4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Opposition  \Op`po*si"tion\,  n.  [F.,  fr  L.  oppositio.  See 
  {Opposite}.] 
  1.  The  act  of  opposing;  an  attempt  to  check,  restrain,  or 
  defeat;  resistance. 
 
  The  counterpoise  of  so  great  an  opposition.  --Shak. 
 
  Virtue  which  breaks  through  all  opposition. 
  --Milton. 
 
  2.  The  state  of  being  placed  over  against;  situation  so  as  to 
  front  something  else.  --Milton. 
 
  3.  Repugnance;  contrariety  of  sentiment,  interest,  or 
  purpose;  antipathy.  --Shak. 
 
  4.  That  which  opposes;  an  obstacle;  specifically,  the 
  aggregate  of  persons  or  things  opposing;  hence  in 
  politics  and  parliamentary  practice,  the  party  opposed  to 
  the  party  in  power. 
 
  5.  (Astron.)  The  situation  of  a  heavenly  body  with  respect  to 
  another  when  in  the  part  of  the  heavens  directly  opposite 
  to  it  especially,  the  position  of  a  planet  or  satellite 
  when  its  longitude  differs  from  that  of  the  sun  180[deg]; 
  --  signified  by  the  symbol  ?;  as  ?  [Jupiter]  [Sun], 
  opposition  of  Jupiter  to  the  sun. 
 
  6.  (Logic)  The  relation  between  two  propositions  when  having 
  the  same  subject  and  predicate,  they  differ  in  quantity, 
  or  in  quality,  or  in  both  or  between  two  propositions 
  which  have  the  same  matter  but  a  different  form 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Polar  \Po"lar\,  a.  [Cf.  F.  polaire.  See  {Pole}  of  the  earth.] 
  1.  Of  or  pertaining  to  one  of  the  poles  of  the  earth,  or  of  a 
  sphere;  situated  near  or  proceeding  from  one  of  the 
  poles;  as  polar  regions;  polar  seas;  polar  winds. 
 
  2.  Of  or  pertaining  to  the  magnetic  pole,  or  to  the  point  to 
  which  the  magnetic  needle  is  directed. 
 
  3.  (Geom.)  Pertaining  to  reckoned  from  or  having  a  common 
  radiating  point;  as  polar  co["o]rdinates. 
 
  {Polar  axis},  that  axis  of  an  astronomical  instrument,  as  an 
  equatorial,  which  is  parallel  to  the  earths  axis. 
 
  {Polar  bear}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  large  bear  ({Ursus,  or  Thalarctos, 
  maritimus})  inhabiting  the  arctic  regions.  It  sometimes 
  measures  nearly  nine  feet  in  length  and  weighs  1,600 
  pounds.  It  is  partially  amphibious,  very  powerful,  and  the 
  most  carnivorous  of  all  the  bears.  The  fur  is  white, 
  tinged  with  yellow.  Called  also  {White  bear}.  See  {Bear}. 
 
 
  {Polar  body},  {cell},  or  {globule}  (Biol.),  a  minute  cell 
  which  separates  by  karyokinesis  from  the  ovum  during  its 
  maturation.  In  the  maturation  of  ordinary  ova  two  polar 
  bodies  are  formed,  but  in  parthogenetic  ova  only  one  The 
  first  polar  body  formed  is  usually  larger  than  the  second 
  one  and  often  divides  into  two  after  its  separation  from 
  the  ovum.  Each  of  the  polar  bodies  removes  maternal 
  chromatin  from  the  ovum  to  make  room  for  the  chromatin  of 
  the  fertilizing  spermatozo["o]n;  but  their  functions  are 
  not  fully  understood. 
 
  {Polar  circles}  (Astron.  &  Geog.),  two  circles,  each  at  a 
  distance  from  a  pole  of  the  earth  equal  to  the  obliquity 
  of  the  ecliptic,  or  about  23[deg]  28',  the  northern  called 
  the  arctic  circle,  and  the  southern  the  antarctic  circle. 
 
 
  {Polar  clock},  a  tube,  containing  a  polarizing  apparatus, 
  turning  on  an  axis  parallel  to  that  of  the  earth,  and 
  indicating  the  hour  of  the  day  on  an  hour  circle,  by  being 
  turned  toward  the  plane  of  maximum  polarization  of  the 
  light  of  the  sky,  which  is  always  90[deg]  from  the  sun. 
 
  {Polar  co["o]rdinates}.  See  under  3d  {Co["o]rdinate}. 
 
  {Polar  dial},  a  dial  whose  plane  is  parallel  to  a  great 
  circle  passing  through  the  poles  of  the  earth.  --Math. 
  Dict. 
 
  {Polar  distance},  the  angular  distance  of  any  point  on  a 
  sphere  from  one  of  its  poles,  particularly  of  a  heavenly 
  body  from  the  north  pole  of  the  heavens. 
 
