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Title: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary: Letters I, J, K & L
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Release Date: February, 1999 [EBook #664]
Last Updated: February 7, 2020
Language: English
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*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WEBSTER’S UNABRIDGED DICTIONARY: I, J, K & L ***
Webster's Revised
Unabridged
Dictionary
Version published 1913
by the C. & G. Merriam Co.
Springfield, Mass.
Under the direction of
Noah Porter, D.D., LL.D.
I.
I (). 1. I, the ninth letter of the English alphabet, takes its form from the Phœnician, through
the Latin and the Greek. The Phœnician letter was probably of Egyptian origin. Its original
value was nearly the same as that of the Italian I, or long e as in mete. Etymologically I is
most closely related to e, y, j, g; as in dint, dent, beverage, L. bibere; E. kin, AS. cynn;
E. thin, AS. þynne; E. dominion, donjon, dungeon. In English I has two principal vowel
sounds: the long sound, as in pne, ce; and the short sound, as in pn. It has also three other
sounds: (a) That of e in term, as in thirst. (b) That of e in mete (in words of foreign
origin), as in machine, pique, regime. (c) That of consonant y (in many words in which it
precedes another vowel), as in bunion, million, filial, Christian, etc. It enters into
several digraphs, as in fail, field, seize, feign. friend; and with o often forms a proper
diphtong, as in oil, join, coin.
See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 98-106.
The dot which we place over the small or lower case i dates only from the 14th century.
The sounds of I and J were originally represented by the same character, and even after
the introduction of the form J into English dictionaries, words containing these letters were,
till a comparatively recent time, classed together.
2. In our old authors, I was often used for ay (or aye), yes, which is pronounced nearly
like it.
3. As a numeral, I stands for 1, II for 2, etc.
I- (?), prefix. See Y- .
I (), pron. [poss. My (m) or Mine (mn); object. Me (m). pl. nom. We (w); poss. Our
(our) or Ours (ourz); object. Us (s).] [OE. i, ich, ic, AS. ic; akin to OS. & D. ik, OHG.
ih, G. ich, Icel. ek, Dan. jeg, Sw. jag, Goth. ik, OSlav. az', Russ. ia, W. i, L. ego, Gr.
'egw`, 'egw`n, Skr. aham. √179. Cf. Egoism.] The nominative case of the pronoun of the
first person; the word with which a speaker or writer denotes himself.
I*am`a*tol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;, &?;, medicine + -logy.] (Med.) Materia Medica; that
branch of therapeutics which treats of remedies.
I"amb (?), n. [Cf. F. iambe. See Lambus.] An iambus or iambic. [R.]
I*am"bic (?), a. [L. iambicus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. iambique.] 1. (Pros.) Consisting of a short
syllable followed by a long one, or of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented; as,
an iambic foot.
2. Pertaining to, or composed of, iambics; as, an iambic verse; iambic meter. See
Lambus.
I*am"bic, n. 1. (Pros.) (a) An iambic foot; an iambus. (b) A verse composed of iambic
feet.
The following couplet consists of iambic verses.
Thy gen- | ius calls | thee not | to pur- | chase fame
In keen | iam- | bics, but | mild an- | agram.
Dryden.
2. A satirical poem (such poems having been anciently written in iambic verse); a satire; a
lampoon.
I*am"bic*al (?), a. Iambic. [Obs. or R.]
I*am"bic*al*ly, adv. In a iambic manner; after the manner of iambics.
I*am"bize (?), v. t. [Gr. &?;.] To satirize in iambics; to lampoon. [R.]
I*am"bus (?), n.; pl. L. Iambi (#), E. Iambuses (#). [L. iambus, Gr. &?;; prob. akin to
&?; to throw, assail (the iambus being first used in satiric poetry), and to L. jacere to
throw. Cf. Jet a shooting forth.] (Pros.) A foot consisting of a short syllable followed by a
long one, as in mns, or of an unaccented syllable followed by an accented one, as invent;
an iambic. See the Couplet under Iambic, n.
||I*an"thi*na (?), n.; pl. L. Ianthinæ (#), E. Ianthinas (#). [NL., fr. L. ianthinus violet-
blue, Gr. &?;; &?; violet + &?; flower.] (Zoöl.) Any gastropod of the genus Ianthina, of
which various species are found living in mid ocean; -- called also purple shell, and violet
snail. [Written also janthina.]
It floats at the surface by means of a raft, which it constructs by forming and uniting
together air bubbles of hardened mucus. The Tyrian purple of the ancients was obtained in
part from mollusks of this genus.
I*a`tra*lip"tic (?), a. [Gr. &?;; &?; physician + &?; belonging to the &?; or anointer, fr.
&?; to anoint: cf. F. iatraliptique.] Treating diseases by anointing and friction; as, the
iatraliptic method. [Written also iatroleptic.]
{ I*at"ric (?), I*at"ric*al (?), } a. [Gr. &?; healing, fr. &?; physician, fr. &?; to heal.] Of
or pertaining to medicine, or to medical men.
I*a`tro*chem"ic*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to iatrochemistry, or to the iatrochemists.
I*a`tro*chem"ist (?), n. [Gr. &?; physician + E. chemist.] A physician who explained or
treated diseases upon chemical principles; one who practiced iatrochemistry.
I*a`tro*chem"is*try (?), n. Chemistry applied to, or used in, medicine; -- used especially
with reference to the doctrines in the school of physicians in Flanders, in the 17th century,
who held that health depends upon the proper chemical relations of the fluids of the body,
and who endeavored to explain the conditions of health or disease by chemical principles.
I*a`tro*math`e*mat"ic*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to iatromathematicians or their doctrine.
I*a`tro*math`e*ma*ti"cian (?), n. [Gr. &?; physician + E. mathematician.] (Hist. Med.)
One of a school of physicians in Italy, about the middle of the 17th century, who tried to
apply the laws of mechanics and mathematics to the human body, and hence were eager
student of anatomy; -- opposed to the iatrochemists.
I*be"ri*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to Iberia.
I"bex ("bks), n.; pl. E. Ibexes (-z), L. Ibices (b"*sz). [L., a kind of goat, the chamois.]
