Emily Dickinson Lexicon

E-LANCE', v.t. [Fr. elancer, lancer, from lance or its root.]

To throw or shoot; to hurl; to dart. While thy unerring hand elanced – a dart. Prior.

E-LANC'ED, pp.

Hurled; darted.

E-LANC'ING, ppr.

Hurling; shooting.

E'LAND, n.

A species of heavy, clumsy antelope in Africa. Barrow.

E-LA'O-LITE, n. [Gr. ελαια, an olive.]

A mineral, called also fettstein [fat-stone] from its greasy appearance. It has a crystaline structure, more or less distinctly foliated in directions parallel to the sides of a rhombic prism, and also in the direction of the shorter diagonals of the bases. Its fracture is uneven, and sometimes imperfectly conchoidal. Some varieties are slightly chatoyant. It is fusible by the blowpipe into a white enamel. Its color are greenish or bluish gray, greenish blue and flesh red, and it is more or less translucent. Cleaveland.

E-LAP-I-DA'TION, n. [L. elapido, from lapis, a stone.]

A clearing away of stones.

E-LAPSE', v.i. [elaps'; L. elapsus, from elabor, labor, to slide.]

To slide away; to slip or glide away; to pass away silently, as, time; applied chiefly or wholly to time. [Instead of elapse, the noun, we use lapse.]

E-LAPS'ED, pp.

Slid or passed away, as time.

E-LAPS'ING, ppr.

Sliding away; gliding or passing away silently as time.

E-LAQ'UE-ATE, v.t. [L. laqueus.]

To disentangle.

E-LAQ'UE-A-TED, pp.

Disentangled.

E-LAQ'UE-A-TING, ppr.

Disentangling.

E-LAS'TIC, or E-LAS'TIC-AL, a. [from the Gr. ελαστρεω, to impel, or ελαω, or ελαυνω, to drive; Fr. elastique; It. and Sp. elastico.]

Springing back; having the power of returning to the form from which it is bent, extended, pressed, or distorted; having the inherent property of recovering its former figure, after any external pressure, which has altered that figure, is removed; rebounding; flying back. Thus, a bow is elastic, and when the force which bends it is removed, it instantly returns to its former shape. The air is elastic; vapors are elastic; and when the force compressing them is removed, they instantly expand or dilate, and recover their former state.

E-LAS'TIC-AL-LY, adv.

In an elastic manner; by an elastic power; with a spring. Lee.

E-LAS-TIC'I-TY, n.

The inherent property in bodies by which they recover their former figure or state, after external pressure, tension, or distortion. Thus, elastic gum, extended, will contract to its natural dimensions, when the force is removed. Air, when compressed, will, on the removal of the compressing force, instantly dilate, and fill its former space.

E-LATE', a. [L. elatus.]

Raised; elevated in mind; flushed, as with success. Whence, lofty; haughty; as, elate with victory. [It is used chiefly in poetry.]

E-LATE', v.t.

1. To raise or swell, as the mind or spirits; to elevate with success; to puff up; to make proud.
2. To raise; to exalt. [Unusual.] Thomson.

E-LAT'ED, pp.

Elevated in mind or spirits; puffed up, as with honor, success, or prosperity: We say, elated with success; elated with pride. [This is used in prose.]

E-LAT'ED-LY, adv.

With elation.

EL-A-TE'RI-UM, n.

A substance deposited from the very acrid juice of the Momordica elaterium, wild cucumber. It is in thin cakes of a greenish color, and bitter taste, and is a powerful cathartic. Brande.

EL'A-TE-RY, n. [Gr. ελατειρα.]

Acting force or elasticity; as, the elatery of the air. [Unusual.] Ray.

EL'A-TIN, n.

The active principle of the elaterium, from which the latter is supposed to derive its cathartic power. Brande.

E-LAT'ING, ppr.

Elevating in mind or spirits.

E-LA'TION, n.

An inflation or elevation of mind proceeding from self-approbation; self-esteem, vanity, or pride, resulting from success. Hence, haughtiness; pride of prosperity. Atterbury.

EL'BOW, n. [Sax. elnboga, or elneboga; ulna, the arm, the ell, and boga, bow; contracted into elboga, elbow; G. elbogen; D. elleboog; Scot. elbock, elbuck.]

1. The outer angle made by the bend of the arm. Encyc. The wings that waft our riches out of sight / Grow on the gamester's elbows. Cowper.
2. Any flexure or angle; the obtuse angle of a wall, building, or road. Encyc. To be at the elbow, is to be very near; to be by the side; to be at hand.