Emily Dickinson Lexicon

COM-PART'ED, pp.

Divided into parts or apartments.

COM-PART'ING, ppr.

Dividing or disposing into parts.

COM-PAR-TI'TION, n.

1. The act of dividing into parts. In architecture, the division or disposition of the whole ground-plot of an edifice, into its various apartments. Encyc.
2. Division; part divided; a separate part; as, amphitheaters needed no compartitions. – Wotton.

COM-PART'MENT, n. [Fr. compartiment; It. compartimento.]

1. A division or separate part of a general design, as of a picture, or of a ground-plot. – Pope. Peacham.
2. A design composed of several different figures, disposed with symmetry, for ornament; as, a compartment of tiles or bricks, duly arranged, of various colors and varnished, to decorate a building. In gardening, compartments are assemblages of beds, plots, borders, walks, &c. In heraldry, a compartment is called also a partition. – Encyc.

COM-PART'NER, n.

A sharer. – Pearson.

COM'PASS, n. [Fr. compas; Sp. compas; It. compasso; Port. compasso; con or com and Fr. pas, Sp. paso, It. passo, a pace or step, L. passus, which coincides with the participle of pando, to open or stretch. See Pace and Pass. A compass is a stepping together. So in Spanish and Portuguese, it signifies a beating of time in music.]

1. Stretch; reach; extent; the limit or boundary of a space, and the space included; applied to time, space, sound, &c. Our knowledge lies within a very narrow compass. The universe extends beyond the compass of our thoughts. So we say, the compass of a year, the compass of an empire, the compass of reason, the compass of the voice. And in that compass all the world contains. – Dryden.
2. A passing round; a circular course; a circuit. Time is come round; / And where I did begin, there shall I end: / My life has run its compass. Shak. They fetched a compass of seven days journey. – 2 Kings iii. 2 Sam. v. Acts xxviii.
3. Moderate bounds; limits of truth; moderation; due limits. In two hundred years, (I speak within compass,) no such commission had been executed. – Davies. This sense is the same as the first, and the peculiar force of the phrase lies in the word within.
4. The extent or limit of the voice, or of sound. [See No. 1.]
5. An instrument for directing or ascertaining the course of ships at sea, consisting of a circular box, containing a paper card marked with the thirty-two points of direction, fixed on a magnetic needle, that always points to the north, the variation excepted. The needle with the card turns on a pin in the center of the box. In the center of the needle is fixed a brass conical socket or cap, by which the card hanging on the pin turns freely round the center. The box is covered with glass, to prevent the motion of the card from being disturbed by the wind. – Encyc.
6. Compass or Compasses, [or a pair of compasses, so named from its legs, but pair is superfluous or improper, and the singular number, compass, is the preferable name,] an instrument for describing circles, measuring figures, &c., consisting of two pointed legs or branches, made of iron, steel or brass, joined at the top by a rivet, on which they move. There are also compasses of three legs or triangular compasses, cylindrical and spherical compasses, with four branches, and various other kinds. – Encyc.
7. An instrument used in surveying land, constructed in the main like the mariner's compass; but with this difference, that the needle is not fitted into the card, moving with it, but plays alone; the card being drawn on the bottom of the box, and a circle divided into 360 degrees on the limb. This instrument is used in surveying land, and in directing travellers in a desert or forest, miners, &c. – Encyc.

COM'PASS, v.t. [Literally, to measure with a compass. Hence,]

1. To stretch round; to extend so as to embrace the whole: hence, to inclose, encircle, grasp or seize; as, to compass with the arms.
2. To surround; to environ; to inclose on all sides; sometimes followed by around, round or about. Now all the blessings / Of a glad father compass thee about. – Shak. With favor wilt thou compass him as with a shield. – Ps. v. The willows of the brook compass him about. – Job xi.
3. To go or walk round. Ye shall compass the city … and the seventh day ye shall compass the city seven times. – Josh. vi. For ye compass sea and land. – Matth. xxiii.
4. To besiege; to beleaguer; to block up. This is not a different sense, but a particular application. Thine enemies shall cast a trench about thee, and compass thee round, and keep thee in on every side. – Luke xix.
5. To obtain; to attain to; to procure; to bring within one's power; to accomplish. If I can check my erring love, I will; / If not, to compass her I'll use my skill. – Shak. How can you hope to compass your designs? – Denham.
6. To purpose; to intend; to imagine; to plot; to contrive; as, we say, to go about to perform, but in mind only; as, to compass the death of the king. Compassing and imagining the death of the king are synonymous terms; compass signifying the purpose or design of the mind or will, and not, as in common speech, the carrying such design to effect. – Blackstone.

COM'PASS-A-BLE, a.

That may be compassed. – Burke.

COM'PASS-BOX, n.

A box for a compass. – Phillips.

COM'PASS-ED, pp.

Embraced; surrounded; inclosed; obtained; imagined.

COM'PASS-ING, ppr.

1. Embracing; going round; inclosing; obtaining; accomplishing; imagining; intending.
2. In shipbuilding, incurvated; arched. – Mar. Dict.

COM-PAS'SION, n. [It. compassione; Sp. compasion; Fr. compassion; Low L. compassio, compatior; con and patior, passus, to suffer. See Patience.]

A suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity; commiseration. Compassion is a mixed passion, compounded of love and sorrow; at least some portion of love generally attends the pain or regret, or is excited by it. Extreme distress of an enemy even changes enmity into at least temporary affection. He, being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity. – Ps. lxxviii. His father had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. – Luke xv.

COM-PAS'SION, v.t.

To pity. [Not used.] – Shak.

COM-PAS'SION-A-BLE, a.

Deserving of pity. [Little used.] – Barrow.

COM-PAS'SION-ATE, a.

Having a temper or disposition to pity; inclined to show mercy; merciful; having a heart that is tender, and easily moved by the distresses, sufferings, wants, and infirmities of others. There never was a heart truly great and generous, that was not also tender and compassionate. – South.

COM-PAS'SION-ATE, v.t.

To pity; to commiserate; to have compassion for. Compassionates my pains, and pities me. – Addison.

COM-PAS'SION-A-TED, pp.

Pitied.

COM-PAS'SION-ATE-LY, adv.

With compassion; mercifully. – Clarendon.

COM-PAS'SION-ATE-NESS, n.

The quality of being compassionate.

COM-PAS'SION-A-TING, ppr.

Having pity on; commiserating.

COM'PASS-LESS, a.

Having no compass. – Knowles.

COM'PASS-NEE-DLE, n.

The needle of the compass.

COM'PASS-SAW, n.

A saw that cuts in a circular manner.

COM-PA-TERN'I-TY, n. [con and paternity.]

The relation of a godfather to the person for whom he answers. – Davies.

COM-PAT-I-BIL'I-TY, n. [See Compatible.]

Consistency; the quality or power of coexisting with something else; suitableness; as, a compatibility of tempers.