Emily Dickinson Lexicon

GIRD'LE-STEAD, n.

The part of the body where the girdle is worn. Mason.

GIRD'LING, pp.

Binding with a belt; surrounding.

GIRE, n. [L. gyrus.]

A circle, or circular motion. [See Gyre.]

GIRL, n. [gerl; The origin of this word is not obvious. It is most probably the Low L. gerula, a young woman employed to tend children; a word left in England by the Romans. It is said that the word was formerly used for both sexes; be it so; gerulus was also used for a chairman.]

1. A female child, or young woman. In familiar language, any young unmarried woman. Dryden.
2. Among sportsmen, a roebuck of two years old.

GIRL'HOOD, n.

The state of a girl. [Little used.] Miss Seward.

GIRL'ISH, a.

1. Like a young woman or child; befitting a girl.
2. Pertaining to the youth of a female. Carew.

GIRL'ISH-LY, adv.

In the manner of a girl.

GIRL'ISH-NESS, n.

Levity; the manners of a girl.

GI-ROND'IST, n.

One of a celebrated political party during the French revolution.

GIR'ROCK, n.

A species of gar-fish, the lacertus. Cyc.

GIRT, or GIRTH, n.

1. The band or stop by which a saddle or any burden on a horse's back is made fast, by passing under his belly.
2. A circular bandage. Wiseman.
3. The compass measured by a girth or inclosing bandage. He's a lusty, jolly fellow, that lives well, at least three yards in the girth. Addison.

GIRT, v. [pret. and pp. of Gird.]

GIRT, v.t.

To gird; to surround. Thomson. Tooke. [This verb, if derived from the noun, girt, may be proper.]

GIRT'ED, pp.

Girded; surrounded.

GIRTH, v.t.

To bind with a girth.

GIRT'ING, ppr.

Girding.

GISE, v.t.

To feed or pasture. [See Agist.]

GIS'LE, n.

A pledge. [Not in use.]

GIST, n. [Fr. gesir, to lie; gîte, a lodging-place.]

In law, the main point of a question; the point on which an action rests.

GITH, n.

Guinea pepper.

GIT'TERN, n. [L. cithara.]

A guitar. [See Guitar.]

GIT'TERN, v.i.

To play on a gittern. Milton.

GIVE, v.i. [giv.]

1. To yield to pressure. The earth gives under the feet.
2. To begin to melt; to thaw; to grow soft, so as to yield to pressure. Bacon.
3. To move; to recede. Now back he gives, then rushes on amain. Daniel's Civil War. To give in, to go back; to give way. [Not in use.] To give in to, to yield assent; to adopt. This consideration may induce a translator to give in to those general phrases. Pope. To give off, to cease; to forbear. [Little used.] Locke. To give on, to rush; to fall on. [Not in use.] To give out, to publish; to proclaim. #2. To cease from exertion; to yield; applied to persons. He labored hard, but gave out at last. To give over, to cease; to act no more; to desert. It would be well for all authors, if they knew when to give over, and to desist from any further pursuits after fame. Addison.

GIVE, v.t. [giv; pret. gave; pp. given. [Sax. gifan, gyfan; Goth. giban; G. geben; D. geeven; Sw. gifva; Dan. giver. Hence, Sax. gif, Goth. iabai or yabai, now contracted into if. Chaucer wrote yeve, yave. Qu. Heb. Ch. Syr. and Sam. יהב, to give. See Class Gb, No. 3, 26, 43. The sense of give is generally to pass, or to transfer, that is, to send or throw.]

