Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

      Now strike your saile, ye jolly mariners, For we be come
      unto a quiet rode [road].                   --Spenser.

   {On}, or {Upon}, {the road}, traveling or passing over a
      road; coming or going; on the way.

            My hat and wig will soon be here, They are upon the
            road.                                 --Cowper.

   {Road agent}, a highwayman, especially on the stage routes of
      the unsettled western parts of the United States; -- a
      humorous euphemism. [Western U.S.]

            The highway robber -- road agent he is quaintly
            called.                               --The century.

   {Road book}, a quidebook in respect to roads and distances.
      

   {Road metal}, the broken, stone used in macadamizing roads.
      

   {Road roller}, a heavy roller, or combinations of rollers,
      for making earth, macadam, or concrete roads smooth and
      compact. -- often driven by steam.

   {Road runner} (Zo["o]l.), the chaparral cock.

   {Road steamer}, a locomotive engine adapted to running on
      common roads.

   {To go on the road}, to engage in the business of a
      commercial traveler. [Colloq.]

   {To take the road}, to begin or engage in traveling.

   {To take to the road}, to engage in robbery upon the
      highways.

   Syn: Way; highway; street; lane; pathway; route; passage;
        course. See {Way}.

On \On\, prep. [OE. on, an, o, a, AS. on, an; akin to D. aan,
   OS. & G. an, OHG. ana, Icel. [=a], Sw. [*a], Goth. ana, Russ.
   na, L. an-, in anhelare to pant, Gr. 'ana`, Zend ana.
   [root]195. Cf. {A-}, 1, {Ana-}, {Anon}.]
   The general signification of on is situation, motion, or
   condition with respect to contact or support beneath; as:

   1. At, or in contact with, the surface or upper part of a
      thing, and supported by it; placed or lying in contact
      with the surface; as, the book lies on the table, which
      stands on the floor of a house on an island.

            I stood on the bridge at midnight.    --Longfellow.

   2. To or against the surface of; -- used to indicate the
      motion of a thing as coming or falling to the surface of
      another; as, rain falls on the earth.

            Whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken.
                                                  --Matt. xxi.
                                                  44.

   3. Denoting performance or action by contact with the
      surface, upper part, or outside of anything; hence, by
      means of; with; as, to play on a violin or piano. Hence,
      figuratively, to work on one's feelings; to make an
      impression on the mind.

   4. At or near; adjacent to; -- indicating situation, place,
      or position; as, on the one hand, on the other hand; the
      fleet is on the American coast.

   5. In addition to; besides; -- indicating multiplication or
      succession in a series; as, heaps on heaps; mischief on
      mischief; loss on loss; thought on thought. --Shak.

   6. Indicating dependence or reliance; with confidence in; as,
      to depend on a person for assistance; to rely on; hence,
      indicating the ground or support of anything; as, he will
      promise on certain conditions; to bet on a horse.

   7. At or in the time of; during; as, on Sunday we abstain
      from labor. See {At} (synonym).

   8. At the time of, conveying some notion of cause or motive;
      as, on public occasions, the officers appear in full dress
      or uniform. Hence, in consequence of, or following; as, on
      the ratification of the treaty, the armies were disbanded.

   9. Toward; for; -- indicating the object of some passion; as,
      have pity or compassion on him.

   10. At the peril of, or for the safety of. ``Hence, on thy
       life.'' --Dryden.

   11. By virtue of; with the pledge of; -- denoting a pledge or
       engagement, and put before the thing pledged; as, he
       affirmed or promised on his word, or on his honor.

   12. To the account of; -- denoting imprecation or invocation,
       or coming to, falling, or resting upon; as, on us be all
       the blame; a curse on him.

             His blood be on us and on our children. --Matt.
                                                  xxvii. 25.

   13. In reference or relation to; as, on our part expect
       punctuality; a satire on society.

   14. Of. [Obs.] ``Be not jealous on me.'' --Shak.

             Or have we eaten on the insane root That takes the
             reason prisoner?                     --Shak.

   Note: Instances of this usage are common in our older
         writers, and are sometimes now heard in illiterate
         speech.

   15. Occupied with; in the performance of; as, only three
       officers are on duty; on a journey.

   16. In the service of; connected with; of the number of; as,
       he is on a newspaper; on a committee.

   Note: On and upon are in general interchangeable. In some
         applications upon is more euphonious, and is therefore
         to be preferred; but in most cases on is preferable.

