Emily Dickinson Lexicon

GOV'ERN, v.t. [Fr. gouverner; Sp. gobernar; It. governare; L. guberno. The L. guberno seems to be a compound.]

1. To direct and control, as the actions or conduct of men, either by established laws or by arbitrary will; to regulate by authority; to keep within the limits prescribed by law or sovereign will. Thus in free states, men are governed by the constitution and laws; in despotic states, men are governed by the edicts or commands of a monarch. Every man should govern well his own family.
2. To regulate; to influence; to direct. This is the chief point by which he is to govern all his counsels and actions.
3. To control; to restrain; to keep in due subjection; as, to govern the passions or temper.
4. To direct; to steer; to regulate the course or motion of a ship. The helm or the helmsman governs the ship.
5. In grammar, to require to be in a particular case; as, a verb transitive governs a word in the accusative case; or to require a particular case; as, a verb governs the accusative case.

GOV'ERN-A-BLE, a.

That may be governed, or subjected to authority; controllable; manageable; obedient; submissive to law or role. Locke.

GOV'ERN-ANCE, n.

Government; exercise of authority; direction; control; management, either of a public officer, or of a private guardian or tutor. Maccabees. Shak.

GOV'ERN-ANT, n. [Fr. gouvernante.]

A lady who has the care and management of young females; a governess. [The latter is more generally used.]

GOV'ERN-ED, pp.

Directed; regulated by authority; controlled; managed; influenced; restrained.

GOV'ERN-ESS, n.

A female invested with authority to control and direct; a tutoress; an instructress; a woman who has the care of instructing and directing young ladies.

GOV'ERN-ING, ppr.

1. Directing; controlling; regulating by laws or edicts; managing; influencing; restraining.
2. adj. Holding the superiority; prevalent; as, a governing wind; a governing party in a state. Federalist. Jay.
3. Directing; controlling; as, a governing motive.

GOV'ERN-MENT, n.

1. Direction; regulation. These precepts will serve for the government of our conduct.
2. Control; restraint. Men are apt to neglect the government of their temper and passions.
3. The exercise of authority; direction and restraint exercised over the actions of men in communities, societies or states; the administration of public affairs, according to established constitution, laws and usages, or by arbitrary edicts. Prussia rose to importance under the government of Frederic II.
4. The exercise of authority by a parent or household. Children are often ruined by a neglect of government in parents. Let family government be like that of our heavenly Father, mild, gentle, and affectionate. Kollock.
5. The system of polity in a state; that form of fundamental rules and principles by which a nation or state is governed, or by which individual members of a body politic are to regulate their social actions; a constitution, either written or unwritten, by which the rights and duties of citizens and public officers are prescribed and defined; as, a monarchial government, or a republican government. Thirteen governments thus founded on the natural authority of the people alone, without the pretense of miracle or mystery, are a great point gained in favor of the rights of mankind. J. Adams.
6. An empire, kingdom or state; any territory over which the right of sovereignty is extended.
7. The right of governing or administering the laws. The King of England vested the government of Ireland in the lord lieutenant.
8. The persons or council which administer the laws of a kingdom or state; executive power.
9. Manageableness; compliance; obsequiousness. Shak.
10. Regularity of behavior. [Not in use.] Shak.
11. Management of the limbs or body. [Not in use.] Spencer.
12. In grammar, the influence of a word in regard to construction, as when established usage requires that one word should cause another to be in a particular case or mode.

GOV-ERN-MENT'AL, a.

Pertaining to government; made by government. Hamilton.

GOV'ERN-OR, n.

1. He that governs, rules or directs; one invested with supreme authority. The Creator is the rightful governor of all his creatures.
2. One who is invested with supreme authority to administer or enforce the laws; the supreme executive magistrate of a state, community, corporation or post. Thus, in America, each state has its governor; Canada has its governor.
3. A tutor; one who has the care of a young man; one who instructs him and forms his manners.
4. A pilot; one who steers a ship. James iii.
5. One possessing delegated authority. Joseph was governor over the land of Egypt. Obadiah was governor over Ahab's house. Damascus had a governor under Aretes the king.

GOV'ERN-OR-SHIP, n.

The office of a governor.

GOW'AN, n.

A plant, a species of Bellis or daisy. Fam. of Plants.

GOWK, n. [See GAWK.]

GOWN, n. [W. gwn; Ir. gunna; It. gonna. This is probably the καυνακη of Hesychins, and the guanacum of Varro; a garment somewhat like the sagum or sack, said to be of Persian origin, and among rude nations perhaps made of skins, [W. cènysgin,]

1. and afterward of wool; a kind of shag or frieze. Ch. גונכא, mentioned Judges iv. 18, and 2 Kings viii. 15. See Varro de Ling. Lat. lib. 4. Bochart. de Phoen. Col. lib. 1. cap. 42, and Cluv. Ant. Germ. lib. 1.]
2. A woman's upper garment. Pope.
3. A long loose upper garment or robe, worn by professional men, as divines, lawyers, students, &c., who are called men of the gown or gownmen. It is made of any kind of cloth worn over ordinary clothes, and hangs down to the ankles or nearly so. Encyc.
4. A long loose upper garment, worn in sickness, &c.
5. The dress of peace, or the civil magistracy; cedant arma togae. He Mars deposed, and arms to gowns made yield. Dryden.