(Zoöl.) One of several species of wild goats having very large, recurved horns,
transversely ridged in front; -- called also steinbok.
The Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) is the best known. The Spanish, or Pyrenean, ibex (C.
Hispanica) has smoother and more spreading horns.
||I*bi"dem (?), adv. [L.] In the same place; -- abbreviated ibid. or ib.
I"bis (?), n. [L. ibis, Gr. &?;; of Egyptian origin.] (Zoöl.) Any bird of the genus Ibis and
several allied genera, of the family Ibidæ, inhabiting both the Old World and the New.
Numerous species are known. They are large, wading birds, having a long, curved beak,
and feed largely on reptiles.
The sacred ibis of the ancient Egyptians (Ibis Æthiopica) has the head and neck black,
without feathers. The plumage of the body and wings is white, except the tertiaries, which
are lengthened and form a dark purple plume. In ancient times this bird was extensively
domesticated in Egypt, but it is now seldom seen so far north. The glossy ibis (Plegadis
autumnalis), which is widely distributed both in the Old World and the New, has the
head and neck feathered, except between the eyes and bill; the scarlet ibis (Guara rubra)
and the white ibis (G. alba) inhabit the West Indies and South America, and are rarely
found in the United States. The wood ibis (Tantalus loculator) of America belongs to the
Stork family (Ciconidæ). See Wood ibis.
-i*ble (?). See -able.
-ic (?). [L. -icus, Gr. &?;: cf. F. -ique.] 1. A suffix signifying, in general, relating to, or
characteristic of; as, historic, hygienic, telegraphic, etc.
2. (Chem.) A suffix, denoting that the element indicated enters into certain compounds
with its highest valence, or with a valence relatively higher than in compounds where the
name of the element ends in -ous; as, ferric, sulphuric. It is also used in the general sense
of pertaining to; as, hydric, sodic, calcic.
I*ca"ri*an (?), a. [L. Icarius, Gr. &?;, fr. &?;, the mythic son of Dædalus, who, when
flying from Crete on wings cemented with wax, mounted so high that the sun melted the
wax, and he fell into the sea.] Soaring too high for safety, like Icarus; adventurous in flight.
Ice (s), n. [OE. is, iis, AS. s; aksin to D. ijs, G. eis, OHG. s, Icel. ss, Sw. is, Dan. iis,
and perh. to E. iron.] 1. Water or other fluid frozen or reduced to the solid state by cold;
frozen water. It is a white or transparent colorless substance, crystalline, brittle, and
viscoidal. Its specific gravity (0.92, that of water at 4° C. being 1.0) being less than that of
water, ice floats.
Water freezes at 32° F. or 0° Cent., and ice melts at the same temperature. Ice owes its
cooling properties to the large amount of heat required to melt it.
2. Concreted sugar. Johnson.
3. Water, cream, custard, etc., sweetened, flavored, and artificially frozen.
4. Any substance having the appearance of ice; as, camphor ice.
Anchor ice, ice which sometimes forms about stones and other objects at the bottom of
running or other water, and is thus attached or anchored to the ground. -- Bay ice, ice
formed in bays, fiords, etc., often in extensive fields which drift out to sea. -- Ground ice,
anchor ice. -- Ice age (Geol.), the glacial epoch or period. See under Glacial. -- Ice
anchor (Naut.), a grapnel for mooring a vessel to a field of ice. Kane. -- Ice blink [Dan.
iisblink], a streak of whiteness of the horizon, caused by the reflection of light from ice not
yet in sight. -- Ice boat. (a) A boat fitted with skates or runners, and propelled on ice by
sails; an ice yacht. (b) A strong steamboat for breaking a channel through ice. -- Ice box
or chest, a box for holding ice; a box in which things are kept cool by means of ice; a
refrigerator. -- Ice brook, a brook or stream as cold as ice. [Poetic] Shak. -- Ice cream
[for iced cream], cream, milk, or custard, sweetened, flavored, and frozen. -- Ice field,
an extensive sheet of ice. -- Ice float, Ice floe, a sheet of floating ice similar to an ice
field, but smaller. -- Ice foot, shore ice in Arctic regions; an ice belt. Kane. -- Ice house,
a close-covered pit or building for storing ice. -- Ice machine (Physics), a machine for
making ice artificially, as by the production of a low temperature through the sudden
expansion of a gas or vapor, or the rapid evaporation of a volatile liquid. -- Ice master.
See Ice pilot (below). -- Ice pack, an irregular mass of broken and drifting ice. -- Ice
paper, a transparent film of gelatin for copying or reproducing; papier glacé. -- Ice
petrel (Zoöl.), a shearwater (Puffinus gelidus) of the Antarctic seas, abundant among
floating ice. -- Ice pick, a sharp instrument for breaking ice into small pieces. -- Ice pilot,
a pilot who has charge of a vessel where the course is obstructed by ice, as in polar seas;
-- called also ice master. -- Ice pitcher, a pitcher adapted for ice water. -- Ice plow, a
large tool for grooving and cutting ice. -- Ice sludge, bay ice broken small by the wind or
waves; sludge. -- Ice spar (Min.), a variety of feldspar, the crystals of which are very
clear like ice; rhyacolite. -- Ice tongs, large iron nippers for handling ice. -- Ice water.
(a) Water cooled by ice. (b) Water formed by the melting of ice. -- Ice yacht. See Ice
boat (above). -- To break the ice. See under Break. - - Water ice, a confection
consisting of water sweetened, flavored, and frozen.
Ice (s), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Iced (st); p. pr. & vb. n. Icing ("sng).] 1. To cover with ice; to
convert into ice, or into something resembling ice.
2. To cover with icing, or frosting made of sugar and milk or white of egg; to frost, as
cakes, tarts, etc.
3. To chill or cool, as with ice; to freeze.
Ice"berg` (?), n. [Prob. of Scand. origin; cf. Dan. iisbierg, Sw. isberg, properly, a
mountain of ice. See Ice, and Berg.] A large mass of ice, generally floating in the ocean.
Icebergs are large detached portions of glaciers, which in cold regions often project into
the sea.
