[ Named from Thomas Addison, M. D., of London, who first described it. ] (Med.) A morbid condition causing a peculiar brownish discoloration of the skin, hypotension, and loss of weight; it is due to insufficient secretion of adrenocortical hormones. Untreated disease is usually fatal. Called also chronic adrenocortical insufficiency [ 1913 Webster + AS ]

a. [ L. altus high + sonans, p. pr. of sonare to sound. ] High-sounding; lofty or pompous. Skelton. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. altisonus. ] Altisonant. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. armisonus; arma arms + sonare (p. pr. sonans) to sound. ] Rustling in arms; resounding with arms. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ or . (Painting) A French school of the middle of the 19th century centering in the village of Barbizon near the forest of Fontainebleau. Its members went straight to nature in disregard of academic tradition, treating their subjects faithfully and with poetic feeling for color, light, and atmosphere. It is exemplified, esp. in landscapes, by Corot, Rousseau, Daubigny, Jules Dupré, and Diaz. Associated with them are certain painters of animals, as Troyon and Jaque, and of peasant life, as Millet and Jules Breton. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ OE. beneysun, benesoun, OF. beneï&unr_;un, beneïson, fr. L. benedictio, fr. benedicere to bless; bene (adv. of bonus good) + dicere to say. See Bounty, and Diction, and cf. Benediction. ] Blessing; beatitude; benediction. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

More precious than the benison of friends. Talfourd. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. bison, Gr. bi`swn, a wild ox; akin to OHG. wisunt, wisant, G. wisent, AS. wesend, Icel. vīsundr: cf. F. bison. ] (Zool.) (a) The aurochs or European bison. (b) The American bison buffalo (Bison Americanus), a large, gregarious bovine quadruped with shaggy mane and short black horns, which formerly roamed in herds over most of the temperate portion of North America, but by 1900 was restricted to very limited districts in the region of the Rocky Mountains, and was almost hunted to extinction. Efforts at conservation of the American bison resulted in setting aside several reserves, and by 1990 a few stable herds were established, numbering from hundreds to thousands, roaming certain public areas, such as Yellowstone Park, some reserves in Canada, and some private reserves. Some bison are kept as range animals for food, and the American bison has been bred with domestic cattle to form a cross called the beefalo. The American bison is commonly (though improperly) called a buffalo; an image of the bison appeared on the inverse of the U. S. five-cent coin (nickel) from 1913 to 1937, and that coin was referred to as the buffalo nickel. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

pos>adj. of, relating to, or characteristic of bison. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. caparaçon, fr. Sp. caparazon a cover for a saddle, coach, etc.; capa cloak, cover (fr. LL. capa, cf. LL. caparo also fr. capa) + the term. azon. See Cap. ] 1. An ornamental covering or housing for a horse; the harness or trappings of a horse, taken collectively, especially when decorative. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their horses clothed with rich caparison. Drylen. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Gay or rich clothing. [ 1913 Webster ]

My heart groans beneath the gay caparison. Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Caparisoned pos>p. pr. & vb. n. Caparisoning. ] [ Cf. F caparaçonner. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To cover with housings, as a horse; to harness or fit out with decorative trappings, as a horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

The steeds, caparisoned with purple, stand. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To adorn with rich dress; to dress. [ 1913 Webster ]

I am caparisoned like a man. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. clarisonus; clarus + sonus. ] Having a clear sound. [ Obs. ] Ash. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖a. [ F., partitioned, fr. cloison a partition. ] Inlaid between partitions: -- said of enamel when the lines which divide the different patches of fields are composed of a kind of metal wire secured to the ground; as distinguished from champlevé enamel, in which the ground is engraved or scooped out to receive the enamel. S. Wells Williams. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. comparaison, L. comparatio. See 1st Compare. ] 1. The act of comparing; an examination of two or more objects with the view of discovering the resemblances or differences; relative estimate. [ 1913 Webster ]

As sharp legal practitioners, no class of human beings can bear comparison with them. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

The miracles of our Lord and those of the Old Testament afford many interesting points of comparison. Trench. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The state of being compared; a relative estimate; also, a state, quality, or relation, admitting of being compared; as, to bring a thing into comparison with another; there is no comparison between them. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That to which, or with which, a thing is compared, as being equal or like; illustration; similitude. [ 1913 Webster ]

Whereto shall we liken the kingdom of God? Or with what comparison shall we compare it? Mark iv. 30. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Gram.) The modification, by inflection or otherwise, which the adjective and adverb undergo to denote degrees of quality or quantity; as, little, less, least, are examples of comparison. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Rhet.) A figure by which one person or thing is compared to another, or the two are considered with regard to some property or quality, which is common to them both; e.g., the lake sparkled like a jewel. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Phren.) The faculty of the reflective group which is supposed to perceive resemblances and contrasts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Beyond comparison, so far superior as to have no likeness, or so as to make comparison needless. --
In comparison of,
In comparison with, as compared with; in proportion to. [ Archaic ] “So miserably unpeopled in comparison of what it once was.” Addison. --
Comparison of hands (Law), a mode of proving or disproving the genuineness of a signature or writing by comparing it with another proved or admitted to be genuine, in order to ascertain whether both were written by the same person. Bouvier. Burrill.

[ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To compare. [ Obs. ] Wyclif. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. to compare prices for a given item from different vendors; -- usually for the purpose of finding the lowest price. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Chem.) a corticosteroid hormone (C21H28O5) produced by the adrenal cortex. It is used in medicine as an antiinflammatory agent. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. To deprive of a garrison. Hewyt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Disherit. ] The act of disheriting, or debarring from inheritance; disinherison. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Disinherit, v. t., and cf. Disherison. ] Same as Disherison. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To let loose from prison, to set at liberty. [ R. ] Bulwer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See Disputation. ] Dispute; discussion. [ Obs. ] Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. elisio, fr. elidere, elisum, to strike out: cf. F. élision. See Elide. ] 1. Division; separation. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Gram.) The cutting off or suppression of a vowel or syllable, for the sake of meter or euphony; esp., in poetry, the dropping of a final vowel standing before an initial vowel in the following word, when the two words are drawn together. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ F. empoisonner; pref. em- + F. poison. See Poison, and cf. Impoison. ] To poison; to impoison. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Poison. [ Obs. ] Remedy of Love. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Poisoner. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. empoisonnement. ] The act of poisoning. Bacon.

v. t. [ Obs. ] See Imprison. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To garrison; to put in garrison, or to protect by a garrison. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Equi- + L. sonans, p. pr. of sonare to sound: cf. F. équisonnance. See Sonant. ] (Mus.) An equal sounding; the consonance of the unison and its octaves. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>a. Of the same or like sound. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. fluctisonus; fluctus wave + sonus sound. ] Sounding like waves. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. foison, fr. L. fusio a pouring, effusion. See Fusion. ] Rich harvest; plenty; abundance. [ Archaic ] Lowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

That from the seedness the bare fallow brings
To teeming foison. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. gambeson, gambaison, fr. gambais, wambais, of German origin: cf. MHG. wambeis, G. wams doublet, fr. OHG. wamba, stomach. See Womb. ] A defensive garment formerly in use for the body, made of cloth stuffed and quilted. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. garnisoun, F. garnison garrison, in OF. & OE. also, provision, munitions, from garnir to garnish. See Garnish. ] (Mil.) (a) A body of troops stationed in a fort or fortified town. (b) A fortified place, in which troops are quartered for its security. [ 1913 Webster ]

In garrison, in the condition of a garrison; doing duty in a fort or as one of a garrison. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Garrisoned p. pr. & vb. n. Garrisoning. ] (Mil.) (a) To place troops in, as a fortification, for its defense; to furnish with soldiers; as, to garrison a fort or town. (b) To secure or defend by fortresses manned with troops; as, to garrison a conquered territory. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F., fr. grison gray, gray-haired, gris gray. See Gris. ] (Zool.) (a) A South American animal of the family Mustelidae (Galictis vittata). It is about two feet long, exclusive of the tail. Its under parts are black. Also called South American glutton. (b) A South American monkey (Lagothrix infumatus), said to be gluttonous. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ F. ] (Geog.) (a) Inhabitants of the eastern Swiss Alps. (b) sing. The largest and most eastern of the Swiss cantons. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Horrisonous. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. horrisonus; horrere to be horrible + sonus a sound. ] Sounding dreadfully; uttering a terrible sound. [ Obs. ] Bailey. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ Cf. Empoison. ] To poison; to imbitter; to impair. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A poisoner. [ Obs. ] Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Empoisonment. ] The act of poisoning or impoisoning. [ Obs. ] Pope.

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Imprisoned p. pr. & vb. n. Imprisoning. ] [ OE. enprisonen, OF. enprisoner, F. emprisonner; pref. en- (L. in) + F. & OF. prison. See Prison. ] 1. To put in prison or jail; To arrest and detain in custody; to confine. [ 1913 Webster ]

He imprisoned was in chains remediless. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To limit, restrain, or confine in any way. [ 1913 Webster ]

Try to imprison the resistless wind. Dryden.

Syn. -- To incarcerate; confine; immure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who imprisons. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. enprisonment; F. emprisonnement. ] The act of imprisoning, or the state of being imprisoned; confinement; restraint. [ 1913 Webster ]

His sinews waxen weak and raw
Through long imprisonment and hard constraint. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

Every confinement of the person is an imprisonment, whether it be in a common prison, or in a private house, or even by foreibly detaining one in the public streets. Blackstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

False imprisonment. (Law) See under False.

Syn. -- Incarceration; custody; confinement; durance; restraint. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Mutual comparison of corresponding parts.

prop. n. [ Iso- + Gr. &unr_;, &unr_;, a man, male. ] (Bot.) A genus of sapotaceous trees of India. Isonandra Gutta is the principal source of gutta-percha. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Iso- + Gr. &unr_; a cloud. ] (Phys. Geog.) Having, or indicating, an equal amount of cloudiness for a given period; as, isonephelic regions; an isonephelic line. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Iso- + nicotine. ] (Chem.) A crystalline, nitrogenous base, C10H14N2, isomeric with nicotine. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. (Chem.) (a) Pertaining to, or derived from, isonicotine. (b) Pertaining to, or designating, an acid isomeric with nicotinic acid. [ 1913 Webster ]