v. t. To degrade; to reduce in rank. [ Obs. ] Tyndale. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Cf; F. graduel. See Grade, and cf. Gradual, n. ] Proceeding by steps or degrees; advancing, step by step, as in ascent or descent or from one state to another; regularly progressive; slow; as, a gradual increase of knowledge; a gradual decline. [ 1913 Webster ]

Creatures animate with gradual life
Of growth, sense, reason, all summed up in man. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. graduale a gradual (in sense 1), fr. L. gradus step: cf. F. graduel. See Grade, and cf. Grail a gradual. ] 1. (R. C. Ch.) (a) An antiphon or responsory after the epistle, in the Mass, which was sung on the steps, or while the deacon ascended the steps. (b) A service book containing the musical portions of the Mass. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A series of steps. [ Obs. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state of being gradual; gradualness. [ R. ] Sir T. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. 1. In a gradual manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. In degree. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Human reason doth not only gradually, but specifically, differ from the fantastic reason of brutes. Grew. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being gradual; regular progression or gradation; slowness. [ 1913 Webster ]

The gradualness of this movement. M. Arnold. [ 1913 Webster ]

The gradualness of growth is a characteristic which strikes the simplest observer. H. Drummond. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Graduated pos>p. pr. & vb. n. Graduating ] [ Cf. F. graduer. See Graduate, n., Grade. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. To mark with degrees; to divide into regular steps, grades, or intervals, as the scale of a thermometer, a scheme of punishment or rewards, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To admit or elevate to a certain grade or degree; esp., in a college or university, to admit, at the close of the course, to an honorable standing defined by a diploma; as, he was graduated at Yale College. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To prepare gradually; to arrange, temper, or modify by degrees or to a certain degree; to determine the degrees of; as, to graduate the heat of an oven. [ 1913 Webster ]

Dyers advance and graduate their colors with salts. Browne. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. (Chem.) To bring to a certain degree of consistency, by evaporation, as a fluid. [ 1913 Webster ]

Graduating engine, a dividing engine. See Dividing engine, under Dividing. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To pass by degrees; to change gradually; to shade off; as, sandstone which graduates into gneiss; carnelian sometimes graduates into quartz. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) To taper, as the tail of certain birds. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To take a degree in a college or university; to become a graduate; to receive a diploma. [ 1913 Webster ]

He graduated at Oxford. Latham. [ 1913 Webster ]

He was brought to their bar and asked where he had graduated. Macaulay. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. graduatus, p. p. of graduare to admit to a degree, fr. L. gradus grade. See Grade, n. ] 1. One who has received an academical or professional degree; one who has completed the prescribed course of study in any school or institution of learning. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A graduated cup, tube, flask, or cylinder; a glass measuring container used by apothecaries and chemists. See under Graduated. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ See Graduate, n. & v. ] Arranged by successive steps or degrees; graduated. [ 1913 Webster ]

Beginning with the genus, passing through all the graduate
and subordinate stages. Tatham. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Marked with, or divided into, degrees; divided into grades. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Zool.) Tapered; -- said of a bird's tail when the outer feathers are shortest, and the others successively longer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Having visible marks and numbers at vertical intervals, permitting one to estimate the quantitity of material contained; -- of vessels, most commonly those used in laboratories for containing liquids. See graduated cylinder, etc., below. [ PJC ]

Graduated cylinder,
Graduated flask,
Graduated tube,
Graduated bottle,
Graduated cap,
Graduated glass a vessel, usually of glass, having horizontal marks upon its sides, with figures, to indicate the amount of the contents at the several levels. --
Graduated spring (Railroads), a combination of metallic and rubber springs. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. State of being a graduate. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ LL. graduatio promotion to a degree: cf. F. graduation division into degrees. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