Ice"bird` (?), n. (Zoöl.) An Arctic sea bird, as the Arctic fulmar.
Ice"bound` (?), a. Totally surrounded with ice, so as to be incapable of advancing; as, an
icebound vessel; also, surrounded by or fringed with ice so as to hinder easy access; as,
an icebound coast.
Ice"-built` (?), a. 1. Composed of ice.
2. Loaded with ice. "Ice-built mountains." Gray.
Iced (?), a. 1. Covered with ice; chilled with ice; as, iced water.
2. Covered with something resembling ice, as sugar icing; frosted; as, iced cake.
Iced cream. Same as Ice cream, under Ice.
Ice"fall` (?), n. A frozen waterfall, or mass of ice resembling a frozen waterfall. Coleridge.
Ice"land*er (?), n. A native, or one of the Scandinavian people, of Iceland.
Ice*lan"dic (?), a. Of or pertaining to Iceland; relating to, or resembling, the Icelanders.
Ice*lan"dic (?), n. The language of the Icelanders. It is one of the Scandinavian group, and
is more nearly allied to the Old Norse than any other language now spoken.
Ice"land moss` (?). (Bot.) A kind of lichen (Cetraria Icelandica) found from the Arctic
regions to the North Temperate zone. It furnishes a nutritious jelly and other forms of
food, and is used in pulmonary complaints as a demulcent.
Ice"land spar` (?). (Min.) A transparent variety of calcite, the best of which is obtained in
Iceland. It is used for the prisms of the polariscope, because of its strong double
refraction. Cf. Calcite.
Ice"man (?), n.; pl. Icemen (&?;). 1. A man who is skilled in traveling upon ice, as among
glaciers.
2. One who deals in ice; one who retails or delivers ice.
Ice" plant` (?). (Bot.) A plant (Mesembryanthemum crystallinum) , sprinkled with
pellucid, watery vesicles, which glisten like ice. It is native along the Mediterranean, in the
Canaries, and in South Africa. Its juice is said to be demulcent and diuretic; its ashes are
used in Spain in making glass.
Ice-skater = one who skates on ice wearing an ice skate; esp. an athlete who performs
athletic or artistic movements on a sheet of ice, wearing ice skates; including speed skater
and figure skater -- >
<! p. 724 !>
Ice"quake` (s"kwk`), n. The crash or concussion attending the breaking up of masses of
ice, -- often due to contraction from extreme cold.
Ich (k), pron. I. [Obs.] Chaucer.
In the Southern dialect of Early English this is the regular form. Cf. Ik.
Ich*neu"mon (?), n. [L., fr. Gr. &?;, lit., the tracker; so called because it hunts out the
eggs of the crocodile, fr. &?; to track or hunt after, fr. 'i`chnos track, footstep.] 1. (Zoöl.)
Any carnivorous mammal of the genus Herpestes, and family Viverridæ. Numerous
species are found in Asia and Africa. The Egyptian species (H. ichneumon), which ranges
to Spain and Palestine, is noted for destroying the eggs and young of the crocodile as well
as various snakes and lizards, and hence was considered sacred by the ancient Egyptians.
The common species of India (H. griseus), known as the mongoose, has similar habits
and is often domesticated. It is noted for killing the cobra.
2. (Zoöl.) Any hymenopterous insect of the family Ichneumonidæ, of which several
thousand species are known, belonging to numerous genera.
The female deposits her eggs upon, or in, the bodies of other insects, such as caterpillars,
plant lice, etc. The larva lives upon the internal tissues of the insect in which it is parasitic,
and finally kills it. Hence, many of the species are beneficial to agriculture by destroying
noxious insects.
Ichneumon fly. See Ichneumon, 2.
Ich`neu*mon"i*dan (?), a. (Zoöl.) Of or pertaining to the Ichneumonidæ, or ichneumon
flies. -- n. One of the Ichneumonidæ.
||Ich`neu*mon"i*des (?), n. pl. [NL. See Ichneumon.] (Zoöl.) The ichneumon flies.
Ich"nite (?), n. [Gr. 'i`chnos track, footstep.] A fossil footprint; as, the ichnites in the
Triassic sandstone. Page.
{ Ich`no*graph"ic (?), Ich`no*graph"ic*al (?), } a. [Cf. F. ichonographique.] Of or
pertaining to ichonography; describing a ground plot.
Ich*nog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; 'i`chnos track, footstep + &?; to describe: cf. F.
ichonographie.] (Drawing) A horizontal section of a building or other object, showing its
true dimensions according to a geometric scale; a ground plan; a map; also, the art of
making such plans.
Ich"no*lite (?), n. [Gr. 'i`chnos track, footstep + -lite.] A fossil footprint; an ichnite.
Ich`no*li*thol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. 'i`chnos footstep + -lith + -logy.] Same as Ichnology.
Hitchcock.
Ich`no*log"ic*al (?), a. Of or pertaining to ichnology.
Ich*nol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. 'i`chnos a footstep + -logy.] (Geol.) The branch of science
which treats of fossil footprints.
Ich*nos"co*py (?), n. [Gr. 'i`chnos footstep + -scopy.] The search for the traces of
anything. [R.]
I"chor (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;: cf. F. ichor.] 1. (Class. Myth.) An ethereal fluid that
supplied the place of blood in the veins of the gods.
2. A thin, acrid, watery discharge from an ulcer, wound, etc.
||I`chor*hæ"mi*a (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; ichor + &?; blood.] (Med.) Infection of the
blood with ichorous or putrid substances.
I"chor*ous (?), a. [Cf. F. ichoreux.] Of or like ichor; thin; watery; serous; sanious.
Ich"thi*din (?), n. (Physiol. Chem.) A substance from the egg yolk of osseous fishes.
Ich"thin (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqy`s fish.] (Physiol. Chem.) A nitrogenous substance resembling
vitellin, present in the egg yolk of cartilaginous fishes.
Ich"thu*lin (?), n. (Physiol. Chem.) A substance from the yolk of salmon's eggs.
