v. t. [ Pref. ab- + judge, v. Cf. Abjudicate. ] To take away by judicial decision. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The largest hammer used by smiths. Weale. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Abridged p. pr. & vb. n. Abridging. ] [ OE. abregen, OF. abregier, F. abréger, fr. L. abbreviare; ad + brevis short. See Brief and cf. Abbreviate. ] 1. To make shorter; to shorten in duration; to lessen; to diminish; to curtail; as, to abridge labor; to abridge power or rights. “The bridegroom . . . abridged his visit.” Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

She retired herself to Sebaste, and abridged her train from state to necessity. Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To shorten or contract by using fewer words, yet retaining the sense; to epitomize; to condense; as, to abridge a history or dictionary. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To deprive; to cut off; -- followed by of, and formerly by from; as, to abridge one of his rights. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. 1. 1 shortened by condensing or rewriting; -- said of texts: an abridged version [ Narrower terms: half-length ] unabridged, full-length
Syn. -- condensed [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. 1. a shortened version .
Syn. -- condensation, abridgment [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. One who abridges. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. abregement. See Abridge. ] 1. The act of abridging, or the state of being abridged; diminution; lessening; reduction or deprivation; as, an abridgment of pleasures or of expenses. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An epitome or compend, as of a book; a shortened or abridged form, esp. of a written work; an abbreviation. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ancient coins as abridgments of history. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which abridges or cuts short; hence, an entertainment that makes the time pass quickly. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

What abridgment have you for this evening? What mask? What music? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. a diminution or curtailment, as of legal rights. [ PJC ]

Syn. -- Abridgment, Compendium, Epitome, Abstract, Synopsis. An abridgment is made by omitting the less important parts of some larger work; as, an abridgment of a dictionary. A compendium is a brief exhibition of a subject, or science, for common use; as, a compendium of American literature. An epitome corresponds to a compendium, and gives briefly the most material points of a subject; as, an epitome of history. An abstract is a brief statement of a thing in its main points. A synopsis is a bird's-eye view of a subject, or work, in its several parts. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. acknowledged p. pr. & vb. n. acknowledging ] [ Prob. fr. pref. a- + the verb knowledge. See Knowledge, and cf. Acknow. ] 1. To own or admit the knowledge of; to recognize as a fact or truth; to declare one's belief in; as, to acknowledge the being of a God. [ 1913 Webster ]

I acknowledge my transgressions. Ps. li. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

For ends generally acknowledged to be good. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To own or recognize in a particular character or relationship; to admit the claims or authority of; to give recognition to. [ 1913 Webster ]

In all thy ways acknowledge Him. Prov. iii. 6. [ 1913 Webster ]

By my soul, I'll ne'er acknowledge thee. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To own with gratitude or as a benefit or an obligation; as, to acknowledge a favor, the receipt of a letter. [ 1913 Webster ]

They his gifts acknowledged none. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To own as genuine; to assent to, as a legal instrument, to give it validity; to avow or admit in legal form; as, to acknowledge a deed. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To avow; proclaim; recognize; own; admit; allow; concede; confess. -- Acknowledge, Recognize. Acknowledge is opposed to keep back, or conceal, and supposes that something had been previously known to us (though perhaps not to others) which we now feel bound to lay open or make public. Thus, a man acknowledges a secret marriage; one who has done wrong acknowledges his fault; and author acknowledges his obligation to those who have aided him; we acknowledge our ignorance. Recognize supposes that we have either forgotten or not had the evidence of a thing distinctly before our minds, but that now we know it (as it were) anew, or receive and admit in on the ground of the evidence it brings. Thus, we recognize a friend after a long absence. We recognize facts, principles, truths, etc., when their evidence is brought up fresh to the mind; as, bad men usually recognize the providence of God in seasons of danger. A foreign minister, consul, or agent, of any kind, is recognized on the ground of his producing satisfactory credentials. See also Confess. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. Capable of being acknowledged. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

pos>adj. Generally accepted or recognized as correct or reasonable. Opposite of unacknowledged. [ Narrower terms: given, granted; unquestionable (vs. questionable) ] Also See: known.
Syn. -- accepted, recognized [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

adv. Confessedly. [ 1913 Webster ]

/mhw>, n. 1. The act of acknowledging; admission; avowal; owning; confession. “An acknowledgment of fault.” Froude. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The act of owning or recognizing in a particular character or relationship; recognition as regards the existence, authority, truth, or genuineness; a statement acknowledging something or someone. [ 1913 Webster +WordNet 1.5 ]

Immediately upon the acknowledgment of the Christian faith, the eunuch was baptized by Philip. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The owning of a benefit received; courteous recognition; the state or quality of being recognized or acknowledged; an expression of thanks. Shak.
Syn. -- recognition [ 1913 Webster +WordNet 1.5 ]

