a. [ L. licitus permitted, lawful, from licere: cf. F. licite. See License. ] Lawful. “Licit establishments.” Carlyle. -- Lic"it*ly, adv. -- Lic"it*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ From L. limes, limitis: cf. F. limite; -or from E. limit, v. See Limit, v. t. ] 1. That which terminates, circumscribes, restrains, or confines; the bound, border, or edge; the utmost extent; as, the limit of a walk, of a town, of a country; the limits of human knowledge or endeavor. [ 1913 Webster ]

As eager of the chase, the maid
Beyond the forest's verdant limits strayed. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The space or thing defined by limits. [ 1913 Webster ]

The archdeacon hath divided it
Into three limits very equally. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which terminates a period of time; hence, the period itself; the full time or extent. [ 1913 Webster ]

The dateless limit of thy dear exile. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

The limit of your lives is out. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A restriction; a check; a curb; a hindrance. [ 1913 Webster ]

I prithee, give no limits to my tongue. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Logic & Metaph.) A determining feature; a distinguishing characteristic; a differentia. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Math.) A determinate quantity, to which a variable one continually approaches, and may differ from it by less than any given difference, but to which, under the law of variation, the variable can never become exactly equivalent. [ 1913 Webster ]

Elastic limit. See under Elastic. --
Prison limits, a definite, extent of space in or around a prison, within which a prisoner has liberty to go and come.

Syn. -- Boundary; border; edge; termination; restriction; bound; confine. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Limited; p. pr. & vb. n. Limiting. ] [ F. limiter, L. limitare, fr. limes, limitis, limit; prob. akin to limen threshold, E. eliminate; cf. L. limus sidelong. ] To apply a limit to, or set a limit for; to terminate, circumscribe, or restrict, by a limit or limits; as, to limit the acreage of a crop; to limit the issue of paper money; to limit one's ambitions or aspirations; to limit the meaning of a word. [ 1913 Webster ]

Limiting parallels (Astron.), those parallels of latitude between which only an occultation of a star or planet by the moon, in a given case, can occur. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To beg, or to exercise functions, within a certain limited region; as, a limiting friar. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]