U·ni·ver·sal a.
 1. Of or pertaining to the universe; extending to, including, or affecting, the whole number, quantity, or space; unlimited; general; all-reaching; all-pervading; as, universal ruin; universal good; universal benevolence or benefice. “Anointed universal King.”
 The universal cause
 Acts not by partial, but by general laws.   --Pope.
    This universal frame began.   --Dryden.
 Note: ☞ Universal and its derivatives are used in common discourse for general and its derivatives. See General.
 2. Constituting or considered as a whole; total; entire; whole; as, the universal world.
 At which the universal host up dent
 A shout that tore Hell's concave.   --Milton.
 3. Mech. Adapted or adaptable to all or to various uses, shapes, sizes, etc.; as, a universal milling machine.
 4. Logic Forming the whole of a genus; relatively unlimited in extension; affirmed or denied of the whole of a subject; as, a universal proposition; -- opposed to particular; e. g. (universal affirmative) All men are animals; (universal negative) No men are omniscient.
 Universal chuck Mach., a chuck, as for a lathe, having jaws which can be moved simultaneously so as to grasp objects of various sizes.
 Universal church, the whole church of God in the world; the catholic church. See the Note under Catholic, a., 1.
 Universal coupling. Mach. Same as Universal joint, below.
 Universal dial, a dial by which the hour may be found in any part of the world, or under any elevation of the pole.
 Universal instrument Astron., a species of altitude and azimuth instrument, the peculiarity of which is, that the object end of the telescope is placed at right angles to the eye end, with a prism of total reflection at the angle, and the eye end constitutes a portion of the horizontal axis of the instrument, having the eyepiece at the pivot and in the center of the altitude circle, so that the eye has convenient access to both at the same time.
 Universal joint Mach., a contrivance used for joining two shafts or parts of a machine endwise, so that the one may give rotary motion to the other when forming an angle with it, or may move freely in all directions with respect to the other, as by means of a cross connecting the forked ends of the two shafts (Fig. 1). Since this joint can not act when the angle of the shafts is less than 140°, a double joint of the same kind is sometimes used for giving rotary motion at angles less than 140° (Fig. 2).
 Universal umbel Bot., a primary or general umbel; the first or largest set of rays in a compound umbel; -- opposed to partial umbel. A universal involucre is not unfrequently placed at the foot of a universal umbel.
 Syn: -- General; all; whole; total. See General.


 Church n.
 1. A building set apart for Christian worship.
 2. A Jewish or heathen temple. [Obs.]
 3. A formally organized body of Christian believers worshiping together. “When they had ordained them elders in every church.”
 4. A body of Christian believers, holding the same creed, observing the same rites, and acknowledging the same ecclesiastical authority; a denomination; as, the Roman Catholic church; the Presbyterian church.
 5. The collective body of Christians.
 6. Any body of worshipers; as, the Jewish church; the church of Brahm.
 7. The aggregate of religious influences in a community; ecclesiastical influence, authority, etc.; as, to array the power of the church against some moral evil.
    Remember that both church and state are properly the rulers of the people, only because they are their benefactors.   --Bulwer.
 Note: ☞ Church is often used in composition to denote something belonging or relating to the church; as, church authority; church history; church member; church music, etc.
 Apostolic church. See under Apostolic.
 Broad church. See Broad Church.
 Catholic church or Universal church, the whole body of believers in Christ throughout the world.
 Church of England, or English church, the Episcopal church established and endowed in England by law.
 Church living, a benefice in an established church.
 Church militant. See under Militant.
 Church owl Zool., the white owl. See Barn owl.
 Church rate, a tax levied on parishioners for the maintenance of the church and its services.
 Church session. See under Session.
 Church triumphant. See under Triumphant.
 Church work, work on, or in behalf of, a church; the work of a particular church for the spread of religion.
 Established church, the church maintained by the civil authority; a state church.