GERFALCON, GYRFALCON, j[.e]r'fawl-kon, -fawk'n, _n._ a large falcon, found
in the northern regions of both the Old and New Worlds. [O. Fr.
_gerfaucon_--Low L. _gyrofalco_, most prob. Old High Ger. _gîr_, a vulture
(Ger. _geier_). See FALCON.]
GERM, j[.e]rm, _n._ a rudimentary form of a living thing, whether a plant
or animal: (_bot._) the seed-bud of a plant: a shoot: that from which
anything springs, the origin: a first principle.--_v.i._ to put forth buds,
sprout.--_n._ GERM'ICIDE, that which destroys germs. [Fr. _germe_--L.
_germen_, a bud.]
GERMAN, j[.e]r'man, _adj._ of the first degree, as _cousins_ _german_:
closely allied.--_n._ one from the same stock or closely allied.--_adj._
GERMANE', nearly related: relevant, appropriate. [O. Fr. _germain_--L.
_germanus_, prob. for _germinanus_--_germen_, _-inis_, origin.]
GERMAN, j[.e]r'man, _n._ a native of Germany; the German language:--_pl._
GER'MANS.--_adj._ of or from Germany.--_adjs._ GERMANESQUE', marked by
German characteristics; GERMAN'IC, pertaining to Germany.--_adv._
GERMAN'ICALLY.--_v.i._ GER'MANISE, to show German qualities.--_adj._
GER'MANISH, somewhat German in qualities.--_ns._ GER'MANISM, an idiom of
the German language; GER'MANIST.--_adj._ GERMANIS'TIC, pertaining to the
study of German.--_n._ GER'MAN-SIL'VER, an alloy of copper, nickel, and
zinc, white like silver, and first made in Germany.--HIGH GERMAN, the
variety of Teutonic speech, originally confined to 'High' or Southern
Germany, but now accepted as the literary language throughout the whole of
Germany; LOW GERMAN, properly _Plattdeutsch_, the general name for the
dialects of Germany which are not High German, but also applied by
philologists to all the West Germanic dialects except High German
(including English, Dutch, Frisian), and formerly in a still wider sense
including also Gothic and Scandinavian. [L. _Germani_, 'shouters,' from
Celt. _gairm_, a loud cry; or 'neighbours'--i.e. to the Gauls, from Celt.
(Old Ir.) _gair_, a neighbour.]
GERMANDER, j[.e]r'man-d[.e]r, _n._ a large genus of labiate herbs with
aromatic, bitter, and stomachic properties. [Low L. _germandra_--Gr.
_chamandrya_, _chamaidrys_--_chamai_, on the ground, _drys_, oak.]
GERMANIUM, j[.e]r-m[=a]'ni-um, _n._ an element discovered in 1885 in
argyrodite.
GERMEN, j[.e]rm'en, _n._ a disused botanical synonym for Ovary
(q.v.)--(_Shak._) GERM'IN.--_adj._ GERM'INAL, pertaining to a germ. [See
GERM.]
GERMINAL, zh[=a]r-m[=e]-nal', _n._ the seventh month of the French
revolutionary calendar, March 21-April 19.
GERMINATE, j[.e]rm'in-[=a]t, _v.i._ to spring from a germ: to begin to
grow.--_v.t._ to produce.--_adj._ GERM'INANT, sprouting: sending forth
germs or buds.--_n._ GERMIN[=A]'TION.--_adj._ GERM'INATIVE. [L.
_germin[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_--_germen_, a bud.]
GERN, j[.e]rn, _v.i._ (_Spens._) to grind or yawn.
GERONTOCRACY, jer-on-tok'ra-si, _n._ government by old men. [Gr.
_ger[=o]n_, an old man, _kratos_, power.]
GEROPIGIA, jer-o-pij'i-a, _n._ a mixture of grape-juice, brandy, &c., used
to sophisticate port-wine. [Port.]
GERRYMANDER, jer-i-man'der, _v.t._ (_Amer._) to rearrange the voting
districts in the interests of a particular party or candidate: to
manipulate facts, arguments, &c. so as to reach undue conclusions.--_n._ an
arrangement of the above nature. [Formed from the name of Governor Elbridge
_Gerry_ (1744-1814) and _Salamander_, from the likeness to that animal of
the gerrymandered map of Massachusetts in 1811.]
GERUND, jer'und, _n._ a part of the Latin verb which has the value of a
verbal noun--e.g. _amandum_, loving.--_ns._ GER'UND-GRIND'ER, a teacher,
tutor; GER'UND-GRIND'ING.--_adj._ GERUND'IAL.--_n._ GERUND'IVE, the future
passive participle of a Latin verb. [L. _gerundium_--_ger[)e]re_, to bear.]
