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opposition |
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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