DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
La·dy's bow·er n. Bot. A climbing plant with fragrant blossoms (Clematis vitalba).
Note: ☞ This term is sometimes applied to other plants of the same genus.
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Love n.
1. A feeling of strong attachment induced by that which delights or commands admiration; preëminent kindness or devotion to another; affection; tenderness; as, the love of brothers and sisters.
Of all the dearest bonds we prove
Thou countest sons' and mothers' love
Most sacred, most Thine own. --Keble.
2. Especially, devoted attachment to, or tender or passionate affection for, one of the opposite sex.
He on his side
Leaning half-raised, with looks of cordial love
Hung over her enamored. --Milton.
3. Courtship; -- chiefly in the phrase to make love, i. e., to court, to woo, to solicit union in marriage.
Demetrius . . .
Made love to Nedar's daughter, Helena,
And won her soul. --Shak.
4. Affection; kind feeling; friendship; strong liking or desire; fondness; good will; -- opposed to hate; often with of and an object.
Love, and health to all. --Shak.
Smit with the love of sacred song. --Milton.
The love of science faintly warmed his breast. --Fenton.
5. Due gratitude and reverence to God.
Keep yourselves in the love of God. --Jude 21.
6. The object of affection; -- often employed in endearing address; as, he held his love in his arms; his greatest love was reading. “Trust me, love.”
Open the temple gates unto my love. --Spenser.
7. Cupid, the god of love; sometimes, Venus.
Such was his form as painters, when they show
Their utmost art, on naked Lores bestow. --Dryden.
Therefore do nimble-pinioned doves draw Love. --Shak.
8. A thin silk stuff. [Obs.]
9. Bot. A climbing species of Clematis (Clematis Vitalba).
10. Nothing; no points scored on one side; -- used in counting score at tennis, etc.
He won the match by three sets to love. --The Field.
Note: ☞ Love is often used in the formation of compounds, in most of which the meaning is very obvious; as, love-cracked, love-darting, love-killing, love-linked, love-taught, etc.
A labor of love, a labor undertaken on account of regard for some person, or through pleasure in the work itself, without expectation of reward.
Free love, the doctrine or practice of consorting with one of the opposite sex, at pleasure, without marriage. See Free love.
Free lover, one who avows or practices free love.
In love, in the act of loving; -- said esp. of the love of the sexes; as, to be in love; to fall in love.
Love apple Bot., the tomato.
Love bird Zool., any one of several species of small, short-tailed parrots, or parrakeets, of the genus Agapornis, and allied genera. They are mostly from Africa. Some species are often kept as cage birds, and are celebrated for the affection which they show for their mates.
Love broker, a person who for pay acts as agent between lovers, or as a go-between in a sexual intrigue. --Shak.
Love charm, a charm for exciting love. --Ld. Lytton.
Love child. an illegitimate child. --Jane Austen.
Love day, a day formerly appointed for an amicable adjustment of differences. [Obs.] --Piers Plowman. --Chaucer.
Love drink, a love potion; a philter. --Chaucer.
Love favor, something given to be worn in token of love.
Love feast, a religious festival, held quarterly by some religious denominations, as the Moravians and Methodists, in imitation of the agapæ of the early Christians.
Love feat, the gallant act of a lover. --Shak.
Love game, a game, as in tennis, in which the vanquished person or party does not score a point.
Love grass.
Love-in-a-mist. Bot. (a) An herb of the Buttercup family (Nigella Damascena) having the flowers hidden in a maze of finely cut bracts. (b) The West Indian Passiflora fœtida, which has similar bracts.
Love-in-idleness Bot., a kind of violet; the small pansy.
A little western flower,
Before milk-white, now purple with love's wound;
And maidens call it love-in-idleness. --Shak.
-- Love juice, juice of a plant supposed to produce love. --Shak.
Love knot, a knot or bow, as of ribbon; -- so called from being used as a token of love, or as a pledge of mutual affection. --Milman.
Love lass, a sweetheart.
Love letter, a letter of courtship. --Shak.
Love-lies-bleeding Bot., a species of amaranth (Amarantus melancholicus).
Love match, a marriage brought about by love alone.
Love potion, a compounded draught intended to excite love, or venereal desire.
Love rites, sexual intercourse. --Pope
Love scene, an exhibition of love, as between lovers on the stage.
Love suit, courtship. --Shak.
Of all loves, for the sake of all love; by all means. [Obs.] “Mrs. Arden desired him of all loves to come back again.” --Holinshed.
The god of love, or The Love god, Cupid.
To make love, to engage in sexual intercourse; -- a euphemism.
To make love to, to express affection for; to woo. “If you will marry, make your loves to me.” --Shak.
To play for love, to play a game, as at cards, without stakes. “A game at piquet for love.” --Lamb.
Syn: -- Affection; friendship; kindness; tenderness; fondness; delight.
Old, a. [Compar. Older superl. Oldest.]
1. Not young; advanced far in years or life; having lived till toward the end of the ordinary term of living; as, an old man; an old age; an old horse; an old tree.
Let not old age disgrace my high desire. --Sir P. Sidney.
