Emily Dickinson Lexicon

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. Swift.

OP-PRO'BRI-OUS, a. [See Opprobrium.]

1. Reproachful and contemptuous; scurrilous; as, opprobrious language; opprobrious words or terms.
2. Blasted with infamy; despised; rendered hateful; as, an opprobrious name. Milton. Daniel.

OP-PRO'BRI-OUS-LY, adv.

With reproach mingled with contempt; scurrilously. Shak.

OP-PRO'BRI-OUS-NESS, n.

Reproachfulness mingled with contempt; scurrility.

OP-PRO'BRI-UM, n. [L. ob and probrum, disgrace.]

Reproach mingled with contempt or disdain.

OP-PRO'BY, n.

Opprobrium. [Not used.]

OP-PUGN, v.t. [oppu'ne; L. oppugno; ob and pugno, to fight, from pugnus, the fist, Sp. puño, Fr. poing.]

To attack; to oppose; to resist. They said the manner of their impeachment they could not but conceive did oppugn the rights of parliament. Clarendon. [It is never used in the literal sense, to fight.]

OP-PUG'NAN-CY, n.

Opposition; resistance. Shak.

OP-PUG'NANT, a.

Opposing; resisting.

OP-PUG-NA'TION, n.

Opposition; resistance. Hall.

OP-PUGN-ED, pp. [oppu'ned.]

Opposed; resisted.

OP-PUGN-ER, n. [oppu'ner.]

One who opposes or attacks; that which opposes. Boyle.

OP-PUGN-ING, ppr. [oppu'ning.]

Attacking; opposing.

OP-SIM'A-THY, n. [Gr. οψιμαθεια; οψε, late, and μανθανω, to learn.]

Late education; education late in life. [Little used.] Hales.

OP-SI-OM'E-TER, n. [Gr. οψις and μετρον.]

An instrument for measuring the extent of the limits of distinct vision in different individuals, and from that to determine the focal length of a lens necessary to correct imperfect sight. Brande.

OP-SO-NA'TION, n. [L. obsono, to cater.]

A catering; a buying of provisions. [Not used.] Dict.

OP'TA-BLE, a. [L. optabilis, from opto, to desire.]

Desirable. [Not used.]

OP-TA'TION, n. [L. optatio.]

A desiring; the expression of a wish. Peacham.

OP'TA-TIVE, a. [L. optativus, from opto, to desire or wish.]

Expressing desire or wish. The optative mode, in grammar, is that form of the verb in which wish or desire is expressed.

OP'TA-TIVE, n.

Something to be desired. [Little used.] Bacon.

OP'TIC, or OP'TIC-AL, a. [Gr. οπτικος, from οπτομαι, to see; ωψ, the eye.]

1. Relating or pertaining to vision or sight.
2. Relating to the science of optics. Optic angle, is that which the optic axes of the eyes make with one another, as they tend to meet at some distance before the eyes. Optic axis, is the axis of the eye, or a line going through the middle of the pupil and the center of the eye. Encyc.

OP'TIC, n.

An organ of sight. Trumbull.