the act of speaking is peculiar to man; but the acts of walking, running, cating, &c. are common to all animals.

Actions may be considered either singly or collectively; acis are regarded only individually and specifically: we speak of all a man's actions, but not of all his acts; we say a good action, a virtuous action, a charitable action; but an act, not an action of goodness, an act of virtue, an act of faith, an act of charity, and the like. It is a good action to conceal the faults of our neighbours; but a rare act of charity among men. Many noble actions are done in private, the consciousness of which is the only reward of the doer: the wisest of men may occasionally commit acts of folly, which are not imputable to their general character. Nothing can be a greater act of imprudence than not to take an occasional review of our past actions.

done in general; act to that which is reActiont is a term applied to whatever is markable or that requires to be distinguished. The sentiments of the heart are easier to be discovered by one's actions, than by one's words: it is an heroic act to forgive our enemy, when we are in a condition to be revenged on him. The good man is cautious in all his actions to avoid even the appearance of evil: a great prince is anxious to mark every year by some distinguished act of wisdom or virtue.

Act and deed are both employed for what is remarkable; but act denotes only one single thing done; deed implies some complicated performance, something achieved: we display but one quality or power in performing an act; we display many, both physical and mental, in performing a deed. A prince distinguishes himself by acts of mercy; the commander of an army by martial deeds. Acts of disobedience in youth frequently lead to the perpetration of the foulest deeds in more advanced life.

Many of those actions which are apt to procure fame are not in their nature conducive to our ultimate happiness. Addison.

I desire that the same rule may be extended to the whole fraternity of heathen gods; it being my design to condeinn every poem to the flames, in which Jupiter thunders or exercises any act of authority which does not belong to him.

Addison.