DICT.TW Dictionary Taiwan
True a. [Compar. Truer superl. Truest.]
1. Conformable to fact; in accordance with the actual state of things; correct; not false, erroneous, inaccurate, or the like; as, a true relation or narration; a true history; a declaration is true when it states the facts.
2. Right to precision; conformable to a rule or pattern; exact; accurate; as, a true copy; a true likeness of the original.
Making his eye, foot, and hand keep true time. --Sir W. Scott.
3. Steady in adhering to friends, to promises, to a prince, or the like; unwavering; faithful; loyal; not false, fickle, or perfidious; as, a true friend; a wife true to her husband; an officer true to his charge.
Thy so true,
So faithful, love unequaled. --Milton.
Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie. --Herbert.
4. Actual; not counterfeit, adulterated, or pretended; genuine; pure; real; as, true balsam; true love of country; a true Christian.
The true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world. --John i. 9.
True ease in writing comes from art, not chance. --Pope.
5. Biol. Genuine; real; not deviating from the essential characters of a class; as, a lizard is a true reptile; a whale is a true, but not a typical, mammal.
Note: ☞ True is sometimes used elliptically for It is true.
Out of true, varying from correct mechanical form, alignment, adjustment, etc.; -- said of a wall that is not perpendicular, of a wheel whose circumference is not in the same plane, and the like. [Colloq.]
A true bill Law, a bill of indictment which is returned by the grand jury so indorsed, signifying that the charges to be true.
True time. See under Time.
true
adj 1: consistent with fact or reality; not false; "the story is
true"; "it is undesirable to believe a proposition
when there is no ground whatever for supposing it
true"- B. Russell; "the true meaning of the statement"
[ant: false]
2: not synthetic or spurious; of real or natural origin; "real
mink"; "true gold" [syn: real]
3: conforming to definitive criteria; "the horseshoe crab is
not a true crab"; "Pythagoras was the first true
mathematician"
4: accurately placed or thrown; "his aim was true"; "he was
dead on target" [syn: dead on target]
5: devoted (sometimes fanatically) to a cause or concept or
truth; "true believers bonded together against all who
disagreed with them"
6: expressing or given to expressing the truth; "a true
statement"; "gave truthful testimony"; "a truthful person"
[syn: truthful] [ant: untruthful]
7: worthy of being depended on; "a dependable worker"; "an
honest working stiff"; "a reliable source of information";
"he was true to his word"; "I would be true for there are
those who trust me" [syn: dependable, honest, reliable,
true(p)]
8: not pretended; sincerely felt or expressed; "genuine
emotion"; "her interest in people was unfeigned"; "true
grief" [syn: genuine, true(a), unfeigned]
9: rightly so called; "true courage"; "a spirit which true men
have always admired"; "a true friend" [syn: true(a)]
10: determined with reference to the earth's axis rather than
the magnetic poles; "true north is geographic north"
[syn: true(a)]
11: having a legally established claim; "the legitimate heir";
"the true and lawful king" [syn: true(a), lawful, rightful(a)]
12: in tune; accurate in pitch; "a true note" [syn: on-key]
13: accurately fitted; level; "the window frame isn't quite
true" [syn: straight]
14: reliable as a basis for action; "a true prophesy"
n : proper alignment; the property possessed by something that
is in correct or proper alignment; "out of true"
adv : as acknowledged; "true, she is the smartest in her class"
[syn: admittedly, avowedly, confessedly]
v : make level, square, balanced, or concentric; "true up the
cylinder of an engine" [syn: true up]
[also: truest, truer]