Emily Dickinson Lexicon

OP-POR-TU'NITY, [L. opportunitaa.]

1. Fit or convenient time; a time favorable for the purpose; suitable time combined with other favorable circumstances. Suitableness of time is the predominant signification, but it includes generally circumstances of place and other conveniences adapted to the end desired. A wise man will make more opportunities than he finds. Bacon. I had an opportunity to see the cloud descend. Brown. Neglect no opporrunity of doing good. Atterbury.
2. Convenient means. I had an opportunity of sending the letter, or no opportunity to send it. Opportunilies rarely occur or frequently offer.

OP-POS-A-BLE, a.

That may or can be opposed.

OP-PO'SAL, n.

s as z. Opposition. [Not used.] Herbert.

OP-POSE, v.i.

1. s as z.
2. To act adversely; with against; as, a servant opposed against the act. [Not used.] Shak.
3. To object or act against in controversy. Johnson.

OP-POSE, v.t.

1. s as z. [Fr. opposer; ob and poser. to set L. oppono, opposui. It is doubtful whether Fr. poser, and the preterit and participle passive of the Latin verb belong to pono. The change of n into s is unusual. Two different verbs may be used, as in L. fero, tuli. See Pose.]
2. To set against; to put in opposition, with a view to counterbalance or countervail, and thus ro hinder, defeat, destroy or prevent effect; as, to oppose one argument to another. I may without presumption oppose my single opinion to his. Locke.
3. To act against; to resist, either by physical means, by arguments or other means. The army opposed the progress of the enemy, but without success. Several members of the house strenuously opposed the bill, but it passed.
4. To check; to resist effectually. The army was not able to oppose the progress of the enemy.
5. To place in front; to set opposite. Shak.
6. To act against, as a competator.

OP-POS-ED, pp.

1. Set in opposition; resisted.
2. adj. Being in opposition in principle or in act; adverse. Certain characters were formerly apposed to it. Federalist, Jay.

OP-POSE-LESS, a.

Not to be opposed; irresistible. [Not in use.] Shak.

OP-POS-ER, n.

1. One that opposes; an opponent in party, in principle, in controversy or argument. We speak of the opposers of public measures; the opposers of ecclesiastical discipline; an opposer of Christianity or of orthodoxy.
2. One who acts in opposition; one who resists; as, an opposer of law or of the execution of law.
3. An antagonist; an adversary; an enemy; a rival.

OP-POS-ING, ppr.

Acting against; resisting.

OP'PO-SITE, a. [Fr. from L. oppositus.]

1. Standing or situated in front; facing; as, an edifice opposite to the Exchange. Brooklyn lies opposite to New fork, or on the opposite side of the river.
2. Adverse; repugnant. Novels, by which the reader is misled into another sort of pleasure opposite to that designed in an epic poem. Dryden.
3. Contrary; as, words of opposite significations.; opposite terms. The medicine had an effect opposite to what was expected.

OP'PO-SITE, n.

1. An opponent; an adversary; an enemy; an antagonist. Shak. Dryden.
2. That which is opposed or contrary.

OP'PO-SITE-LY, adv.

1. In front; in a situation to face each other. Grew.
2. Adversely; against each other. Winds from all quarters oppositely blow. May.

OP'PO-SITE-NESS, n.

The state of being opposite or contrary.

OP-POS-I-TI-FO'LI-OUS, a. [L. oppositus and folium, a leaf.]

In botany, opposite to the leaf; as, an oppositfolious peduncle. Lee.

OP-PO-SI'TION, n. [L. oppositio.]

1. Situation so as to front something else; a standing over against; as, the opposition of two mountains or buildings.
2. The act of opposing; attempt to check, restrain or defeat. He makes opposition to the measure; the bill passed without opposition. Will any opposition be made to the suit, to the claim or demand?
3. Obstacle. The river meets with no opposition in its course to the ocean.
4. Resistance; as, the opposition of enemies. Virtue will break through all opposition.
5. Contrariety; repugnance in principle; as, the opposition of the heart to the laws of God.
6. Contrariety of interests, measures or designs. The two parties are in opposition to each other.
7. Contrariety or diversity of meaning; as, one term used in opposition to another.
8. Contradiction; inconsistency. Locke.
9. The collective body of opposers; in England, the party in Parliament which opposes the ministry; in America, the party that opposes the existing administration.
10. In astronomy, the situation of two heavenly bodies, when distant from each other 180 degrees.

OP-PO-SI'TION-IST, n.

One that belongs to the party opposing the administration.

OP-POS'-TIVE, a.

That may be put in opposition. Hall.

OP-PRESS', v.t. [Fr. oppresser; L. oppressus, from opprimo; ob and premo, to press.]

1. To load or burden with unreasonable impositions; to treat with unjust severity, rigor or hardship; as, to oppress, a nation with taxes or contributions; to wrest one by compelling him to perform unreasonable service.
2. To overpower; to overburden; as, to be oppressed with grief.
3. To sit or lie heavy on; as, excess of food oppresses the stomach.

OP-PRESS'ED, pp.

Burdened with unreasonable impositions; overpowered; overburdened; depressed.

OP-PRESS'ING, ppr.

Overburdening.

OP-PRES'SION, n.

1. The act of oppressing; the imposition of unreasonable burdens, either in taxes or services; cruelty; severity.
2. The state of being oppressed or overburdened; misery. Shak. The Lord–saw the oppression of Israel. 2 Kings xiii.
3. Hardship; calamity. Addison.
4. Depression; dullness of spirits; lassitude of body. Arbuthnot.
5. A sense of heaviness or weight in the breast, &c.

OP-PRESS'IVE, a.

1. Unreasonably burdensome; unjustly severe; as, oppressive taxes; oppressive exactions of service.
2. Tyrannical; as, an oppressive government.
3. Heavy; overpowering; overwhelming; as, oppressive grief or woe.

OP-PRESS'IVE-LY, adv.

In a manner to oppress; with unreasonable severity. Burke.

OP-PRESS'IV-NESS, n.

The quality of being oppressive.

OP-PRESS'OR, n.

One that oppresses; one that imposes unjust burdens on others; one that harasses others with unjust laws or unreasonable severity. Power when employed to relieve the oppressed and to punish the oppressor, becomes a great blessing.