Prin·ci·pal a.
 1. Highest in rank, authority, character, importance, or degree; most considerable or important; chief; main; as, the principal officers of a Government; the principal men of a state; the principal productions of a country; the principal arguments in a case.
    Wisdom is the principal thing.   --Prov. iv. 7.
 2. Of or pertaining to a prince; princely. [A Latinism] [Obs.]
 Principal axis. See Axis of a curve, under Axis.
 Principal axes of a quadric Geom., three lines in which the principal planes of the solid intersect two and two, as in an ellipsoid.
 Principal challenge. Law See under Challenge.
 Principal plane. See Plane of projection (a), under Plane.
 Principal of a quadric Geom., three planes each of which is at right angles to the other two, and bisects all chords of the quadric perpendicular to the plane, as in an ellipsoid.
 Principal point Persp., the projection of the point of sight upon the plane of projection.
 Principal ray Persp., the line drawn through the point of sight perpendicular to the perspective plane.
 Principal section Crystallog., a plane passing through the optical axis of a crystal.
 Chal·lenge n.
 1. An invitation to engage in a contest or controversy of any kind; a defiance; specifically, a summons to fight a duel; also, the letter or message conveying the summons.
    A challenge to controversy.   --Goldsmith.
 2. The act of a sentry in halting any one who appears at his post, and demanding the countersign.
 3. A claim or demand. [Obs.]
    There must be no challenge of superiority.   --Collier.
 4. Hunting The opening and crying of hounds at first finding the scent of their game.
 5. Law An exception to a juror or to a member of a court martial, coupled with a demand that he should be held incompetent to act; the claim of a party that a certain person or persons shall not sit in trial upon him or his cause.
 6. An exception to a person as not legally qualified to vote. The challenge must be made when the ballot is offered. [U. S.]
 Challenge to the array Law, an exception to the whole panel.
 Challenge to the favor, the alleging a special cause, the sufficiency of which is to be left to those whose duty and office it is to decide upon it.
 Challenge to the polls, an exception taken to any one or more of the individual jurors returned.
 Peremptory challenge, a privilege sometimes allowed to defendants, of challenging a certain number of jurors (fixed by statute in different States) without assigning any cause.
 Principal challenge, that which the law allows to be sufficient if found to be true.
 fa·vor n.
 1. Kind regard; propitious aspect; countenance; friendly disposition; kindness; good will.
    Hath crawled into the favor of the king.   --Shak.
 2. The act of countenancing, or the condition of being countenanced, or regarded propitiously; support; promotion; befriending.
    But found no favor in his lady's eyes.   --Dryden.
    And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.   --Luke ii. 52.
 3. A kind act or office; kindness done or granted; benevolence shown by word or deed; an act of grace or good will, as distinct from justice or remuneration.
    Beg one favor at thy gracious hand.   --Shak.
 4. Mildness or mitigation of punishment; lenity.
    I could not discover the lenity and favor of this sentence.   --Swift.
 5. The object of regard; person or thing favored.
 All these his wondrous works, but chiefly man,
 His chief delight and favor.   --Milton.
 6. A gift or present; something bestowed as an evidence of good will; a token of love; a knot of ribbons; something worn as a token of affection; as, a marriage favor is a bunch or knot of white ribbons or white flowers worn at a wedding.
    Wear thou this favor for me, and stick it in thy cap.   --Shak.
 7. Appearance; look; countenance; face. [Obs.]
    This boy is fair, of female favor.   --Shak.
 8. Law Partiality; bias.
 9. A letter or epistle; -- so called in civility or compliment; as, your favor of yesterday is received.
 10. pl. Love locks. [Obs.]
 Challenge to the favor or Challenge for favor Law, the challenge of a juror on grounds not sufficient to constitute a principal challenge, but sufficient to give rise to a probable suspicion of favor or bias, such as acquaintance, business relation, etc. See Principal challenge, under Challenge.
 In favor of, upon the side of; favorable to; for the advantage of.
 In favor with, favored, countenanced, or encouraged by.
 To curry favor [see the etymology of Favor, above], to seek to gain favor by flattery, caresses, kindness, or officious civilities.
 With one's favor, or By one's favor, with leave; by kind permission.
    But, with your favor, I will treat it here.   --Dryden.
 Syn: -- Kindness; countenance; patronage; support; lenity; grace; gift; present; benefit.
 ◄ ►