n. [ Dim. of bar, n. ] (Her.) A diminutive of the bar, having one fourth its width. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. caerulus, eguiv. to caeruleus. ] Blue; cerulean. [ Obs. ] Dyer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. caeruleus. ] Sky-colored; blue; azure. Cowper. [ 1913 Webster ]

Blue, blue, as if that sky let fall [ 1913 Webster ]

A flower from its cerulean wall. Bryant. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. caeruleus sky-blue. ] (Chem.) A fast dyestuff, C20H8O6, made by heating gallein with strong sulphuric acid. It dyes mordanted fabrics green. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ isolated from Cephalosporium caerulens. ] (Chem.) an antifungal antibiotic, C12H17NO3. It inhibits the growth of yeasts by interfering with the synthesis of sterols and fatty acids. [ PJC ]

a. Cerulean. [ Obs. ] Dr. H. More. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. caeruleus sky-blue + -escent. ] Tending to cerulean; light bluish. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ NL. ] A greenish blue pigment prepared in various ways, consisting essentially of cobalt stannate. Unlike other cobalt blues, it does not change color by gaslight. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ Dim. from Gr. &unr_; a grain (of wheat or spelt), cartilage. ] (Min.) A peculiar rounded granule of some mineral, usually enstatite or chrysolite, found imbedded more or less abundantly in the mass of many meteoric stones, which are hence called chondrites. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Full of ashes. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. curulis, fr. currus a chariot: cf. F. curule. ] 1. Of or pertaining to a chariot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Rom. Antiq.) Of or pertaining to a kind of chair appropriated to Roman magistrates and dignitaries; pertaining to, having, or conferring, the right to sit in the curule chair; hence, official. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ The curule chair was usually shaped like a camp stool, and provided with curved legs. It was at first ornamented with ivory, and later sometimes made of ivory and inlaid with gold. [ 1913 Webster ]

Curule dignity right of sitting in the curule chair. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. fenestrula a little window, dim. of fenestra a window. ] (Zool.) One of the openings in a fenestrated structure. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Formerly verrel, F. virole, fr. L. viriola little bracelet, dim. of viriae, pl., bracelets; prob. akin to viere to twist, weave, and E. withe. The spelling with f is due to confusion with L. ferrum iron. ] [ Sometimes spelled ferule. ] 1. A ring or cap of metal put round a cane, tool, handle, or other similar object, to strengthen it, or prevent splitting and wearing. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Machinery) Any of various circular or cylindrical metal objects used at joints in a tube, pipe, or rod, especially to assist making a tight seal at a joint. [ PJC ]

3. Hence: (Steam Boilers) A bushing for expanding the end of a flue to fasten it tightly in the tube plate, or for partly filling up its mouth. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Hence: (Chemistry) A bushing used at the joints of metal tubing in HPLC equipment to make a tight seal. [ PJC ]

5. (Fishing) One of several small rings at the top of a casting rod which holds the fishing line. RHUD [ PJC ]

n. [ L. ferula: cf. F. férule. See Ferula. ] 1. A flat piece of wood, used for striking, children, esp. on the hand, in punishment. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A ferrule. [ R. ] [ PJC ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Feruled p. pr. & vb. n. Feruling. ] To punish with a ferule. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. florulentus, fr. flos, floris, flower. ] Flowery; blossoming. [ Obs. ] Blount. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Dim. fr. L. glomus ball. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Bot.) A head or dense cluster of flowers, formed by condensation of a cyme, as in the flowering dogwood. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Anat.) A glomerulus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A half spherule. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The rule or doctrine that the numerical majority{ 2 } of an organized group can make decisions binding on the whole group; as, our club makes decisions by majority rule.. Contrasted with unanimous consent, or decision by a decree of a single person or small committee forming part of an organization. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

v. t. & i. To rule badly; to misgovern. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. The act, or the result, of misruling. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Disorder; confusion; tumult from insubordination. [ 1913 Webster ]

Enormous riot and misrule surveyed. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Abbot of Misrule, or
Lord of Misrule. See under Abbot, and Lord. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Mucus + purulent. ] (Med.) Having the character or appearance of both mucus and pus. Dunglison. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Overruled p. pr. & vb. n. Overruling. ] 1. To rule over; to govern or determine by superior authority. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To rule or determine in a contrary way; to decide against; to abrogate or alter; as, God overrules the purposes of men; the chairman overruled the point of order. [ 1913 Webster ]