GOWN'ED, a.

Dressed in a gown. Dryden.

GOWN'MAN, n.

1. One whose professional habit is a gown. The gownman learn'd. Pope.
2. One devoted to the arts of peace. Rowe.

GOZ'ZARD, n.

A gooseherd. [Vulgar.]

GRAB, n.

A vessel used on the Malabar coast, having two or three masts. Dict.

GRAB, v.t. [Dan. greb, a grasp; griber, to gripe; Sw. grabba, to grasp; gripa, to gripe; W. grab, a duster.]

To seize; to gripe suddenly. [Vulgar.]

GRAB'BED, pp.

Seized suddenly.

GRAB'BING, ppr.

Seizing suddenly.

GRAB'BLE, v.i. [dim. of grab; D. grabbelen; G. grübeln; allied to grope, grovel, and grapple; Arm. scraba; Eng. scrabble; allied to rub, or L. rapio, or to both.]

1. To grope; to feel with the hands. Arbuthnot.
2. To lie prostrate on the belly; to sprawl. Ainsworth.

GRAB'BLING, ppr.

Groping; feeling along; sprawling.

GRACE, n. [Fr. grace; It. grazia; Sp. gracia; Ir. grasa; from the L. gratia, which is formed on the Celtic; W. rhad, grace, a blessing, a gratuity. It coincides in origin with Fr. gré, Eng. agree, congruous, and ready. The primary sense of gratus, is free, ready, quick, willing, prompt, from advancing. Class Rd. See Grade.]

1. Favor; good will; kindness; disposition to oblige another; as, a grant made as an act of grace. Or each, or all, may win a lady's grace. Dryden.
2. Appropriately, the free unmerited love and favor of God, the spring and source of all the benefits men receive from. And if by grace, then it is no more of works. Rom. xi.
3. Favorable influence of God; divine influence or the influence of the spirit, in renewing the heart and restraining from sin. My grace is sufficient for thee. 2. Cor. xii.
4. The application of Christ's righteousness to the sinner. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound. Rom. v.
5. A state of reconciliation to God. Rom. v. 2.
6. Virtuous or religious affection or disposition, as a liberal disposition, faith, meekness, humility, patience, &c., proceeding from divine influence.
7. Spiritual instruction, improvement and edification. Eph. iv. 29.
8. Apostleship, or the qualifications of an apostle. Eph. iii.8.
9. Eternal life; final salvation. 1 Pet. i. 13.
10. Favor; mercy; pardon. Bow and sue for grace With suppliant knee. Milton.
11. Favor conferred. I should therefore esteem it a great favor and grace. Prior.
12. Privilege. To few great Jupiter imparts this grace. Dryden.
13. That in manner, deportment or language, which renders it appropriate and agreeable; suitableness; elegance with appropriate dignity. We say, a speaker delivers his address with grace; a man performs his part with grace. Grace was in all her steps. Milton. Her purple habit sits with such a grace / On her smooth shoulders. Dryden.
14. Natural or acquired excellence; any endowment that recommends the possessor to others; as, the graces of wit and learning. Hooker.
15. Beauty; embellishment; in general, whatever adorns and recommends to favor; sometimes, a single beauty. I pass their form and every charming grace. Dryden.
16. Beauty deified; among pagans, a goddess. The graces were three in number, Aglaia, Thalia, and Euphrosyne, the constant attendants of Venus. Lempriere. The loves delighted, and the graces played. Prior.
17. Virtue physical; as, the grace of plants. [Not used.] Shak.
18. The title of a duke or an archbishop, and formerly of the king of England, meaning your goodness or clemency. His Grace the Duke of York. Your Grace will please to accept my thanks.
19. A short prayer before or after meat; a blessing asked, or thanks rendered.
20. In music, graces signifies turns, trills and shakes introduced for embellishment.
21. The gospel. Receive not the grace of God in vain. St. Paul.
22. In English universities, an act, vote or decree of the government of the institution. Day of grace, in theology, time of probation, when an offer is made to sinners. Days of grace, in commerce, the days immediately following the day when a bill or note becomes due, which days are allowed to the debtor or payor to make payment in. In Great Britain and the United States the days of grace are three, but in other countries more; the usages of merchants being different.

GRACE, v.t.

1. To adorn; to decorate; to embellish and dignify. Great Jove and Phoebus graced his noble line. Pope. And hail, ye fair, of every charm possess'd, Who grace this rising empire of the west. D. Humphrey.
2. To dignify or raise by an act of favor; to honor. He might at his pleasure grace or disgrace whom he would in court. Knolles.
3. To favor; to honor. Dryden.
4. To supply with heavenly grace. Bp. Hall.