Ich"thus (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqy`s.] In early Christian and eccesiastical art, an emblematic fish,
or the Greek word for fish, which combined the initials of the Greek words Ihsoy^s,
Christo`s, Qeoy^ Gio`s Swth`r, Jesus, Christ, Son of God, Savior.
Ich"thy*ic (?), a. [Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish.] (Zoöl.) Like, or pertaining to, fishes.
{ Ich"thy*o*col (?), Ich`thy*o*col"la (?), } n. [L. ichthyocolla, Gr. &?;; 'ichqy`s, -y`os,
a fish + &?; glue: cf. F. ichthyocolle.] Fish glue; isinglass; a glue prepared from the
sounds of certain fishes.
Ich`thy*o*cop"ro*lite (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + E. coprolite.] (Geol.) Fossil
dung of fishes.
Ich`thy*o*dor"u*lite (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + &?; a spear + - lite.] (Zoöl.)
One of the spiny plates found on the back and tail of certain skates.
Ich`thy*og"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os + graphy: cf. F. ichthyographie.] A
treatise on fishes.
{ Ich"thy*oid (?), Ich`thy*oid"al (?), } a. [Gr. &?;: 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + &?; form.]
(Zoöl.) Somewhat like a fish; having some of the characteristics of fishes; -- said of some
amphibians.
Ich`thy*ol"a*try (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + &?; to worship.] Worship of fishes,
or of fish-shaped idols. Layard.
Ich"thy*o*lite (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + -lite.] (Paleon.) A fossil fish, or
fragment of a fish.
{ Ich`thy*o*log"ic (?), Ich`thy*o*log"ic*al (?), } a. [Cf. F. ichthyologique. ] Of or
pertaining to ichthyology.
Ich`thy*ol"o*gist (?), n. [Cf. F. ichthyologiste.] One versed in, or who studies,
ichthyology.
Ich`thy*ol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + -logy: cf. F. ichthyologie.] The
natural history of fishes; that branch of zoölogy which relates to fishes, including their
structure, classification, and habits.
Ich"thy*o*man`cy (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + -mancy: cf. F. ichthyomancie.]
Divination by the heads or the entrails of fishes.
||Ich`thy*o*mor"pha (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; fish-shaped; 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + &?;
form.] (Zoöl.) The Urodela.
{ Ich`thy*o*mor"phic (?), Ich`thy*o*mor"phous (?), } a. [See Ichthyomorpha.] Fish-
shaped; as, the ichthyomorphic idols of ancient Assyria.
Ich`thy*oph"a*gist (?), n. [See Ichthyophagous.] One who eats, or subsists on, fish.
Ich`thy*oph"a*gous (?), a. [L. ichthyophagus, Gr. &?;; 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + &?; to
eat.] Eating, or subsisting on, fish.
Ich`thy*oph"a*gy (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqyofagi`a: cf. F. ichthyophagie.] The practice of eating,
or living upon, fish.
Ich`thy*oph*thal"mite (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + &?; eye.] See Apophyllite. [R.]
||Ich`thy*oph*thi"ra (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + &?; a louse.] (Zoöl.)
A division of copepod crustaceans, including numerous species parasitic on fishes.
||Ich`thy*op"si*da (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + &?; appearance.]
(Zoöl.) A grand division of the Vertebrata, including the Amphibia and Fishes.
||Ich`thy*op`te*ryg"i*a
(?), n. pl. [NL. See Ichthyopterygium.] (Paleon.) See
Ichthyosauria.
||Ich`thy*op`te*ryg"i*um (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + &?; a fin.] (Anat.)
The typical limb, or lateral fin, of fishes.
||Ich`thy*or"nis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + &?; bird.] (Paleon.) An
extinct genus of toothed birds found in the American Cretaceous formation. It is
remarkable for having biconcave vertebræ, and sharp, conical teeth set in sockets. Its
wings were well developed. It is the type of the order Odontotormæ.
Ich"thy*o*saur (?), n. [Cf. F. ichthyosaure.] (Paleon.) One of the Ichthyosaura.
||Ich`thy*o*sau"ri*a (?), n. pl. [NL. See Ichthyosaurus.] (Paleon.) An extinct order of
marine reptiles, including Ichthyosaurus and allied forms; -- called also Ichthyopterygia.
They have not been found later than the Cretaceous period.
Ich`thy*o*sau"ri*an (?), a. (Paleon.) Of or pertaining to the Ichthyosauria. -- n. One of
the Ichthyosauria.
||Ich`thy*o*sau"rus (?), n.; pl. Ichthyosauri (#). [NL., fr. Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish +
say^ros a lizard.] (Paleon.) An extinct genus of marine reptiles; - - so named from their
short, biconcave vertebræ, resembling those of fishes. Several species, varying in length
from ten to thirty feet, are known from the Liassic, Oölitic, and Cretaceous formations.
||Ich`thy*o"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. 'ichqy`s fish.] (Med.) A disease in which the skin is
thick, rough, and scaly; -- called also fishskin. -- Ich`thy*ot"ic (#), a.
Ich`thy*ot"o*mist (?), n. One skilled in ichthyotomy.
Ich`thy*ot"o*my (?), n. [Gr. 'ichqy`s, -y`os, a fish + &?; to cut.] The anatomy or
dissection of fishes. [R.]
||Ich"thys (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. 'ichqy`s a fish.] Same as Ichthus.
I"ci*cle (?), n. [OE. isikel, AS. sgicel; s ice + gicel icicle; akin to Icel. jökull; cf. Gael.
eigh ice, Ir. aigh.] A pendent, and usually conical, mass of ice, formed by freezing of
dripping water; as, the icicles on the eaves of a house.
I"ci*cled (?), a. Having icicles attached.
I"ci*ly (?), adv. In an icy manner; coldly.
Faultily faultless, icily regular, splendidly null,
Dead perfection, no more.
Tennyson.
I"ci*ness (?), n. The state or quality of being icy or very cold; frigidity.
I"cing (?), n. A coating or covering resembling ice, as of sugar and milk or white of egg;
frosting.
Ic"kle (?), n. [OE. ikil. See Icicle.] An icicle. [Prov. Eng.]
