v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Aggressed p. pr. & vb. n. Aggressing. ] [ L. aggressus, p. p. of aggredi to go to, approach; ad + gradi to step, go, gradus step: cf. OF. aggresser. See Grade. ] To commit the first act of hostility or offense; to begin a quarrel or controversy; to make an attack; -- with on. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. take the initiative and go on the offensive, as in a game.
Syn. -- attack [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. To set upon; to attack. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aggressus. ] Aggression. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Their military aggresses on others. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. aggressio, fr. aggredi: cf. F. agression. ] The first attack, or act of hostility; the first act of injury, or first act leading to a war or a controversy; unprovoked attack; assault; as, a war of aggression. “Aggressions of power.” Hallam [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Attack; offense; intrusion; provocation. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. agressif. ] 1. Tending or disposed to aggress; having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of one's own ends at the expense of others or mindless of others' needs or desires; characterized by aggression; making assaults; unjustly attacking; as, an aggressive policy, war, person, nation; an aggressive businessman; an aggressive basketball player; he was aggressive and imperious in his convictions; aggressive drivers. Opposite of unaggressive. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

No aggressive movement was made. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Marked by self-confident ambition, vigorous competitiveness, energy and initiative; as, an aggressive young executive.
Syn. -- enterprising, pushful, pushing, pushy [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. (Med., Biol.) Tending to grow or spread quickly; as, an aggressive tumor. [ Narrower terms: invasive (vs. noninvasive) ] AS
Syn. -- fast-growing(prenominal) [ WordNet 1.5 ]

4. Tending to initiate unprovoked attacks; initiating unprovoked military action; eager to fight; as, aggressive acts against another country.
Syn. -- belligerent. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

Narrower related terms: bellicose, combative, pugnacious, scrappy, truculent ; hard-hitting, high-pressure ; hostile (used of attempts to buy or take control of a business: "hostile takeover"; "hostile tender offer"); predatory, rapacious, raptorial, ravening, vulturine, vulturous . See also: assertive, hostile, offensive. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

-- Ag*gres"sive*ly, adv. -- Ag*gres"sive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L.: cf. F. agresseur. ] The person who first attacks or makes an aggression; he who begins hostility or a quarrel; an assailant. [ 1913 Webster ]

The insolence of the aggressor is usually proportioned to the tameness of the sufferer. Ames. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. allégresse, fr. L. alacer sprightly. ] Joy; gladsomeness. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Congresses /plu>. [ L. congressus, fr. congredi, p. p. -gressus, to go or come together; con- + grati to go or step, gradus step: cf. F. congr&unr_;s. See Grade. ] 1. A meeting of individuals, whether friendly or hostile; an encounter. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Here Pallas urges on, and Lausus there;
Their congress in the field great Jove withstands. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A sudden encounter; a collision; a shock; -- said of things. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

From these laws may be deduced the rules of the congresses and reflections of two bodies. Cheyne. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The coming together of a male and female in sexual commerce; the act of coition. Pennant. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A gathering or assembly; a conference. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A formal assembly, as of princes, deputies, representatives, envoys, or commissioners; esp., a meeting of the representatives of several governments or societies to consider and determine matters of common interest. [ 1913 Webster ]

The European powers strove to . . . accommodate their differences at the congress of Vienna. Alison. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. The collective body of senators and representatives of the people of a nation, esp. of a republic, constituting the chief legislative body of the nation. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ In the Congress of the United States (which took the place of the Federal Congress, March 4, 1789), the Senate consists of two Senators from each State, chosen by the State legislature for a term of six years, in such a way that the terms of one third of the whole number expire every year; the House of Representatives consists of members elected by the people of the several Congressional districts, for a term of two years, the term of all ending at the same time. The united body of Senators and Representatives for any term of two years for which the whole body of Representatives is chosen is called one Congress. Thus the session which began in December, 1887, was the first (or long) session, and that which began in December, 1888, was the second (or short) session, of the Fiftieth Congress. When an extra session is had before the date of the first regular meeting of a Congress, that is called the first session, and the following regular session is called the second session. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. The lower house of the Spanish Cortes, the members of which are elected for three years. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Continental Congress, an assembly of deputies from the thirteen British colonies in America, appointed to deliberate in respect to their common interests. They first met in 1774, and from time thereafter until near the close of the Revolution. --
The Federal Congress, the assembly of representatives of the original States of the American Union, who met under the Articles of Confederation from 1781 till 1789. --
Congress boot or
Congress gaiter, a high shoe or half-boot, coming above the ankle, and having the sides made in part of some elastic material which stretches to allow the boot to be drawn on and off. [ U.S. ] --
Congress water, a saline mineral water from the Congress spring at Saratoga, in the State of New York.

