Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CAS'U-AL-LY, adv.

Accidentally; fortuitously; without design; by chance.

CAS'U-AL-NESS, n.

Accidentalness; the quality of being casual.

CAS'U-AL-TY, n.

1. Accident; that which comes by chance or without design, or without being foreseen; contingency.
2. An accident that produces unnatural death; and by a metonymy, death, or other misfortune, occasioned by an accident.
3. In Scots law, an emolument due from a vassal to his superior, beyond the stated yearly duties, upon certain casual events. – Encyc.

CAS'U-IST, n. [It. Sp. and Port. casuista; Fr. casuiste; from L. casus; a case.]

One who studies and resolves cases of conscience. The judgment of any casuist or learned divine is not sufficient to give him confidence. – South.

CAS'U-IST, v.i.

To play the part of a casuist. – Milton.

CAS-U-IS'TIC, or CAS-U-IS'TI-CAL, a.

Relating to cases of conscience, or to cases of doubtful propriety. – South.

CAS'U-IS-TRY, n.

The science or doctrine of cases of conscience; the science of resolving cases of doubtful propriety, or of determining the lawfulness or unlawfulness of what a man may do by rules and principles drawn from the Scriptures, from the laws of society, or from equity and natural reason. – Pope.

CASUS-FOEDERIS, n. [Casus fœderis; L.]

The case stipulated by treaty; that which comes within the terms of compact. – Law of Nations.

CAT, n. [Ir. cat; Fr. chat; D. kat; Dan. kat; Sw. katt; G. kater, or katze; L. catus; Vulgar Greek, κατις, or γατος; It. gatto; Port. and Sp. gato; Lap. id.; Pol. kot; Russ. kots; Turkish keti; W. cath; Corn. kath; Arm. gaz or kaz; Basque catua. In Ar. قِطَّ kitta or kaita, is a male cat. Class Gd, No. 56.]

1. A name applied to certain species of carnivorous quadrupeds, of the genus Felis. The domestic cat needs no description. It is a deceitful animal, and when enraged extremely spiteful. It is kept in houses, chiefly for the purpose of catching rats and mice. The wild cat is much larger than the domestic cat. It is a strong ferocious animal, living in the forest, and very destructive to poultry and lambs. The wild cat of Europe is of the same species with the domestic cat; the catamount of North America, is much larger and a distinct species. – Ed. Encyc.
2. A ship formed on the Norwegian model, having a narrow stern, projecting quarters, and a deep waist. It is strong built, from four to six hundred tuns burden, and employed in the coal trade.
3. A strong tackle or combination of pulleys, to hook and draw an anchor perpendicularly up to the cat-head of a ship.
4. A double tripod having six feet. Cat of nine tails, an instrument of punishment, consisting of nine pieces of line or cord fastened to a piece of thick rope, and having three knots at intervals, used to flog offenders on board of ships.

CAT-A-BAP'TIST, n. [Gr. κατα and βαπτιστης.]

One who opposes baptism. – Featley.

CAT-A-CAUS'TIC, a. [Gr. κατακαυσις, a burning.]

Catacaustic curves, in geometry, are that species of caustic curves which are formed by reflection. – Bailey. Encyc.

CAT-A-CHRE'SIS, n. [Gr. καταχρησις, abuse, from κατα, against, and χραομαι, to use.]

An abuse of a trope or of words; a figure in rhetoric, when one word is abusively put for another, or when a word is too far wrested from its true signification; as, a voice beautiful to the ear. – Smith. Bailey. Johnson. A catachresis is a trope which borrows the name of one thing to express another, or a harsh trope; as when Milton, speaking of Raphael's descent from heaven, says, he “sails between worlds and worlds.” Here the novelty of the word sails enlivens the image. So in Scripture we read of the “blood of the grape.” – Deut. xxxii.

CAT-A-CHRES'TIC, or CAT-A-CHRES'TIC-AL, a.

Belonging to a catachresis; forced; far-fetched; wrested from its natural sense. – Johnson. Brown.

CAT-A-CHRES'TIC-AL-LY, adv.

In a forced manner. – Evelyn.

CAT'A-CLYSM, n. [Gr. κατακλυσμος, a deluge, from κατακλυζω, to inundate.]

A deluge, or overflowing of water; particularly, the flood in Noah's days. [Little used.] – Hall.

CAT'A-COMB, n. [probably from Gr. κατα, and κυμβος, a hollow, or recess.]

A cave, grotto, or subterraneous place for the burial of the dead. It is said to have been originally applied to the chapel of St. Sebastian in Rome, where the ancient Roman Calendars say, the body of St. Peter was deposited. It is now applied to a vast number of subterraneous sepulchers, about three miles from Rome, in the Appian Way; supposed to be the cells and caves in which the primitive Christians concealed themselves, and in which were deposited the bodies of the primitive martyrs. These are visited by devout people, and relics are taken from them, baptized by the Pope, and dispersed through Catholic countries. Each catacomb is three feet broad and eight or ten high; along the side walls are sepulchral niches, closed with thick tiles or pieces of marble. Catacombs are found also at Naples and in other places. – Encyc.

CAT-A-COUS'TICS, n. [Gr. κατακουω, to hear.]

That part of acoustics or the doctrine of sounds, which treats of reflected sounds. But the distinction is deemed of little use. – Encyc.

CAT-A-DI-OP'TRIC, or CAT-A-DI-OP'TRIC-AL, a. [Gr. κατα and διοπτομαι, to see through.]

Reflecting light.

CAT'A-DUPE, n. [Fr. from Gr. κατα, and δουπεω, to sound.]

A cataract or waterfall. [Not in use.] – Brewer.

CAT-AG-MAT'IC, a. [Gr. καταγμα, a fragment.]

That has the quality of consolidating broken parts; promoting the union of fractured bones. – Wiseman. Coxe.

CAT'A-GRAPH, n. [Gr. κατα, and γραφω, to describe.]

The first draught of a picture; also a profile. – Chambers.

CAT-A-LEC'TIC, a. [Gr. κατα, and λεγω.]

Pertaining to metrical composition or to measure. – Tyrwhitt. Catalectic verses, are such as want either feet or syllables. – Cyc.

CAT-A-LEP'SIS, or CAT'A-LEP'SY, n. [Gr. καταληψις, a seizing, from καταλαμβανω, to take, seize, or invade.]

A sudden suppression of motion and sensation, in which the patient is speechless, senseless, and fixed in one posture, with his eyes open, without seeing or understanding. The word is applied also to a retention of the breath or of the humors, and to the interception of the blood by bandages. – Encyc. Coxe.

CAT-A-LEP'TIC, a.

Pertaining to catalepsy.

CAT'A-LO-GIZE, v.t.

To insert in a catalogue. [Not used.] – Coles.