I"con ("kn), n. [L., fr. Gr. e'ikw`n.] An image or representation; a portrait or pretended
portrait.
Netherlands whose names and icons are published.
Hakewill.
I*con"ic*al (?), a. Pertaining to, or consisting of, images, pictures, or representations of
any kind.
I"con*ism (?), n. [L. iconismus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to mold, delineate, fr. e'ikw`n an image:
cf. F. iconisme.] The formation of a figure, representation, or semblance; a delineation or
description.
Some kind of apish imitations, counterfeit iconisms.
Cudworth.
I"con*ize (?), v. t. [Gr. e'ikoni`zein.] To form an image or likeness of. [R.] Cudworth.
I*con"o*clasm (?), n. [Cf. F. iconoclasme. See Iconoclast.] The doctrine or practice of
the iconoclasts; image breaking.
I*con"o*clast (?), n. [Gr. e'ikw`n image + &?; to break: cf. F. iconoclaste.] 1. A breaker
or destroyer of images or idols; a determined enemy of idol worship.
2. One who exposes or destroys impositions or shams; one who attacks cherished beliefs;
a radical.
I*con`o*clas"tic (?), a. Of or pertaining to the iconoclasts, or to image breaking. Milman.
{I*con"o*dule (?), I*con"o*du`list (?), } n. [Gr. e'ikw`n an image + &?; a slave.] (Eccl.
Hist.) One who serves images; -- opposed to an iconoclast. Schaff-Herzog Encyc.
I`co*nog"ra*pher (?), n. A maker of images. Fairholt.
I*con`o*graph"ic (?), a. 1. Of or pertaining to iconography.
2. Representing by means of pictures or diagrams; as, an icongraphic encyclopædia.
I`co*nog"ra*phy (?), n. [Gr. &?; a sketch or description; e'ikw`n an image + &?; to
describe: cf. F. iconographie.] 1. The art or representation by pictures or images; the
description or study of portraiture or representation, as of persons; as, the iconography
of the ancients.
2. The study of representative art in general.
Christian iconography, the study of the representations in art of the Deity, the persons
of the Trinity, angels, saints, virtues, vices, etc.
I`co*nol"a*ter (?), n. [Gr. e'ikw`n an image + &?; to worship: cf. F. iconolâtre.] One
who worships images.
I`co*nol"a*try (?), n. [See Iconolater.] The worship of images as symbols; --
distinguished from idolatry, the worship of images themselves.
I`co*nol"o*gy (?), n. [Gr. &?;; e'ikw`n an image + &?; discourse: cf. F. iconologie.] The
discussion or description of portraiture or of representative images. Cf. Iconography.
I`co*nom"a*chy (?), n. [Gr. &?; a war against images; e'ikw`n an image + &?; fight.]
Hostility to images as objects of worship. [R.]
I`co*nom"ic*al (?), a. [Gr. &?;; e'ikw`n image + &?; fight.] Opposed to pictures or
images as objects of worship. [R.] Sir T. Browne.
I`co*noph"i*list (?), n. [Gr. e'ikw`n an image + &?; to love.] A student, or lover of the
study, of iconography.
I`co*sa*he"dral (?), a. [See Icosahedron.] (Geom.) Having twenty equal sides or faces.
I`co*sa*he"dron (?), n. [Gr. &?;; &?; twenty + &?; seat, base, fr. &?; to sit.] (Geom.) A
solid bounded by twenty sides or faces.
Regular icosahedron, one of the five regular polyhedrons, bounded by twenty
equilateral triangules. Five triangles meet to form each solid angle of the polyhedron.
||I`co*san"dri*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; twenty +&?;, &?;, man, male: cf. F.
icosandrie.] (Bot.) A Linnæan class of plants, having twenty or more stamens inserted in
the calyx.
{ I`co*san"dri*an (?), I`co*san"drous (?), } a. (Bot.) Pertaining to the class Icosandria;
having twenty or more stamens inserted in the calyx.
I`co*si*tet`ra*he"dron (?), n. [Gr. &?; twenty + &?;, combining form of &?; four + &?;
seat, base.] (Crystallog.) A twenty-four-sided solid; a tetragonal trisoctahedron or
trapezohedron.
-ics (?). A suffix used in forming the names of certain sciences, systems, etc., as acoustics,
mathematics, dynamics, statistics, politics, athletics.
The names sciences ending in ics, as mathematics, mechanics, metaphysics, optics,
etc., are, with respect to their form, nouns in the plural number. The plural form was
probably introduced to mark the complex nature of such sciences; and it may have been in
imitation of the use of the Greek plurals &?;, &?;, &?;, &?;, etc., to designate parts of
Aristotle's writings. Previously to the present century, nouns ending in ics were construed
with a verb or a pronoun in the plural; but it is now generally considered preferable to
treat them as singular. In Greman we have die Mathematik, die Mechanik, etc., and in
French la metaphysique, la optique, etc., corresponding to our mathematics,
mechanics, metaphysics, optics, etc.
Mathematics have for their object the consideration of whatever is
capable of being numbered or measured.
John Davidson.
The citations subjoined will serve as examples of the best present usage.
Ethics is the sciences of the laws which govern our actions as
moral agents.
Sir W. Hamilton.
All parts of knowledge have their origin in metaphysics, and
finally, perhaps, revolve into it.
De Quincey.
Mechanics, like pure mathematics, may be geometrical, or may be
analytical; that is, it may treat space either by a direct
consideration of its properties, or by a symbolical representation.
Whewell.
<! p. 725 !>
Ic*ter"ic (?), n. A remedy for the jaundice.
{ Ic*ter"ic (?), Ic*ter"ic*al (?), } a. [L. ictericus, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; jaundice: cf. F.
ictérique.] 1. Pertaining to, or affected with, jaundice.
2. Good against the jaundice. Johnson.
{ Ic`ter*i"tious (?), Ic*ter"i*tous (?), } a. Yellow; of the color of the skin when it is
affected by the jaundice.
Ic"ter*oid (?), a. [Gr. &?; jaundice + -oid.] Of a tint resembling that produced by
jaundice; yellow; as, an icteroid tint or complexion.
||Ic"te*rus (?), n. [NL. See Icteric, a.] (Med.) The jaundice.
