Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CLASP'ER-ED, a.

Furnished with tendrils.

CLASP'ING, ppr.

1. Twining round; catching and holding; embracing; inclosing; shutting or fastening with a clasp.
2. In botany, surrounding the stem at the base, as a leaf. – Martyn.

CLASP'-KNIFE, n.

A knife which folds into the handle. – Johnson.

CLASS, n. [L. classis, a class, a fleet, a troop, that is, a collection; It. classe; Fr. classe; Sp. clase; Arm. claçz, and sclaçz; Dan. klasse, a class, and klase, a cluster, a bunch. This seems to be a branch of the root of L. claudo, clausus.]

1. An order or rank of persons; a number of persons in society, supposed to have some resemblance or equality, in rank, education, property, talents, and the like; as in the phrase, all classes of men in society. The readers of poetry may be distinguished into three classes, according to their capacity of judging. – Dryden.
2. A number of students in a college or school, of the same standing, or pursuing the same studies. In colleges, the students entering or becoming members the same year, and pursuing the same studies. In academies and schools, the pupils who learn the same lesson, and recite together. In some cases, students of different standings, pursuing the same studies and reciting together, or attending the same professor, or the same course of lectures.
3. Scientific division or arrangement; a set of beings or things, having something in common, or ranged under a common denomination. Hence in zoology, animals are divided into classes; as, quadrupeds, fowls, fishes, &c. So in botany, plants are arranged in classes. Classes are natural or artificial; natural, when founded on natural relations, or resemblances; artificial, when formed arbitrarily, for want of a complete knowledge of natural relations. – Martyn.

CLASS, v.t.

1. To arrange in a class or classes; to arrange in sets, or ranks, according to some method founded on natural distinctions; to place together, or in one division, men or things which have or are supposed to have something in common.
2. To place in ranks or divisions, students that are pursuing the same studies; to form into a class or classes.

CLASS'ED, pp.

Arranged in a class or in sets.

CLAS'SIC, or CLAS'SIC-AL, a. [L. classicus; Fr. classique; It. classico; Sp. clasico; from L. classis, the first order of Roman citizens.]

1. Relating to ancient Greek and Roman authors of the first rank or estimation, which, in modern times, have been and still are studied as the best models of fine writing. Thus Aristotle, Plato, Demosthenes, Thucydides, &c., among the Greeks, and Cicero, Virgil, Livy, Sallust, Cesar, and Tacitus, among the Latins, are classical authors. Hence,
2. Pertaining to writers of the first rank among the moderns; being of the first order; constituting the best model or authority as an author; as, Addison and Johnson are English classical writers. Hence classical denotes pure, chaste, correct, refined; as, a classical taste; a classical style. At Liverpool, Roscoe is like Pompey's column at Alexandria, towering alone in classic dignity. – Irving.
3. Denoting an order of presbyterian assemblies. – Milton. Mason.

CLAS'SIC, n.

1. An author of the first rank; a writer whose style is pure, correct, and refined; primarily, a Greek or Roman author of this character; but the word is applied to writers of a like character in any nation. – Pope.
2. A book written by an author of the first class.

CLAS-SICAL'I-TY, or CLAS'SIC-AL-NESS, n.

The quality of being classical.

CLAS'SIC-AL-LY, adv.

1. In the manner of classes; according to a regular order of classes, or sets. It would be impossible to bear all its specific details in the memory, they were not classically arranged. – Kerr's Lavoisier.
2. In a classical manner; according to the manner of classical authors.

CLAS-SIF'IC, a.

Constituting a class or classes; noting classification, or the order of distribution into sets. – Med. Reps. Hex. 2.

CLAS-SI-FI-CA'TION, n. [See Classify.]

The act of forming into a class or classes; distribution into sets, sorts or ranks. – Enfield's Phil. Encyc.

CLAS'SI-FI-CA-TO-RY, a.

Pertaining to classification; that admits of classification. – Am. Eclectic.

CLAS'SI-FI-ED, pp.

Arranged in classes; formed into a class or classes.

CLAS'SI-FY, v.t. [L. classis, a class, and facio, to make; a word of modern coinage.]

To make a class or classes; to distribute into classes; to arrange in sets according to some common properties or characters. The diseases and casualties are not scientifically classified. – Tooke, Russ. Emp. i. 531. See also, Aikin's Letters, 106. Black's Chimistry, i. 345. Walsh, iii. 44. Stewart, El. Phil. i. 187.

CLAS'SI-FY-ING, ppr.

Forming a class or classes; arranging in sorts or ranks.

CLASS'ING, ppr.

Arranging in a class or classes.

CLAS'SIS, n.

1. Class; order; sort. – Clarendon.
2. A convention or assembly. – Milton.

CLAT'TER, n.

1. A rapid succession of abrupt, sharp sounds, made by the collision of metallic or other sonorous bodies; rattling sounds. – Swift.
2. Tumultuous and confused noise; a repetition of abrupt, sharp sounds. – Swift. Shak.

CLATT'ER, v.i. [D. klateren, kletteren; W. clewtiaw; Sax. clatninge, a clattering. Qu. Fr. eclater; L. latro, to bark; Sax. hlyd, loud. It seems to be a diminutive.]

1. To make rattling sounds; to make repeated sharp sounds, as by striking sonorous bodies; as, to clatter on a shield. – Dryden.
2. To utter continual or repeated sharp sounds, or rattling sounds, by being struck together; as, clattering arms.
3. To talk fast and idly; to run on; to rattle with the tongue. – Spenser.

CLAT'TER, v.t.

1. To strike and make a rattling noise. You clatter still your brazen kettle. – Swift.
2. To dispute, jar or clamor. [A low word.] – Martin.

CLAT'TER-ER, n.

One who clatters; a babbler.

CLAT'TER-ING, n.

A rattling noise.

CLAT'TER-ING, ppr.

Making or uttering sharp, abrupt sounds, as by a collision of sonorous bodies; talking fast with noise; rattling.

CLAT'TER-ING-LY, adv.

With clattering.