ERNE, [.e]rn, _v.i._ obsolete form of _earn_, to yearn.
ERODE, e-r[=o]d', _v.t._ to eat away: to wear away.--_n._ ER[=O]'DENT, a
caustic drug.--_adj._ ER[=O]SE', gnawed.--_n._ ER[=O]'SION, act or state of
eating or being eaten away.--_adj._ ER[=O]'SIVE, having the property of
eating away. [L. _e_, out, _rod[)e]re_, _rosum_, to gnaw.]
EROSTRATE, e-ros'tr[=a]t, _adj._ (_bot._) having no beak.
EROTESIS, er-[=o]-t[=e]'sis, _n._ (_rhet._) a figure consisting of an
oratorical question.--_adj._ EROTET'IC. [Gr.]
EROTIC, er-ot'ik, _adj._ pertaining to love: amatory.--_n._ an amatory
poem.--_ns._ EROTOM[=A]'NIA, morbid sexual passion; EROTOM[=A]'NIAC, one
affected with this. [Gr. _er[=o]tikos_--_er[=o]s_, _er[=o]tos_, love.]
ERR, er, _v.i._ to wander from the right way: to go astray: to mistake: to
sin.--_adj._ ERR'ABLE, capable of erring.--_n._ ERRAT'IC, a wanderer: an
erratic boulder.--_adjs._ ERRAT'IC, -AL, wandering: having no certain
course: not stationary: irregular.--_adv._ ERRAT'ICALLY.--_n._ ERR[=A]'TUM,
an error in writing or printing, esp. one noted in a list at the end of a
book:--_pl._ ERR[=A]'TA.--_adj._ ERR[=O]'NEOUS, erring: full of error:
wrong: mistaken: (_obs._) wandering.--_adv._ ERR[=O]'NEOUSLY.--_ns._
ERR[=O]'NEOUSNESS; ERR'OR, a deviation from truth, right, &c.: a blunder or
mistake: a fault: sin; ERR'ORIST. [Fr. _errer_--L. _err[=a]re_, to stray;
cog. with Ger. _irren_, and _irre_, astray.]
ERRAND, er'and, _n._ a message: a commission to say or do something.--A
FOOL'S ERRAND, a useless undertaking; GO AN ERRAND, to go with messages;
MAKE AN ERRAND, to invent a reason for going. [A.S. _['æ]rende_; Ice.
_eyrindi_; prob. conn. with Goth. _áirus_, Ice. _árr_, a messenger.]
ERRANT, er'ant, _adj._ wandering: roving: wild: (_obs._) thorough (cf.
ARRANT).--_n._ a knight-errant.--_adv._ ERR'ANTLY.--_n._ ERR'ANTRY, an
errant or wandering state: a rambling about like a knight-errant. [Fr.,--L.
_errans_, _errantis_, pr.p. of _err[=a]re_.]
ERRHINE, er'in, _adj._ affecting the nose.--_n._ a sternutatory. [Gr.,
_en_, in, _rhis_, _rhinos_, the nose.]
ERSE, [.e]rs, _n._ the name given by the Lowland Scotch to the language of
the people of the West Highlands, as being of Irish origin--now sometimes
used for Irish, as opposed to Scotch, Gaelic. [_Irish_.]
ERST, [.e]rst, _adv._ at first: formerly.--_adv._ ERST'WHILE, formerly.
[A.S. _['æ]rest_, superl. of _['æ]r_. See ERE.]
ERUBESCENT, er-[=oo]-bes'ent, _adj._ growing red: blushing.--_ns._
ERUBES'CENCE, ERUBES'CENCY. [L. _erubescens_, _-entis_, pr.p. of
_erubesc[)e]re_, to grow red--_e_, out, and _rubesc[)e]re_--_rub[=e]re_, to
be red. See RUBY.]
ERUCTATE, e-ruk't[=a]t, _v.t._ to belch out, as wind from the
stomach.--_n._ ERUCT[=A]'TION, the act of belching: a violent ejection of
wind or other matter from the earth, as a volcano, &c. [L. _eruct[=a]re_,
_-[=a]tum_--_e_, out, _ruct[=a]re_, to belch forth.]
ERUDITE, er'[=oo]-d[=i]t, _adj._ learned.--_n._ a learned person.--_adv._
ER'UDITELY.--_n._ ERUDI'TION, state of being erudite or learned: knowledge
gained by study: learning, esp. in literature. [L. _erud[=i]re_,
_erud[=i]tum_, to free from rudeness--_e_, from, _rudis_, rude.]
ERUPT, e-rupt', _v.i._ to break out or through, as a volcano.--_n._
ERUP'TION, a breaking or bursting forth: that which bursts forth: a
breaking out of spots on the skin.--_adjs._ ERUP'TIONAL; ERUPT'IVE,
breaking forth: attended by or producing eruption: produced by
eruption.--_n._ ERUPT'IVENESS. [L. _erump[)e]re_, _eruptum_.--_e_, out,
_rump[)e]re_, to break.]
ERYNGO, e-ring'go, _n._ a genus of evergreen plants resembling thistles,
the young leaves of _E. maritimum_ (sea-holly) being sometimes eaten as a
salad. [L. _eryngion_--Gr. _[=e]ryngos_.]
ERYSIMUM, er-is'i-mum, _n._ a genus of _Cruciferæ_, allied to Hedge-mustard
and Dame's Violet. [Formed through L. from Gr. _erysimon_.]
ERYSIPELAS, er-i-sip'e-las, _n._ an inflammatory disease, generally in the
face, marked by a bright redness of the skin.--_adj._ ERYSIPEL'ATOUS. [Gr.;
prob. from the root of _erythros_, red, _pella_, skin.]
ERYTHEMA, er-i-th[=e]'ma, _n._ a name applied to certain skin diseases, but
scarcely used by any two writers in exactly the same sense.--_adjs._
ERYTHEMAT'IC, ERYTHEM'ATOUS. [Gr.,--_erythainein_, to redden--_erythros_,
red.]
ERYTHRITE, e-rith'r[=i]t, _n._ a reddish hydrous arseniate of
cobalt.--_adj._ ERYTHRIT'IC.
ESCALADE, es-ka-l[=a]d', _n._ the scaling of the walls of a fortress by
means of ladders.--_v.t._ to scale: to mount and enter by means of
ladders--sometimes written ESCAL[=A]'DO. [Fr.,--Sp. _escalada_--_escala_, a
ladder--L. _scala_.]
ESCALLOP, es-kal'up, _n._ a variant of _scallop_.--_adj._ ESCALL'OPED.
(_her._), covered with scallop-shells.
[Illustration]
ESCAPE, es-k[=a]p', _v.t._ to free from: to pass unobserved: to evade: to
issue.--_v.i._ to flee and become safe from danger: to be passed without
harm.--_n._ act of escaping: flight from danger or from prison.--_adj._
ESCAP'ABLE.--_ns._ ESCAP[=A]DE', an escape: a mischievous freak;
ESC[=A]PE'MENT, act of escaping: means of escape: part of a timepiece
connecting the wheelwork with the pendulum or balance, and allowing a tooth
to escape at each vibration; ESCAPE'-VALVE, a valve on a boiler so as to
let the steam escape when wanted. [O. Fr. _escaper_ (Fr. _échapper_)--L.
_ex cappa_, (lit.) 'out of one's cape or cloak.']