1. The act of graduating, or the state of being graduated; as, graduation of a scale; graduation at a college; graduation in color; graduation by evaporation; the graduation of a bird's tail, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The marks on an instrument or vessel to indicate degrees or quantity; a scale. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. The exposure of a liquid in large surfaces to the air, so as to hasten its evaporation. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who determines or indicates graduation; as, a graduator of instruments. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An instrument for dividing any line, right or curve, into small, regular intervals. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. An apparatus for diffusing a solution, as brine or vinegar, over a large surface, for exposure to the air. [ 1913 Webster ]

‖n. [ From L. gradus ad Parnassum a step to Parnassus. ] A dictionary of prosody, designed as an aid in writing Greek or Latin poetry. [ 1913 Webster ]

He set to work . . . without gradus or other help. T. Hughes. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pref. post- + graduate. ] Of, pertaining to, or designating, the studies pursued after graduation, esp., after receiving the bachelor's degree at a college; graduate. -- n. A student who pursues such studies.

☞ Most careful writers consider the word graduate to be the proper word to use in this sense. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

‖n.; pl. Radulae [ L., a scraper, fr. radere to scrape. ] (Zool.) The chitinous ribbon bearing the teeth of mollusks; -- called also lingual ribbon, and tongue. See Odontophore. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. radula a scraper + -form. ] Rasplike; as, raduliform teeth. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Traduced p. pr. & vb. n. Traducing ] [ L. traducere, traductum, to lead across, lead along, exhibit as a spectacle, disgrace, transfer, derive; trans across, over + ducere to lead: cf. F. traduire to transfer, translate, arraign, fr. L. traducere. See Duke. ] 1. To transfer; to transmit; to hand down; as, to traduce mental qualities to one's descendants. [ Obs. ] Glanvill. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To translate from one language to another; as, to traduce and compose works. [ Obs. ] Golden Boke. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To increase or distribute by propagation. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

From these only the race of perfect animals were propagated and traduced over the earth. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To draw away; to seduce. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

I can forget the weakness
Of the traduced soldiers. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To represent; to exhibit; to display; to expose; to make an example of. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To expose to contempt or shame; to represent as blamable; to calumniate; to vilify; to defame. [ 1913 Webster ]

The best stratagem that Satan hath . . . is by traducing the form and manner of them [ prayers ], to bring them into contempt. Hooker. [ 1913 Webster ]

He had the baseness . . . to traduce me in libel. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- To calumniate; vilify; defame; disparage; detract; depreciate; decry; slander. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The act of traducing; misrepresentation; ill-founded censure; defamation; calumny. [ R. ] Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ L. traducens, p. pr. of traducere. See Traduce. ] Slanderous. [ R. ] Entick. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. One who traduces; a slanderer; a calumniator. Bp. Hall. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. One who derives or deduces. [ Obs. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A believer in traducianism. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Theol.) The doctrine that human souls are produced by the act of generation; -- opposed to creationism, and infusionism. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Capable of being derived or propagated. [ Obs. ] Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Capable of being traduced or calumniated. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a traducing manner; by traduction; slanderously. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ L. traducere, traductum. See Traduce. ] To derive or deduce; also, to transmit; to transfer. [ Obs. ] Fotherby. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. That which is traducted; that which is transferred; a translation. [ Obs. ] Howell. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ L. traductio a transferring: cf. F. traduction translation. See Traduce. ] 1. Transmission from one to another. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Traditional communication and traduction of truths. Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Translation from one language to another. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Derivation by descent; propagation. [ R. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

If by traduction came thy mind,
Our wonder is the less to find
A soul so charming from a stock so good. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. The act of transferring; conveyance; transportation. [ R. ] “The traduction of brutes.” Sir M. Hale. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. Transition. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Logic) A process of reasoning in which each conclusion applies to just such an object as each of the premises applies to. Jevons. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Capable of being deduced; derivable. [ R. ] Bp. Warburton. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. A member of a university or a college who has not taken his first degree; a student in any school who has not completed his course. Contrasted with graduate student. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

a. Of or pertaining to an undergraduate, or the body of undergraduates. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The position or condition of an undergraduate. [ 1913 Webster ]