Syn. -- Assembly; meeting; convention; convocation; council; diet; conclave; parliament; legislature. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. congressio. ] A coming or bringing together, as in a public meeting, in a dispute, in the act of comparing, or in sexual intercourse. [ R. ] Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to a congress, especially, to the Congress of the United States; as, congressional debates. [ 1913 Webster ]

Congressional and official labor. E. Everett. [ 1913 Webster ]

Congressional District, one of the divisions into which a State is periodically divided (according to population), each of which is entitled to elect a Representative to the Congress of the United States. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Encountering, or coming together. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Congressmen A member of the Congress of the United States, esp. of the House of Representatives. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. going down by steps. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. gradually decreasing in rate on sums below a certain amount. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Digressed p. pr. & vb. n. Digressing. ] [ L. digressus, p. p. of digredi to go apart, to deviate; di- = dis- + gradi to step, walk. See Grade. ] 1. To step or turn aside; to deviate; to swerve; especially, to turn aside from the main subject of attention, or course of argument, in writing or speaking. [ 1913 Webster ]

Moreover she beginneth to digress in latitude. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

In the pursuit of an argument there is hardly room to digress into a particular definition as often as a man varies the signification of any term. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To turn aside from the right path; to transgress; to offend. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Thy abundant goodness shall excuse
This deadly blot on thy digressing son. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Digression. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. digressio: cf. F. digression. ] 1. The act of digressing or deviating, esp. from the main subject of a discourse; hence, a part of a discourse deviating from its main design or subject. [ 1913 Webster ]

The digressions I can not excuse otherwise, than by the confidence that no man will read them. Sir W. Temple. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A turning aside from the right path; transgression; offense. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Then my digression is so vile, so base,
That it will live engraven in my face. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Anat.) The elongation, or angular distance from the sun; -- said chiefly of the inferior planets. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or having the character of, a digression; departing from the main purpose or subject. T. Warton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. digressif. ] Departing from the main subject; partaking of the nature of digression. Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. By way of digression. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. egressus, fr. egredi to go out; e out + gradi to go. See Grade. ] 1. The act of going out or leaving, or the power to leave; departure. [ 1913 Webster ]

Embarred from all egress and regress. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

Gates of burning adamant,
Barred over us, prohibit all egress. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Astron.) The passing off from the sun's disk of an inferior planet, in a transit. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To go out; to depart; to leave. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. egressio. ] The act of going; egress. [ R. ] B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who goes out. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. gressus, p. p. of gradi to step, go. ] (Zool.) Adapted for walking; anisodactylous; as the feet of certain birds and insects. See Illust. under Aves.

a. Not progressive. De Quincey. -- Im"pro*gress"ive*ly, adv. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Philosophy, Logic) A causal relationship transmitted through an indefinite number of terms in a series, with no term that begins the causal chain. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. ingressus, fr. ingredi. See Ingredient. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of entering; entrance; as, the ingress of air into the lungs. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Power or liberty of entrance or access; means of entering; as, all ingress was prohibited. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Astron.) The entrance of the moon into the shadow of the earth in eclipses, the sun's entrance into a sign, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To go in; to enter. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ingressio: cf. F. ingression. ] Act of entering; entrance. Sir K. Digby. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. intragressibilis that can not be crossed. See In- not, and Transgress. ] Incapable of being transgressed; not to be passed over or crossed. Holland. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. introgressus, p. p. of introgredi to go in; intro- within + gradi to step, go. ] The act of going in; entrance. Blount. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Negresses [ Cf. F. négrese, fem. of négre a negro. See Negro. ] A black woman; a female negro. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. ogresse. See Ogre. ] A female ogre. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

. Any of several meetings of delegates from various American states; esp.: (a) One held in 1889-90 in the United States, at which all the independent states except Santo Domingo were represented and of which the practical result was the establishment of the Bureau of American Republics for the promotion of trade relations. (b) One held in Mexico in 1901-1902. (c) One held at Rio de Janeiro in 1906. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ L. progressus, from progredi, p. p. progressus, to go forth or forward; pro forward + gradi to step, go: cf. F. progrès. See Grade. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. A moving or going forward; a proceeding onward; an advance; specifically: (a) In actual space, as the progress of a ship, carriage, etc. (b) In the growth of an animal or plant; increase. (c) In business of any kind; as, the progress of a negotiation; the progress of art. (d) In knowledge; in proficiency; as, the progress of a child at school. (e) Toward ideal completeness or perfection in respect of quality or condition; -- applied to individuals, communities, or the race; as, social, moral, religious, or political progress. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A journey of state; a circuit; especially, one made by a sovereign through parts of his own dominions. [ 1913 Webster ]

The king being returned from his progresse. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Progressed p. pr. & vb. n. Progressing. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To make progress; to move forward in space; to continue onward in course; to proceed; to advance; to go on; as, railroads are progressing. “As his recovery progressed.” Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