4. Something given or done in return for a favor, message, etc. Smollett. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A declaration or avowal of one's own act, to give it legal validity; as, the acknowledgment of a deed before a proper officer. Also, the certificate of the officer attesting such declaration. [ 1913 Webster ]

Acknowledgment money, in some parts of England, a sum paid by copyhold tenants, on the death of their landlords, as an acknowledgment of their new lords. Cowell. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Confession; concession; recognition; admission; avowal; recognizance. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who acknowledges. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Adjudged p. pr. & vb. n. Adjudging ] [ OE. ajugen, OF. ajugier, fr. L. adjudicare; ad + judicare to judge. See Judge, and cf. Adjudicate. ] 1. To award judicially in the case of a controverted question; as, the prize was adjudged to the victor. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To determine in the exercise of judicial power; to decide or award judicially; to adjudicate; as, the case was adjudged in the November term. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To sentence; to condemn. [ 1913 Webster ]

Without reprieve, adjudged to death
For want of well pronouncing Shibboleth. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To regard or hold; to judge; to deem. [ 1913 Webster ]

He adjudged him unworthy of his friendship. Knolles. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To decree; award; determine; adjudicate; ordain; assign. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. One who adjudges. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of adjudging; judicial decision; adjudication. Sir W. Temple. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Aëronautics) The front edge (in direction of motion) of a supporting surface; -- contr. with following edge, which is the rear edge. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

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

☞ This spelling, corresponding to abridge, was once the prevailing one. [ 1913 Webster ]

. A variety of the game of bridge in which the players, beginning with the dealer, bid for the privilege of naming the trump and playing with the dummy for that deal, there being heavy penalties for a player's failure to make good his bid. The score value of each trick more than six taken by the successful bidder is as follows: when the trump is spades, 2; clubs, 6; diamonds, 7; hearts, 8; royal spades (lilies), 9; and when the deal is played with no trump, 10. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. [ LL. bagea, bagia, sign, prob. of German origin; cf. AS. beág, beáh, bracelet, collar, crown, OS. bōg- in comp., AS. būgan to bow, bend, G. biegen. See Bow to bend. ] 1. A distinctive mark, token, sign, or cognizance, worn on the person; as, the badge of a society; the badge of a policeman. “Tax gatherers, recognized by their official badges.” Prescott. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Something characteristic; a mark; a token. [ 1913 Webster ]

Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Naut.) A carved ornament on the stern of a vessel, containing a window or the representation of one. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To mark or distinguish with a badge. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having no badge. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Of uncertain origin; perh. fr. an old verb badge to lay up provisions to sell again. ] An itinerant licensed dealer in commodities used for food; a hawker; a huckster; -- formerly applied especially to one who bought grain in one place and sold it in another. [ Now dialectic, Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. bageard, prob. fr. badge + -ard, in reference to the white mark on its forehead. See Badge, n. ] 1. A carnivorous quadruped of the genus Meles or of an allied genus. It is a burrowing animal, with short, thick legs, and long claws on the fore feet. One species (Meles meles or Meles vulgaris), called also brock, inhabits the north of Europe and Asia; another species (Taxidea taxus or Taxidea Americana or Taxidea Labradorica) inhabits the northern parts of North America. See Teledu. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A brush made of badgers' hair, used by artists. [ 1913 Webster ]

Badger dog. (Zool.) See Dachshund. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Badgered p. pr. & vb. n. Badgering. ] [ For sense 1, see 2d Badger; for 2, see 1st Badger. ] 1. To tease or annoy, as a badger when baited; to worry or irritate persistently. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To beat down; to cheapen; to barter; to bargain. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who badgers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A kind of dog used in badger baiting. [ 1913 Webster ]

. The method of blackmailing by decoying a person into a compromising situation and extorting money by threats of exposure. [ Cant ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. 1. The act of one who badgers. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The practice of buying wheat and other kinds of food in one place and selling them in another for a profit. [ Prov. Eng. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having legs of unequal length, as the badger was thought to have. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

