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poormore about poor

poor


  4  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Poor  \Poor\,  a.  [Compar.  {Poorer}  (?;  254);  superl.  {Poorest}.] 
  [OE.  poure  or  povre,  OF  povre,  F.  pauvre  L.  pauper;  the 
  first  syllable  of  which  is  probably  akin  to  paucus  few  (see 
  {Paucity},  {Few}),  and  the  second  to  parare  to  prepare, 
  procure.  See  {Few},  and  cf  {Parade},  {Pauper},  {Poverty}.] 
  1.  Destitute  of  property;  wanting  in  material  riches  or 
  goods;  needy;  indigent. 
 
  Note:  It  is  often  synonymous  with  indigent  and  with 
  necessitous  denoting  extreme  want  It  is  also  applied 
  to  persons  who  are  not  entirely  destitute  of  property, 
  but  who  are  not  rich;  as  a  poor  man  or  woman;  poor 
  people. 
 
  2.  (Law)  So  completely  destitute  of  property  as  to  be 
  entitled  to  maintenance  from  the  public. 
 
  3.  Hence  in  very  various  applications:  Destitute  of  such 
  qualities  as  are  desirable,  or  might  naturally  be 
  expected;  as: 
  a  Wanting  in  fat,  plumpness,  or  fleshiness;  lean; 
  emaciated;  meager;  as  a  poor  horse,  ox  dog,  etc 
  ``Seven  other  kine  came  up  after  them  poor  and  very 
  ill-favored  and  lean-fleshed.''  --Gen.  xli.  19. 
  b  Wanting  in  strength  or  vigor;  feeble;  dejected;  as 
  poor  health;  poor  spirits.  ``His  genius  .  .  .  poor  and 
  cowardly.''  --Bacon. 
  c  Of  little  value  or  worth;  not  good;  inferior;  shabby; 
  mean  as  poor  clothes;  poor  lodgings.  ``A  poor 
  vessel.''  --Clarendon. 
  d  Destitute  of  fertility;  exhausted;  barren;  sterile;  -- 
  said  of  land;  as  poor  soil. 
  e  Destitute  of  beauty,  fitness,  or  merit;  as  a  poor 
  discourse;  a  poor  picture. 
  f  Without  prosperous  conditions  or  good  results; 
  unfavorable;  unfortunate;  unconformable;  as  a  poor 
  business;  the  sick  man  had  a  poor  night. 
  g  Inadequate;  insufficient;  insignificant;  as  a  poor 
  excuse. 
 
  That  I  have  wronged  no  man  will  be  a  poor  plea 
  or  apology  at  the  last  day  --Calamy. 
 
  4.  Worthy  of  pity  or  sympathy;  --  used  also  sometimes  as  a 
  term  of  endearment,  or  as  an  expression  of  modesty,  and 
  sometimes  as  a  word  of  contempt. 
 
  And  for  mine  own  poor  part  Look  you  I'll  go  pray. 
  --Shak. 
 
  Poor,  little,  pretty,  fluttering  thing  --Prior. 
 
  5.  Free  from  self-assertion;  not  proud  or  arrogant;  meek. 
  ``Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit.''  --Matt.  v.  3. 
 
  {Poor  law},  a  law  providing  for  or  regulating,  the  relief  or 
  support  of  the  poor. 
 
  {Poor  man's  treacle}  (Bot.),  garlic;  --  so  called  because  it 
  was  thought  to  be  an  antidote  to  animal  poison.  [Eng] 
  --Dr.  Prior. 
 
  {Poor  man's  weatherglass}  (Bot.),  the  red-flowered  pimpernel 
  ({Anagallis  arvensis}),  which  opens  its  blossoms  only  in 
  fair  weather. 
 
  {Poor  rate},  an  assessment  or  tax,  as  in  an  English  parish, 
  for  the  relief  or  support  of  the  poor. 
 
  {Poor  soldier}  (Zo["o]l.),  the  friar  bird. 
 