GERVAO, ger-vä'o _n._ a small medicinal verbenaceous shrub of the West
Indies, &c. [Braz.]
GESSO, jes'[=o], _n._ a plaster surface, prepared as a ground for painting.
[It.]
GEST, jest, _n._ (_Shak._). Same as GIST.
GEST, jest, _n._ an exploit: demeanour, bearing: a tale of adventure, a
romance.--GESTA ROMANORUM ('deeds of the Romans'), the title of a
collection of short stories and legends in Latin, with moralisations
appended, which probably took its present form in England about the
beginning of the 14th century. [L. _gesta_, things done--_ger[)e]re_,
_gestum_, to bear.]
GESTATION, jes-t[=a]'shun, _n._ the act of carrying the young in the womb,
pregnancy.--_adjs._ GES'TANT, laden; GES'TATORY, pertaining to gestation.
[Fr.,--L. _gestation-em_--_gest[=a]re_, _-[=a]tum_, to carry--_ger[)e]re_,
to bear.]
GESTICULATE, jes-tik'[=u]-l[=a]t, _v.i._ to make gestures when speaking: to
play antic tricks.--_adj._ GES'TIC, pertaining to motion, esp.
dancing.--_ns._ GESTICUL[=A]'TION, act of making gestures in speaking: a
gesture; GESTIC'UL[=A]TOR, one who makes gestures.--_adj._
GESTIC'UL[=A]TORY, representing or abounding in gesticulations. [L.
_gesticul[=a]ri_, _-[=a]tus_--_gesticulus_, dim. of _gestus_,
gesture--_ger[)e]re_, to carry.]
GESTURE, jes't[=u]r, _n._ a posture, or movement of the body: an action
expressive of sentiment or passion: (_Shak._) behaviour.--_adj._ GES'TURAL.
[Low L. _gestura_--L. _gestus_, from L. _ger[)e]re_, to carry.]
GET, get, _v.t._ to obtain: to seize: to procure or cause to be: to beget
offspring: to learn: to persuade: (_B._) to betake, to carry.--_v.i._ to
arrive or put one's self in any place, state, or condition: to
become:--_pr.p._ get'ting; _pa.t._ got; _pa.p._ got, (_obs._)
got'ten.--_ns._ GET'TER, one who gets or obtains: one who begets; GET'TING,
a gaining: anything gained: procreation; GET'-UP, equipment: general
appearance.--GET AHEAD, ALONG, to make progress, advance; GET AT, to reach,
attain; GET OFF, to escape; GET ON, to proceed, advance; GET OUT, to
produce: to go away; GET OVER, to surmount; GET ROUND, to circumvent: to
persuade, talk over; GET THROUGH, to finish; GET UP, to arise, to ascend:
to arrange, prepare. [A.S. _gitan_, to get.]
GEUM, j[=e]'um, _n._ a genus of perennial herbs, of order _Rosaceæ_,
contains the avens or herb-bennet, &c. [L.]
GEWGAW, g[=u]'gaw, _n._ a toy: a bauble.--_adj._ showy without value. [Acc.
to Skeat, a reduplicated form of A.S. _gifan_, to give; preserved also in
Northern Eng., as _giff-gaff_, interchange of intercourse.]
GEY (_Scot._). See GAY.
GEYSER, g[=i]s[.e]r, _n._ a hot spring, as in Iceland, which spouts water
into the air. [Ice., _geysa_, to gush.]
GHAST, gast, _v.t._ (_Shak._) to strike aghast: to affright.--_adj._
GHAST'FUL (_Spens._), dreary, dismal.--_adv._ GHAST'FULLY,
frightfully.--_ns._ GHAST'LINESS, GHAST'NESS (_Shak._).--_adj._ GHAST'LY,
death-like: hideous. [A.S. _g['æ]stlic_, terrible. See AGHAST.]
GHAT, GHAUT, gawt, _n._ in India, a mountain-pass: a chain of mountains:
landing-stairs for bathers on the sides of a river or tank. [Hind.
_gh[=a]t_.]
GHAZAL, gaz'al, _n._ a form of Persian verse in which the first two lines
rhyme, and for this rhyme a new one must be found in the second line of
each succeeding couplet: a piece of music in which a simple theme is
constantly recurring.--Also GAZ'EL, GHAZ'EL. [Pers. _arghazel_, a
love-poem.]
GHAZEL. Same as GAZELLE.
GHAZI, gä'z[=e], _n._ a veteran Mohammedan soldier, one who has fought for
the faith. [Ar., 'a warrior.']
GHEBER, GHEBRE, g[=e]'b[.e]r, _n._ Same as GUEBRE.
GHEE, g[=e], _n._ an Indian clarified butter, generally prepared from
buffaloes' milk. [Hind. _gh[=i]_.]