Let me wipe off this honorable dew,
That silverly doth progress on thy checks. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

They progress in that style in proportion as their pieces are treated with contempt. Washington. [ 1913 Webster ]

The war had progressed for some time. Marshall. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make improvement; to advance. Bayard. [ 1913 Webster ]

If man progresses, art must progress too. Caird. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make progress in; to pass through. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. progressio: cf. F. progression. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of moving forward; a proceeding in a course; motion onward. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Course; passage; lapse or process of time. [ 1913 Webster ]

I hope, in a short progression, you will be wholly immerged in the delices and joys of religion. Evelyn. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Math.) Regular or proportional advance in increase or decrease of numbers; continued proportion, arithmetical, geometrical, or harmonic. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Mus.) A regular succession of tones or chords; the movement of the parts in harmony; the order of the modulations in a piece from key to key. [ 1913 Webster ]

Arithmetical progression, a progression in which the terms increase or decrease by equal differences, as the numbers { 2, 4, 6, 8, 1010, 8, 6, 4, 2 } by the difference 2. [ 1913 Webster ] --
Geometrical progression, a progression in which the terms increase or decrease by equal ratios, as the numbers { 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 6464, 32, 16, 8, 4, 2 } by a continual multiplication or division by 2. [ 1913 Webster ] --
Harmonic progression, a progression in which the terms are the reciprocals of quantities in arithmetical progression, as 1/2, 1/4, 1/6, 1/8, 1/10. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Of or pertaining to progression; tending to, or capable of, progress. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ 1913 Webster ]

1. One who holds to a belief in the progression of society toward perfection. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who maintains the doctrine of progression in organic forms; -- opposed to uniformitarian. H. Spencer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who makes, or holds to, progress; a progressionist. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. progressif. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Moving forward; proceeding onward; advancing; evincing progress; increasing; as, progressive motion or course; -- opposed to retrograde. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Improving; as, art is in a progressive state. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (U. S. History) Of or pertaining to the Progressive party. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

4. Favoring improvement, change, progress, or reform, especially in a political context; -- used of people. Contrasted with conservative. [ PJC ]

☞ The term progressive is sometimes used to describe the views of a politician, where liberal might have been used at one time, in communities where the term liberal has come to connote extreme views. [ PJC ]

5. Disposed toward adopting new methods in government or education, holding tolerant and liberal ideas, and generally favoring improvement in civic life; -- of towns and communities. [ PJC ]

Progressive euchre or
Progressive whist, a way of playing at card parties, by which after every game, the losers at the first table go to the last table, and the winners at all the tables, except the first, move up to the next table. --
Progressive muscular atrophy (Med.), a nervous disorder characterized by continuous atrophy of the muscles. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Pro*gress"ive*ly, adv. -- Pro*gress"ive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (U. S. History) The political party formed, chiefly out of the Republican party, by the adherents of Theodore Roosevelt in the presidential campaign of 1912. The name Progressive party was chosen at the meeting held on Aug. 7, 1912, when the candidates were nominated and the platform adopted. It was also known as the Bull Moose Party. Among the chief articles in the platform are those demanding direct primaries, preferential primaries for presidential nominations, direct election of United States senators, women's suffrage, and recall of judicial decisions in certain cases. In 1924 the label was also adopted by the party supporting the presidential campaign of Robert M. La Follette, and in 1948 it was also adopted by the party of Henry Wallace. The party is no longer (1998) considered a force in U. S. national politics. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. + PJC ]

n. [ L. regressus, fr. regredi, regressus. See Regrede. ] 1. The act of passing back; passage back; return; retrogression. “The progress or regress of man”. F. Harrison. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The power or liberty of passing back. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. [ imp. & p. p. Regressed p. pr. & vb. n. Regressing. ] To go back; to return to a former place or state. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. regressio: cf. F. régression. ] The act of passing back or returning; retrogression; retrogradation. Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

Edge of regression (of a surface) (Geom.), the line along which a surface turns back upon itself; -- called also a cuspidal edge. --
Regression point (Geom.), a cusp. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. régressif. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Passing back; returning. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Characterized by retrogression; retrogressive. [ 1913 Webster ]

Regressive metamorphism. (a) (Biol.) See Retrogression. (b) (Physiol.) See Katabolism. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a regressive manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. L. retrogressus. ] Retrogression. [ R. ] H. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. rétrogression. See Retrograde, and cf. Digression. ] 1. The act of retrograding, or going backward; retrogradation. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Biol.) Backward development; a passing from a higher to a lower state of organization or structure, as when an animal, approaching maturity, becomes less highly organized than would be expected from its earlier stages or known relationship. Called also retrograde development, and regressive metamorphism. [ 1913 Webster ]