n. [ F. description, L. descriptio. See Describe. ] 1. The act of describing; a delineation by marks or signs. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A sketch or account of anything in words; a portraiture or representation in language; an enumeration of the essential qualities of a thing or species. [ 1913 Webster ]

Milton has descriptions of morning. D. Webster. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A class to which a certain representation is applicable; kind; sort. [ 1913 Webster ]

A difference . . . between them and another description of public creditors. A. Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The plates were all of the meanest description. Macaulay.

Syn. -- Account; definition; recital; relation; detail; narrative; narration; explanation; delineation; representation; kind; sort. See Definition. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. descriptivus: cf. F. descriptif. ] Tending to describe; having the quality of representing; containing description; as, a descriptive figure; a descriptive phrase; a descriptive narration; a story descriptive of the age. [ 1913 Webster ]

Descriptive anatomy, that part of anatomy which treats of the forms and relations of parts, but not of their textures. --
Descriptive geometry, that branch of geometry. which treats of the graphic solution of problems involving three dimensions, by means of projections upon auxiliary planes. Davies & Peck (Math. Dict. )

-- De*scrip"tive*ly, adv. -- De*scrip"tive*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OF. ] A writing. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Cf. F. imprescriptibilité. ] The quality of being imprescriptible. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. im- not + prescriptible: cf. F. imprescriptible. ] 1. Not capable of being lost or impaired by neglect, by disuse, or by the claims of another founded on prescription; -- of rights. [ 1913 Webster ]

The right of navigation, fishing, and others that may be exercised on the sea, belonging to the right of mere ability, are imprescriptible. Vattel (Trans. ) [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not derived from, or dependent on, external authority; self-evidencing; obvious. [ 1913 Webster ]

The imprescriptible laws of the pure reason. Colerridge. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In an imprescriptible manner; obviously. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Not descriptive. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A thing not yet described; that of which no account or explanation has been given; something abnormal, or hardly classifiable. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. non- + L. descriptus described. ] 1. Not hitherto described; hence, of no recognizable type or class; odd; abnormal; unclassifiable. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Dull or uninteresting; undistinguished. [ PJC ]

adj. 1. able to be sold legally without a doctor's prescription; over-the-counter; -- of medicinal drugs; as, Aspirin is a nonprescription antiinflammatory drug. Opposite of prescription. [ prenominal ]
Syn. -- non-prescription(prenominal), over-the-counter(prenominal), OTC. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ L. praescriptus, p. p. of praescribere: cf. F. prescrit. See Prescribe. ] Directed; prescribed. “ A prescript from of words.” Jer. Taylor. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. praescriptum: cf. OF. prescript. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. Direction; precept; model prescribed. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A medical prescription. [ Obs. ] Bp. Fell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being prescriptible. Story. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf. F. prescriptible. ] Depending on, or derived from, prescription; proper to be prescribed. Grafton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. prescription, L. praescriptio, an inscription, preface, precept, demurrer, prescription (in sense 3), fr. praescribere. See Prescribe. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of prescribing, directing, or dictating; direction; precept; also, that which is prescribed. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Med.) A direction of a remedy or of remedies for a disease, and the manner of using them; a medical recipe; also, a prescribed remedy. Hence: a written order from a physician for a medication, which allows a patient to legally obtain medication which is required by law to be dispensed only on authorization from a physician or other qualified medical practitioner. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

3. (Law) A prescribing for title; the claim of title to a thing by virtue of immemorial use and enjoyment; the right or title acquired by possession had during the time and in the manner fixed by law. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

That profound reverence for law and prescription which has long been characteristic of Englishmen. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Prescription differs from custom, which is a local usage, while prescription is personal, annexed to the person only. Prescription only extends to incorporeal rights, such as a right of way, or of common. What the law gives of common rights is not the subject of prescription. Blackstone. Cruise. Kent. In Scotch law, prescription is employed in the sense in which limitation is used in England and America, namely, to express that operation of the lapse of time by which obligations are extinguished or title protected. Sir T. Craig. Erskine. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. praescriptivus of a demurrer or legal exception. ] 1. (Law) Consisting in, or acquired by, immemorial or long-continued use and enjoyment; as, a prescriptive right of title; pleading the continuance and authority of long custom. [ 1913 Webster ]

The right to be drowsy in protracted toil has become prescriptive. J. M. Mason. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Of or pertaining to the doctrine that acceptable grammatical rules should be prescribed by authority, rather than be determined by common usage. [ PJC ]

adv. By prescription. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The doctrine that acceptable grammatical rules should be prescribed by authority, rather than be determined by common usage. [ PJC ]

n. A person who believes that acceptable practices should be prescribed by an authority rather than be determined by the usage of the general public; especially, a supporter of prescriptive{ 2 } rules of grammar; -- also used attributively, as prescriptivist grammar. [ PJC ]

n. [ L. rescriptum: cf. F. rescrit, formerly also spelt rescript. See Rescribe, v. t. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. (Rom.Antiq.) The answer of an emperor when formallyconsulted by particular persons on some difficult question; hence, an edict or decree. [ 1913 Webster ]

In their rescripts and other ordinances, the Roman emperors spoke in the plural number. Hare. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (R.C.Ch.) The official written answer of the pope upon a question of canon law, or morals. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A counterpart. Bouvier. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. rescriptio: cf. F. rescription. See Rescribe. ] A writing back; the answering of a letter. Loveday. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to, or answering the purpose of, a rescript; hence, deciding; settling; determining. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. By rescript. Burke. [ 1913 Webster ]