a. Conferring absolution; absolutory. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Heaped, or growing in heaps, or closely compacted clusters. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. acervatus, p. p. of acervare to heap up, fr. acervus heap. ] To heap up. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. acervatio. ] A heaping up; accumulation. [ R. ] Johnson. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Heaped up; tending to heap up. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To make active. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. (Sewage treatment) treated with aeration and bacteria to aid decomposition; -- of sewage [ WordNet 1.5 ]

3. (Physics) made reactive or more reactive; -- of e.g. a molecule
Syn. -- activated, excited [ WordNet 1.5 ]

4. rendered active; -- as e.g. radioactive or luminescent or photosensitive or conductive
Syn. -- activated [ WordNet 1.5 ]

5. (Military) set up and placed on active assignment a newly activated unit
Syn. -- activated [ WordNet 1.5 ]

adj. prenom. 1. causing motion or action or change
Syn. -- actuating(prenominal) [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. same as activation{ 1 }.
Syn. -- energizing, activation [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. the process of making active.
Syn. -- energizing, activating [ WordNet 1.5 2. making active and effective (as a bomb). [ 1913 Webster ]

certain devices, as bombs or artillery shells, are designed to be unable to operate until a specific action (activation or arming) is taken to make them operable. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. any agency bringing about activation; (Biol.) a molecule that increases the activity of an enzyme or a protein that increases the production of a gene product in DNA transcription. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. i. [ L. aestivare, aestivatum. ] 1. To spend the summer. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) To pass the summer in a state of torpor. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Spelt also estivate. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. (Zool.) The state of torpidity induced by the heat and dryness of summer, as in certain snails; -- opposed to hibernation. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Bot.) The arrangement of the petals in a flower bud, as to folding, overlapping, etc.; prefloration. Gray. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Spelt also estivation. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Aggravated p. pr. & vb. n. Aggravating. ] [ L. aggravatus, p. p. of aggravare. See Aggrieve. ] 1. To make heavy or heavier; to add to; to increase. [ Obs. ] “To aggravate thy store.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To make worse, or more severe; to render less tolerable or less excusable; to make more offensive; to enhance; to intensify. “To aggravate my woes.” Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

To aggravate the horrors of the scene. Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

The defense made by the prisoner's counsel did rather aggravate than extenuate his crime. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To give coloring to in description; to exaggerate; as, to aggravate circumstances. Paley. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To exasperate; to provoke; to irritate. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

If both were to aggravate her parents, as my brother and sister do mine. Richardson (Clarissa). [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To heighten; intensify; increase; magnify; exaggerate; provoke; irritate; exasperate. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 made more severe or intense, especially in law; as, aggravated assault.
Syn. -- intensified. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. 1 incited, especially deliberately, to anger. aggravated by passive resistance
Syn. -- provoked. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. 1. Making worse or more heinous; as, aggravating circumstances. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Exasperating; provoking; irritating. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A thing at once ridiculous and aggravating. J. Ingelow. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an aggravating manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. aggravatio: cf. F. aggravation. ] 1. The act of aggravating, or making worse; -- used of evils, natural or moral; the act of increasing in severity or heinousness; something additional to a crime or wrong and enhancing its guilt or injurious consequences. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Exaggerated representation. [ 1913 Webster ]

By a little aggravation of the features changed it into the Saracen's head. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An extrinsic circumstance or accident which increases the guilt of a crime or the misery of a calamity. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Provocation; irritation. [ Colloq. ] Dickens. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to aggravate. -- n. That which aggravates. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ Indian name. From Ahmedabad, a city from which it was imported to Europe. ] (Zool.) The strawberry finch, a small Indian song bird (Estrelda amandava), commonly caged and kept for fighting. The female is olive brown; the male, in summer, mostly crimson; -- called also red waxbill. [ Written also amaduvad and avadavat. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Same as Amadavat. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Skr. avatâra descent; ava from + root t&rsdot_; to cross, pass over. ] 1. (Hindu Myth.) The descent of a deity to earth, and his incarnation as a man or an animal; -- chiefly associated with the incarnations of Vishnu. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An incarnation, embodiment or personification of a principle, quality, or attitude; -- used of people, mostly in a positive sense as a manifestation of a behavior or character worthy of admiration. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

Martha Stewart, the home-and-hearth avatar whose products are now available at Kmart stores, is making upscale design touches like 200-thread-count cotton bed sheets something that most every American can aspire to. Leslie Kaufman (N. Y. Times, May 7, 1999). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a particle accelerator which is capable of accelerating protons up to 6 gigaeletron volts. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. bis twice + nervus sinew, nerve. ] 1. (Bot.) Two-nerved; -- applied to leaves which have two longitudinal ribs or nerves. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Having only two nerves, as the wings of some insects. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. bovata, fr. bos, bovis, ox. ] (O. Eng. Law.) An oxgang, or as much land as an ox can plow in a year; an ancient measure of land, of indefinite quantity, but usually estimated at fifteen acres. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. a genus of puffballs having outer casings whose upper parts break at maturity into angular pieces to expose the spores.
Syn. -- genus Calvatia. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Captivated; p. pr. & vb. n. Captivating. ] [ L. captivatus, p. p. of captivare to capture, fr. captivus captive. See Captive. ] 1. To take prisoner; to capture; to subdue. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Their woes whom fortune captivates. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To acquire ascendancy over by reason of some art or attraction; to fascinate; to charm; as, Cleopatra captivated Antony; the orator captivated all hearts. [ 1913 Webster ]

Small landscapes of captivating loveliness. W. Irving.

