Emily Dickinson Lexicon

RE-SPEAK', v.t. [pret. respoke; pp. respoken, respoke. re and speak.]

1. To answer; to speak in return; to reply. [Little used.] – Shak.
2. To speak again; to repeat.

RE-SPECT', n. [L. respectus; Fr. respect.]

1. Regard; attention. – Shak.
2. That estimation or honor in which men hold the distinguished worth or substantial good qualities of others. It expresses less than reverence and veneration, which regard elders and superiors; whereas respect may regard juniors and inferiors. Respect regards the qualities of the mind, or the actions which characterize those qualities. Seen without awe, and serv'd without respect. – Prior.
3. That deportment or course of action which proceeds from esteem; regard; due attention; as, to treat a person with respect. These same men treat the sabbath with little respect. – Nelson.
4. Good will; favor. The Lord had respect to Abel and his offering. – Gen. iv.
5. Partial regard; undue bias to the prejudice of justice; as the phrase, respect of persons. – 1 Pet. i. James ii. Prov. xxiv.
6. Respected character; as, persons of the best respect in Rome. – Shak.
7. Consideration; motive in reference to something. Whatever secret respects were likely to move them … – Hooker.
8. Relation; regard; reference; followed by of, but more properly by to. They believed but one Supreme Deity, which, with respect to the benefits men received from him, had several titles. – Tillotson.

RE-SPECT', v.t. [L. respecto, or respectus, from respicio; re and specio, to view; Fr. respecter; It. rispettare; Sp. respetar.]

1. To regard; to have regard to in design or purpose. In orchards and gardens, we do not so much respect beauty, as variety of ground for fruits, trees and herbs. – Bacon.
2. To have regard to, in relation or connection; to relate to. The treaty particularly respects our commerce.
3. To view or consider with some degree of reverence; to esteem as possessed of real worth. I always loved and respected Sir William. – Swift.
4. To look toward. Palladius adviseth the front of his house should so respect the south. [Not in use.] – Brown. To respect the person, to suffer the opinion or judgment to be influenced or biased by a regard to the outward circumstances of a person, to the prejudice of right and equity. Thou shalt not respect the person of the poor. – Lev. xix. Neither doth God respect any person. – 2 Sam. xiv.

RE-SPECT-A-BIL'I-TY, n.

State or quality of being respectable; the state or qualities which deserve or command respect. – Cumberland. Kett.

RE-SPECT'A-BLE, a. [Fr.; It. rispettabile; Sp. respetable.]

1. Possessing the worth or qualities which deserve or command respect; worthy of esteem and honor; as, a respectable citizen; respectable company. No government, any more than an individual, will long be respected, without being truly respectable. – Federalist, Madison.
2. In popular language, this word is much used to express what is moderate in degree of excellence or in number, but not despicable. We say, a respectable discourse or performance, a respectable audience, a respectable number of citizens convened.

RE-SPECT'A-BLE-NESS, n.

Respectability.

RE-SPECT'A-BLY, adv.

1. With respect; more generally, in a manner to merit respect.
2. Moderately, but in a manner not to be despised.

RE-SPECT'ED, pp.

Held in honorable estimation.

RE-SPECT'ER, n.

One that respects; chiefly used in the phrase, respecter of persons, which signifies a person who regards the external circumstances of others in his judgment, and suffers his opinion to be biased by them, to the prejudice of candor, justice and equity. I perceive that God is no respecter of persons. – Acts x.

RE-SPECT'FUL, a.

Marked or characterized by respect; as, respectful deportment. With humble joy and with respectful fear. – Prior.

RE-SPECT'FUL-LY, adv.

With respect; in a manner comporting with due estimation. – Dryden.

RE-SPECT'FUL-NESS, n.

The quality of being respectful.

RE-SPECT'ING, ppr.

Regarding; having regard to; relating to. This word, like concerning, has reference to a single word or to a sentence. In the sentence, “his conduct respecting us is commendable,” respecting has reference to conduct. But when we say, “respecting a further appropriation of money, it is to be observed, that the resources of the country are inadequate,” respecting has reference to the whole subsequent clause or sentence.

RE-SPECT'IVE, a. [Fr. respectif; It. rispettivo.]

1. Relative; having relation to something else; not absolute; as, the respective connections of society.
2. Particular; rotating to a particular person or thing. Let each man retire to his respective place of abode. The officers were found in their respective quarters; they appeared at the head of their respective regiments. Let each give according to his respective proportion.
3. Worthy of respect. [Not in use.] – Shak.
4. Careful; circumspect; cautious; attentive to consequences; as, respective and wary men. [Not in use.] – Hooker.

RE-SPECT'IVE-LY, adv.

1. As relating to each; particularly; as each belongs to each. Let each man respectively perform his duty. The impressions from the objects of the senses do mingle respectively every one with its kind. – Bacon.
2. Relatively; not absolutely. – Ralegh.
3. Partially; with respect to private views. [Obs.]
4. With respect. [Obs.] – Shak.

RE-SPECT'LESS, a.

Having no respect; without regard; without reference. [Little used.] – Drayton.

RE-SPECT'LESS-NESS, n.

The state of having no respect or regard; regardlessness. [Little used.] – Shelton.

RE-SPERSE, v.t. [respers'; L. respersus, respergo; re and spargo, to sprinkle.]

To sprinkle. [Rarely used.] – Taylor.

RE-SPER'SION, n. [L. respersio.]

The act of sprinkling. – Johnson.

RE-SPI-RA-BIL'I-TY, or RE-SPI'RA-BLE-NESS, n.

The quality of being respirable.

RE-SPI'RA-BLE, a. [from respire.]

That may be breathed; for respiration or for the support of animal life; as, respirable air. Azotic gas is not respirable.

RES-PI-RA'TION, n. [Fr. from L. respiratio.]

1. The act of breathing; the act of inhaling air into the lungs and again exhaling or expelling it, by which animal life is supported. The respiration of fishes, [for these can not live long without air,] appears to be performed by the air contained in the water acting on the gills.
2. Relief from toil. – Milton.

RES'PI-RA-TOR, n.

An instrument for introducing warm air into the lungs; used in pulmonic complaints.

RES'PI-RA-TO-RY, a.

Serving for respiration; as, respiratory organs. – Asiat. Res.

RE-SPIRE', v.i. [Fr. respirer; L. respiro; re and spiro; to breathe.]

1. To breathe; to inhale air into the lungs and exhale it, for the purpose of maintaining animal life.
2. To catch breath. – Spenser.
3. To rest; to take rest from toil. – Milton.