Emily Dickinson Lexicon

EX-PERT', a. [L. expertus, from experior, to try. See Experience.]

1. Properly, experienced; taught by use, practice or experience; hence, skillful; well instructed; having familiar knowledge of; as, an expert philosopher.
2. Dextrous; adroit; ready; prompt; having a facility of operation or performance from practice; as, an expert operator in surgery. It is usually followed by in; as, expert in surgery; expert in performance on a musical instrument. Pope uses expert of arms, but improperly.

EX-PERT', n.

An expert person. Ed. Rev.

EX-PERT'LY, adv.

In a skillful or dextrous manner; adroitly; with readiness and accuracy.

EX-PERT'NESS, n.

Skill derived from practice; readiness; dexterity; adroitness; as, expertness in musical performance; expertness in war or in seamanship; expertness in reasoning.

EX-PE'TI-BLE, a. [L. expetibilis.]

That may be wished for; desirable. [Not used.]

EX'PI-A-BLE, a. [L. expiabilis. See Expiate.]

That may be expiated; that may be atoned for and done away; as, an expiable offense; expiable guilt.

EX'PI-ATE, v.t. [L. expio; ex and pio, to worship, to atone; pius, pious, mild. The primary sense is probably to appease, to pacify, to allay resentment, which is the usual we of atone in most languages which I have examined. Pio is probably contracted from pico, and from the root of paco, the radical sense of which is to lay, set or fix; the primary sense of peace, pax. Hence the sense of mild in pius. But this opinion is offered only as probable.]

1. To atone for; to make satisfaction for; to extinguish the guilt of a crime by subsequent acts of piety or worship, by which the obligation to punish the crime is canceled. To expiate guilt or a crime, is to perform some act which is supposed to purify the person guilty; or some act which is accepted by the offended party as satisfaction for the injury; that is, some act by which his wrath is appeased, and his forgiveness procured.
2. To make reparation for; as, to expiate an injury. Clarendon.
3. To avert the threats of prodigies. Johnson.

EX'PI-A-TED, pp.

Atoned for; done away by satisfaction offered and accepted.

EX'PI-A-TING, ppr.

Making atonement or satisfaction for; destroying or removing guilt, and canceling the obligation to punish.

EX-PI-A'TION, n. [L. expiatio.]

1. The act of atoning for a crime; the act of making satisfaction for an offense, by which the guilt is done away, and the obligation of the offended person to punish the crime is canceled; atonement; satisfaction. Among pagans and Jews, expiation was made chiefly by sacrifices, or washings and purification. Among Christians, expiation for the sins of men is usually considered as made only by the obedience and sufferings of Christ.
2. The means by which atonement for crimes is made; atonement; as sacrifices and purification among heathens, and the obedience and death of Christ among Christians.
3. Among ancient heathens, an act by which the threats of prodigies were averted. Hayward.

EX'PI-A-TO-RY, a.

Having the power to make atonement or expiation; as, an expiatory sacrifice. Hooker.

EX-PI-LA'TION, n. [L. expilatio, from expilo, to strip; ex and pilo, to peel.]

A stripping; the act of committing waste on land; waste. [Little used.]

EX-PIR-A-BLE, a. [from expire.]

That may expire; that may come to an end.

EX-PIR-ANT, a.

One expiring.

EX-PI-RA'TION, n. [L. expiratio, from expiro. See Expire.]

1. The act of breathing out, or forcing the air from the lungs. Respiration consists of expiration and inspiration.
2. The last emission of breath; death. Rambler.
3. The emission of volatile matter from any substance; evaporation; exhalation; as, the expiration of warm air from the earth.
4. Matter expired; exhalation; vapor; fume. Bacon.
5. Cessation; close; end; conclusion; termination of a limited time; as, the expiration of a month or year; the expiration of a term of years; the expiration of a lease; the expiration of a contract or agreement.

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

Pertaining to the emission or expiration of breath from the lungs. Hall.

EX-PIRE, v.i.

1. To emit the last breath, as an animal; to die; to breathe the last.
2. To perish; to end; to fail or be destroyed; to come to nothing; to be frustrated. With the loss of battle all his hopes of empire expired.
3. To fly out; to be thrown out with force. [Unusual.] The ponderous hall expires. Dryden.
4. To come to an end; to cease; to terminate; to close or conclude, as a given period. A lease will expire on the first of May. The year expires on Monday. The contract will expire at Michaelmas. The days had not expired. When forty years had expired. Acts vi.

EX-PIRE, v.t. [L. expiro, for exspiro; ex and spiro, to breathe.]

1. To breathe out; to throw out the breath from the lungs; opposed to inspire. We expire air at every breath.
2. To exhale; to emit in minute particles, as a fluid or volatile matter. The earth expires a damp or warm vapor; the body expires fluid matter from the pores; plants expire odors.
3. To conclude. [Obs.]

EX-PIR-ED, pp.

of Expire.

EX-PIR-ING, ppr.

1. Breathing out air from the lungs; emitting fluid or volatile matter; exhaling; breathing the last breath; dying; ending; terminating.
2. adj. Pertaining to or uttered at the time of dying; as, expiring words; expiring groans. J. Lathrop.

EX-PLAIN, v.i.

To give explanations.

EX-PLAIN, v.t. [L. explano; ex and planus, plain, open, smooth; Sp. explanar; It. spianare. See Plain.]

To make plain, manifest or intelligible; to clear of obscurity; to expound; to illustrate by discourse, or by notes. The first business of a preacher is to explain his text. Notes and comments are intended to explain the Scriptures.

EX-PLAIN-A-BLE, a.

That may be cleared of obscurity; capable of being made plain to the understanding; capable of being interpreted. Brown.

EX-PLAIN-ED, pp.

Made clear or obvious to the understanding; cleared of doubt, ambiguity or obscurity; expounded; illustrated.

EX-PLAIN-ER, n.

One who explains; an expositor; a commentator; an interpreter. Harris.