The melancholy news that we grow old. --Young.
2. Not new or fresh; not recently made or produced; having existed for a long time; as, old wine; an old friendship. “An old acquaintance.”
3. Formerly existing; ancient; not modern; preceding; original; as, an old law; an old custom; an old promise. “The old schools of Greece.” --Milton. “The character of the old Ligurians.” --Addison.
4. Continued in life; advanced in the course of existence; having (a certain) length of existence; -- designating the age of a person or thing; as, an infant a few hours old; a cathedral centuries old.
And Pharaoh said unto Jacob, How old art thou? --Cen. xlvii. 8.
Note: ☞ In this use old regularly follows the noun that designates the age; as, she was eight years old.
5. Long practiced; hence, skilled; experienced; cunning; as, an old offender; old in vice.
Vane, young in years, but in sage counsel old. --Milton.
6. Long cultivated; as, an old farm; old land, as opposed to new land, that is, to land lately cleared.
7. Worn out; weakened or exhausted by use; past usefulness; as, old shoes; old clothes.
8. More than enough; abundant. [Obs.]
If a man were porter of hell gate, he should have old turning the key. --Shak.
9. Aged; antiquated; hence, wanting in the mental vigor or other qualities belonging to youth; -- used disparagingly as a term of reproach.
10. Old-fashioned; wonted; customary; as of old; as, the good old times; hence, colloquially, gay; jolly.
11. Used colloquially as a term of cordiality and familiarity. “Go thy ways, old lad.”
Old age, advanced years; the latter period of life.
Old bachelor. See Bachelor, 1.
Old Catholics. See under Catholic.
Old English. See under English. n., 2.
Old Nick, Old Scratch, the devil.
Old lady Zool., a large European noctuid moth (Mormo maura).
Old maid. (a) A woman, somewhat advanced in years, who has never been married; a spinster. (b) Bot. A West Indian name for the pink-flowered periwinkle (Vinca rosea). (c) A simple game of cards, played by matching them. The person with whom the odd card is left is the old maid.
Old man's beard. Bot. (a) The traveler's joy (Clematis Vitalba). So named from the abundant long feathery awns of its fruit. (b) The Tillandsia usneoides. See Tillandsia.
Old man's head Bot., a columnar cactus (Pilocereus senilis), native of Mexico, covered towards the top with long white hairs.
Old red sandstone Geol., a series of red sandstone rocks situated below the rocks of the Carboniferous age and comprising various strata of siliceous sandstones and conglomerates. See Sandstone, and the Chart of Geology.
Old school, a school or party belonging to a former time, or preserving the character, manner, or opinions of a former time; as, a gentleman of the old school; -- used also adjectively; as, Old-School Presbyterians.
Old sledge, an old and well-known game of cards, called also all fours, and high, low, Jack, and the game.
Old squaw Zool., a duck (Clangula hyemalis) inhabiting the northern parts of both hemispheres. The adult male is varied with black and white and is remarkable for the length of its tail. Called also longtailed duck, south southerly, callow, hareld, and old wife.
Old style. Chron. See the Note under Style.
Old Testament. See Old Testament under Testament, and see tanak.
Old wife. [In the senses b and cwritten also oldwife.] (a) A prating old woman; a gossip.
Refuse profane and old wives' fables. --1 Tim. iv. 7.
(b) Zool. The local name of various fishes, as the European black sea bream (Cantharus lineatus), the American alewife, etc. (c) Zool. A duck; the old squaw.
Old World, the Eastern Hemisphere.
Syn: -- Aged; ancient; pristine; primitive; antique; antiquated; old-fashioned; obsolete. See Ancient.
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Trav·el·er n.
1. One who travels; one who has traveled much.
2. A commercial agent who travels for the purpose of receiving orders for merchants, making collections, etc.
3. Mach. A traveling crane. See under Crane.
4. Spinning The metal loop which travels around the ring surrounding the bobbin, in a ring spinner.
5. Naut. An iron encircling a rope, bar, spar, or the like, and sliding thereon.
Traveler's joy Bot., the Clematis vitalba, a climbing plant with white flowers.
Traveler's tree. Bot. See Ravenala.
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Vir·gin n.
1. A woman who has had no carnal knowledge of man; a maid.
2. A person of the male sex who has not known sexual indulgence. [Archaic]
These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. --Rev. xiv. 4.
He his flesh hath overcome;
He was a virgin, as he said. --Gower.
3. Astron. See Virgo.
4. Zool. Any one of several species of gossamer-winged butterflies of the family Lycaenidae.
5. Zool. A female insect producing eggs from which young are hatched, though there has been no fecundation by a male; a parthenogenetic insect.
The Virgin, or The Blessed Virgin, the Virgin Mary, the Mother of Jesus Christ.
Virgin's bower Bot., a name given to several climbing plants of the genus Clematis, as Clematis Vitalba of Europe, and Clematis Virginiana of North America.
Clematis vitalba
n : vigorous deciduous climber of Europe to Afghanistan and
Lebanon having panicles of fragrant green-white flowers
in summer and autumn [syn: traveler's joy, traveller's
joy, old man's beard]