GHERKIN, g[.e]r'kin, _n._ a small cucumber used for pickling. [Dut.
_agurkje_, a gherkin; a word of Eastern origin, as in Pers. _khiyár_, a
cucumber, Byzantine _angourion_, a water-melon.]
GHETTO, get'[=o], _n._ the Jews' quarter in Italian cities, to which they
used to be strictly confined. [It.]
GHIBELLINE, gib'e-lin, _n._ one of a party in Italy in the Middle Ages
which supported the imperial authority, as opposed to the Guelfs. [See
GUELF.]
GHOST, g[=o]st, _n._ the soul of man: a spirit appearing after death:
(_Shak._) a dead body: (_slang_) one who writes a statesman's speeches for
him, &c.--_v.i._ to appear to.--_adj._ GHOST'-LIKE.--_n._
GHOST'LINESS.--_adj._ GHOST'LY, spiritual, religious: pertaining to
apparitions.--_ns._ GHOST'-MOTH, a species of moth very common in Britain,
its caterpillar destructive to hop-gardens; GHOST'-ST[=O]'RY, a story in
which ghosts figure; GHOST'-WORD, a fictitious word that has originated in
the blunder of a scribe or printer--common in dictionaries.--GIVE UP THE
GHOST (_B._), to die.--HOLY GHOST, the Holy Spirit, the third person in the
Trinity. [A.S. _gást_; Ger._ geist_.]
GHOUL, g[=oo]l, _n._ an Eastern demon which devours the dead.--_adj._
GHOUL'ISH. [Pers.]
GHYLL, an unnecessary variant of gill, a ravine.
GIAMBEAUX, zham'b[=o], _n.pl._ (_Spens._) armour for the legs.
[Fr.,--_jambe_, leg.]
GIANT, j[=i]'ant, _n._ an individual whose stature and bulk exceed those of
his species or race generally: a person of extraordinary powers:--_fem._
G[=i]'antess.--_adj._ gigantic.--_ns._ G[=I]'ANTISM, G[=i]'antship, the
quality or character of a giant.--_adj._ G[=I]'ANTLY, giant-like.--_n._
G[=I]'ANT-POW'DER, a kind of dynamite.--_adj._ G[=I]'ANT-RUDE (_Shak._),
enormously rude or uncivil.--_n._ G[=I]'ANTRY, giants collectively. [O. Fr.
_geant_ (Fr. _géant_)--L.,--Gr. _gigas_, _gigantos_.]
GIAOUR, jowr, _n._ infidel, a term applied by the Turks to all who are not
of their own religion. [Turk. _jawr_--Ar. _káfir_, an infidel.]
GIB, jib, _n._ the projecting arm of a crane: a wedge-shaped piece of metal
holding another in place, &c.--_v.t._ to fasten with such.
GIB, jib, _n._ a cat--Also GIB'-CAT (_Shak._). [A corr. of _Gilbert_, as
'_Tom-cat_,' hardly for _glib_=_lib_.]
GIBBE, jib, _n._ (_Shak._) an old worn-out animal.
GIBBERISH, gib'[.e]r-ish, _n._ rapid, gabbling talk: unmeaning
words.--_adj._ unmeaning.--_v.i._ GIBB'ER, to speak senselessly or
inarticulately.--_n._ GIBB'LE-GABBLE, gabble. [See GABBLE.]
GIBBET, jib'et, _n._ a gallows on which criminals were suspended after
execution: the projecting beam of a crane.--_v.t._ to expose on a gibbet.
[O. Fr. _gibet_, a stick; origin unknown.]
GIBBON, gib'un, _n._ a genus of tailless anthropoid apes, with very long
arms, natives of the East Indies.
GIBBOUS, gib'us, _adj._ hump-backed: swelling, convex, as the moon when
nearly full--also GIBB'OSE.--_ns._ GIBBOS'ITY, GIBB'OUSNESS.--_adv._
GIBB'OUSLY. [L. _gibbosus_=_gibberosus_--_gibber_, a hump.]
GIBE, JIBE, j[=i]b, _v.t._ to sneer at: to taunt.--_n._ a taunt:
contempt.--_n._ GIB'ER, one who gibes.--_adv._ GIB'INGLY. [Ice. _geipa_, to
talk nonsense.]
GIBEL, gib'el, _n._ the Prussian carp, without barbules.
GIBEONITE, gib'[=e]-on-[=i]t, _n._ a slave's slave--from Josh., ix.
GIBLETS, jib'lets, _n.pl._ the internal eatable parts of fowl, taken out
before cooking it.--_adj._ GIB'LET, made of giblets. [O. Fr. _gibelet_;
origin unknown; not a dim. of _gibier_, game.]