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}.
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.
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}.
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.
Upon \Up*on"\, prep.[AS. uppan, uppon; upp up + on, an, on. See
{Up}, and {On}.]
On; -- used in all the senses of that word, with which it is
interchangeable. ``Upon an hill of flowers.'' --Chaucer.
Our host upon his stirrups stood anon. --Chaucer.
Thou shalt take of the blood that is upon the altar.
--Ex. xxix.
21.
The Philistines be upon thee, Samson. --Judg. xvi.
9.
As I did stand my watch upon the hill. --Shak.
He made a great difference between people that did
rebel upon wantonness, and them that did rebel upon
want. --Bacon.
This advantage we lost upon the invention of firearms.
--Addison.
Upon the whole, it will be necessary to avoid that
perpetual repetition of the same epithets which we find
in Homer. --Pope.
He had abandoned the frontiers, retiring upon Glasgow.
--Sir. W.
Scott.
Philip swore upon the Evangelists to abstain from
aggression in my absence. --Landor.
Note: Upon conveys a more distinct notion that on carries
with it of something that literally or metaphorically
bears or supports. It is less employed than it used to
be, on having for the most part taken its place. Some
expressions formed with it belong only to old style;
as, upon pity they were taken away; that is, in
consequence of pity: upon the rate of thirty thousand;
that is, amounting to the rate: to die upon the hand;
that is, by means of the hand: he had a garment upon;
that is, upon himself: the time is coming fast upon;
that is, upon the present time. By the omission of its
object, upon acquires an adverbial sense, as in the
last two examples.
{To assure upon} (Law), to promise; to undertake.
{To come upon}. See under {Come}.
{To take upon}, to assume.