Emily Dickinson Lexicon

MER-GAN'SER, n. [Sp. mergansar, from L. mergo, to dive.]

A water fowl of the genus Mergus; called also goosander.

MERGE, v.i.

To be sunk, swallowed or lost. Law Term.

MERGE, v.t. [L. mergo.]

To immerse; to cause to be swallowed up. The plaintif became the purchaser and merged his term in the fee. Kent.

MERG'ED, pp.

Immersed; swallowed up.

MERG'ER, n. [L. mergo, to merge.]

In law, a merging or drowning of a less estate in a greater; as when a reversion in fee simple descends to or is purchased by a tenant of the same estate for years, the term for years is merged, lost, annihilated in the inheritance or fee simple estate. Blackstone.

MERG'ING, ppr.

Causing to be swallowed up; immersing; sinking.

ME-RID'I-AN, a.

1. Being on the meridian or at mid-day. The sun sat high in his meridian tower. Milton.
2. Pertaining to the meridian or to mid-day; as, the sun's meridian heat or splendor.
3. Pertaining to the highest point; as, the hero enjoyed his meridian glory.
4. Pertaining to the magnetic meridian.

ME-RID'IAN, n. [Fr. meridien; It. meridiano; L. meridies. Qn. Ir. mir, a part; Gr. μειρω, to divide. Varro testifies that this word was originally medidies, (mid-day,) and that he had seen it so written on a sun-dial.]

1. In astronomy and geography, a great circle supposed to be drawn or to pass through the poles of the earth, and the zenith and nadir of any given place, intersecting the equator at right angles, and dividing the hemisphere into eastern and western. Every place on the globe has its meridian, and when the sun arrives at this circle, it is mid-day or noon, whence the name. This circle may be considered to be drawn on the surface of the earth, or it may be considered as a circle in the heavens coinciding with that on the earth.
2. Mid-day; noon.
3. The highest point; as, the meridian of life; the meridian of power or of glory.
4. The particular place or state, with regard to local circumstances or things that distinguish it from others. We say, a book is adapted to the meridian of France or Italy; a measure is adapted to the meridian of London or Washington. Magnetic meridian, a great circle, parallel with the direction of the magnetic needle, and passing through its poles.

ME-RID'I-ON-AL, a. [Fr.]

1. Pertaining to the meridian.
2. Southern. Brown.
3. Southerly; having a southern aspect. Wotton. Meridional distance is the departure from the meridian, or easting or westing.

ME-RID-I-ON-AL'I-TY, n.

1. The state of being in the meridian.
2. Position in the south; aspect toward the south. Johnson.

ME-RID'I-ON-AL-LY, adv.

In the direction of the meridian. Brown.

MER'ILS, n.

A boy's play, called five penny morris.

ME-RI-NO, a. [Sp. merino, applied to sheep moving from pasture to pasture.]

Denoting a variety of sheep from Spain, or their wool.

MER'IT, n. [L. meritum, from mereo, to earn or deserve; It. and Sp. merito; Fr. merite.]

1. Desert; goodness or excellence which entitles one to honor or reward; worth; any performance or worth which claims regard or compensation; applied to morals, to excellence in writing, or to valuable services of any kind. Thus we speak of the inability of men to obtain salvation by their own merits. We speak of the merits of an author; the merits of a soldier, &c.
2. Value; excellence; applied to things; as, the merits of an essay or poem; the merits of a painting; the merits of a heroic achievement.
3. Reward deserved; that which is earned or merited. Those laurel groves, the merits of thy youth. Prior.

MER'IT, v.t. [Fr. meriter; L. merito.]

1. To deserve; to earn by active service, or by any valuable performance; to have a right to claim reward in money, regard, honor or happiness. Watts, by his writings, merited the gratitude of the whole Christian world. The faithful laborer merits his wages. A man at best is incapable of meriting any thing from God. South.
2. To deserve; to have a just title to. Fidelity merits and usually obtains confidence.
3. To deserve, in an ill sense; to have a just title to. Every violation of law merits punishment. Every sin merits God's displeasure.

MER'IT-A-BLE, a.

Deserving of reward. [Not in use.] B. Jonson.

MER'IT-ED, pp.

Earned; deserved.

MER'IT-ING, ppr.

Earning; deserving.

MER'IT-MON-GER, n.

One who advocates the doctrine of human merit, as entitled to reward, or depends on merit for salvation. Milner.

MER-IT-O'RI-OUS, a. [It. meritorio; Fr. meritoire.]

Deserving of reward or of notice, regard, fame or happiness, or of that which shall be a suitable return for services or excellence of any kind. We applaud the meritorious services of the laborer, the soldier and the seaman. We admire the meritorious labors of a Watts, a Doddridge, a Carey and a Martyn. We rely for salvation on the meritorious obedience and sufferings of Christ.

MER-IT-O'RI-OUS-LY, adv.

In such a manner as to deserve reward. Wotton.

MER-IT-O'RI-OUS-NESS, n.

The state or quality of deserving a reward or suitable return.

MER'IT-O-RY, a.

Deserving of reward. [Not used.] Gower.

MERLE, n. [L. merula.]

A blackbird. Drayton.

MER'LIN, n. [Fr.]

A species of hawk of the genus Falco.