  {Polar  equation  of  a  line}  or  {surface},  an  equation  which 
  expresses  the  relation  between  the  polar  co["o]rdinates  of 
  every  point  of  the  line  or  surface. 
 
  {Polar  forces}  (Physics),  forces  that  are  developed  and  act 
  in  pairs,  with  opposite  tendencies  or  properties  in  the 
  two  elements,  as  magnetism,  electricity,  etc 
 
  {Polar  hare}  (Zo["o]l.),  a  large  hare  of  Arctic  America 
  ({Lepus  arcticus}),  which  turns  pure  white  in  winter.  It 
  is  probably  a  variety  of  the  common  European  hare  ({L. 
  timidus}). 
 
  {Polar  lights},  the  aurora  borealis  or  australis. 
 
  {Polar},  or  {Polaric},  {opposition}  or  {contrast}  (Logic),  an 
  opposition  or  contrast  made  by  the  existence  of  two 
  opposite  conceptions  which  are  the  extremes  in  a  species, 
  as  white  and  black  in  colors;  hence  as  great  an 
  opposition  or  contrast  as  possible. 
 
  {Polar  projection}.  See  under  {Projection}. 
 
  {Polar  spherical  triangle}  (Spherics),  a  spherical  triangle 
  whose  three  angular  points  are  poles  of  the  sides  of  a 
  given  triangle.  See  4th  {Pole},  2. 
 
  {Polar  whale}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  right  whale,  or  bowhead.  See 
  {Whale}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  opposition 
  n  1:  the  action  of  opposing  something  that  you  disapprove  or 
  disagree  with  "he  encountered  a  general  feeling  of 
  resistance  from  many  citizens";  "despite  opposition  from 
  the  newspapers  he  went  ahead"  [syn:  {resistance}] 
  2:  the  relation  between  opposed  entities  [syn:  {oppositeness}] 
  3:  the  act  of  opposing  groups  confronting  each  other  "the 
  government  was  not  ready  for  a  confrontation  with  the 
  unions";  "the  invaders  encountered  stiff  opposition"  [syn: 
  {confrontation}] 
  4:  a  contestant  that  you  are  matched  against  [syn:  {opponent}, 
  {opposite}] 
  5:  a  body  of  people  united  in  opposing  something 
  6:  a  direction  opposite  to  another 
  7:  an  armed  adversary  (especially  a  member  of  an  opposing 
  military  force);  "a  soldier  must  be  prepared  to  kill  his 
  enemies"  [syn:  {enemy},  {foe},  {foeman},  {opponent}] 
 
  From  THE  DEVIL'S  DICTIONARY  ((C)1911  Released  April  15  1993)  [devils]: 
 
  OPPOSITION,  n.  In  politics  the  party  that  prevents  the  Government  from 
  running  amuck  by  hamstringing  it 
  The  King  of  Ghargaroo  who  had  been  abroad  to  study  the  science  of 
  government,  appointed  one  hundred  of  his  fattest  subjects  as  members 
  of  a  parliament  to  make  laws  for  the  collection  of  revenue.  Forty  of 
  these  he  named  the  Party  of  Opposition  and  had  his  Prime  Minister 
  carefully  instruct  them  in  their  duty  of  opposing  every  royal  measure. 
  Nevertheless,  the  first  one  that  was  submitted  passed  unanimously. 
  Greatly  displeased,  the  King  vetoed  it  informing  the  Opposition  that 
  if  they  did  that  again  they  would  pay  for  their  obstinacy  with  their 
  heads.  The  entire  forty  promptly  disemboweled  themselves. 
  "What  shall  we  do  now?"  the  King  asked.  "Liberal  institutions 
  cannot  be  maintained  without  a  party  of  Opposition." 
  "Splendor  of  the  universe,"  replied  the  Prime  Minister,  "it  is 
  true  these  dogs  of  darkness  have  no  longer  their  credentials,  but  all 
  is  not  lost.  Leave  the  matter  to  this  worm  of  the  dust." 
  So  the  Minister  had  the  bodies  of  his  Majesty's  Opposition 
  embalmed  and  stuffed  with  straw,  put  back  into  the  seats  of  power  and 
  nailed  there  Forty  votes  were  recorded  against  every  bill  and  the 
  nation  prospered.  But  one  day  a  bill  imposing  a  tax  on  warts  was 
  defeated  --  the  members  of  the  Government  party  had  not  been  nailed  to 
  their  seats!  This  so  enraged  the  King  that  the  Prime  Minister  was  put 
  to  death,  the  parliament  was  dissolved  with  a  battery  of  artillery, 
  and  government  of  the  people,  by  the  people,  for  the  people  perished 
  from  Ghargaroo 
 
 

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