Emily Dickinson Lexicon

AC-QUI'RY, n.

Acquirement. [Not used.] – Barrow.

AC'QUIS-ITE, a. [s as z.]

Gained. [Not used.] – Burton.

AC-QUI-SI'TION, n. [L. acquisitio, from acquisitus, acquæsivi, which are given as the part. and pret. of acquiro; but quæsivi is probably from a different root; W. ceisiaw; Eth. ሐሠሠ chasas, chas; Ar. قَسَّ‎‎ kassa, to seek. Class Gs.]

1. The act of acquiring; as, a man takes pleasure in the acquisition of property, as well as in the possession.
2. The thing acquired, or gained; as, learning is an acquisition. It is used for intellectual attainments, as well as for external things, property or dominion; and in a good sense, denoting something estimable.

AC-QUIS'I-TIVE, a.

That is acquired; acquired; [but improper.] – Walton.

AC-QUIS'I-TIVE-LY, adv.

Noting acquirement, with to or for following. – Lilly's Grammar.

AC-QUIS'IT-IVE-NESS, n.

Desire of possession.

AC-QUIST', n. [See Acquest.]

[Not used.] – Milton.

AC-QUIT', v.t. [Fr. acquitter; W. gadu, gadaw; L. cedo; Arm. kitat, or quytaat, to leave, or forsake; Fr. quitter, to forsake; Sp. quitar; Port. quitar; It. quitare, to remit, forgive, remove; D. kwyten; Ger. quittiren.]

To set free; to release or discharge from an obligation, accusation, guilt, censure, suspicion, or whatever lies upon a person as a charge or duty; as, the jury acquitted the prisoner; we acquit a man of evil intentions. It is followed by of before the object; to acquit from is obsolete. In a reciprocal sense, as, the soldier acquitted himself well in battle, the word has a like sense, implying the discharge of a duty or obligation. Hence its use in expressing excellence in performance; as, the orator acquitted himself well, that is, in a manner that his situation and public expectation demanded.

AC-QUIT'MENT, n.

The act of acquitting, or state of being acquitted. South. [This word is superseded by Acquittal.]

AC-QUIT'TAL, n.

A judicial setting free, or deliverance from the charge of an offense; as by verdict of a jury, or sentence of a court; as, the acquittal of a principal operates as an acquittal of the accessories.

AC-QUIT'TANCE, n.

1. A discharge or release from a debt.
2. The writing, which is evidence of a discharge; a receipt in full, which bars a further demand.

AC-QUIT'TED, pp.

Set free, or judicially discharged from an accusation; released from a debt, duty, obligation, charge, or suspicion of guilt.

AC-QUIT'TING, ppr.

Setting free from accusation; releasing from a charge, obligation, or suspicion of guilt.

A-CRASE', or A-CRAZE', v.t.

1. To make crazy; to infatuate. See Crazy.
2. To impair; to destroy. [Not in use.]

AC'RA-SY, n. [Gr. ακρασια, from α privative and κρασις, constitution or temperament.]

In medical authors, an excess or predominancy of one quality above another, in mixture, or in the human constitution. – Bailey.

A'CRE, n. [a'ker; Sax. acer, acera, or æcer; Ger. acker; D. akker; Sw. acker; Dan. ager; W. eg; Ir. acra; Ice. akr; Pers. akkar; Gr. αγρος; L. ager. In these languages, the word retains its primitive sense, an open, plowed, or sowed field. In English it retained its original signification, that of any open field, until it was limited to a definite quantity by statutes 31 Ed. III. 5 Ed. I. 24 H. VIII. Cowel.]

1. A quantity of land, containing 160 square rods or perches, or 4840 square yards. This is the English statute acre. The acre of Scotland contains 6150 2/5 square yards. The French arpent is nearly equal to the Scottish acre, about a fifth larger than the English. The Roman juger was 3200 square yards.
2. In the Mogul's dominions, acre in the same as lack, or 100,000 rupees, equal to £12,500 sterling, or 55,500 dollars. Acre-fight, a sort of duel in the open field, formerly fought by English and Scotch combatants on their frontiers. Acre-tax, a tax on land in England, at a certain sum for each acre, called also Acre-shot.

A'CRED, a.

Possessing acres or landed property. – Pope.

AC'RID, a. [Fr. acre; L. acer.]

Sharp; pungent; bitter; sharp or biting to the taste; acrimonious; as acrid salts.

AC'RID-NESS, n.

A sharp, bitter, pungent quality.

AC-RI-MO'NI-OUS, a.

1. Sharp; bitter; corrosive; abounding with acrimony.
2. Figuratively, severe; sarcastic; applied to language or temper.

AC-RI-MO'NI-OUS-LY, adv.

With sharpness or bitterness.

AC-RI-MO'NI-OUS-NESS, n.

The state or quality of being acrimonious.

AC'RI-MO-NY, n. [L. acrimonia, from acer, sharp. The latter part of the word seems to denote likeness, state, condition, like head, hood, in knighthood; in which case it may be from the same root as maneo, Gr. μενω.]

1. Sharpness; a quality of bodies, which corrodes, dissolves, or destroys others, as, the acrimony of the humors. – Bacon.
2. Figuratively, sharpness or severity of temper; bitterness of expression proceeding from anger, ill-nature, or petulance. – South.

AC'RI-SY, n. [Gr. α privative and κρισις, judgment.]

A state or condition of which no right judgment can be formed; that of which no choice is made; matter in dispute; injudiciousness. [Little used.] – Bailey.

A-CRI'TA, n. [plur.; Gr. ακριτος, indiscernible.]

1. A name given to certain species of marine animals or infusories. – Kirby.
2. In medicine, defect of crisis or of a separation and expulsion of morbific matter in the human body.