. Wisconsin; -- a nickname. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A nightgown. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. an area on which a drove of cattle or sheep can sleep for a night. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Begrudged p. pr. & vb. n. Begrudging. ] To grudge; to envy the possession of. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. being given reluctantly or with displeasure.
Syn. -- envious, grudging. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Guilty of murder or bloodshed. “A bloodguilty life.” Fairfax. -- Blood"guilt`i*ness n. -- Blood"guilt`less, a. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. Ir. blocan a little block, Gael. plocan a mallet, W. plocyn, dim. of ploc block; or perh. connected with E. blow a stroke. Cf. Block, Blow a stroke. ] A short stick, with one end loaded, or thicker and heavier that the other, used as an offensive weapon. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A botch; a patch. [ Dial. ] Whitlock. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bodged ] To botch; to mend clumsily; to patch. [ Obs. or Dial. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. See Budge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. brig, brigge, brug, brugge, AS. brycg, bricg; akin to Fries. bregge, D. brug, OHG. brucca, G. brücke, Icel. bryggja pier, bridge, Sw. brygga, Dan. brygge, and prob. Icel. brū bridge, Sw. & Dan. bro bridge, pavement, and possibly to E. brow. ] 1. A structure, usually of wood, stone, brick, or iron, erected over a river or other water course, or over a chasm, railroad, etc., to make a passageway from one bank to the other. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Anything supported at the ends, which serves to keep some other thing from resting upon the object spanned, as in engraving, watchmaking, etc., or which forms a platform or staging over which something passes or is conveyed. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Mus.) The small arch or bar at right angles to the strings of a violin, guitar, etc., serving of raise them and transmit their vibrations to the body of the instrument. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Elec.) A device to measure the resistance of a wire or other conductor forming part of an electric circuit. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A low wall or vertical partition in the fire chamber of a furnace, for deflecting flame, etc.; -- usually called a bridge wall. [ 1913 Webster ]

Aqueduct bridge. See Aqueduct. --
Asses' bridge,
Bascule bridge,
Bateau bridge. See under Ass, Bascule, Bateau. --
Bridge of a steamer (Naut.), a narrow platform across the deck, above the rail, for the convenience of the officer in charge of the ship; in paddlewheel vessels it connects the paddle boxes. --
Bridge of the nose, the upper, bony part of the nose. --
Cantalever bridge. See under Cantalever. --
Draw bridge. See Drawbridge. --
Flying bridge, a temporary bridge suspended or floating, as for the passage of armies; also, a floating structure connected by a cable with an anchor or pier up stream, and made to pass from bank to bank by the action of the current or other means. --
Girder bridge or
Truss bridge, a bridge formed by girders, or by trusses resting upon abutments or piers. --
Lattice bridge, a bridge formed by lattice girders. --
Pontoon bridge,
Ponton bridge. See under Pontoon. --
Skew bridge, a bridge built obliquely from bank to bank, as sometimes required in railway engineering. --
Suspension bridge. See under Suspension. --
Trestle bridge, a bridge formed of a series of short, simple girders resting on trestles. --
Tubular bridge, a bridge in the form of a hollow trunk or rectangular tube, with cellular walls made of iron plates riveted together, as the Britannia bridge over the Menai Strait, and the Victoria bridge at Montreal. --
Wheatstone's bridge (Elec.), a device for the measurement of resistances, so called because the balance between the resistances to be measured is indicated by the absence of a current in a certain wire forming a bridge or connection between two points of the apparatus; -- invented by Sir Charles Wheatstone. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Bridged p. pr. & vb. n. Bridging. ] 1. To build a bridge or bridges on or over; as, to bridge a river. [ 1913 Webster ]

Their simple engineering bridged with felled trees the streams which could not be forded. Palfrey. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To open or make a passage, as by a bridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

Xerxes . . . over Hellespont
Bridging his way, Europe with Asia joined. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To find a way of getting over, as a difficulty; -- generally with over. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A card game resembling whist. The trump, if any, is determined by the dealer or his partner, the value of each trick taken over six being: for “no trumps” 12, hearts 8, diamonds 6, clubs 4, spades 2. The opponents of the dealer can, after the trump is declared, double the value of the tricks, in which case the dealer or his partner can redouble, and so on. The dealer plays his partner's hand as a dummy. The side which first reaches or exceeds 30 points scored for tricks wins a game; the side which first wins two games wins a rubber. The total score for any side is the sum of the points scored for tricks, for rubbers (each of which counts 100), for honors (which follow a special schedule of value), and for slam, little slam, and chicane. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

☞ For contract bridge, the scoring system has adopted different values, with 100 points required for a game. The penalties for failing to make a contract also vary with the score thus far achieved by the playing team, and with the degree, if any, of doubling during the auction. [ PJC ]

adj. capable of being connected by a bridge or as if by a bridge. unbridgeable [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. (Arch.) A notched board to which the treads and risers of the steps of wooden stairs are fastened. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A board or plank used as a bridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Electronics) a circuit consisting of a T-network with an additional arm bridging the two series arms. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A fortification commanding the extremity of a bridge nearest the enemy, to insure the preservation and usefulness of the bridge, and prevent the enemy from crossing; a tête-de-pont. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Arch.) The system of bracing used between floor or other timbers to distribute the weight. [ 1913 Webster ]

Bridging joist. Same as Binding joist. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Having no bridge; not bridged. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mining) The adjustable socket, or step, of a millstone spindle. Knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. (Geography) The capital city of Barbados. Population (2000) = 6, 700. [ PJC ]