1. To bestow; to confer; to pass or transfer the title or property of a thing to another person without an equivalent or compensation. For generous lords had rather give than pay. Young.
2. To transmit from himself to another by hand, speech or writing; to deliver. The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. Gen. iii.
3. To impart; to bestow. Give us of your oil, for our lamps are gone out. Matth. xxv.
4. To communicate; as, to give an opinion; to give counsel or advice; to give notice.
5. To pass or deliver the property of a thing to another for an equivalent; to pay. We give the full value of all we purchase. A dollar is given for a day's labor. What shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matth. xvi.
6. To yield; to lend; in the phrase to give ear, which signifies to listen; to hear.
7. To quit; in the phrase to give place, which signifies to withdraw, or retire to make room for another.
8. To confer; to grant. What wilt thou give me, seeing I go childless? Gen. xv.
9. To expose; to yield to the power of. Give to the wanton winds their flowing hair. Dryden.
10. To grant; to allow; to permit. It is given me once again to behold my friend. Rowe.
11. To afford; to supply; to furnish. Thou must give us also sacrifices and burnt-offerings. Exod. x.
12. To empower; to license; to commission. Then give thy friend to shed the sacred wine. Pope. But this and similar phrases are probably elliptical; give for give power or license. So in the phrases, give me to understand, give me to know, give the flowers to blow; that is, to give power, to enable.
13. To pay or render; as, to give praise, applause or approbation.
14. To render; to pronounce; as, to give sentence or judgment; to give the word of command.
15. To utter; to vent; as, to give a shout.
16. To produce; to show; to exhibit as a product or result; as, the number of men divided by the number of ships, gives four hundred to each ship.
17. To cause to exist; to excite in another; as, to give offense or umbrage; to give pleasure.
18. To send forth; to emit; as, a stone gives sparks with steel.
19. To addict; to apply; to devote one's self, followed by the reciprocal pronoun. The soldiers give themselves to plunder. The passive participle is much used in this sense; as, the people are given to luxury and pleasure; the youth is given to study. Give thyself wholly to them. 1 Tim. iv.
20. To resign; to yield up; often followed by up. Who say, I care not, those I give for lost. Herbert.
21. To pledge; as, I give my word that the debt shall be paid.
22. To present for taking or acceptance; as, I give you my hand.
23. To allow or admit by way of supposition. To give away, to alienate the title or property of a thing; to make over to another; to transfer. Whatsoever we employ in charitable uses during our lives, is given away from ourselves. Atterbury. To give back, to return; to restore. Atterbury. To give forth, to publish; to tell; to report publicly. Hayward. To give the hand, to yield preeminence, as being subordinate or inferior. Hooker. To give in, to allow by way of abatement or deduction from a claim; to yield what may be justly demanded. To give over, to leave; to quit; to cease; to abandon; as, to give over a pursuit. #2. To addict; to attach to; to abandon. When the Babylonians had given themselves over to all manner of vice. Grew. #3. To despair of recovery; to believe to be lost or past recovery. The physician had given over the patient, or given the patient over. Addison. #4. To abandon. Milton. To give out, to utter publicly; to report; to proclaim; to publish. It was given out that parliament would assemble in November. #2. To issue; to send forth; to publish. The night was distinguished by the orders which he gave out to his army. Addison. #3. To show; to exhibit in false appearance. Shak. #4. To send out; to emit; as, a substance gives out steam or odors. To give up, to resign; to quit; to yield as hopeless; as, to give up a cause; to give up the argument. #2. To surrender; as, to give up a fortress to an enemy. #3. To relinquish; to cede. In this treaty the Spaniards gave up Louisiana. #4. To abandon; as, to give up all hope. They are given up to believe a lie. #5. To deliver. And Joab gave up the sum of the number of the people to the king. 2 Sam. xxiv. To give one's self up, to despair of one's recovery; to conclude to be lost. #2. To resign or devote. Let us give ourselves wholly up to Christ in heart and desire. Taylor. #3. To addict; to abandon. He gave himself up to intemperance. To give way, to yield; to withdraw to make room for. Inferiors should give way to superiors. #2. To fail; to yield to force; to break or fall. The ice gave way, and the horses were drowned. The scaffolding gave way. The wheels or axletree gave way. #3. To recede; to make room for. #4. In seamen's language, give way is an order to a boat's crew to row after ceasing, or to increase their exertions. Mar. Dict.

GIV'EN, pp. [giv'n.]

Bestowed; granted; conferred; imparted; admitted or supposed.