Emily Dickinson Lexicon

GOURD, n. [Fr. courge; D. kauwoerde. Qu. the root of gherkin.]

A plant and its fruit, of the genus Lagenaria. The shell is sometimes used for a piggin or for a bottle.

GOURD'I-NESS, n.

A swelling on a horse's leg after a journey. Far. Dict.

GOURD'-TREE, n.

A tree, the Crescentia, or Calabash, found in the West Indies. Fam. of Plants.

GOURD'Y, a.

Swelled in the legs.

GOUR'MAND, n. [See GORMAND.]

GOUT, n.¹ [Fr. goutte, a drop, the gout; the disease being considered as a defluxion; It. gotta; Sp. gota; Ir. guta; L. gutta. Qu. Pers. كُوتْ kot, hot, infirm in the feet.]

1. The Podagra, a painful disease of the small joints, but sometimes affecting the stomach. It is often periodical or intermitting. Coxe.
2. A drop. [Not used.]. Shak.

GOUT, n.² [goo; Fr. from L. gustus; taste.]

Taste; relish.

GOUT'I-LY, adv.

In a gouty manner.

GOUT'I-NESS, n.

The state of being subject to the gout; gouty affections.

GOUT'SWELL-ED, a.

Swelled with the gout.

GOUT'WORT, n.

A plant, the Ægopodium.

GOUT'Y, a.

1. Diseased with the gout, or subject to the gout; as, a gouty person; a gouty joint; a gouty constitution.
2. Pertaining to the gout; as, gouty matter. Blackmore.
3. Swelled; boggy; as, gouty land. [Not in use.] Spenser.

GOVE, n.

A mow. [Local.]

GOV'ERN, v.i.

1. To exercise authority; to administer the laws. The chief magistrate should govern with impartiality.
2. To maintain the superiority; to have the control. Dryden.

GOV'ERN, v.t. [Fr. gouverner; Sp. gobernar; It. governare; L. guberno. The L. guberno seems to be a compound.]

1. To direct and control, as the actions or conduct of men, either by established laws or by arbitrary will; to regulate by authority; to keep within the limits prescribed by law or sovereign will. Thus in free states, men are governed by the constitution and laws; in despotic states, men are governed by the edicts or commands of a monarch. Every man should govern well his own family.
2. To regulate; to influence; to direct. This is the chief point by which he is to govern all his counsels and actions.
3. To control; to restrain; to keep in due subjection; as, to govern the passions or temper.
4. To direct; to steer; to regulate the course or motion of a ship. The helm or the helmsman governs the ship.
5. In grammar, to require to be in a particular case; as, a verb transitive governs a word in the accusative case; or to require a particular case; as, a verb governs the accusative case.

GOV'ERN-A-BLE, a.

That may be governed, or subjected to authority; controllable; manageable; obedient; submissive to law or role. Locke.

GOV'ERN-ANCE, n.

Government; exercise of authority; direction; control; management, either of a public officer, or of a private guardian or tutor. Maccabees. Shak.

GOV'ERN-ANT, n. [Fr. gouvernante.]

A lady who has the care and management of young females; a governess. [The latter is more generally used.]

GOV'ERN-ED, pp.

Directed; regulated by authority; controlled; managed; influenced; restrained.

GOV'ERN-ESS, n.

A female invested with authority to control and direct; a tutoress; an instructress; a woman who has the care of instructing and directing young ladies.

GOV'ERN-ING, ppr.

1. Directing; controlling; regulating by laws or edicts; managing; influencing; restraining.
2. adj. Holding the superiority; prevalent; as, a governing wind; a governing party in a state. – Federalist, Jay.
3. Directing; controlling; as, a governing motive.

GOV'ERN-MENT, n.

1. Direction; regulation. These precepts will serve for the government of our conduct.
2. Control; restraint. Men are apt to neglect the government of their temper and passions.
3. The exercise of authority; direction and restraint exercised over the actions of men in communities, societies or states; the administration of public affairs, according to established constitution, laws and usages, or by arbitrary edicts. Prussia rose to importance under the government of Frederic II.
4. The exercise of authority by a parent or household. Children are often ruined by a neglect of government in parents. Let family government be like that of our heavenly Father, mild, gentle, and affectionate. – Kollock.
5. The system of polity in a state; that form of fundamental rules and principles by which a nation or state is governed, or by which individual members of a body politic are to regulate their social actions; a constitution, either written or unwritten, by which the rights and duties of citizens and public officers are prescribed and defined; as, a monarchial government, or a republican government. Thirteen governments thus founded on the natural authority of the people alone, without the pretense of miracle or mystery, are a great point gained in favor of the rights of mankind. – J. Adams.
6. An empire, kingdom or state; any territory over which the right of sovereignty is extended.
7. The right of governing or administering the laws. The King of England vested the government of Ireland in the lord lieutenant.
8. The persons or council which administer the laws of a kingdom or state; executive power.
9. Manageableness; compliance; obsequiousness. – Shak.
10. Regularity of behavior. [Not in use.] – Shak.
11. Management of the limbs or body. [Not in use.] Spencer.
12. In grammar, the influence of a word in regard to construction, as when established usage requires that one word should cause another to be in a particular case or mode.

GOV-ERN-MENT'AL, a.

Pertaining to government; made by government. Hamilton.

GOV'ERN-OR, n.

1. He that governs, rules or directs; one invested with supreme authority. The Creator is the rightful governor of all his creatures.
2. One who is invested with supreme authority to administer or enforce the laws; the supreme executive magistrate of a state, community, corporation or post. Thus, in America, each state has its governor; Canada has its governor.
3. A tutor; one who has the care of a young man; one who instructs him and forms his manners.
4. A pilot; one who steers a ship. James iii.
5. One possessing delegated authority. Joseph was governor over the land of Egypt. Obadiah was governor over Ahab's house. Damascus had a governor under Aretes the king.

GOV'ERN-OR-SHIP, n.

The office of a governor.