His passion and animosity overruled his conscience. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

These [ difficulties ] I had habitually overruled. F. W. Newman. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Law) To supersede, reject, annul, or rule against; as, the plea, or the decision, was overruled by the court. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To be superior or supreme in rulling or controlling; as, God rules and overrules. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who, or that which, controls, governs, or determines. Sir P. Sidney. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Perula. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Phys. Chem.) A generalization with regard to systems of chemical equilibrium, discovered by Prof. J. Willard Gibbs. It may be stated thus: The degree of variableness (number of degrees of freedom) of a system is equal to the number of components minus the number of phases, plus two. Thus, if the components be salt and water, and the phases salt, ice, saturated solution, and vapor, the system is invariant, that is, there is only one set of conditions under which these four phases can exist in equilibrium. If only three phases be considered, the system is univariant, that is, the fixing of one condition, as temperature, determines the others. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ See Pubis. ] (Bot.) Very minutely downy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being pulverulent; abundance of dust or powder; dustiness. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. pulverulentus, fr. pulvis, pulveris, dust, powder: cf. F. pulvérulent. ] Consisting of, or reducible to, fine powder; covered with dust or powder; powdery; dusty. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ L. purulentia: cf. F. purulence. ] (Med.) The quality or state of being purulent; the generation of pus; also, the pus itself. Arbuthnot. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. purulentus, fr. pus, puris, pus, matter: cf. F. purulent. See Pus. ] (Med.) Consisting of pus, or matter; partaking of the nature of pus; attended with suppuration; as, purulent inflammation. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. In a purulent manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Querulous. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. rorulentus, from ros, roris, dew. ] 1. Full of, or abounding in, dew. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Having the surface appearing as if dusty, or covered with fine dew. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. reule, riule, OF. riule, reule, F. régle, fr. L. regula a ruler, rule, model, fr. regere, rectum, to lead straight, to direct. See Right, a., and cf. Regular. ] 1. That which is prescribed or laid down as a guide for conduct or action; a governing direction for a specific purpose; an authoritative enactment; a regulation; a prescription; a precept; as, the rules of various societies; the rules governing a school; a rule of etiquette or propriety; the rules of cricket. [ 1913 Webster ]

We profess to have embraced a religion which contains the most exact rules for the government of our lives. Tillotson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: (a) Uniform or established course of things. [ 1913 Webster ]

'T is against the rule of nature. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) Systematic method or practice; as, my ule is to rise at six o'clock. (c) Ordibary course of procedure; usual way; comon state or condition of things; as, it is a rule to which there are many exeptions. (d) Conduct in general; behavior. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

This uncivil rule; she shall know of it. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The act of ruling; administration of law; government; empire; authority; control. [ 1913 Webster ]

Obey them that have the rule over you. Heb. xiii. 17. [ 1913 Webster ]

His stern rule the groaning land obeyed. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) An order regulating the practice of the courts, or an order made between parties to an action or a suit. Wharton. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Math.) A determinate method prescribed for performing any operation and producing a certain result; as, a rule for extracting the cube root. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Gram.) A general principle concerning the formation or use of words, or a concise statement thereof; thus, it is a rule in England, that s or es , added to a noun in the singular number, forms the plural of that noun; but “man” forms its plural “men”, and is an exception to the rule. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. (a) A straight strip of wood, metal, or the like, which serves as a guide in drawing a straight line; a ruler. (b) A measuring instrument consisting of a graduated bar of wood, ivory, metal, or the like, which is usually marked so as to show inches and fractions of an inch, and jointed so that it may be folded compactly. [ 1913 Webster ]

A judicious artist will use his eye, but he will trust only to his rule. South. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (Print.) (a) A thin plate of metal (usually brass) of the same height as the type, and used for printing lines, as between columns on the same page, or in tabular work. (b) A composing rule. See under Conposing. [ 1913 Webster ]