  {The  poor},  those  who  are  destitute  of  property;  the 
  indigent;  the  needy.  In  a  legal  sense  those  who  depend  on 
  charity  or  maintenance  by  the  public.  ``I  have  observed 
  the  more  public  provisions  are  made  for  the  poor,  the  less 
  they  provide  for  themselves.''  --Franklin. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Poor  \Poor\,  n.  (Zo["o]l.) 
  A  small  European  codfish  ({Gadus  minutus});  --  called  also 
  {power  cod}. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  poor 
  adj  1:  moderate  to  inferior  in  quality;  "they  improved  the  quality 
  from  mediocre  to  above  average";  "he  would  make  a  poor 
  spy"  [syn:  {mediocre},  {second-rate}] 
  2:  deserving  or  inciting  pity;  "a  hapless  victim";  "miserable 
  victims  of  war";  "the  shabby  room  struck  her  as 
  extraordinarily  pathetic"-  Galsworthy  "piteous  appeals 
  for  help";  "pitiable  homeless  children";  "a  pitiful  fate"; 
  "couldn't  rescue  the  poor  fellow";  "his  poor  distorted 
  limbs";  "a  wretched  life"  [syn:  {hapless},  {miserable},  {misfortunate}, 
  {pathetic},  {piteous},  {pitiable},  {pitiful},  {wretched}] 
  3:  having  little  money  or  few  possessions;  "deplored  the  gap 
  between  rich  and  poor  countries";  "the  proverbial  poor 
  artist  living  in  a  garret"  [ant:  {rich}] 
  4:  characterized  by  or  indicating  lack  of  money;  "the  country 
  had  a  poor  economy"  [ant:  {rich}] 
  5:  low  in  degree;  "expectations  were  poor" 
  6:  badly  supplied  with  desirable  qualities  or  substances;  "a 
  poor  land";  "the  area  was  poor  in  timber  and  coal";  "food 
  poor  in  nutritive  value"  [ant:  {rich}] 
  7:  not  sufficient  to  meet  a  need  "an  inadequate  income";  "a 
  poor  salary";  "money  is  short";  "on  short  rations";  "food 
  is  in  short  supply";  "short  on  experience"  [syn:  {inadequate}, 
  {short}] 
  8:  unsatisfactory;  "a  poor  light  for  reading";  "poor  morale" 
  9:  yielding  little  by  great  labor;  "a  hardscrabble  farm";  "poor 
  soil"  [syn:  {hardscrabble}] 
 
  From  Easton's  1897  Bible  Dictionary  [easton]: 
 
  Poor 
  The  Mosaic  legislation  regarding  the  poor  is  specially 
  important.  (1.)  They  had  the  right  of  gleaning  the  fields  (Lev. 
  19:9,  10;  Deut.  24:19,21). 
 
  (2.)  In  the  sabbatical  year  they  were  to  have  their  share  of 
  the  produce  of  the  fields  and  the  vineyards  (Ex.  23:11;  Lev. 
  25:6). 
 
  (3.)  In  the  year  of  jubilee  they  recovered  their  property 
  (Lev.  25:25-30). 
 
  (4.)  Usury  was  forbidden,  and  the  pledged  raiment  was  to  be 
  returned  before  the  sun  went  down  (Ex.  22:25-27;  Deut. 
  24:10-13).  The  rich  were  to  be  generous  to  the  poor  (Deut. 
  15:7-11). 
 
  (5.)  In  the  sabbatical  and  jubilee  years  the  bond-servant  was 
  to  go  free  (Deut.  15:12-15;  Lev.  25:39-42,  47-54). 
 
  (6.)  Certain  portions  from  the  tithes  were  assigned  to  the 
  poor  (Deut.  14:28,  29;  26:12,  13). 
 
  (7.)  They  shared  in  the  feasts  (Deut.  16:11,  14;  Neh.  8:10). 
 
  (8.)  Wages  were  to  be  paid  at  the  close  of  each  day  (Lev. 
  19:13). 
 
  In  the  New  Testament  (Luke  3:11;  14:13;  Acts  6:1;  Gal.  2:10; 
  James  2:15,  16)  we  have  similar  injunctions  given  with  reference 
  to  the  poor.  Begging  was  not  common  under  the  Old  Testament, 
  while  it  was  so  in  the  New  Testament  times  (Luke  16:20,  21, 
  etc.).  But  begging  in  the  case  of  those  who  are  able  to  work  is 
  forbidden,  and  all  such  are  enjoined  to  "work  with  their  own 
  hands"  as  a  Christian  duty  (1  Thess.  4:11;  2  Thess.  3:7-13;  Eph. 
  4:28).  This  word  is  used  figuratively  in  Matt.  5:3;  Luke  6:20;  2 
  Cor.  8:9;  Rev.  3:17. 
 




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