   {On a bowline}. (Naut.) Same as {Closehauled}.

   {On a wind}, or {On the wind} (Naut.), sailing closehauled.
      

   {On a sudden}. See under {Sudden}.

   {On board}, {On draught}, {On fire}, etc. See under {Board},
      {Draught}, {Fire}, etc.

   {On it}, {On't}, of it. [Obs. or Colloq.] --Shak.

   {On shore}, on land; to the shore.

   {On the road}, {On the way}, {On the wing}, etc. See under
      {Road}, {Way}, etc.

   {On to}, upon; on; to; -- sometimes written as one word,
      onto, and usually called a colloquialism; but it may be
      regarded in analogy with into.

            They have added the -en plural form on to an elder
            plural.                               --Earle.

            We see the strength of the new movement in the new
            class of ecclesiastics whom it forced on to the
            stage.                                --J. R. Green.

On \On\, adv. [See {On}, prep.]
   1. Forward, in progression; onward; -- usually with a verb of
      motion; as, move on; go on. ``Time glides on.''
      --Macaulay.

            The path is smooth that leadeth on to danger.
                                                  --Shak.

   2. Forward, in succession; as, from father to son, from the
      son to the grandson, and so on.

   3. In continuance; without interruption or ceasing; as, sleep
      on, take your ease; say on; sing on.

   4. Adhering; not off; as in the phrase, ``He is neither on
      nor off,'' that is, he is not steady, he is irresolute.

   5. Attached to the body, as clothing or ornament, or for use.
      ``I have boots on.'' --B. Gonson.

            He put on righteousness as a breastplate. --Is. lix.
                                                  17.

   6. In progress; proceeding; as, a game is on.

   Note: On is sometimes used as an exclamation, or a command to
         move or proceed, some verb being understood; as, on,
         comrades; that is, go on, move on.

   {On and on}, continuously; for a long time together.
      ``Toiling on and on and on.'' --Longfellow.

Spot \Spot\, n. [Cf. Scot. & D. spat, Dan. spette, Sw. spott
   spittle, slaver; from the root of E. spit. See {Spit} to
   eject from the mouth, and cf. {Spatter}.]
   1. A mark on a substance or body made by foreign matter; a
      blot; a place discolored.

            Out, damned spot! Out, I say!         --Shak.

   2. A stain on character or reputation; something that soils
      purity; disgrace; reproach; fault; blemish.

            Yet Chloe, sure, was formed without a spot. --Pope.

   3. A small part of a different color from the main part, or
      from the ground upon which it is; as, the spots of a
      leopard; the spots on a playing card.

   4. A small extent of space; a place; any particular place.
      ``Fixed to one spot.'' --Otway.

            That spot to which I point is Paradise. --Milton.

            ``A jolly place,'' said he, ``in times of old! But
            something ails it now: the spot is cursed.''
                                                  --Wordsworth.

   5. (Zo["o]l.) A variety of the common domestic pigeon, so
      called from a spot on its head just above its beak.

   6. (Zo["o]l.)
      (a) A sci[ae]noid food fish ({Liostomus xanthurus}) of the
          Atlantic coast of the United States. It has a black
          spot behind the shoulders and fifteen oblique dark
          bars on the sides. Called also {goody}, {Lafayette},
          {masooka}, and {old wife}.
      (b) The southern redfish, or red horse, which has a spot
          on each side at the base of the tail. See {Redfish}.

   7. pl. Commodities, as merchandise and cotton, sold for
      immediate delivery. [Broker's Cant]

   {Crescent spot} (Zo["o]l.), any butterfly of the family
      {Melit[ae]id[ae]} having crescent-shaped white spots along
      the margins of the red or brown wings.

   {Spot lens} (Microscopy), a condensing lens in which the
      light is confined to an annular pencil by means of a
      small, round diaphragm (the spot), and used in dark-field
      ilumination; -- called also {spotted lens}.

   {Spot rump} (Zo["o]l.), the Hudsonian godwit ({Limosa
      h[ae]mastica}).

   {Spots on the sun}. (Astron.) See {Sun spot}, ander {Sun}.

   {On}, or {Upon}, {the spot}, immediately; before moving;
      without changing place.

            It was determined upon the spot.      --Swift.

   Syn: Stain; flaw; speck; blot; disgrace; reproach; fault;
        blemish; place; site; locality.

