browse words by letter
a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j
k
l
m
n
o
p
q
r
s
t
u
v
w
x
y
z
more about character
character |
6 definitions found From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Demotic \De*mot"ic\, a. [Gr. dhmotiko`s, fr dh^mos the people: cf F. d['e]motique.] Of or pertaining to the people; popular; common. {Demotic alphabet} or {character}, a form of writing used in Egypt after six or seven centuries before Christ, for books, deeds, and other such writings; a simplified form of the hieratic character; -- called also {epistolographic character}, and {enchorial character}. See {Enchorial}. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Such \Such\, a. [OE. such sich, sech, sik, swich, swilch, swulch swilc, swulc AS swelc, swilc, swylc akin to OFries selik, D. zulk, OS sulic, OHG. sulih solih, G. solch, Icel. sl[=i]kr, OSw. salik, Sw slik, Dan. slig, Goth. swaleiks originally meaning, so shaped. [root]192. See {So}, {Like}, a., and cf {Which}.] 1. Of that kind of the like kind like resembling; similar; as we never saw such a day -- followed by that or as introducing the word or proposition which defines the similarity, or the standard of comparison; as the books are not such that I can recommend them or not such as I can recommend; these apples are not such as those we saw yesterday; give your children such precepts as tend to make them better. And in his time such a conqueror That greater was there none under the sun. --Chaucer. His misery was such that none of the bystanders could refrain from weeping. --Macaulay. Note: The indefinite article a or an never precedes such but is placed between it and the noun to which it refers; as such a man; such an honor. The indefinite adjective some several, one few many all etc., precede such as one such book is enough; all such people ought to be avoided; few such ideas were then held. 2. Having the particular quality or character specified. That thou art happy, owe to God; That thou continuest such owe to thyself. --Milton. 3. The same that -- with as as this was the state of the kingdom at such time as the enemy landed. ``[It] hath such senses as we have.'' --Shak. 4. Certain; -- representing the object as already particularized in terms which are not mentioned. In rushed one and tells him such a knight Is new arrived. --Daniel. To-day or to-morrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year. --James iv 13. Note: Such is used pronominally. ``He was the father of such as dwell in tents.'' --Gen. iv 20. ``Such as I are free in spirit when our limbs are chained.'' --Sir W. Scott. Such is also used before adjectives joined to substantives; as the fleet encountered such a terrible storm that it put back ``Everything was managed with so much care and such excellent order was observed.'' --De Foe. Temple sprung from a family which . . . long after his death produced so many eminent men, and formed such distinguished alliances, that etc --Macaulay. Such is used emphatically, without the correlative. Now will he be mocking: I shall have such a life. --Shak. Such was formerly used with numerals in the sense of times as much or as many as such ten or ten times as many {Such and such}, or {Such or such}, certain; some -- used to represent the object indefinitely, as already particularized in one way or another, or as being of one kind or another. ``In such and such a place shall be my camp.'' --2 Kings vi 8. ``Sovereign authority may enact a law commanding such and such an action.'' --South. {Such like} or {character}, of the like kind And many other such like things ye do --Mark vii. 8. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Character \Char"ac*ter\, n. [L., an instrument for marking, character, Gr ?, fr ? to make sharp, to cut into furrows, to engrave: cf F. caract[`e]re.] 1. A distinctive mark; a letter, figure, or symbol. It were much to be wished that there were throughout the world but one sort of character for each letter to express it to the eye. --Holder. 2. Style of writing or printing; handwriting; the peculiar form of letters used by a particular person or people; as an inscription in the Runic character. You know the character to be your brother's? --Shak. 3. The peculiar quality, or the sum of qualities, by which a person or a thing is distinguished from others the stamp impressed by nature, education, or habit; that which a person or thing really is nature; disposition. The character or that dominion. --Milton. Know well each Ancient's proper character; His fable, subject, scope in every page; Religion, Country, genius of his Age. --Pope. A man of . . . thoroughly subservient character. --Motley. 4. Strength of mind; resolution; independence; individuality; as he has a great deal of character. 5. Moral quality; the principles and motives that control the life; as a man of character; his character saves him from suspicion. 6. Quality, position, rank, or capacity; quality or conduct with respect to a certain office or duty; as in the miserable character of a slave; in his character as a magistrate; her character as a daughter. 7. The estimate, individual or general, put upon a person or thing reputation; as a man's character for truth and veracity; to give one a bad character. This subterraneous passage is much mended since Seneca gave so bad a character of it --Addison. 8. A written statement as to behavior, competency, etc., given to a servant. [Colloq.] 9. A unique or extraordinary individuality; a person characterized by peculiar or notable traits; a person who illustrates certain phases of character; as Randolph was a character; C[ae]sar is a great historical character. 10. One of the persons of a drama or novel. Note: ``It would be well if character and reputation were used distinctively. In truth, character is what a person is reputation is what he is supposed to be Character is in himself, reputation is in the minds of others Character is injured by temptations, and by wrongdoing; reputation by slanders, and libels. Character endures throughout defamation in every form but perishes when there is a voluntary transgression; reputation may last through numerous transgressions, but be destroyed by a single, and even an unfounded, accusation or aspersion.'' --Abbott. From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]: Character \Char"ac*ter\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Charactered}.] 1. To engrave; to inscribe. [R.] These trees shall be my books. And in their barks my thoughts I 'll character. --Shak. 2. To distinguish by particular marks or traits; to describe; to characterize. [R.] --Mitford. From WordNet r 1.6 [wn]: character n 1: an imaginary person represented in a work of fiction (play or film or story); "she is the main character in the novel" [syn: {fictional character}, {fictitious character}] 2: a characteristic property that defines the apparent individual nature of something "each town has a quality all its own"; "the radical character of our demands" [syn: {quality}, {lineament}] 3: the inherent complex of attributes that determine a persons moral and ethical actions and reactions: "educaton has for its object the formation of character"- Herbert Spencer [syn: {fiber}, {fibre}] 4: an actor's portrayal of someone in a play; "she played the part of Desdemona" [syn: {role}, {theatrical role}, {part}, {persona}] 5: a person of a specified kind (usually with many eccentricities); "a strange character"; "a friendly eccentric"; "the capable type"; "a mental case" [syn: {eccentric}, {type}, {case}] 6: good repute; "he is a man of character" 7: a formal recommendation by a former employer to a potential future employer describing the person's qualifications and dependability; "requests for character references are all to often answered evasively" [syn: {reference}, {character reference}] 8: a written symbol that is used to represent speech; "the Greek alphabet has 24 characters" [syn: {grapheme}, {graphic symbol}] v : engrave or inscribe characters on From The Free On-line Dictionary of Computing (13 Mar 01) [foldoc]: characterAn {atom} in a {character repertoire}. Compare with {glyph}. (1998-10-18)
more about character