Ic"tic (?), a. [L. ictus blow.] Pertaining to, or caused by, a blow; sudden; abrupt. [R.] H.
Bushnell.
||Ic"tus (?), n. [L., fr. icere, ictum, to strike.] 1. (Pros.) The stress of voice laid upon
accented syllable of a word. Cf. Arsis.
2. (Med.) A stroke or blow, as in a sunstroke, the sting of an insect, pulsation of an artery,
etc.
I"cy (?), a. [Compar. Icier (?); superl. Iciest.] [AS. sig. See Ice.] 1. Pertaining to,
resembling, or abounding in, ice; cold; frosty. "Icy chains." Shak. "Icy region." Boyle. "Icy
seas." Pope.
2. Characterized by coldness, as of manner, influence, etc.; chilling; frigid; cold.
Icy was the deportment with which Philip received these
demonstrations of affection.
Motley.
I"cy-pearl`ed (?), a. Spangled with ice.
Mounting up in icy-pearled car.
Milton.
I'd (?). A contraction from I would or I had.
Id (?), n. (Zoöl.) A small fresh-water cyprinoid fish (Leuciscus idus or Idus idus) of
Europe. A domesticated variety, colored like the goldfish, is called orfe in Germany.
I*da"li*an (?), a. Of or pertaining to Idalium, a mountain city in Cyprus, or to Venus, to
whom it was sacred. "Idalian Aphrodité." Tennyson.
Ide (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Id.
-ide (?). (Chem.) A suffix used to denote: (a) The nonmetallic, or negative, element or
radical in a binary compound; as, oxide, sulphide, chloride. (b) A compound which is an
anhydride; as, glycolide, phthalide. (c) Any one of a series of derivatives; as, indogenide,
glucoside, etc.
I*de"a (?), n.; pl. Ideas (#). [L. idea, Gr. &?;, fr. &?; to see; akin to E. wit: cf. F. idée.
See Wit.] 1. The transcript, image, or picture of a visible object, that is formed by the
mind; also, a similar image of any object whatever, whether sensible or spiritual.
Her sweet idea wandered through his thoughts.
Fairfax.
Being the right idea of your father
Both in your form and nobleness of mind.
Shak.
This representation or likeness of the object being transmitted from
thence [the senses] to the imagination, and lodged there for the
view and observation of the pure intellect, is aptly and properly
called its idea.
P. Browne.
2. A general notion, or a conception formed by generalization.
Alice had not the slightest idea what latitude was.
L. Caroll.
3. Hence: Any object apprehended, conceived, or thought of, by the mind; a notion,
conception, or thought; the real object that is conceived or thought of.
Whatsoever the mind perceives in itself, or as the immediate object
of perception, thought, or undersanding, that I call idea.
Locke.
4. A belief, option, or doctrine; a characteristic or controlling principle; as, an essential
idea; the idea of development.
That fellow seems to me to possess but one idea, and that is a
wrong one.
Johnson.
What is now "idea" for us? How infinite the fall of this word, since
the time where Milton sang of the Creator contemplating his
newly-created world, -
"how it showed . . .
Answering his great idea," -
to its present use, when this person "has an idea that the train has
started," and the other "had no idea that the dinner would be so
bad!"
Trench.
5. A plan or purpose of action; intention; design.
I shortly afterwards set off for that capital, with an idea of
undertaking while there the translation of the work.
W. Irving.
6. A rational conception; the complete conception of an object when thought of in all its
essential elements or constituents; the necessary metaphysical or constituent attributes and
relations, when conceived in the abstract.
7. A fiction object or picture created by the imagination; the same when proposed as a
pattern to be copied, or a standard to be reached; one of the archetypes or patterns of
created things, conceived by the Platonists to have excited objectively from eternity in the
mind of the Deity.
Thence to behold this new-created world,
The addition of his empire, how it showed
In prospect from his throne, how good, how fair,
Answering his great idea.
Milton.
"In England, Locke may be said to have been the first who naturalized the term in its
Cartesian universality. When, in common language, employed by Milton and Dryden, after
Descartes, as before him by Sidney, Spenser, Shakespeare, Hooker, etc., the meaning is
Platonic." Sir W. Hamilton.
Abstract idea, Association of ideas, etc. See under Abstract, Association, etc.
Syn. -- Notion; conception; thought; sentiment; fancy; image; perception; impression;
opinion; belief; observation; judgment; consideration; view; design; intention; purpose;
plan; model; pattern. There is scarcely any other word which is subjected to such abusive
treatment as is the word idea, in the very general and indiscriminative way in which it is
employed, as it is used variously to signify almost any act, state, or content of thought.
I*de"al (?), a. [L. idealis: cf. F. idéal.] 1. Existing in idea or thought; conceptional;
intellectual; mental; as, ideal knowledge.
2. Reaching an imaginary standard of excellence; fit for a model; faultless; as, ideal
beauty. Byron.
There will always be a wide interval between practical and ideal
excellence.
Rambler.
3. Existing in fancy or imagination only; visionary; unreal. "Planning ideal common wealth."
Southey.
4. Teaching the doctrine of idealism; as, the ideal theory or philosophy.
5. (Math.) Imaginary.
Syn. -- Intellectual; mental; visionary; fanciful; imaginary; unreal; impracticable; utopian.
I*de"al (?), n. A mental conception regarded as a standard of perfection; a model of
excellence, beauty, etc.
The ideal is to be attained by selecting and assembling in one whole
the beauties and perfections which are usually seen in different
individuals, excluding everything defective or unseemly, so as to
form a type or model of the species. Thus, the Apollo Belvedere is
the ideal of the beauty and proportion of the human frame.
Fleming.
Beau ideal. See Beau ideal.
I*de"a*less (?), a. Destitute of an idea.
I*de"al*ism (?), n. [Cf. F. idéalisme.] 1. The quality or state of being ideal.
2. Conception of the ideal; imagery.
3. (Philos.) The system or theory that denies the existence of material bodies, and teaches
that we have no rational grounds to believe in the reality of anything but ideas and their
relations.
