Dictionary: AM'BUS-CADE – AM'EN-ANCE

a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z |

1234567891011121314151617181920
2122232425262728293031323334353637383940
4142434445464748495051525354555657585960
6162636465666768697071727374757677787980
81828384858687888990919293949596979899100
101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140
141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160
161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180
181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200
201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220
221222223224225226

AM'BUS-CADE, v.t.

To lie in wait for, or to attack from a concealed position.

AM'BUS-CAD-ED, pp.

Having an ambush laid against, or attacked from a private station; as, his troops were ambuscaded.

AM'BUS-CAD-ING, ppr.

Lying in wait for; attacking from a secret station.

AM'BUSH, n. [Fr. embûche, of in and bush; Dan. busk; D. bosch; Germ. busch; Fr. bosquet, boscage, bocage, bois. See Bush.]

  1. A private or concealed station, where troops lie in wait to attack their enemy by surprise.
  2. The state of lying concealed, for the purpose of attacking by surprise; a lying in wait.
  3. The troops posted in a concealed place for attacking by surprise. Lay thee an ambush for the city. – Josh. viii.

AM'BUSH, v.i.

To lie in wait, for the purpose of attacking by surprise. Nor saw the snake, that ambush'd for his prey. – Trumbull.

AM'BUSH, v.t.

To lie in wait for; to surprise, by assailing unexpectedly from a concealed place.

AM'BUSH-ED, pp.

Lain in wait for; suddenly attacked from a concealed station.

AM-BUSH'ING, ppr.

Lying in wait for; attacking from a concealed station.

AM'BUSH-MENT, n.

An ambush; which see.

AM'BUS-TION, n. [L. ambustio, from amburo, to burn or scorch; of amb, about, and uro, to burn.]

Among physicians, a burning; a burn or scald.

A-MEI'VA, n.

A genus of lizards found in Brazil. – Dict. of Nat. Hist.

AM'EL, n. [Fr. email.]

The matter with which metallic bodies are overlaid; but its use is superseded by Enamel; which see. – Boyle.

A-MEL'IOR-A-BLE, a.

That may be meliorated.

A-MEL'IO-RATE, v.i.

To grow better; to meliorate.

A-MEL'IO-RATE, v.t. [Fr. ameliorer, from L. melior, better.]

To make better; to improve; to meliorate. – S. S. Smith. Christ. Obs. Buchanan.

A-MEL'IOR-A-TED, pp.

Grown better; improved.

A-MEL'IOR-A-TING, ppr.

Becoming or making better.

A-MEL-IO-RA'TION, n.

A making or becoming better; improvement; melioration.

A-MEN', v. [or n.]

This word, with slight differences of orthography, is in all the dialects of the Assyrian stock. As a verb, it signifies to confirm, establish, verify; to trust, or give confidence; as a noun, truth, firmness, trust, confidence; as an adjective, firm, stable. In English, after the Oriental manner, it is used at the beginning, but more generally at the end of declarations and prayers, in the sense of, be it firm, be it established. And let all the people say amen. – Ps. cvi. The word is used also as a noun: "All the promises of God are amen in Christ," that is, firmness, stability, constancy.

A-ME-NA-BIL'I-TY, n.

State of being amenable or answerable. – Judge Story.

A-ME-NA-BIL'I-TY, or A-ME'NA-BLE-NESS, n.

The state of being amenable; liability to answer.

A-ME'NA-BLE, a. [It. menare; Fr. mener, amener; Norm. amesner, to lead, to bring; Fr. amener, It. ammainare, in marine language, to strike sail.]

  1. In old law, easy to be led; governable, as a woman by her husband. [This sense is obsolete.]
  2. Liable to answer; responsible; answerable; liable to be called to account; as, every man is amenable to the laws. We retain this idiom in the popular phrase, to bring in, to make answerable; as, a man is brought in to pay the debt of another.

A-ME'NA-BLY, adv.

In an amenable manner.

AM'EN-AGE, v.t.

To manage. [Obs.] – Spenser.

AM'EN-ANCE, n.

Conduct, behavior. [Obs.] – Spenser.