Square \Square\, n. [OF. esquarre, esquierre, F. ['e]querre a
   carpenter's square (cf. It. squadra), fr. (assumed) LL.
   exquadrare to make square; L. ex + quadrus a square, fr.
   quattuor four. See {Four}, and cf. {Quadrant}, {Squad},
   {Squer} a square.]
   1. (Geom.)
      (a) The corner, or angle, of a figure. [Obs.]
      (b) A parallelogram having four equal sides and four right
          angles.

   2. Hence, anything which is square, or nearly so; as:
      (a) A square piece or fragment.

                He bolted his food down his capacious throat in
                squares of three inches.          --Sir W.
                                                  Scott.
      (b) A pane of glass.
      (c) (Print.) A certain number of lines, forming a portion
          of a column, nearly square; -- used chiefly in
          reckoning the prices of advertisements in newspapers.
      (d) (Carp.) One hundred superficial feet.

   3. An area of four sides, generally with houses on each side;
      sometimes, a solid block of houses; also, an open place or
      area for public use, as at the meeting or intersection of
      two or more streets.

            The statue of Alexander VII. stands in the large
            square of the town.                   --Addison.

   4. (Mech. & Joinery) An instrument having at least one right
      angle and two or more straight edges, used to lay out or
      test square work. It is of several forms, as the T square,
      the carpenter's square, the try-square., etc.

   5. Hence, a pattern or rule. [Obs.]

   6. (Arith. & Alg.) The product of a number or quantity
      multiplied by itself; thus, 64 is the square of 8, for 8
      [times] 8 = 64; the square of a + b is a^{2} + 2ab +
      b^{2}.

   7. Exact proportion; justness of workmanship and conduct;
      regularity; rule. [Obs.]

            They of Galatia [were] much more out of square.
                                                  --Hooker.

            I have not kept my square.            --Shak.

   8. (Mil.) A body of troops formed in a square, esp. one
      formed to resist a charge of cavalry; a squadron. ``The
      brave squares of war.'' --Shak.

   9. Fig.: The relation of harmony, or exact agreement;
      equality; level.

            We live not on the square with such as these.
                                                  --Dryden.

   10. (Astrol.) The position of planets distant ninety degrees
       from each other; a quadrate. [Obs.]

   11. The act of squaring, or quarreling; a quarrel. [R.]

   12. The front of a woman's dress over the bosom, usually
       worked or embroidered. [Obs.] --Shak.

   {Geometrical square}. See {Quadrat}, n., 2.

   {Hollow square} (Mil.), a formation of troops in the shape of
      a square, each side consisting of four or five ranks, and
      the colors, officers, horses, etc., occupying the middle.
      

   {Least square}, {Magic square}, etc. See under {Least},
      {Magic}, etc.

   {On the square}, or {Upon the square}, in an open, fair
      manner; honestly, or upon honor. [Obs. or Colloq.]

   {On}, or {Upon}, {the square with}, upon equality with; even
      with. --Nares.

   {To be all squares}, to be all settled. [Colloq.] --Dickens.

   {To be at square}, to be in a state of quarreling. [Obs.]
      --Nares.

   {To break no square}, to give no offense; to make no
      difference. [Obs.]

   {To break squares}, to depart from an accustomed order.

   {To see how the squares go}, to see how the game proceeds; --
      a phrase taken from the game of chess, the chessboard
      being formed with squares. [Obs.] --L'Estrange.

Peril \Per"il\, n. [F. p['e]ril, fr. L. periculum, periclum,
   akin to peritus experienced, skilled, and E. fare. See
   {Fare}, and cf. {Experience}.]
   Danger; risk; hazard; jeopardy; exposure of person or
   property to injury, loss, or destruction.

         In perils of waters, in perils of robbers. --2 Cor. xi.
                                                  26.

         Adventure hard With peril great achieved. --Milton.

   {At}, or {On}, {one's peril}, with risk or danger to one; at
      the hazard of. ``On thy soul's peril.'' --Shak.

   Syn: Hazard; risk; jeopardy. See {Danger}.

Strength \Strength\, n. [OE. strengthe, AS. streng[eth]u, fr.
   strang strong. See {Strong}.]
   1. The quality or state of being strong; ability to do or to
      bear; capacity for exertion or endurance, whether
      physical, intellectual, or moral; force; vigor; power; as,
      strength of body or of the arm; strength of mind, of
      memory, or of judgment.