I*de"al*ist, n. [Cf. F. idéaliste.] 1. One who idealizes; one who forms picturesque
fancies; one given to romantic expectations.
2. One who holds the doctrine of idealism.
I*de`al*is"tic (?), a. Of or pertaining to idealists or their theories.
I`de*al"i*ty (?), n.; pl. Idealities (&?;). 1. The quality or state of being ideal.
2. The capacity to form ideals of beauty or perfection.
3. (Phren.) The conceptive faculty.
I*de`al*i*za"tion (?), n. 1. The act or process of idealizing.
2. (Fine Arts) The representation of natural objects, scenes, etc., in such a way as to
show their most important characteristics; the study of the ideal.
I*de"al*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Idealized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Idealizing (?).] 1. To
make ideal; to give an ideal form or value to; to attribute ideal characteristics and
excellences to; as, to idealize real life.
2. (Fine Arts) To treat in an ideal manner. See Idealization, 2.
I*de"al*ize, v. i. [Cf. F. idéaliser.] To form ideals.
I*de"al*i`zer (?), n. An idealist.
I*de"al*ly, adv. In an ideal manner; by means of ideals; mentally.
I*de`a*log"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining to an idealogue, or to idealization.
I*de"a*logue (?), n. [Idea + -logue, as in theologue: cf. F. idéologue.] One given to
fanciful ideas or theories; a theorist; a spectator. [R.] Mrs. Browning.
{ I*de"at (?), I*de"ate (?), } n. [LL. ideatum. See Idea.] (Metaph.) The actual existence
supposed to correspond with an idea; the correlate in real existence to the idea as a
thought or existence.
I*de"ate (?), v. t. 1. To form in idea; to fancy. [R.]
The ideated man . . . as he stood in the intellect of God.
Sir T. Browne.
2. To apprehend in thought so as to fix and hold in the mind; to memorize. [R.]
I`de*a"tion (?), n. The faculty or capacity of the mind for forming ideas; the exercise of
this capacity; the act of the mind by which objects of sense are apprehended and retained
as objects of thought.
The whole mass of residua which have been accumulated . . . all
enter now into the process of ideation.
J. D. Morell.
I`de*a"tion*al (?), a. Pertaining to, or characterized by, ideation.
Certain sensational or ideational stimuli.
Blackw. Mag.
I"dem (?), pron. or adj. [L.] The same; the same as above; -- often abbreviated id.
I*den"tic (?), a. Identical. [Obs.] Hudibras.
I*den"tic*al (?), a. [Cf. F. identique. See Identity.] 1. The same; the selfsame; the very
same; not different; as, the identical person or thing.
I can not remember a thing that happened a year ago, without a
conviction . . . that I, the same identical person who now remember
that event, did then exist.
Reid.
2. Uttering sameness or the same truth; expressing in the predicate what is given, or
obviously implied, in the subject; tautological.
When you say body is solid, I say that you make an identical
proposition, because it is impossible to have the idea of body
without that of solidity.
Fleming.
Identical equation (Alg.), an equation which is true for all values of the algebraic
symbols which enter into it.
I*den"tic*al*ly, adv. In an identical manner; with respect to identity. "Identically the
same." Bp. Warburton. "Identically different." Ross.
I*den"tic*al*ness, n. The quality or state of being identical; sameness.
I*den"ti*fi`a*ble (?), a. Capable of being identified.
I*den`ti*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. identification.] The act of identifying, or proving to be
the same; also, the state of being identified.
I*den"ti*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Identified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Identifying (?).] [Cf. F.
identifier. See Identity, and -fy.] 1. To make to be the same; to unite or combine in such
a manner as to make one; to treat as being one or having the same purpose or effect; to
consider as the same in any relation.
Every precaution is taken to identify the interests of the people and
of the rulers.
D. Ramsay.
Let us identify, let us incorporate ourselves with the people.
Burke.
2. To establish the identity of; to prove to be the same with something described, claimed,
or asserted; as, to identify stolen property.
I*den"ti*fy (?), v. i. To become the same; to coalesce in interest, purpose, use, effect,
etc. [Obs. or R.]
An enlightened self-interest, which, when well understood, they tell
us will identify with an interest more enlarged and public.
Burke.
I*den"tism (?), n. [See Identity.] (Metaph.) The doctrine taught by Schelling, that matter
and mind, and subject and object, are identical in the Absolute; -- called also the system
or doctrine of identity.
I*den"ti*ty (?), n.; pl. Identities (#). [F. identité, LL. identitas, fr. L. idem the same,
from the root of is he, that; cf. Skr. idam this. Cf. Item.] 1. The state or quality of being
identical, or the same; sameness.
Identity is a relation between our cognitions of a thing, not
between things themselves.
Sir W. Hamilton.
2. The condition of being the same with something described or asserted, or of possessing
a character claimed; as, to establish the identity of stolen goods.
3. (Math.) An identical equation.
I"de*o- (?). A combining form from the Gr. &?;, an idea.
I`de*o*gen"ic*al (?), a. Of or relating to ideology.
I`de*og"e*ny (?), n. [Ideo- + -geny, from the same root as Gr. &?;, birth: cf. F.
idéogénie.] The science which treats of the origin of ideas.
I*de"o*gram (?), n. [Ideo- + -gram; cf. F. idéograme.] 1. An original, pictorial element
of writing; a kind of hieroglyph expressing no sound, but only an idea.
Ideograms may be defined to be pictures intended to represent
either things or thoughts.
I. Taylor (The Alphabet).
You might even have a history without language written or spoken,
by means of ideograms and gesture.
J. Peile.
2. A symbol used for convenience, or for abbreviation; as, 1, 2, 3, +, -, &?;, $, &?;, etc.
3. A phonetic symbol; a letter.
I*de"o*graph (?), n. Same as Ideogram.
{ I`de*o*graph"ic (?), I`de*o*graph"ic*al (?), } a. [Cf. F. idéographique. ] Of or
pertaining to an ideogram; representing ideas by symbols, independently of sounds; as, 9
represents not the word "nine," but the idea of the number itself. -- I`de*o*graph"ic*al*ly,
adv.