As a rule, as a general thing; in the main; usually; as, he behaves well, as a rule. --
Board rule,
Caliber rule, etc. See under Board, Caliber, etc. --
Rule joint, a knuckle joint having shoulders that abut when the connected pieces come in line with each other, and thus permit folding in one direction only. --
Rule of the road (Law), any of the various regulations imposed upon travelers by land or water for their mutual convenience or safety. In the United States it is a rule of the road that land travelers passing in opposite directions shall turn out each to his own right, and generally that overtaking persons or vehicles shall turn out to the left; in England the rule for vehicles (but not for pedestrians) is the opposite of this. --
Rule of three (Arith.), that rule which directs, when three terms are given, how to find a fourth, which shall have the same ratio to the third term as the second has to the first; proportion. See Proportion, 5 (b). --
Rule of thumb, any rude process or operation, like that of using the thumb as a rule in measuring; hence, judgment and practical experience as distinguished from scientific knowledge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

Syn. -- regulation; law; precept; maxim; guide; canon; order; method; direction; control; government; sway; empire. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Ruled p. pr. & vb. n. Ruling. ] [ Cf. OF. riuler, ruiler, L. regulare. See Rule, n., and cf. Regulate. ] 1. To control the will and actions of; to exercise authority or dominion over; to govern; to manage. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

A bishop then must be blameless; . . . one that ruleth well his own house, having his children in subjection. 1 Tim. iii. 2, 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To control or direct by influence, counsel, or persuasion; to guide; -- used chiefly in the passive. [ 1913 Webster ]

I think she will be ruled
In all respects by me. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To establish or settle by, or as by, a rule; to fix by universal or general consent, or by common practice. [ 1913 Webster ]

That's are ruled case with the schoolmen. Atterbury. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Law) To require or command by rule; to give as a direction or order of court. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To mark with lines made with a pen, pencil, etc., guided by a rule or ruler; to print or mark with lines by means of a rule or other contrivance effecting a similar result; as, to rule a sheet of paper of a blank book. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ruled surface (Geom.), any surface that may be described by a straight line moving according to a given law; -- called also a scroll. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To have power or command; to exercise supreme authority; -- often followed by over. [ 1913 Webster ]

By me princes rule, and nobles. Prov. viii. 16. [ 1913 Webster ]

We subdue and rule over all other creatures. Ray. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) To lay down and settle a rule or order of court; to decide an incidental point; to enter a rule. Burril. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Com.) To keep within a (certain) range for a time; to be in general, or as a rule; as, prices ruled lower yesterday than the day before. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Destitute of rule; lawless. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A stickler for rules; a slave of rules [ R. ] Hare. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who rules; one who exercises sway or authority; a governor. [ 1913 Webster ]

And he made him ruler over all the land. Gen. xli. 43. [ 1913 Webster ]

A prince and ruler of the land. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A straight or curved strip of wood, metal, etc., with a smooth edge, used for guiding a pen or pencil in drawing lines. Cf. Rule, n., 7 (a). [ 1913 Webster ]

Parallel ruler. See under Parallel. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a thin, flat calculating device consisting of a fixed outer piece and a movable middle piece. Both pieces are graduated in such a way (as, by a logarithmic scale) that multiplication, division, and other mathematical functions of an input variable may be rapidly determined by movement of the middle pieces to a location on one scale corresponding to the input value, and reading off the result on another scale. A movable window with a hairline assists in alignment of the scales. This device has been largely superseded by the electronic calculator, which has a greater precision than the slide rule. Also called colloquially slipstick. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. spherula: cf. F. sphérule. ] A little sphere or spherical body; as, quicksilver, when poured upon a plane, divides itself into a great number of minute spherules. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) One of the numerous small spinning tubes on the spinnerets of spiders. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Dim. of spore. ] (Biol.) A small spore; a spore. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Not governed or controlled. “Unruled and undirected.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not ruled or marked with lines; as, unruled paper. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ Cf. F. virulence, L. virulentia an offensive odor, a stench. ] 1. The quality or state of being virulent or venomous; poisonousness; malignancy. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Extreme bitterness or malignity of disposition. “Refuted without satirical virulency.” Barrow. [ 1913 Webster ]

The virulence of one declaimer, or the profundities and sublimities of the other. I. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. virulentus, fr. virus poison: cf. F. virulent. See Virus. ] 1. Extremely poisonous or venomous; very active in doing injury. [ 1913 Webster ]

A contagious disorder rendered more virulent by uncleanness. Sir W. Scott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Very bitter in enmity; actuated by a desire to injure; malignant; as, a virulent invective. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Made virulent; poisoned. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]