Emily Dickinson Lexicon
Dictionary: SU-PER-STI'TION – SU-PER-VENE
a | b | c | d | e | f | g | h | i | j | k | l | m | n | o | p | q | r | s | t | u | v | w | x | y | z |
1234567891011121314151617181920
2122232425262728293031323334353637383940
4142434445464748495051525354555657585960
6162636465666768697071727374757677787980
81828384858687888990919293949596979899100
101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120
121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140
141142143144145146147148149150151152153154155156157158159160
161162163164165166167168169170171172173174175176177178179180
181182183184185186187188189190191192193194195196197198199200
201202203204205206207208209210211212213214215216217218219220
221222223224225226227228229230231232233234235236237238239240
241242243244245246247248249250251252253254255256257258259260
261262263264265266267268269270271272273274275276277278279280
281282283284285286287288289290291292293294295296297298299300
301302303304305306307308309310311312313314315316317318319320
321322323324325326327328329330331332333334335336337338339340
341342343344345346347348349350351352353354355356357358359360
361362363364
SU-PER-STI'TION, n. [Fr. from L. superstitio, supersto; super and sto, to stand.]
- Excessive exactness or rigor in religious opinions or practice; extreme and unnecessary scruples in the observance of religious rites not commanded, or of points of minor importance; excess or extravagance in religion; the doing things not required by God, or abstaining from things not forbidden; or the belief of what is absurd, or belief without evidence. – Brown. Superstition has reference to God, to religion, or to being superiors to man. – Encyc.
- False religion; false worship.
- Rite or practice proceeding from excess of scruples in religion. In this sense, it admits of a plural. They the truth / With superstitions and traditions taint. – Milton.
- Excessive nicety; scrupulous exactness.
- Belief in the direct agency of superior powers in certain extraordinary or singular events, or in omens and prognostics.
One addicted to superstition. – More.
SU-PER-STI'TIOUS, a. [Fr. superstitieux; L. superstitiosus.]
- Over scrupulous and rigid in religious observances; addicted to superstition; full of idle fancies and scruples in regard to religion; as, superstitious people.
- Proceeding from superstition; manifesting superstition; as, superstitious rites; superstitious observances.
- Over exact; scrupulous beyond need. Superstitious use, in law, the use of land for a religious purpose, or by a religious corporation.
SU-PER-STI'TIOUS-LY, adv.
- In a superstitious manner with excessive regard to uncommanded rites or unessential opinions and forms in religion. – Bacon.
- With too much care; with excessive exactness or scruple.
- With extreme credulity in regard to the agency of superior beings in extraordinary events.
Superstition.
SU-PER-STRAIN, v.t. [super and strain.]
To overstrain or stretch. [Little used.] – Bacon.
SU-PER-STRAIN-ED, pp.
Overstrained or stretched.
SU-PER-STRA'TUM, n. [super and stratum.]
A stratum or layer above another, or resting on something else. – Asiat. Res.
SU-PER-STRUCT', v.t. [L. superstruo; super and struo, to lay.]
To build upon; to erect. This is the only proper basis on which to so superstruct first innocence then virtue. [Little used.] – Decay of Piety.
SU-PER-STRUCT'ED, pp.
Built upon.
SU-PER-STRUCT'ING, ppr.
Building upon.
An edifice erected on something. My own profession hath taught me not to erect new superstructions on an old ruin. – Denham.
Built or erected on something else. – Hammond.
- Any structure or edifice built on something else; particularly, the building raised on a foundation. This word is used to distinguish what is erected on a wall or foundation from the foundation itself.
- Any thing erected on a foundation or basis. In education, we begin with teaching languages as the foundation, and proceed to erect on that foundation the superstructure of science.
SU-PER-SUB-STAN'TIAL, a. [super and substantial.]
More than substantial; being more than substance. – Cyc.
SU-PER-SUL'PHATE, n.
Sulphate with a greater number of equivalents of acid than base.
Consisting of a greater number of equivalents of sulphur than of the base with which the sulphur is combined. – Aikin.
SU-PER-TER-RENE, a. [super and terrene.]
Being above ground, or above the earth. – Hill.
Being above the earth, or above what belongs to the earth. – Buckminster.
SU-PER-TON'IC, n.
In music, the note next above the keynote. – Busby.
Tragical to excess. – Warton.
SU-PER-VA-CA'NE-OUS, a. [L. supervacaneus; super and vaco, to make void.]
Superfluous; unnecessary; needless; serving no purpose. – Howell.
SU-PER-VA-CA'NE-OUS-LY, adv.
Needlessly.
Needlessness. – Bailey.
SU-PER-VENE, v.i. [L. supervenio; super and venio.]
- To come upon as something extraneous. Such a mutual gravitation can never supervene to matter, unless impressed by divine power. Bentley.
- To come upon; to happen to.