I`de*o*graph"ics (?), n. The system of writing in ideographic characters; also, anything so
written.
I`de*og"ra*phy (?), n. The representation of ideas independently of sounds, or in an
ideographic manner, as sometimes is done in shorthand writing, etc.
I`de*o*log"ic*al (?), a. [Cf. F. idéologique.] Of or pertaining to ideology.
I`de*ol"o*gist (?), n. One who treats of ideas; one who theorizes or idealizes; one versed
in the science of ideas, or who advocates the doctrines of ideology.
I`de*ol"o*gy (?), n. [Ideo- + -logy: cf. F. idéologie.] 1. The science of ideas. Stewart.
2. (Metaph.) A theory of the origin of ideas which derives them exclusively from
sensation.
By a double blunder in philosophy and Greek, idéologie . . . has in France become the
name peculiarly distinctive of that philosophy of mind which exclusively derives our
knowledge from sensation. Sir W. Hamilton.
I`de*o-mo"tion (?), n. (Physiol.) An ideo-motor movement.
I`de*o-mo"tor (?), a. [Ideo- + motor.] (Physiol.) Applied to those actions, or muscular
movements, which are automatic expressions of dominant ideas, rather than the result of
distinct volitional efforts, as the act of expressing the thoughts in speech, or in writing,
while the mind is occupied in the composition of the sentence. Carpenter.
Ides (dz), n. pl. [L. idus: cf. F. ides.] (Anc. Rom. Calendar) The fifteenth day of March,
May, July, and October, and the thirteenth day of the other months.
The ides of March remember.
Shak.
Eight days in each month often pass by this name, but only one strictly receives it, the
others being called respectively the day before the ides, and so on, backward, to the
eighth from the ides.
Id"i*o- (d"*-). A combining form from the Greek 'i`dios, meaning private, personal,
peculiar, distinct.
Id"i*o*blast (d"**blst), n. [Ideo- + -blast.] (Bot.) An individual cell, differing greatly from
its neighbours in regard to size, structure, or contents.
||Id`i*o*cra"sis (?), n. [NL.] Idiocracy.
Id`i*oc"ra*sy (?), n.; pl. Idiocrasies (#). [Idio- + Gr. kra^sis a mixture, fr. &?; to mix:
cf. F. idiocrasie.] Peculiarity of constitution; that temperament, or state of constitution,
which is peculiar to a person; idiosyncrasy.
{ Id`i*o*crat"ic (?), Id`i*o*crat"ic*al (?), } a. Peculiar in constitution or temperament;
idiosyncratic.
Id"i*o*cy (d"**s), n. [From idiot; cf. Gr. &?; uncouthness, want of education, fr. &?;.
See Idiot, and cf. Idiotcy.] The condition or quality of being an idiot; absence, or marked
deficiency, of sense and intelligence.
I will undertake to convict a man of idiocy, if he can not see the
proof that three angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles.
F. W. Robertson.
Id`i*o*cy*cloph"a*nous (?), a. [Idio- + Gr. &?; circle + &?; to appear.] (Crystallog.)
Same as Idiophanous.
Id`i*o*e*lec"tric (?), a. [Idio- + electric: cf. F. idioélectrique.] (Physics) Electric by
virtue of its own peculiar properties; capable of becoming electrified by friction; --
opposed to anelectric. -- n. An idioelectric substance.
Id"i*o*graph (d"**grf), n. [Gr. &?; autographic; 'i`dios one's own + gra`fein to write.] A
mark or signature peculiar to an individual; a trade-mark.
<! p. 726 !>
{ Id`i*o*graph"ic (d`**grf"k), Id`i*o*graph"ic*al (?), } a. Of or pertaining to an
idiograph.
Id`i*ol"a*try (?), n. [Idio- + Gr. &?; to worship.] Self-worship; excessive self- esteem.
Id"i*om (d"*m), n. [F. idiome, L. idioma, fr. Gr. 'idi`wma, fr. 'idioy^n to make a
person's own, to make proper or peculiar; fr. 'i`dios one's own, proper, peculiar; prob.
akin to the reflexive pronoun o"y^, o'i^, 'e`, and to "eo`s, 'o`s, one's own, L. suus, and to
E. so.] 1. The syntactical or structural form peculiar to any language; the genius or cast of
a language.
Idiom may be employed loosely and figuratively as a synonym of
language or dialect, but in its proper sense it signifies the totality of
the general rules of construction which characterize the syntax of a
particular language and distinguish it from other tongues.
G. P. Marsh.
By idiom is meant the use of words which is peculiar to a particular
language.
J. H. Newman.
He followed their language [the Latin], but did not comply with
the idiom of ours.
Dryden.
2. An expression conforming or appropriate to the peculiar structural form of a language;
in extend use, an expression sanctioned by usage, having a sense peculiar to itself and not
agreeing with the logical sense of its structural form; also, the phrase forms peculiar to a
particular author.
Some that with care true eloquence shall teach,
And to just idioms fix our doubtful speech.
Prior.
Sometimes we identify the words with the object -- though by
courtesy of idiom rather than in strict propriety of language.
Coleridge.
Every good writer has much idiom.
Landor.
It is not by means of rules that such idioms as the following are
made current: "I can make nothing of it." "He treats his subject
home." Dryden. "It is that within us that makes for righteousness."
M. Arnold.
Gostwick (Eng. Gram.)
3. Dialect; a variant form of a language.
Syn. -- Dialect. -- Idiom, Dialect. The idioms of a language belong to its very structure;
its dialects are varieties of expression ingrafted upon it in different localities or by different
professions. Each county of England has some peculiarities of dialect, and so have most
of the professions, while the great idioms of the language are everywhere the same. See
Language.
{ Id`i*o*mat"ic (?), Id`i*o*mat"ic*al (?), } a. [Gr. 'idiwmatiko`s.] Of or pertaining to, or
conforming to, the mode of expression peculiar to a language; as, an idiomatic meaning;
an idiomatic phrase. -- Id`i*o*mat"ic*al*ly, adv.
