Mild (?), a. [Compar. Milder (?); superl. Mildest.] [AS. milde; akin to
OS. mildi, D. & G. mild, OHG. milti, Icel. mildr, Sw. & Dan. mild,
Goth. milds; cf. Lith. melas dear, Gr. &?; gladdening gifts.] Gentle;
pleasant; kind; soft; bland; clement; hence, moderate in degree or
quality; -- the opposite of harsh, severe, irritating, violent,
disagreeable, etc.; -- applied to persons and things; as, a mild
disposition; a mild eye; a mild air; a mild medicine; a mild insanity.
The rosy morn resigns her light And milder glory to the noon.
Waller.
Adore him as a mild and merciful Being.
Rogers.
Mild, or Low, steel, steel that has but little carbon in it and is not
readily hardened.
Syn. -- Soft; gentle; bland; calm; tranquil; soothing; pleasant;
placid; meek; kind; tender; indulgent; clement; mollifying; lenitive;
assuasive. See Gentle.
Mild"en (?), v. t. To make mild, or milder. Lowell.
Mil"dew (?), n. [AS. meledeáw; akin to OHG. militou, G. mehlthau,
mehltau; prob. orig. meaning, honeydew; cf. Goth. milip honey. See
Mellifluous, and Dew.] (Bot.) A growth of minute powdery or webby
fungi, whitish or of different colors, found on various diseased or
decaying substances.
Mil"dew, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mildewed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mildewing.]
To taint with mildew.
He . . . mildews the white wheat.
Shak.
Mil"dew, v. i. To become tainted with mildew.
Mild"ly (?), adv. In a mild manner.
Mild"ness, n. The quality or state of being mild; as, mildness of
temper; the mildness of the winter.
Mile (?), n. [AS. ml, fr. L. millia, milia; pl. of mille a thousand, i.
e., milia passuum a thousand paces. Cf. Mill the tenth of a cent,
Million.] A certain measure of distance, being equivalent in England
and the United States to 320 poles or rods, or 5,280 feet.
The distance called a mile varies greatly in different countries. Its
length in yards is, in Norway, 12,182; in Brunswick, 11,816; in Sweden,
11,660; in Hungary, 9,139; in Switzerland, 8,548; in Austria, 8,297; in
Prussia, 8,238; in Poland, 8,100; in Italy, 2,025; in England and the
United States, 1,760; in Spain, 1,552; in the Netherlands, 1,094.
Geographical, or Nautical mile, one sixtieth of a degree of a great
circle of the earth, or 6080.27 feet. -- Mile run. Same as Train mile.
See under Train. -- Roman mile, a thousand paces, equal to 1,614 yards
English measure. -- Statute mile, a mile conforming to statute, that
is, in England and the United States, a mile of 5,280 feet, as
distinguished from any other mile.
Mile"age (?; 48), n. 1. An allowance for traveling expenses at a
certain rate per mile.
2. Aggregate length or distance in miles; esp., the sum of lengths of
tracks or wires of a railroad company, telegraph company, etc. [Written
also milage.]
Constructive mileage, a mileage allowed for journeys supposed to be
made, but not actually made. Bartlett.
Mile"post` (?), n. A post, or one of a series of posts, set up to
indicate spaces of a mile each or the distance in miles from a given
place.