Emily Dickinson Lexicon

EX-CERPTS', n.

Extracts from authors. [A bad word.]

EX-CESS', n. [L. excessus, from excedo. See Exceed.]

1. Literally, that which exceeds any measure or limit, or which exceeds something else, or a going beyond a just line or point. Hence, superfluity; that which is beyond necessity or wants; as, an excess of provisions; excess of lights.
2. That which is beyond the common measure, proportion, or due quantity; as, the excess of a limb; the excess of bile in the system
3. Superabundance of any thing. Newton.
4. Any transgression of due limits. Atterbury.
5. In morals, any indulgence of appetite, passion or exertion, beyond the rules of God's word, or beyond any rule of propriety; intemperance in gratifications; as, excess in eating or drinking; excess of joy; excess of grief; excess of love, or of anger; excess of labor.
6. In arithmetic and geometry, the difference between any two unequal numbers or quantities; that which remains when the lesser number or quantity is taken from the greater.

EX-CESS'IVE, a.

1. Beyond any given degree, measure, or limit, or beyond the common measure or proportion; as, the excessive bulk of a man; excessive labor; excessive wages.
2. Beyond the established laws of morality and religion, or beyond the bounds of justice, fitness, propriety, expedience or utility; as, excessive indulgence of any kind. Excessive bail shall not be required. Bill of Rights.
3. Extravagant; unreasonable. His expenditures of money were excessive.
4. Vehement; violent; as, excessive passion.

EX-CESS'IVE-LY, adv.

1. In an extreme degree; beyond measure; exceedingly; as, excessively impatient; excessively grieved.
2. Vehemently; violently; as, the wind blew excessively.

EX-CESS'IVE-NESS, n.

The state or quality of being excessive; excess.

EX-CHAN'CEL-LOR, n.

One who has been chancellor, but has left the office.

EX-CHANGE', n.

1. In commerce, the act of giving one thing or commodity for another; barter; traffick by permutation, in which the thing received is supposed to be equivalent to the thing given. Joseph gave them bread in exchange for horses. Gen. xlvii.
2. The act of giving up or resigning one thing or state for another, without contract.
3. The act of giving and receiving reciprocally; as, an exchange of thoughts; an exchange of civilities.
4. The contract by which one commodity is transferred to another for an equivalent commodity.
5. The thing given in return for something received; or the thing received in return for what is given. There's my exchange. Shak. In ordinary business, this is called change.
6. The form of exchanging one debt or credit for another; or the receiving or paying of money in one place, for an equal sum in another, by order, draft or bill of exchange. A. in London is creditor to B. in New York, and C. in London owes D. in New York a like sum. A. in London draws bill of exchange on B. in New York; C. in London purchases the bill, by which A. receives his debt due from B. in New York. C. transmits the bill to D. in New York, who receives the amount from B. Bills of exchange, drawn on persons in a foreign country, are called foreign bills of exchange; the like bills, drawn on persons in different parts or cities of the same country, are called inland bills of exchange. A bill of exchange is a mercantile contract in which four persons are primarily concerned.
7. In mercantile language, a bill drawn for money is called exchange, instead of a bill of exchange.
8. The course of exchange is the current price between two places, which is above or below par, or at par. Exchange is at par when a bill in New York for the payment of one hundred pounds sterling in London can be purchased for one hundred pounds. If it can be purchased for less, exchange is under par. If the purchaser is obliged to give more, exchange is above par.
9. In law, a mutual grant of equal interests, the one in consideration of the other. Estates exchanged must be equal in quantity, as fee simple for fee simple. Blackstone.
10. The place where the merchants, brokers and bankers of a city meet to transact business, at certain hours; often contracted into change.

EX-CHANGE', v.t. [Fr. echanger; Arm. eceinch; from changer, ceinch, to change.]

1. In commerce, to give one thing or commodity for another; to alienate or transfer the property of a thing and receive in compensation for it something of supposed equal value; to barter; and in vulgar language, to swap; to truck. It differs from sell, only in the kind of compensation. To sell is to alienate for money; to exchange is to alienate one commodity for another; as, to exchange horses; to exchange oxen for corn.
2. To lay aside, quit or resign one thing, state or condition, and take another in the place of it; as, to exchange a crown for a cowl; to exchange a throne for a cell or a hermitage; to exchange a life of ease for a life of toil.
3. To give and receive reciprocally; to give and receive in compensation the same thing. Exchange forgiveness with me, noble Hamlet. Shak.
4. To give and receive the like thing; as, to exchange thoughts; to exchange work; to exchange blows; to exchange prisoners. It has with before the person receiving the thing given, and for before the equivalent. Will you exchange horses with me? Will you exchange your horse for mine?

EX-CHANGE-A-BIL'I-TY, n.

The quality or state of being exchangeable. Though the law ought not to be contravened by an express article admitting the exchangeability of such persons. Washington.

EX-CHANGE'A-BLE, a.

That may he exchanged; capable of being exchanged; fit or proper to be exchanged. The officers captured with Burgoyne were exchangeable within the powers of Gen. Howe. Marshall. Bank bills exchangeable for gold and silver. Ramsay.

EX-CHANG'ED, pp.

Given or received for something else; bartered.

EX-CHANG'ER, n.

One who exchanges; one who practices exchange. Matth. xxv.

EX-CHANG'ING, ppr.

Giving and receiving one commodity for another; giving and receiving mutually; laying aside or relinquishing one thing or state for another.

EX-CHEQ'UER, n. [exchek'er; Fr. echiquier, checker-work, a chess-board. See Chess and Checker.]

In England, an ancient court of record, intended principally to collect and superintend the king's debts and duties or revenues, and so called from scaccharium, or from the same root, denoting a checkered cloth, which covers the table. It consists of two divisions; the receipt of the exchequer, which manages the royal revenue; and the judicial part, which is divided into a court of law and a court of equity. The court of equity is held in the exchequer chamber, before the lord treasurer, the chancellor of the exchequer, the chief baron and three inferior barons. The common law court is held before the barons, without the treasurer or chancellor. Blackstone. Exchequer-bills, in England, bills for money, or promissory bills, issued from the exchequer; a species of paper currency emitted under the authority of the Government and bearing interest.

EX-CHEQ'UER, v.t.

To institute a process against a person in the court of exchequer. Pegge.

EX-CHEQ'UER-ED, pp.

Proceeded against in chancery.

EX-CHEQ'UER-ING, ppr.

Instituting process against in chancery.

EX-CIP'I-ENT, n.

One who excepts.

EX-CIS'A-BLE, a. [s as z.]

Liable or subject to excise; as, coffee is an excisable commodity.

EX-CISE', n. [s as z. L. excisum, cut off, from excido; D. accys; G. accise.]

An inland duty or impost, laid on commodities consumed, or on the retail, which is the last stage before consumption; as, an excise on coffee, soap, candles, which a person consumes in his family. But many articles are excised at the manufactories, as spirit at the distillery, printed silks and linens at the printer's, &c. Encyc.

EX-CISE', v.t. [s. as z.]

To lay or impose a duty on articles consumed, or in the hands of merchants, manufacturers and retailers; to levy an excise on.

EX-CIS'ED, pp.

Charged with the duty of excise.

EX-CISE'MAN, n.

An officer who inspects commodities and rates the excise duty on them. Johnson.

EX-CIS'ING, ppr.

Imposing the duty of excise.

EX-CIS'ION, n. [s as z. L. excisio.]

1. In surgery, a cutting out or cutting off any part of the body; extirpation; amputation.
2. The cutting off of a person from his people; extirpation; destruction. The rabbins reckon three kinds of excision. Encyc.