Syn. -- To enslave; subdue; overpower; charm; enchant; bewitch; facinate; capture; lead captive. [ 1913 Webster ]

p. a. [ L. captivatus. ] Taken prisoner; made captive; insnared; charmed. [ 1913 Webster ]

Women have been captivate ere now. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. having an affection or admiration, caused by charm of the person or object.
Syn. -- charmed. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. filled with wonder and delight.
Syn. -- beguiled, charmed, delighted, enthralled, entranced. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Having power to captivate or charm; fascinating; as, captivating smiles. -- Cap"ti*va`ting*ly, adv. [1913 Webster]

n. [ L. capticatio. ] The act of captivating. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The captivation of our understanding. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ It. ] (Mus.) Originally, a melody of simpler form than the aria; a song without a second part and a da capo; -- a term now variously and vaguely used. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } a. [ L. clava club. ] (Bot. & Zool.) Club-shaped; having the form of a club; growing gradually thicker toward the top. [ See Illust. of Antennae. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. coacervatus, p. p. of coacervare to heap up; co- + acervare. See Acervate. ] Raised into a pile; collected into a crowd; heaped. [ R. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To heap up; to pile. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. coacervatio. ] A heaping together. [ R. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of making concave. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. conservatio: cf. F. conservation. ] The act of preserving, guarding, or protecting; the keeping (of a thing) in a safe or entire state; preservation. [ 1913 Webster ]

A step necessary for the conservation of Protestantism. Hallam. [ 1913 Webster ]

A state without the means of some change is without the means of its conservation. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]

Conservation of areas (Astron.), the principle that the radius vector drawn from a planet to the sun sweeps over equal areas in equal times. --
Conservation of energy, or
Conservation of force (Mech.), the principle that the total energy of any material system is a quantity which can neither be increased nor diminished by any action between the parts of the system, though it may be transformed into any of the forms of which energy is susceptible. Clerk Maxwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Tending to conserve; preservative. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ For conservatism. ] The disposition and tendency to preserve what is established; opposition to change; the habit of mind; or conduct, of a conservative. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. conservatif. ] 1. Having power to preserve in a safe of entire state, or from loss, waste, or injury; preservative. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Tending or disposed to maintain existing institutions; opposed to change or innovation. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Of or pertaining to a political party which favors the conservation of existing institutions and forms of government, as the Conservative party in England; -- contradistinguished from Liberal and Radical. [ 1913 Webster ]

We have always been conscientiously attached to what is called the Tory, and which might with more propriety be called the Conservative, party. Quart. Rev. (1830). [ 1913 Webster ]

Conservative system (Mech.), a material system of such a nature that after the system has undergone any series of changes, and been brought back in any manner to its original state, the whole work done by external agents on the system is equal to the whole work done by the system overcoming external forces. Clerk Maxwell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, preserves from ruin, injury, innovation, or radical change; a preserver; a conserver. [ 1913 Webster ]

The Holy Spirit is the great conservative of the new life. Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who desires to maintain existing institutions and customs; also, one who holds moderate opinions in politics; -- opposed to revolutionary or radical. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Eng. Hist.) A member of the Conservative party. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. The quality of being conservative. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ F. ] A public place of instruction in any special branch, esp. music and the arts. [ See Conservatory, 3 ]. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L.: cf. F. conservateur. ] 1. One who preserves from injury or violation; a protector; a preserver. [ 1913 Webster ]

The great Creator and Conservator of the world. Derham. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Law) (a) An officer who has charge of preserving the public peace, as a justice or sheriff. (b) One who has an official charge of preserving the rights and privileges of a city, corporation, community, or estate. [ 1913 Webster ]

The lords of the secret council were likewise made conservators of the peace of the two kingdoms. Clarendon. [ 1913 Webster ]

The conservator of the estate of an idiot. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

Conservators of the River Thames, a board of commissioners instituted by Parliament to have the conservancy of the Thames. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. conservatoire, LL. conservatorius. ] Having the quality of preserving from loss, decay, or injury. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. conservatoire, LL. conservatorium. ] 1. That which preserves from injury. [ Obs. ] “A conservatory of life.” Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A place for preserving anything from loss, decay, waste, or injury; particulary, a greenhouse for preserving exotic or tender plants. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A public place of instruction, designed to preserve and perfect the knowledge of some branch of science or art, esp. music. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. ] A woman who preserves from loss, injury, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. corrivatus, p. p. of corrivare to corrivate. ] To cause to flow together, as water drawn from several streams. [ Obs. ] Burton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. corrivatio. ] The flowing of different streams into one. [ Obs. ] Burton. [ 1913 Webster ]