            All his [Samson's] strength in his hairs were.
                                                  --Chaucer.

            Thou must outlive Thy youth, thy strength, thy
            beauty.                               --Milton.

   2. Power to resist force; solidity or toughness; the quality
      of bodies by which they endure the application of force
      without breaking or yielding; -- in this sense opposed to
      {frangibility}; as, the strength of a bone, of a beam, of
      a wall, a rope, and the like. ``The brittle strength of
      bones.'' --Milton.

   3. Power of resisting attacks; impregnability. ``Our castle's
      strength will laugh a siege to scorn.'' --Shak.

   4. That quality which tends to secure results; effective
      power in an institution or enactment; security; validity;
      legal or moral force; logical conclusiveness; as, the
      strength of social or legal obligations; the strength of
      law; the strength of public opinion; strength of evidence;
      strength of argument.

   5. One who, or that which, is regarded as embodying or
      affording force, strength, or firmness; that on which
      confidence or reliance is based; support; security.

            God is our refuge and strength.       --Ps. xlvi. 1.

            What they boded would be a mischief to us, you are
            providing shall be one of our principal strengths.
                                                  --Sprat.

            Certainly there is not a greater strength against
            temptation.                           --Jer. Taylor.

   6. Force as measured; amount, numbers, or power of any body,
      as of an army, a navy, and the like; as, what is the
      strength of the enemy by land, or by sea?

   7. Vigor or style; force of expression; nervous diction; --
      said of literary work.

            And praise the easy vigor of a life Where Denham's
            strength and Waller's sweetness join. --Pope.

   8. Intensity; -- said of light or color.

            Bright Ph[oe]bus in his strength.     --Shak.

   9. Intensity or degree of the distinguishing and essential
      element; spirit; virtue; excellence; -- said of liquors,
      solutions, etc.; as, the strength of wine or of acids.

   10. A strong place; a stronghold. [Obs.] --Shak.

   {On}, or {Upon}, {the strength of}, in reliance upon. ``The
      allies, after a successful summer, are too apt, upon the
      strength of it, to neglect their preparations for the
      ensuing campaign.'' --Addison.

   Syn: Force; robustness; toughness; hardness; stoutness;
        brawniness; lustiness; firmness; puissance; support;
        spirit; validity; authority. See {Force}.

Penalty \Pe"nal*ty\, n.; pl. {Penalties}. [F. p['e]nalit['e].
   See {Penal}.]
   1. Penal retribution; punishment for crime or offense; the
      suffering in person or property which is annexed by law or
      judicial decision to the commission of a crime, offense,
      or trespass.

            Death is the penalty imposed.         --Milton.

   2. The suffering, or the sum to be forfeited, to which a
      person subjects himself by covenant or agreement, in case
      of nonfulfillment of stipulations; forfeiture; fine.

            The penalty and forfeit of my bond.   --Shak.

   3. A handicap. [Sporting Cant]

   Note: The term penalty is in law mostly applied to a
         pecuniary punishment.

   {Bill of pains and penalties}. See under {Bill}.

   {On}, or {Under}, {penalty of}, on pain of; with exposure to
      the penalty of, in case of transgression.

Tapis \Ta"pis\, n. [F. See {Tapestry}.]
   Tapestry; formerly, the cover of a council table.

   {On}, or {Upon}, {the tapis}, on the table, or under
      consideration; as, to lay a motion in Parliament on the
      tapis.

Source : WordNet®

on
     adv 1: with a forward motion; "we drove along admiring the view";
            "the horse trotted along at a steady pace"; "the
            circus traveled on to the next city"; "move along";
            "march on" [syn: {along}]
     2: indicates continuity or persistence or concentration; "his
        spirit lives on"; "shall I read on?"
     3: in a state required for something to function or be
        effective; "turn the lights on"; "get a load on"

on
     adj 1: in operation or operational; "left the oven on"; "the switch
            is in the on position" [ant: {off}]
     2: (of events) planned or scheduled; "the picnic is on, rain or
        shine"; "we have nothing on for Friday night" [ant: {off}]
     3: performing or scheduled for duties; "I'm on from five to
        midnight"; "Naval personnel on duty in Alaska"; "her
        on-duty hours were 11p.m. to 7 a.m." [syn: {on(p)}, {on
        duty(p)}, {on-duty(a)}]