Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MO'DAL, a. [See Mode.]

Consisting in mode only; relating to form; having the form without the essence or reality; as, the modal diversity of the faculties of the soul. Glanville.

MO-DAL'I-TY, n.

The quality of being modal, or being in form only.

MODE, n. [Fr. mode; L. modus; Sp. and It. modo; W. moz; Ir. modh; Sax. mete, gemet or gemett, from metan, gemetan, to meet, to find, to measure or mete, L. metior. The primary sense of mode is measure, hence form. Measure is from extending, the extent; hence a limit, and hence the derivative sense of restraining. See Meet and Measure.]

1. Manner of existing or being; manner; method; form; fashion; custom; way; as, the mode of speaking; the mode of dressing; modes of receiving or entertaining company. The duty of itself being resolved on, the mode of doing it may be easily found. Taylor. It is applicable to particular acts, or to a series of acts, or to the common usage of a city or nation. One man has a particular mode of walking; another has a singular mode of dressing his hair. We find it necessary to conform in some measure to the usual modes of dress.
2. Gradation; degree. What modes of sight between each wide extreme! Pope.
3. State; quality. Shak.
4. In metaphysics, the dependence or affection of a substance. Such complex ideas as contain not in them the supposition of subsisting by themselves, but are considered as dependencies or affections of substances, Locke calls modes. Of these he makes two kinds; simple modes, which are only variations or different combinations of the same idea, as a dozen, which consists of so many units added together; and mixed modes, which are compounded of simple ideas of several kinds, as beauty, which is compounded of color and figure. A mode is that which can not subsist in and of itself, but is esteemed as belonging to and subsisting by the help of some substance, which for that reason is called its subject. Watts.
5. In music, a regular disposition of the air and accompaniments relative to certain principal sounds, on which a piece of music is formed, and which are called the essential sounds of the mode. Encyc.
6. In grammar, a particular manner of conjugating verbs to express manner of conjugating verbs to express manner of action or being, as affirmation, command, condition and the like; usually and very improperly written mood. Mood is a word of different signification. [See Mood.]
7. A kind of silk.

MOD'EL, a. [mod'l; Fr. modelle; L. modulus, from modus.]

1. A pattern of something to be made; any thing of a particular form, shape or construction, intended for imitation; primarily, a small pattern; a form in miniature of something to be made on a larger scale; as, the model of a building; the model of a fort.
2. A mold; something intended to give shape to castings. Shak.
3. Pattern; example; as, to form a government on the model of the British or American constitution.
4. Standard; that by which a thing is to be measured. He that despairs, measures Providence by his own contracted model. South.
5. In painting and sculpture, that which is to be copied or imitated; as the naked human form.
6. A pattern; any thing to be imitated. Take Cicero, Lord Chatham or Burke, as a model of eloquence; take Washington as a model of prudence, integrity and patriotism; above all, let Christ be the model of our benevolence, humility, obedience and patience.
7. A copy; representation; something made in imitation of real life; as, anatomical models, representing the parts of the body. General Puffer constructed a model of the mountainous parts of Switzerland.

MOD'EL, v.t. [Fr. modeler.]

To plan or form in a particular manner; to shape; to imitate in planning or forming; as, to model a house or a government; to model an edifice according to the plan delineated.

MOD'EL-ED, pp.

Formed according to a model; planned; shaped; formed.

MOD'EL-ER, n.

A planner; a contriver. Spectator.

MOD'EL-ING, ppr.

Forming according to a model; planning; forming; shaping.

MO-DE'NA, n.

A crimsonlike color. Good.

MOD'ER-ATE, a. [L. moderatus, from moderor, to limit, from modus, a limit.]

1. Literally, limited; restrained; hence, temperate; observing reasonable bounds in indulgence; as, moderate in eating or drinking, or in other gratifications.
2. Limited in quantity; not excessive or expensive. He keeps a moderate table.
3. Restrained in passion, ardor or temper; not violent; as, moderate men of both parties.
4. Not extreme in opinion; as, a moderate Calvinist or Lutheran.
5. Placed between extremes; holding the mean or middle place; as, reformation of a moderate kind.
6. Temperate; not extreme, violent or rigorous; as, moderate weather; a moderate winter; moderate heat; a moderate breeze of wind.
7. Of a middle rate; as, men of moderate abilities.
8. Not swift; as, a moderate walk.

MOD'ER-ATE, v.i.

To become less violent, severe, rigorous or intense. The cold of winter usually moderates in March; the heat of summer moderates in September.

MOD'ER-ATE, v.t.

1. To restrain from excess of any kind; to reduce from a state of violence; to lessen; to allay; to repress; as, to moderate rage, action, desires, &c.; to moderate heat or wind.
2. To temper; to make temperate; to qualify. By its astringent quality, it moderates the relaxing quality of warm water. Arbuthnot.

MOD'ER-A-TED, pp.

Reduced in violence, rigor or intensity; allayed; lessened; tempered; qualified.

MOD'ER-ATE-LY, adv.

1. Temperately; mildly; without violence.
2. In a middle degree; not excessively; as, water moderately warm. Each nymph but moderately fair. Waller.

MOD'ER-ATE-NESS, n.

State of being moderate; temperateness; a middle state between extremes; as the moderateness of the weather; used commonly of things, as moderation is of persons. Johnson.

MOD'ER-A-TING, ppr.

Reducing in violence or excess; allaying; tempering; becoming more mild.

MOD-ER-A-TION, n. [L. moderatio.]

1. The state of being moderate, or keeping a due mean between extremes or excess of violence. The General's moderation after victory was more honorable than the victory itself. In moderation placing all my glory, / While tories call me whig, and whigs a tory. Pope.
2. Restraint of violent passions or indulgence of appetite. Eat and drink with moderation; indulge with moderation in pleasures and exercise.
3. Calmness of mind; equanimity; as, to bear prosperity or adversity with moderation.
4. Frugality in expenses. Ainsworth.

MOD-E-RATO, adv.

In music, denoting movement between andante and allegro.

MOD'ER-A-TOR, n.

1. He or that which moderates or restrains. Contemplation is an excellent moderator of the passions.
2. The person who presides over a meeting or assembly of people to preserve order, propose questions, regulate the proceedings and declare the vote; as, the moderator of a town meeting or of a society. Watts.

MODER-A'TOR-SHIP, n.

The office of a moderator. Elyot.

MOD'ERN, a. [Fr. moderne; It. and Sp. moderno. This word seems to be formed from L. modo, and ern, which we find in other Latin words that have reference to time, as in hodiernus, hesternus.]

1. Pertaining to the present time, or time not long past; late; recent; not ancient or remote in past time; as, modern days, ages or time; modern authors; modern fashions; modern taste; modern practice. Bacon. Prior.
2. Common; mean; vulgar. [Not used.] Shake.

MOD'ERN-ISM, n.

Modern practice; something recently formed, particularly in writing. Swift.

MOD'ERN-IST, n.

One who admires the moderns. Swift.

MOD'ERN-IZE, v.t.

To render modern, to adapt ancient compositions to modern persons or things, or rather to adapt the ancient style or idiom to modern style and taste.

MOD'ERN-IZ-ED,

pp, Rendered conformable to modern usage.