Emily Dickinson Lexicon

IN-SPIRE', v.t.

1. To breathe into. Ye nine descend and sing, / The breathing instruments inspire. Pope.
2. To infuse by breathing. He knew not his Maker, and him that inspired into him an active soul. Wisdom.
3. To infuse into the mind; as, to inspire with new life.
4. To infuse or suggest ideas or monitions supernaturally; to communicate divine instructions to the mind. In this manner, we suppose the prophets to have been inspired, and the Scriptures to have been composed under divine influence or direction.
5. To infuse ideas or poetic spirit.
6. To draw into the lungs; as, to inspire and expire the air with difficulty. Harvey.

IN-SPIR'ED, pp.

1. Breathed in; inhaled; infused.
2. Informed or directed by the Holy Spirit.

IN-SPIR'ER, n.

He that inspires.

IN-SPIR'ING, ppr.

1. Breathing in; inhaling into the lungs; infusing into the mind supernaturally.
2. adj. Infusing spirit or courage; animating.

IN-SPIR'IT, v.t. [in and spirit.]

To infuse or excite spirit in; to enliven; to animate; to give new life to; to encourage; to invigorate. The courage of Agamemnon is inspirited by the love of empire and ambition. Pope.

IN-SPIR'IT-ED, pp.

Enlivened; animated; invigorated.

IN-SPIR'IT-ING, ppr.

Infusing spirit; giving new life to.

IN-SPIS'SATE, v.t. [L. in and spissus, thick.]

To thicken, as fluids; to bring to greater consistence by evaporating to the thinner parts, &c.

IN-SPIS'SA-TED, pp.

Thickened, as a liquor.

IN-SPIS'SA-TING, ppr.

Thickening, as a liquor.

IN-SPIS-SA'TION, n.

The act or operation of rendering a fluid substance thicker by evaporation, &c.

IN-STA-BIL'I-TY, n. [Fr. instabilité; L. instabilitas, instabilis; in and stabilis, from sto, to stand.]

1. Want of stability; want of firmness in purpose; inconstancy; fickleness; mutability of opinion or conduct. Instability is the characteristic of weak minds.
2. Changeableness; mutability; as, the instability of laws, plans or measures.

IN-STA'BLE, a. [L. instabilis.]

1. Inconstant; prone to change or recede from a purpose; mutable; of persons.
2. Not steady or fixed; changeable; of things. [Instable and Unstable are synonymous, and the latter is more commonly used.]

IN-STA'BLE-NESS, n.

Unstableness; mutability; instability.

IN-STALL', v.t. [Fr. installer; Sp. instalar; It. installare; from G. stall, from stellen, D. stellen, to set, Gr. στελλω, to send.]

To set, place or instate, in an office, rank or order; to invest with any charge, office or rank, with the customary ceremonies. To install a clergyman or minister of the Gospel, is to place one who has been previously ordained, over a particular church and congregation, or to invest an ordained minister with a particular pastoral charge; in England, to induct a dean, prebendary or other ecclesiastical dignitary into possession of the church to which he belongs.

IN-STALL-A'TION, n.

The act of giving possession of an office, rank or order, with the customary ceremonies. On the election, the bishop gives a mandate for his installation. Ayliffe.

IN-STALL'ED, pp.

Placed in a seat, office, or order.

IN-STALL'ING, ppr.

Placing in a seat, office or order.

IN-STALL'MENT, n.

1. The act of installing, or giving possession of an office with the usual ceremonies or solemnities. Shak.
2. The seat in which one is placed. [Unusual.] Shak.
3. In commerce, a part of a large sum of money paid or to be paid at a particular a period. In constituting a capital stock by subscriptions of individuals, it is customary to afford facilities to subscribers by dividing the sum subscribed into installments, or portions payable at distinct periods. In large contracts also, it is not unusual to agree that the money shall be paid by installments.

IN'STANCE, n. [Fr. from L. insto, to press; in and sto, to stand. Literally, a standing on. Hence,]

1. Urgency; a pressing; solicitation; importunity; application. The request was granted at the instance of the defendant's advocate.
2. Example; a case occurring; a case offered. Howard furnished a remarkable instance of disinterested benevolence. The world may never witness a second instance of the success of daring enterprise and usurpation, equal to that of Buonaparte. Suppose the earth should be removed nearer to the sun, and revolve, for instance, in the orbit of Mercury, the whole ocean would boil with heat. Bentley. The use of instances is to illustrate and explain a difficulty. Baker.
3. Time; occasion occurrence. These seem as if, in the time of Edward I. they were drawn up in the form of a law, in the first instance. Hale.
4. Motive; influence. [Obs.] Shak.
5. Process of a suit. [Obs.] Instance-court, a branch of the court of admiralty, in England, distinct from the prize-court.

IN'STANCE, v.i.

To give or offer an example or case. As to false citations – I shall instance two or three. Tillotson.

INSTANCE, v.t.

To mention as an example or case. He instanced the event of Cesar's death.

IN'STANC-ED, pp.

or a. Given in proof or as an example. Bp. Hall.

IN'STANC-ING, ppr.

Giving as proof or as an example.

IN'STANT, a. [Fr. from L. instans, insto.]

1. Pressing; urgent; importunate; earnest. Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer. Rom. xii.
2. Immediate; without intervening time; present. Impending death is thine and instant doom. Prior.
3. Quick; making no delay. Instant he flew with hospitable haste. Pope.
4. Present; current. On the tenth of July instant.