Um"pire (?), n. [OE. nompere, nounpere (also impier, fr. F. impair
uneven), fr. OF. nomper uneven, F. non-pair; hence the meaning, uneven,
i. e., third person; non not + OF. per even, equal, peer, F. pair; cf.
L. impar uneven, unequal. See Non-, and Peer, n.]
1. A person to whose sole decision a controversy or question between
parties is referred; especially, one chosen to see that the rules of a
game, as cricket, baseball, or the like, are strictly observed.
A man, in questions of this kind, is able to be a skillful umpire
between himself and others.
Barrow.
2. (Law) A third person, who is to decide a controversy or question
submitted to arbitrators in case of their disagreement. Blackstone.
Syn. — Judge; arbitrator; referee. See Judge.
Um"pire, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Umpired (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Umpiring.] 1.
To decide as umpire; to arbitrate; to settle, as a dispute.
Judges appointed to umpire the matter in contest between them, and to
decide where the right lies.
South.
2. To perform the duties of umpire in or for; as, to umpire a game.
[Colloq.]
Um"pire, v. i. To act as umpire or arbitrator.
Um"pire*ship, n. Umpirage; arbitrament. Jewel.
Um"press (?), n. Female umpire. [R.] Marston.
Um"quhile (?), adv. [Cf. OF. umwhile for a time. See While.] Some time
ago; formerly. [Scot.] Sir W. Scott. — a. Former. [Scot.]
Un-. [OE. un-, on-, the unaccented form of the accented prefix and-
(cf. Answer); akin to D. ont-, G. ent-, OHG. int-, Goth. and-. See
Anti-.] An inseparable verbal prefix or particle. It is prefixed: (a)
To verbs to express the contrary, and not the simple negative, of the
action of the verb to which it is prefixed; as in uncoil, undo, unfold.
(b) To nouns to form verbs expressing privation of the thing, quality,
or state expressed by the noun, or separation from it; as in unchild,
unsex. Sometimes particles and participial adjectives formed with this
prefix coincide in form with compounds of the negative prefix un- (see
2d Un-); as in undone (from undo), meaning unfastened, ruined; and
undone (from 2d un- and done) meaning not done, not finished. Un- is
sometimes used with an intensive force merely; as in unloose.
Compounds of this prefix are given in full in their proper order in the
Vocabulary.
Un-. [OE. & AS. un-; akin to OFries. un-, D. on-, OS., OHG., & G. un-,
Icel. -, - , Sw. o-, Dan. u-, W. an-, L. in-, Gr. &?;, &?;, Skr. an-,
a-. √193. Cf. A- not In- not, No, adv.] An inseparable prefix, or
particle, signifying not; in-; non-. In- is prefixed mostly to words of
Latin origin, or else to words formed by Latin suffixes; un- is of much
wider application, and is attached at will to almost any adjective, or
participle used adjectively, or adverb, from which it may be desired to
form a corresponding negative adjective or adverb, and is also, but
less freely, prefixed to nouns. Un- sometimes has merely an intensive
force; as in unmerciless, unremorseless.
I. Un- is prefixed to adjectives, or to words used adjectively.
Specifically: —
(a) To adjectives, to denote the absence of the quality designated by
the adjective; as, —
(b) To past particles, or to adjectives formed after the analogy of
past particles, to indicate the absence of the condition or state
expressed by them; as, —